A true leader does not display his authority in an aggressive way.
The courageous and not-threatening one attracts people,
A good conqueror does not base his gain through violence,
A good leader does not acquire his status through aggressive authority,
Because the path of harmony generate harmony in everything.
69
It is easier to retreat ten meters than to advance one,
Disputes could be solved by being in waiting.
Instead of an aggressive advancement it is better to retreat and wait,
Without displaying power and being aggressive,
Battles could be won.
Do not underestimates your enemy, neither those courageous in battle.
In the beginning aggressiveness seems to win,
But at the end, he who is compassionate wins.
70
There are few in the world following the Wise One
Who lives and acts with simplicity.
The ordinary person hardly understands the way of the Wise,
Although the facts are evident and logic in their manifestations.
By giving respect and honour to the Wise One,
We become part of his wisdom.
Although the Wise One might not have expensive apparel,
He might seem not much important,
But his treasure rests in his heart.
71
Knowing our limits is wisdom,
Not knowing our limits is ignorance.
The Wise One knows his limits,
Thus he knows always what is possible to be done.
72
The Wise One does not act without the inner urge.
He does not interfere with other people affairs,
He takes to arms only in defense.
Although he knows his value very well,
The Wise One does not exalt his personality.
He gives great respect o himself,
But does not expect the same from others.
He lets the course of actions of life to flow,
When they do not touch him in any way.
He intervenes only when actions,
Have significance for his life.
73
A courageous man who does not control himself,
Either kills or is killed.
But a courageous man, himself in control, lives,
The heaven protects the one who does not harm anyone.
The Tao Way is similar,
Being neither opposing nor struggling to go forwards.
Although does not speak out, it gets an answer.
Although does not ask for anything, obtains everything.
Although does not want to achieve anything, all is achieved.
In its immensity, Tao seems to be empty,
But it is like a sieve that follows the laws of matter.
74
The justice system could not rely of death penalty,
Because for those not afraid of death,
Will be entirely inefficient.
When oppression brings death at every occasion,
Who could be afraid of death?
Thus the judges in such a country are not relevant.
75
When leaders become greedy there will be famine.
When leaders follow only the self-interest, people become unruly.
When leaders do kill without a good reason,
People will revolt without fear of death.
76
The human being is born fragile and sensible,
When dying it is inflexible and stiff.
The offshoots are flexible and fragile,
When plant is old, they become stiff and die.
What is strong and stiff is the sign of death,
What is weak, fragile and sensible is the sign of life.
A stiff tree is hard to bend,
When blown by a strong wind is broken.
What is not flexible will die,
What is heavy and stiff falls to the ground,
What is light is carried far away by the wind.
77
The Tao Way is like a stretched bow,
The extremities will lower when the middle rises.
What is in excess diminishes, what is little rises.
The Tao Way takes from where there is excess,
And does add wherever there is shortage.
But the ordinary human way it is such that it,
Takes from where is shortage,
And gives to whoever has already abundance.
How then the mankind could be happy?
But the Wise Person knows that he does not own anything truly,
Whatever surplus he has is given to the people, without expectations.
Working without pride, he is a living proof.
78
Nothing is so flexible like the water although appears to be weak,
But in time could penetrate the hardest rock.
What seems to be light, in time conquers the heavy,
What seems to be weak, in time conquers the strong,
Although these facts look like being known by everyone,
Few people are ready to apply them in life.
The one who is modest is the best leader,
The one who could solve people's problems is the read leader.
79
When laws and rules are too stringent,
People have the natural urge to violate them.
The Wise Person follows his duties without expectations,
Thus his virtue is acknowledged.
He does not take possession of own virtue,
Similarly as nature does, his will is not imposed,
Thus he is on the Way of Tao.
80
In a small community having few people,
To accumulate useless things does not make sense.
To live a simple life is more important.
To know the world, travel is not necessary,
The light of mind could be used instead.
For defense, the display of weapons is not necessary,
They should be kept hidden until needed.
The good relationships with neighbours are vital,
For peace and tranquility to reign.
The Wise People attains thus freedom.
81
The Wise Person is full of honesty his words have substance.
In empty talk the honesty is missing.
Enlightenment does not come because somebody is educated,
Happiness does not come from riches.
The Wise Person does not live for himself,
In doing good actions for others he is satisfied.
The more he gives the more he receives,
Around him there is harmony everywhere,
Being on the Tao Way he is well established in Virtue (Te).
English_Schmidt_TTK
Das Tao Te King von Lao Tse
English by
Schmidt
1
The Tao that can be named is not the absolute Tao.
The name that can be uttered is not the name of the Eternal.
As the unmanifest it is the origin of heaven and earth; manifest it is the mother of all beings.
Whoever free from attachment looks inward with detachment attains the vision of the Unmanifest; whoever is ego-bound and clings to greed sees but the outer show.
The Manifest and the Unmanifest although different in name are one in essence.
This unity is the mystery of the Tao the unfathomable of the primordial ground the starting point of all manifestation.
2
The whole world knows: when beauty tries to be beautiful it changes into ugliness by that very fact.
The whole world knows: when kindness tries to appear kind it changes into unkindness by that very fact.
So close are Being and Non-Being that one arises from the other.
So suddenly easy becomes difficult short becomes long high becomes low loud becomes soundless the first becomes the last.
That is why the Sage strives to act without action to teach without speaking.
He lets things happen and does not try to stay them.
He labors and is not greedy.
He acts and does not demand anything.
He receives and does not retain anything.
