71
To know that you do not know is best. Whoknows that he doesn't know is the highest. To know when one doesn't knowis best.
Who pretends to know what he doesn't knowis sick-minded; To think one knows when one doesn't know is a sort of malady.Pretend to know when you don't know - that's a disease. He who recognisesthis disease as a disease can also cure himself of it [and maybe not].[One may eventually get free from a disease by recognising it for whatit is.]
Who recognises sick-mindedness as sick-mindednesscan't be wholly sick-minded, after all.
The wise man is hardly sick-minded if herecognises sick mind as sick and also cures some diseases. He's hardlya sick mind.
72
If the people hardly fear what's dreadful,something greatly dreadful could descend. If people have no fear of force,then great force descends. So never mind if people are not intimidatedby your authority. Some mightier authority could deal with them in thelong run.
Neither despise their dwellings nor narrowthe living space of their dwellings. They could cease to turn away if youdon't put them in jail. Don't dislike their offspring, harass or oppresstheir lives. Don't harass them, and they could cease to turn from you.Drop heavy taxes, and the people won't be fed up. If you don't persecuteall, you'll hardly be so much disliked. They're not oppressed if you refrainfrom gross oppressive measures.
So the wise man knows himself but hardly showsoff. Knows his own value, but doesn't exalt himself
Truly, "he rejects the one (brute force orenemicy) but accepts or takes the other (being some kind, sturdy neighbour)."
73
Who is brave in daring can kill or get killed[on a bus].
On the other hand, one who is brave in notdaring, can survive or give life. Either approach can be profitable orunprofitable, still one of them is harmful.
Who is brave in non-daring without ado letslive. There can be some advantage and some disadvantage in each approach-
Now, "Dao-heaven hates the one it hates, hateswhat it hates; and none can know the reason why." Who knows why and whatit dislikes? Heaven dislikes certain people; but the wise man considersit a tricky question. Yes, why heaven seems to hate - even a wise man regardsit as a tricky question.
Well, it's in the fixed dao sets of heavennot to strive in the open, but none the less to conquer. Not to compete,but all the same win expertly. Be good at conquest without strife.
Dao hardly speaks, it skilfully responds.It comes without skilful invitation, it can appear without a call. It doesn'tseem anxious about things and yet it shows up it plans very well. It getsable results without obvious design, as from hidden, laid, [broad] plansand schemes.[Say little, foster well laid schemes and designs.]
Dao-heaven's net is wide, with big, coarsemeshes. Still it misses nothing. Nothing slips through.
74
When the people are not afraid of death,why threaten them with death sentences?
Even supposing the people are constantlyafraid of death and we can seize and kill those who are unruly or vicious,who would dare to slay them? There's always the master executioner (Heaven).To kill in his stead is like thrusting oneself into he master-carpenter'splace and doing his chipping for him. "He who tries it is lucky if he doesn'tcut his hand," they say. To undertake executions for the master executioneris like hewing wood for him. It rarely happens you escape injuring yourown hands. Now, often it happens as well that the executioner is killed-
And to take the place of the executioneris in part like handling the hatchet for the master carpenter. He who handlesthe hatchet for the master carpenter seldom escapes injury to his hands.
75
People are hungry because rulers eat toomuch income, too much tax-grain. Therefore they starve, but also becauseof bad interference from those above. Some turn hard to rule as their rulersdo too many things. That's why they're hard to keep in order.
If so, the people are not very afraid ofdeath, as they're anxious to make a living. That's why they take deathlightly in such cases.
So: Those who interfere not with their livingthat are wise in exalting life. Maybe he who seeks only little after lifecan excel in making life valuable. But all that have hearts set only littleon life could be superior to those who set store by life.
76
When man is born, he is tender and weak.In death he becomes stiff and hard.
All things, the grass as well as trees, aresupple and soft while alive. When dead they become brittle and dried.
