That which is soft and flexible is easy to style.
That which is within reach is easy to scatter.
These actions come from dealing with that which is without its own existence;
Curing problems before they have become chaotic.
A tree trunk large enough to wrap your arms around started to grow from a small shoot.
A building nine stories high began from a small pile of dirt.
A journey of one thousand miles begins from where one stands.
One who acts with motives will destroy it.
One who clings to it will find themselves removed from it.
It's right for a wise person to take no motivated actions.
Therefore, she is without destroying, without clinging.
Therefore, she is without anything to lose.
Overseeing her affairs as they progress, she is as attentive at the beginning as she is at completion.
In this way she is without destruction of her affairs.
A wise person prefers not to have desires; not to value possessions that are hard to come by.
Teaching by learning; remembering the many situations she went through in the past.
It just seems right, therefore, for a wise person to be able to assist all living things with their own nature, but she won't be willing to use her ability to take actions.
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65
The actions that were handed down by those who followed Dao in the past were in opposition to what was considered intelligent by the rest of the people.
They were regarded as being foolish.
Most people's difficulties come from the way they choose to cure their problems.
That's the way they perceive things.
Therefore, that's the way they perceive the rest of society; as though the rest of society was out to rob them.
Because they didn't understand how society works, society controlled their De.
Always try to understand both of those things, and look for the flaws in attempting to follow those patterns.
Always understand that looking for flaws in those patterns is correctly described as the mystery of De.
The mystery of De requires inquiry.
Always being on the move.
When things work together to see the other side, in that way they reach the greatest agreement.
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66
As a large river flows to the sea, it becomes the ruler over the hundreds of valleys it travels through.
Because of this, the hundreds of valleys have the ability to act as though they were below.
It's just natural this ability would allow the hundred valleys to be ruled.
The influence of a wise person promotes other people to advance, while keeping their own selves in the background.
Their influence places others on a higher level, while their own words remain below.
Their influence places people on a higher level, so the people don't feel like they're in the background.
Their influence promotes other people to advance, so the people won't feel like they're being criticized.
Everywhere in the world happiness abounds, yet won't prevent room for more.
Because there's nothing to argue about, that's why nothing in the world has the ability to argue with each other.
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67
Everyone in the world says my ideas are great; great yet different from others.
So, if only what is different has the ability to be great, it seems as though what is similar would last for a much longer time.
It's really a delicate matter.
So I have three things I always protect; I hold them tightly and protect them.
The first is called unconditional love;
The second is called frugality;
The third is called not to daring to act like I'm ahead of anyone else.
With unconditional love there is the ability to be brave;
With frugality there is the ability to be boundless;
Not daring to act like I'm ahead of anyone else enables me to be able to take the actions of a useful person for a long time.
If for a moment universal love is willingly given up, so is bravery.
If frugality is willingly given up, so is broadness.
If following is willingly given up, so is leading.
Then you might as well be dead.
So, with unconditional love:
When attacking, then victory is assured;
When defending, then endurance is assured.
The heavens become the one who mandates, as if it was using walls of unconditional love.
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68
One who has a good strategy doesn't get forceful.
One who is good at applying pressure doesn't get angry.
One who is good at winning doesn't get enmeshed.
One who is good at employing others stays beneath them.
That's called: Not disputing with their De.
That's called: Employing people.
That's called: Adapting to the heavens.
From the start to the climax.
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69
Among those who have to resort to using weapons there is a saying:
I don't dare to act as a master, but rather act as a guest;
I don't dare to advance one inch, but rather retreat a foot.
This is correctly described as:
Performing without execution;
Making preparations without the means to carry it out;
Trying to hold on without having any weapons;
Using force without having an enemy.
Predicting a bad outcome without even having an enemy.
Without an enemy nearby, my sense that there's something to save vanishes.
Therefore, resist the idea of using offensive weapons on each other, otherwise the winner will be the one who grieves.
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70
My words are very easy to understand; very easy to put into practice.
Yet no one in the world has the ability to understand; no one has the ability to put them into practice.
Well, words have been handed down from antiquity; affairs have been controlled by others.
That's merely stupidity.
That's not my understanding.
One who understands is a rarity, so I hold them dear to my heart.
That's why a wise person covers himself with coarse clothing while carrying a precious gem within.
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71
Knowing that you don't know is uplifting.
Not knowing that you don't know is sickness.
Therefore, a wise person is not sick, because they're sick of sickness.
That's how they get rid of sickness.
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72
When the people are scorned they cower; that results in dreading that even greater fears will come.
They must not be restricted within their own homes.
They must not be made to feel fed up with lives.
It's only when they refuse to feel fed up by their lives that they aren't fed up.
It is correct for the wise person to know herself, but not pay attention to how she is perceived; to love herself, but not let herself be considered precious.
In that way, let go of that and take this.
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73
Having the courage to challenge results in killing.
Having the courage to not challenge results in living.
These two methods may perhaps be beneficial or perhaps be detrimental.
The heavens' position on evil - who can know what that is?
Therefore, the heavens' Dao:
Doesn't attack, yet it is good at conquering;
Doesn't use words, yet it is good at responding;
Won't summon, yet of itself arrives;
Casts wide, yet has a good strategy.
