Knowing when to stop is not dangerous.
It would allow you to last for a long time without wearing yourself out.
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A great accomplishment might seem to be lacking - its usefulness hasn't declined.
A great fullness might seem to be washed away in an instant - its usefulness hasn't ended.
Great skill might seem to be awkward.
Great gains might seem like retreats.
Great straightforwardness might seem distorted.
Moving quickly overcomes the cold.
Keeping still overcomes the heat.
A clairfying stillness occurs when everything in the world has been settled.
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When the world has Dao, trained horses are set free to fertilize the countryside.
When the world is without Dao, army horses thrive in the outskirts of the city.
As for crime - nothing contributes to it more than wanting too much.
As for offending others - nothing is sadder than the desire to gain.
As for misfortune - nothing is greater than not being content with what you have.
Know that you already have enough, your actions are enough, and you'll always be enough.
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You don't have to go out of the door to understand the world.
You don't have to peek out the window to understand the nature of Dao.
If you set out to look for fulfillment from what is far away, you'll discover very little fulfillment.
Naturally a wise person:
Doesn't have to do much, but has understanding;
Doesn't have to see much, but knows that it exists;
Won't take action, but succeeds.
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The actions of an educated person increase every day.
The actions of one who becomes like Dao decrease every day.
They keep decreasing and decreasing again to the point that there's no reason to take actions.
Not purposely taking action, yet never without acting.
To take hold of the world, constantly be without working at it.
Chasing after it has to involve work - but never enough to take hold of the world.
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A wise person is without a consistent mind;
In that way the minds of the common people act from their own hearts.
One who is good is good at that; one who is bad also is good at that.
De is good.
One who is truthful is sincere; one who lies also is sincere.
De is sincere.
A wise person is affected by the whole world,
Breathing in deeply the actions of the whole world into every recess of her heart.
All the common people concentrate with their ears and eyes.
Then the wise person connects intimately with all of them.
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What sprouts to life descends to death.
Life has thirteen companions.
Death has thirteen companions.
And most people live their lives, even as they all move toward their death with their thirteen while they are on this earth.
Why is that?
Because they live their lives.
The prevailing sentiment is that it's good to be one who stays alive.
To go into the wild mountains and not have to ward off a rhinocerous or tiger.
To enter the military and not have to wear armor.
The rhinocerous is without a place to thrust its horn.
The tiger is without a place to put its claws.
The soldier is without a place to stab his knife.
Why is that?
Because they are without death while here on this earth.
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Dao gives them life; De nurtures them.
Living things give them shape, and tools help them prosper.
It's natural for all living things to respect Dao and prize De.
Dao is respected.
De is prized.
Even if nothing gave them credit, they would always act from their own nature.
Dao gives them life.
They are nurtured, so they grow;
They are educated, so they mature;
When poisons appear, they are provided with protection.
Life is produced, but it won't be possessed.
Actions arise, but they won't be depended upon.
Growth occurs, but it must not be hampered.
This is the proper way to describe mysterious De.
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The world came into being, and because of that action the world became like a mother.
Once the mother has already given birth, there can be understanding of what she created.
Once there is understanding of what she created, return to protecting her as a mother.
As the sense of self vanishes, there will be no danger.
Close her door by stopping her dissipation;
Live your whole life and not have to work hard.
Allow her dissipation by competing in affairs;
Live your whole life and not get there.
Paying attention to what is insignificant is said to take lucidity.
Guarding what is soft is said to take strength.
Use her brightness to return to depending on her lucidity.
There is nothing that will cast off your existence to disaster.
This is refered to as what is always veiled beneath the surface.
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My own opinions have caused me to have a limited understanding of the operations of Great Dao.
It's only going astray from what is right that I dread the most.
The way of Great Dao is so smooth, but people prefer to take the most difficult route.
They keep the palaces and courts so clean, yet the fields are overgrown with weeds and the granaries are totally empty.
They wear fashionable clothing, carry sharp weapons to protect their property, eat until they are glutted., and make sure they all have equal amounts of valuable possessions - more than they could possibly use.
Of course there will be thiefs!
Stealing is in opposition to Dao.
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A good builder doesn't destroy.
A good embracer doesn't abandon.
Future generations would then be grateful to them forever.
By an individual's progress - their De is then genuine.
By a household's progress - their De then exceeds.
By the countryside's progress - their De then increases.
By the city's progress - their De is then productive.
By the world's progress - their De is then sweeping.
With an individual - concentrate on the individual.
With a home - concentrate on the home.
With the countryside - concentrate on the countryside.
With the city - concentrate on the city.
With the world - concentrate on the world.
How is it possible for me to understand they are right with the world?
Because of these.
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One who possesses the fullness of De can be compared to a newborn baby.
Bees, scorpions and poisonous snakes will not sting him.
Hunting birds and ferocious animals will not grab him.
His bones are weak, his muscles are soft, yet he can grasp objects with great strength.
He has no knowledge of sexual intercourse, yet his penis becomes enlarged: so extreme is his life force.
He can yell all day, yet he doesn't get hoarse.
There is ultimate harmony in his expressiveness.
This harmony of expressiveness is said to be constant;
Knowing this harmony is said to be obvious.