So hardness and stiffness very often accompanydeath, the soft and gentle could be companions of life.
The headstrong army will lose in battle.They say "the weapon that's too hard will be broken, the tree that hasthe hardest wood will be cut down". Yes, a hard tree will be cut down.
So the hard and mighty eventually shouldbe cast down; and the soft and weak may be set on high.
77
Heaven's way is like the bending of a bow.When a bow is bent the top comes down and the bottom-end comes up.
So too could heaven take away from thosewho have too much, and give to those that have not enough. Take away fromthose that have too much and give to those that have not enough.
But this is far from man's way. He takesaway from those that have not enough to offer those who already have toomuch.
The man of dao can fool enough and spare,and next give to the whole world.
So the wise man acts, but doesn't possess,accomplishes but lays claim to no credit.
If he accomplishes a task, achieves an aim,he doesn't wish to reveal himself as better than others. So he seems toclaim no credit. He seems to have no wish to appear superior, no desireto display excellence.
78
There's hardly anything more yielding than[gas, air, and] water, but almost none is better in attacking the resistantand hard,
There are few substitutes for it.
Thus the yielding may conquer the resistantand the soft the hard. This was utilised by none I knew.
Wise sayings,
"Only he who has accepted the dirt of a countrycan be lord of its soil-shrines: can become heaven-accepted there. Whobears evils of the country can become a king. Who takes into himself thecalumny of the world serves to preserve the state."
Straight words seem crooked.
79
To allay the main discontent, but in a waythat begets further discontents, can hardly be top successful. And to patchup great hatred is sure to leave some hatred behind; how can this be regardedas satisfactory?
So the wise man keeps the obligation of acontract
and refrains from blaming the other party.He stays where he is and does not go round making claims on people.
Therefore good people attend to their obligations,while those without virtue attend to other people's mistakes.
The way of heaven is impartial. It's alwayswith the good man, without distinction of persons, to keep the good firmlysupplied.''
80
Let there be a small country with few people.Let there be ten times and a hundred times as many utensils and let themnot be used.
Let there be contrivances requiring ten times,a hundred times less labour; they should not use them.
Let the people value their lives highly andnot travel far. Bring it about that the people are quite ready to lay downtheir lives at times to defend their homes rather than emigrate.
As for ships and carriages, let there benone to ride.
There can still be weapons, but no one todrill seriously with them and none to display them often.
People should have no use for any form ofwriting save knotted ropes: Let the people again knot cords for reckoning.
Let them be very pleased with their food,beautify their clothing, be content with their homes, take pleasure inrustic tasks, and delight in such customs [just like Negroes].
The neighbouring place can be overlooked,can be so near that one may hear the cocks crowing in it, the dogs barking;but the people would grow old and die without ever having been there.
and never outside their country.
81
True words hardly sound fine. Nice wordsare far from always true.
A good man seldom proves by argument; hehardly argues. He who argues or proves by argument is hardly so good (asnon-argumentative good men). Who argues [blatantly] is hardly (ever) agood man.
[All this is "Lao" arguing, debating or clowning.]
Brilliant wisdom is different from sordidlearning. Much bookish learning can mean too little wisdom. Who has extensiveknowledge is hardly a wise man.
The wise man has no need to hoard for himself.He lives for other people, seemingly, and grows richer himself if the morehe uses for others, the more he has for himself - He gives to other peopleto get greater abundance.
Heaven's way is to sharpen and bless, allfree from harm of cutting,
And the wise man's way is to act and accomplishwithout contending or striving.
English_Chan_TTK
Das Tao Te King von Lao Tse
Chinese - English by
Wing-Tsit Chan, 1963
1
The Tao that can be told of is not the eternal Tao; The name that can be named is not the eternal name.
The Nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth; The Named is the mother of all things.
Therefore let there always be non-being, so we may see their subtlety, And let there always be being, so we may see their outcome.
The two are the same, But after they are produced, they have different names.
