I would have my people take death seriously and not go abroad to seek it, though they be ready enough to die wice
over to defend their homes.
Maybe there are boats and carriages in my little country, but why should the people travel in them?
Maybe there are weapons and armour, but these are kept in the background, unused.
I would let my people jog their memories with knotted cords and not depend on writing.
I would have them satisfied with their food; their clothing should be pleasant; their homes comfortable; and they
would take delight in the performance of the daily round.
The neighbouring country might be so near that my people would hear the cocks crow and the dogs bark over there;
but old age might come and even death itself, and yet my people would have felt no need to cross the border.
81
Truth has no need for fine words;
Fine words may not be true words.
The man of Tao does not try to convince by argument:
He who argues is not a man of Tao.
Wisdom does not consist in knowing everything;
The know-alls do not know the Tao.
The Sage does not hoard. The more he spends himself for others, the more he enriches himself.
The more he fives, the more he gains.
For the Tao of Heaven penetrates all things but harms none.
This, too, is the Tao of the Sage, who acts without contending.
English_RedPine_TTK
Das Tao Te King von Lao Tse
Chinese - English by
Red Pine (Bill Porter), 1996
1
The way that becomes a way is not the Immortal Way
the name that becomes a name is not the Immortal Name
the maiden of Heaven and Earth has no name
the mother of all things has a name
thus in innocence we see the beginning
in passion we see the end
two different names for one and the same
the one we call dark the dark beyond dark the door to all beginnings
2
All the world knows beauty but if that becomes beautiful this becomes ugly
all the word knows good but if that becomes good this becomes bad
the coexistence of have and have not the coproduction of hard and easy the correlation of long and short
the codependence of high and low the correspondence of note and noise the coordination of first and last is endless
thus the sage performs effortless deeds and teaches wordless lessons
he doesn't start all things he begins he doesn't presume on what he does he doesn't claim what he achieves
and because he makes no claim he suffers no loss
3
Bestowing no honours keeps people from fighting
prizing no treasures keeps people from stealing
displaying no attractions keeps people from making trouble
thus the rule of the sage empties the mind but fills the stomach weakens the will but strengthens the bones
by keeping the people from knowing or wanting and those who know from daring to act
he thus governs them all
4
The Tao is so empty those who use it never become full again
and so deep as if it were the ancestor of us all
dulling our edges untying our tangles softening our light merging our dust
and so clear as if it were present
I wonder whose child it is it seems it was here before the Ti
5
Heaven and Earth are heartless treating creatures like straw dogs
heartless is the sage treating people like straw dogs
between Heaven and Earth how like a bellows empty but inexhaustible each movement produces more
taking only wastes it better to keep it inside
6
The valley spirit that doesn't die we call the dark womb
as real as gossamer silk and yet we can't exhaust it.
The valley spirit that doesn't die we call the dark womb the dark womb's mouth we call the source of creation as real as gossamer silk and yet we can't exhaust it.
7
Heaven is eternal and Earth is immortal
the reason they're eternal and immortal is because they don't live for themselves hence they can live forever
thus the sage pulls himself back but ends up in front
he lets himself go but ends up safe
selflessness must be the reason whatever he seeks he finds
8
The best are like water bringing help to all without competing choosing what others avoid hence approaching the Tao
dwelling with earth thinking with depth helping with kindness speaking with truth
governing with peace working with skill moving with time
and because they don't compete they aren't maligned
9
Instead of pouring in more better stop while you can
making it sharper won't help it last longer
houses full of treasure can never be safe
the vanity of success invites its own failure
retire when your work is done this is the Way of Heaven
10
Can you hold fast your crescent soul and not let it wander
can you make your breath as soft as a baby's
can you wipe your Dark Mirror free of dust
can you love people and lead them without imposing your will? can you serve and govern without effort
can you be the female at Heaven's Gate
can you light up the world without knowledge
beget things and keep them but beget without possessing keep without controlling this is Dark Virtue
11
Thirty spokes converge on a hub but it's the emptiness that makes a wheel work
pots are fashioned from clay but it's the hollow that make a pot work
windows and doors are carved for a house but it's the spaces that make a house work
existence makes something useful but nonexistence makes it work
12
The five colours make our eyes blind the five tones make our ears deaf the five flavours make our mouths numb
riding and hunting make our minds wild hard-to-get goods make us break laws
thus the rule of the sage puts the stomach ahead of the eyes thus he picks this over that
13
Favour and disgrace are like warnings honour and disaster are like the body
and why are favour and disgrace like warnings favour means descending to gain it is like a warning to lose it is like a warning thus are favour and disgrace like warnings
and why are honour and disaster like the body the reason we have disaster is because we have a body if we didn't have a body we wouldn't have disaster
who honours is body as much as the world can be entrusted with the world who loves his body as much as the world can be encharged with the world
14
We look but don't see it and call it indistinct we listen but don't hear it and call it faint we reach but don't grasp it and call it ethereal
three failed means to knowledge I weave into one
with no light above and no shade below too fine to be named returning to nothing
this is the formless form the immaterial image this is the waxing waning we meet without seeing its face we follow without seeing its back
holding onto this very Way we rule this very realm and discover its ancient past this is the thread of the Way
15
The ancient masters of the Way aimed at the indiscernible and penetrated the dao
you would never know them I describe them with reluctance they were careful as if crossing a river in winter cautious as if worried about neighbours reserved like guests
ephemeral like melting ice simple like uncarved wood open like valleys and murky like puddles
but a puddle becomes clear when it's still and stillness becomes alive when it's roused
those who treasure this Way don't try to be full not trying to be full they can hide and stay hidden
16
Let limits be empty the center be still
ten thousand things rise we watch them return creatures without number all return to their roots
return to their roots to be still to be still to revive to revive to endure knowing how to endure is wisdom not knowing is to suffer in vain
knowing how to endure is to be all-embracing all embracing means impartial impartial means the king the king means Heaven Heaven means the Way
and the Way means long life life without trouble.