3
Not boasting of merit and not stressing cleverness thus one prevents jealously and quarrels.
Not concerned about possessions and not overestimating valuables thus one avoids greed and theft.
Not considering anything outside as desirable thus one prevents anxiety and discord inside.
Likewise the Awakened One:
He renders men's hearts desireless thereby opening them to abundance.
He decreases their craving thereby increasing their power of realization.
He teaches them to put the inner above the outer to value wisdom higher than knowledge not to act from the outside but from the unmovedness of their inner being.
Thus practicing non-action they find peace and realize:
Through non-action nothing remains undone.
4
Unfathomable in its depth Tao is the primordial ground of all life.
Because it is empty it is the origin of fullness and remain while producing fulfillment forever unmoved and unfilled.
Empty it is the primordial matrix and center of all beings.
It softens the discord it unravels their entanglement it effaces appearance and unites them in Being.
Because it is still it is inaudible.
Unmoved it is all creative.
Unborn it is older than God.
5
The universe does not measure according to human standards
It is equally close to everything and pervades everything without distinction.
Likewise the Awakened Man:
He is close to all beings affirming all as holy without exception.
Like a bellows is the universe:
Although empty it does not collapse.
In motion it produces more and more.
Likewise the Sage:
Non-inflated he does not exhaust himself in idle words.
Moved from within he draws and gives from the fullness of the universe.
6
The depth of the universe is changeless.
Empty it is the Female giving birth in secret.
In motion it is the eternally flowing spring of all Becoming and all things.
Requiring no fertilization it is giving birth without ceasing.
Inexhaustible it is bringing forth abundance.
7
Heaven and earth are lasting.
That they do not live for themselves that is what gives them duration.
Likewise the Awakened Man:
Because he keeps his self back he advances; because he gives himself he increases; because he is not concerned about himself he is preserved.
That is it: because he is selfless he attains Self-completion.
8
The Perfect Man is like water:
To all things it readily bestows refreshment and comfort.
Without struggle it fills the depths which man ns and is closest to the Tao.
Likewise the Perfect Man:
Where he abides he gladly fills his place.
What he has in mind is fathomless goodness.
Where he gives he gives himself desireless.
When he speaks purest truth wells up.
Where he leads he guides through gentleness.
Where he acts he serves all and carries them to abundance.
Where he intervenes he causes balance and peace.
Because he adapts himself without struggle he lives without enmity and resistance.
9
Better it is to observe moderation than to fill to overflowing.
Impossible it is to use a tool at the same time impossible, too, greedily to accumulate treasures and to be secure at the same time.
For possessions beget possession possession begets arrogance and arrogance disaster.
By observing moderation when his work is completed by keeping back his ego and by nning fame the wisdom of the Awakened Man is evidenced.
10
He who knows himself to be one with all in spirit and mind is safe from division and discord.
He who practicing gentleness purifies his senses and soul becomes like a new-born child heir to heaven.
He who striving for clarity looks inside attains insight and the perceptions of truth.
He who leads others through love himself remaining serene brings about order without giving orders.
Since giving and receiving are one to him he opens all the gates of heaven like the maternal World Spirit.
Because he himself is inwardly open everything is open to him without learning.
That he nourishes and sustains without holding that he acts without keeping back and retaining that he leads without dominating: such is the virtue of the Supreme Man.
11
Thirty spokes meet in one hub
But it upon the empty space the non-existent in the hub that the wheel's usefulness depends.
Kneading clay one moulds vessels of it
But only their hollowness the non-existent makes their filling possible.
With walls from which doors and windows are cut out a house is built
But only its empty space the non-existent gives it its value.
The visible the existent gives form to the work.
The invisible the non-existent gives it essence and meeting.
12
Light too glaring endangers sight
Noise too loud deafens hearing
Spices too strong spoil taste
Craving for pleasure kills knowledge.
This is why the Awakened Man turns inward and rules the senses.
He lets go what passes
And seizes what lasts.
13
Fame and shame are equally laden with grief
Good luck and bad luck resemble man's ego.
What does this mean?
Acquire fame and you dread its loss
Lose fame and you are scared of shame.
Both are accompanied by fear both are sources of grief.
Likewise:
Good luck and bad luck arise from man's ego hit man's ego accompany man's ego.
That is why freedom from ego means freedom from fame as well as shame from good luck as well as bad luck freedom from grief.
For I-ness means limitation means to be chained to grief and bound to the world
All-ness is oneness with the limitless is superiority over grief and overcoming of the world.
14
Not the man who searches and looks for it but one who closes his eyes becomes aware of the invisible.
Not by listening and straining to hear but in serene silence the soundless become audible.
Not by struggling to grasp and comprehend but in calmness and letting-go the incomprehensible reveals itself.
These three one should not do one must be them to realize the One and disbecome in it.
From outside TAO is obscure
Inside there is brightness
To the world of Being it is Non-being to Non-being Suprabeing:
Being behind all appearance
Spirit beyond form the unmoved before and after all movement.
Obscure is its beginning unknowable its ending.
Yet one who neither looks back nor ahead but stopping awakens to the All-presence of the now soars beyond the cycle of Becoming and decaying and returns home to the ONE.
15
The wise men of old were masters of meditation and one with the One.
Unfathomable was their depth incomprehensible their greatness.
Without attracting attention they acted out of their stillness.
They walked cautiously as though wading through a swollen river.
They were watchful as though it were important not to hurt anyone
reserved like guests from foreign lands
Yielding like snow in the sun