Increasing life is said to be lucky.
Using the mind to control the natural energy of life is said to show strength.
A living creature who who pretends to be stronger than they are will quickly age.
This may be described as one who doesn't follow Dao.
Don't follow Dao and you'll come to an early end.
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One who understands won't be willing to use words;
One who uses words won't be willing to understand.
t off your dissipation.
Seal up your door.
Harmonize with your brightness.
Adapt to the dust in your life.
Blunt your sharpness.
Untangle your disorder.
This is correctly described as the mystery of putting the pieces together.
Therefore,
What can't be obtained and held closely also can't be obtained and cast off.
What can't be obtained and used for profit also can't be obtained and used for harm.
What can't be obtained and valued also can't be obtained and cheapened.
Therefore every action in the world is precious.
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When dealing with those in society,
It should be unusual to have to resort to arms.
By being without an agenda the whole world can be grasped.
How is it possible for me to know this is as it should be?
Well,
Within the world there are so many restrictions, but the people wage an extensive revolt.
Then the people take up many sharp weapons, but society just grows darker.
A person can gain much knowledge, but surprising things will continue to occur.
As legal matters become more exacting, there will be more theives and bandits to deal with.
It's only appropriate that a wise person would make these statements:
I'm without an agenda, and the people by themselves are fulfilled.
I don't interfere, and the people by themselves transform.
I enjoy serenity, and the people deal with things themselves.
My desire is to crave nothing, and the people by themselves find simplicity.
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When a trend is set of indecisiveness and melancholy, that's when people store up things.
When a trend is set of inspecting and evaluating, that's when those with power step in and divide property.
When there's a calamity - good fortune is something to be leaned on.
When there's good fortune - calamity is something that has to be surrendered to.
Who can understand when they've reached the peak of anything?
When there aren't any trends being set - the mere idea of setting a trend seems strange.
What started out as being good might later seem misguided.
That can make a person lost and confused!
They thought that what occurred on one day would last forever.
It's correct to use a sharp edge, yet not to slice anything off;
To use a pointed implement, yet not to pierce deeply;
To be straightforward, yet not to elaborate at length;
To shine your light, yet not to be dazzling.
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When trying to cure people's problems, the job of Nature is to be appropriately stingy.
You see, it's only by that stinginess that it would become natural to make early preparations.
To naturally make early preparations has been correctly described as putting importance in accumulating De.
Putting importance in accumulating De results in being without anything that cannot be overcome.
Being without anything that cannot be overcome resluts in no one having a perception of their own limits.
One who has no perception of their own limits would even be willing to possess the country.
Possessing the country, their mother (Mother Nature) would be able to last for a long time.
This has correctly been described as inquiring into the reason a tree's roots are strong enough to last for so long.
Living so long though old and worn.
Look for its Dao.
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Ruling the largest nation can be like cooking a tender piece of fish if Dao is established in the world.
The demonic ghosts don't have spiritual powers.
Not only do demons not have spiritual powers, those powers don't hurt anyone.
Not only do those powers not hurt anyone, a wise person also wouldn't hurt anyone.
Then a balance occurs where neither would cause harm to the other.
Therefore, De is intermingled with their reliance on each other.
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One who is like a large nation is like the lowest depths of a river.
Like a female to everything in the world.
Like the unifier of everything in the world.
A female always uses stillness to subdue a male.
That which becomes still finds its proper place is to remain below.
Therefore, when a large nation remains below a small nation, it can capture the small nation.
When a small nation remains below a large nation, it can be captured by the large nation.
Therefore, perhaps what is below takes over, or perhaps what is below is taken over.
Therefore, one who is like a large nation merely wants to bring together and nurture people;
A small nation merely wants to enter into an involvement with people.
Eventually everyone ends up getting what they want.
As a result, one who is great finds their proper place is to remain below.
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One who is connected with Dao
Pays attention to all living things,
Preserves the goodness in a person,
Provides a safe harbor for a bad person.
Beautiful words are willingly bought and sold.
Respectful conduct brings willing compliments from others.
If a person acts badly, is that a reason to abandon them?
Therefore, an established emperor installs the "Three Ministers."
Although they have both jade jewelry, as well as being paraded on a chariot pulled by a team of four horses, it's not as if they can sit back and make progress with these things.
In the past, how was it thought that one who had these things should prize them?
Isn't this called asking to avoid being accused of guilt?
Therefore, every action taken in this world is so precious.
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Act without considering it to be acting.
Work without considering it to be working.
Taste without considering it to be tasting.
Big or small, many or few,
Complaints are reported as well as virtues.
Plan for difficult times with what is easily changed.
Become large with what is thin.
All the difficulties in the world arise from what is easy to change.
All the greatness in the world arises from what is thin.
It's natural for the wise person to end up not acting big, and in that way has the ability to achieve what is big.
You see, lightly making promises must show a lack of sincerity.
If what is big is considered to be small, that can increase a sense of ease; it must also increase difficulties.
It's natural for a wise person to see how these comparisons can cause difficulty,
Therefore he ends up without difficulties.
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That which is peaceful is easy to manage.
That which has not yet been decided is easy to plot a course for.