17
During the High Ages people knew they were there then people loved and praised them then they feared them finally they despised them
when honesty fails dishonesty prevails
hesitate and guard your words when their work succeeds let people think they did it
18
When the Great Way disappears we meet kindness and justice
when reason appears we meet great deceit
when the six relations fail we meet obedience and love
when the country is in chaos we meet honest officials
19
Get rid of wisdom and reason and people will live a hundred times better
get rid of kindness and justice and people once more will love and obey
get rid of cleverness and profit and thieves will cease to exist
but these three sayings are not enough hence let this be added
wear the undyed and hold the uncarved reduce self-interest and limit desires get rid of learning and problems will vanish
20
Yes and no aren't so far apart lovely and ugly aren't so unalike
what others fear we too must fear
before the moon wanes everyone is gay as if they were at the Great Sacrifice or climbing a tower in spring I sit here and make no sign like a child that doesn't smile lost with no one to turn to
while others enjoy more I alone seem forgotten my mind is so foolish so simple
others look bright I alone seem dim others are certain I alone am confused receding like the ocean waxing without cease
everyone has a goal I alone am dumb and backward for I alone choose to differ preferring still my mother's breast
21
The expression of empty virtue comes from the Tao alone
the Tao as a thing waxes and wanes it waxes and wanes but inside is an image it waxes and wanes but inside is a creature it's distant and dark but inside is an essence an essence fundamentally real and inside is a heart
throughout the ages its name has never changed so we might follow our fathers
how do we know what our fathers were like through this
22
Partial means whole crooked means straight hollow means full worn-out means new less means content more means confused
thus the sage holds onto the one to use in guiding the world
not watching himself he appears not displaying himself he flourishes not flattering himself he succeeds not parading himself he leads
because he doesn't compete no one can compete against him
the ancients who said partial means whole came close indeed becoming whole depends on this
23
Whispered words are natural a gale doesn't last all morning a squall doesn't last all day
who else could make these only Heaven and Earth if Heaven and Earth can't make things last what about Man
thus in whatever we do let those on the Way be one with the Way let those who succeed be one with success let those who fail be one with failure
be one with success for the Way succeeds too be one with failure for the Way fails too
24
Who tiptoes doesn't stand who strides doesn't walk
who watches himself doesn't appear who displays himself doesn't flourish
who flatters himself achieves nothing who parades himself doesn't lead
on the road they say too much food and a tiring pace some things are simply bad thus the Taoist avoids them
25
Imagine a nebulous thing here before Heaven and Earth silent and elusive it stands alone not wavering it travels everywhere unharmed it could be the mother of us all
not knowing its name I call it the Tao forced to name it I name it Great
great means ever-flowing ever-flowing means far-reaching far-reaching means returning
the Tao is great Heaven is great Earth is great the king is also great the realm contains four greats of these the king is one
Man imitates Earth Earth imitates Heaven Heaven imitates the Tao the Tao imitates itself
26
Heavy is the root of light still is the master of busy
thus a lord might travel all day but never far from his supplies even in a guarded camp his manner is calm and aloof
why would the lord of ten thousand chariots treat himself lighter than his kingdom
too light he loses his base too busy he loses command
27
Good walking leaves no tracks good talking reveals no flaws good counting counts no beads
good closing locks no locks and yet it can't be opened good tying ties no knots and yet it can't be undone
thus the sage is good at saving and yet abandons no one nor anything of use this is called cloaking the light
thus the good instruct the bad the bad learn from the good
not honouring their teachers not cherishing their students the wise alone are perfectly blind this is called peering into the distance
28
Recognize the male but hold onto the female and be the world's maid being the world's maid don't lose your ancient virtue not losing your ancient virtue be a newborn child again
recognize the pure but hold onto the defiled and be the world's valley being the world's valley be filled with ancient virtue being filled with ancient virtue be uncarved wood again
recognize the white but hold onto the black and be the world's guide being the world's guide don't stray from the ancient virtue not straying from ancient virtue be without limits again
uncarved wood can be split to make tools the sage makes it his chief official a master tailor doesn't cut
29
Trying to govern the world with force I see this not succeeding
the world is a spiritual thing it can't be forced to force it is to harm it to control it is to lose it
sometimes things lead sometimes they follow sometimes blow hot sometimes blow cold sometimes expand sometimes collapse
therefore the sage avoids extremes avoids extravagance avoids excess
30
Use the Tao to help your king don't use weapons to rule the land such things soon return
where armies camp brambles grow
best to win then stop don't make use of force
win but don't be proud win but don't be vain win but don't be cruel win when you have no choice this is to win without force
virility means old age this isn't the Tao what isn't the Tao ends early
31
Weapons are not auspicious tools some things are simply bad thus the Taoist ns them
in peace the ruler honours the left in war he honours the right