The heavens' web is all-encompassing;
It may seem very far away, but is never lost.
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74
If the people are constantly and furthermore don't fear dying, how can execution be used as a detriment?
Make the people constantly and furthermore fear dying, then if we take hold of those who act in unusual ways and kill them, who would dare to act that way?
If the people are constantly and furthermore have no choice but to fear dying, then they'll always be appointing an executioner.
So, let the one appointed executioner take over as the killer, just as a skilled carpenter would take over carving wood.
When taking over as a skilled carpenter carving wood, rarely would anyone not injure their own hand.
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75
A person starves because the food is taken right out of his mouth to pay excess taxes.
Thus they starve.
The common people do not have a proper government because those in power take advantage of their actions.
Thus the government is improper.
The people take death lightly because they merely seek to survive while others take the largess.
Thus death seems like an easier course.
It's only without looking for a reason to be alive that you will see just how valuable and precious this life is.
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76
While a person is alive, he is soft and yeilding;
When dead, in the end they become stretched out stiff and rigid.
All living things including trees and plants are flexible and fragile while alive;
When dead, they become dry, withered and rotten.
Therefore it is said that those who are stiff and rigid are companions of death; while those who are soft, yeilding, flexible and fragile are companions of life.
A rigid weapon thus will be defeated;
A rigid tree thus will break.
What is rigidly large dwells below;
What is soft, yeilding, flexible and fragile dwells above.
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77
The heavens' Dao is similar to an expanding bow.
What is high it presses downward.
What is low it lifts up.
What has excess it reduces.
What is lacking it replenishes.
Therefore, the heaven's Dao decreases what is in excess, and increases what is lacking.
A person's Dao decreases what is lacking, and adds to what is in excess.
Well, who has the ability to have excess and considerately give in the manner of the heavens?
Only one who follows Dao can do that.
It's correct for a wise person to act but not be willing to possess;
To succeed but not be willing to rest on his laurels.
It seems as though what he rejects is paying attention to what is perceived as valuable.
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78
Nothing in the world is as soft and yielding as water.
Yet when it attacks what is strong and firm, nothing can hold up against it.
Because there is nothing as changeable as water,
Water conquers what is firm and unyielding.
By being flexible, it can conquer what is strong.
No one in this world wouldn't be able to understand that, yet no one has the ability to carry it out.
Therefore a wise person's words declare:
Accepting the blame for a nation's problems is naturally refered to as being the master of what nourishes the world;
Accepting the nation's problems as bad signs of fate is naturally refered to as being the king of the world.
These straight-spoken words seem to be backwards.
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79
If harmony is expressed outwardly while resentment is harbored within, certainly there will be some resentment left over.
How would this type of action be considered good?
Naturally a wise person keeps track of debts, but doesn't make demands from others.
Therefore, those with De oversee accounts;
Those without De oversee exacting fines.
So the Way of nature is to hold nothing dearer to it than anything else, constantly sharing its goodness with each person.
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80
A small nation diminishes people.
It causes the people to have hundreds of conveniences, but won't let them use them.
It causes the people to be burdened by the thought of death, and they try to get out of the way.
There are boats and cars, but no place to drive them to.
There are weapons, but no place to display them.
It causes the people to return to:
Tying knots and using them;
Be satisfied with their food;
See their clothing as beautiful;
Find joy in what is common;
Feel safe in their homes.
Each town looks forward to hearing from each other by the sounds of their chickens and dogs; this is how they learn about each other.
The people get old and die, not coming into contact with each other.
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81
True words are not beautiful.
Beautiful words are not true.
One who knows isn't comprehensive.
One who is comprehensive doesn't know.
One who is good doesn't have numerous sides.
One who has numerous sides is not good.
A wise person accumulates nothing.
Having already acted for another person, her own individuality has more reason for existing.
Having already given to another person, her own individuality multiplies more and more.
Therefore, the heaven's Dao is beneficial, and doesn't harm.
A person's Dao takes action, but isn't willing to contend.
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English_Cronk_TTK
Das Tao Te King von Lao Tse
English by
George Cronk, 1999
Vorwort/Foreword
Visit Georges website to find extensive commentary and the text organized by topic:
"The TTC is traditionally laid out in eighty杘ne "chapters," which are not organized on a topic朾y杢opic basis. For the sake of clarity, this version is set forth topically. Each chapter is identified by its traditional chapter杗umber."
1
The Tao that can be defined is not the real Tao.
The name that can be named is not the real Name.
The unnamable [Tao] is the source of Heaven and Earth.
Naming is the mother of all particular things.
Free from desire, you experience reality.
Trapped in desire, you see only appearances.
Reality and appearance have different names,
but they emerge from the same source [i.e., the Tao].
This source is called darkness, deep darkness;
and yet it is the way to all wisdom.
2
No beauty without ugliness.
No good without evil.
Being and non朾eing are two aspects of the same reality.
Difficult and easy, long and short, high and low, before and after:
With each pair, two sides of the same coin..
Therefore, the Tao朚aster acts with non朼do [wu杦ei]
and teaches without speaking.
Things come and go. He lets them come and go.
He creates, but he does not own.
He achieves, but he takes no credit.
He completes his work and then forgets about it.
Practice non朼do, and your accomplishments endure.
3