They both may be called deep and profound. Deeper and more profound, The door to all subtleties!
2
When all the people of the world know beauty as beauty, There arises the recognition of ugliness.
When they all know the good as good, There arises the recognition of evil.
Therefore: Being and non-being produce each other; Difficult and easy complete each other; Long and short contrast each other;
High and low distinguish each other; Sound and voice harmonize each other; Front and behind accompany each other.
Therefore the sage manages affairs without action And spreads doctrines without words.
All things arise, and he does not turn away from them. He produces them but does not take possession of them.
He acts but does not rely on his own ability. He accomplishes his task but does not claim credit for it. It is precisely because he does not claim credit that his accomplishment remains with him.
3
Do not exalt the worthy, so that the people shall not compete.
Do not value rare treasures, so that the people shall not steal.
Do not display objects of desire, so that the people's hearts shall not be disturbed.
Therefore in the government of the sage, He keeps their hearts vacuous, Fills their bellies, Weakens their ambitions, And strengthens their bones,
He always causes his people to be without knowledge (cunning) or desire, And the crafty to be afraid to act.
By acting without action, all things will be in order.
4
Tao is empty (like a bowl). It may be used but its capacity is never exhausted
It is bottomless, perhaps the ancestor of all things.
It blunts its sharpness. It unties its tangles. It softens its light. It becomes one with the dusty world.
Deep and still, it appears to exist forever.
I do not know whose son it is. It seems to have existed before the Lord.
5
Heaven and Earth are not humane. They regard all things a straw dogs.
The sage is not humane. He regards all people as straw dogs.
How Heaven and Earth are like a bellows. While vacuous, it is never exhausted. When active, it produces even more.
Much talk will of course come to a dead end. It is better to keep to the centre.
6
The spirit of the valley never dies. It is called the subtle and profound female.
The gate of the subtle and profound female Is the root of Heaven and Earth.
It is continuous, and seems to be always existing. Use it and you will never wear it out.
7
Heaven is eternal and Earth everlasting.
They can be eternal and everlasting because they do not exist for themselves, And for this reason can exist forever.
Therefore the sage places himself in the background but finds himself in the foreground.
He puts himself away, and yet he always remains.
Is it not because he has no personal interests? This is the reason why his personal interests are fulfilled.
8
The best (man) is like water. Water is good; it benefits all things and does not compete with them. It dwells in (lowly) places that all disdain. This is why it is so near to Tao.
(The best man) in his dwelling loves the earth. In his heart, he loves what is profound. In his associations, he loves humanity. In his words, he loves faithfulness.
In government, he loves order. In handling affairs, he loves competence. In his activities, he loves timeliness.
It is because he does not compete that he is without reproach.
9
To hold and fill a cup to overflowing Is not as good as to stop in time.
Sharpen a sword edge to its very sharpest, And the (edge) will not last long.
When gold and jade fill your hall, You will not be able to keep them.
To be proud with honour and wealth Is to cause one's own downfall.
withdraw as soon as your work is done. Such is Heaven's Way.
10
Can you keep the spirit and embrace the One without departing from them?
Can you concentrate your vital force and achieve the highest degree of weakness like an infant?
Can you clean and purify your profound insight so it will be spotless?
Can you love the people and govern the state without knowledge (cunning)?
Can you play the role of the female in the opening and closing of the gates of Heaven?
Can you understand all and penetrate all without taking any action?
To produce things and to rear them, To produce, but not to take possession of them, To act, but not to rely on one's own ability, To lead them, but not to master them - This is called profound and secret virtue.
11
Thirty spokes are united around the hub to make a wheel, But it is on its non-being that the utility of the carriage depends.
Clay is moulded to form a utensil, But it is on its non-being that the utility of the utensil depends.
Doors and windows are cut out to make a room, But it is on its non-being that the utility of the room depends.
Therefore turn being into advantage, and turn non-being into utility.
12
