27
Good traveling is without tracks or footprints.
Good speech is without faulting or blaming.
Good counting does not use tallying methods.
Good closing is without bars or locks and cannot be opened.
Good binding is without ropes or restraints and cannot be unfastened.
Therefore, the sages
Are always good at helping people?br> Consequently, they do not cast people aside.
Are always good at helping the physical world?br> Consequently, they do not cast the physical world aside.
This is called 揺ntering enlightenment.?br>
Therefore, those who are good
Are the teachers of those who are not good.
Those who are not good
Are the resources of those who are good.
Not valuing one抯 teachers
Not loving one抯 resources
Even though [one may be] intelligent
[One is nevertheless] greatly confused.
This is called an essential subtlety.
28
Know the masculine.
Keep to the feminine.
Become for the world a valley.
Being a valley for the world,
Constant virtue does not leave.
Return, go back to infanthood.
Know the white.
Keep to the black.
Become for the world an example.
Being an example for the world,
Constant virtue does not err.
Return, go back to non-extremity.
Know the glorious.
Keep to the humble.
Become for the world a waterway.
Being a waterway for the world,
Constant virtue indeed suffices.
Return, go back to simplicity.
Simplicity splits and then becomes instruments.
The sages use them and then become governmental leaders.
Thus, the Great System does not divide.
29
Should some desire to take the world and run it?br> I see they cannot achieve [this].
The world is a spiritual device
Not able to be run, besides.
They who [try to] run it spoil it.
They who hold it in their hands lose it.
Nature might prevail, might comply
Might blow softly, might huff-and-puff
Might be forceful, might win
Might frustrate, might destroy
Therefore, the sage lets go of extremes.
Lets go of extravagance.
Lets go of loftiness.
30
Those rulers who use the Tao to assist mankind
Do not use soldiers to force the world.
Those doings can be paid back [to them].
The place of the army抯 encampment?br> Thorns and brambles grow there.
In the wake of the military
There indeed exists a famine-year.
The good have success and stop
Not daring thereby to grab for power.
[They] succeed but never boast.
Succeed but never strike down.
Succeed but never arrogantly.
Succeed but do not gain thereafter.
Succeed but never force.
A strong thing ruling over what is Old?br> This is called 搉on-Tao.?br>
The non-Tao soon ends.
31
Those who delight in the military are instruments of ill fortune?br> Nature perhaps detests them.
Therefore, those who possess the Tao do not dwell [with them].
Sovereign masters, [while at] home, necessarily value the left.
Using the military necessarily values the right.
Those who are warlike are instruments of ill fortune
Not the instruments of the sovereign master.
[When the situation is] already disharmonious
And [they have to] use them
[They do so] calmly, without relish, [thus] becoming superior.
[They] 搘in?but do not delight [in it].
And those who delight in it
Indeed enjoy killing people.
Those who enjoy killing people
Are necessarily unable to obtain their ambitions in the world.
Fortunate affairs honor the left.
Unfortunate affairs honor the right.
The subordinate general occupies the left.
The commanding general occupies the right.
It is said they use funerary rites to commemorate them.
A multitude of people [have been] killed?br> Therefore mourn, lament, and weep for them.
[After] overcoming [them] in war
Use funerary rites to commemorate them.
32
The Tao is always without renown.
Although it is 搒imple?and 搒mall?br> The world is altogether unable to subjugate it.
Lords and kings, if they could maintain it?br> The ten-thousand things would submit themselves.
Heaven and Earth with each other would combine
Thereby raining down sweet dew.
No humans command them, and they are naturally equitable.
At the beginning establishment, there existed names.
Names also since then existed.
One should also know [when] to stop [naming].
Knowing [when] to stop, one can thereby be in no danger.
Simile:
The living presence of the Tao in the world
Is like unto valley streams
Going into larger rivers
And the sea.
33
Those who understand people are wise.
Those who understand themselves are luminous.
Those who triumph over people have forcefulness.
Those who triumph over themselves have strength.
Those who know sufficiency are rich.
Those who work vigorously have determination.
That which does not lose its place lasts long.
That which dies but does not perish lives long.
34
The great Tao is a flood!
It can [go] left and right.
The ten-thousand things rely upon it for their livelihood
And it does not refuse them.
It achieves and accomplishes but has no prestige.
It clothes and rears the ten-thousand things
But does not act as lord [over them].
Always without desire, it can then be named 揥ith the Lowly.?br>
The ten-thousand things return there
And it does not act as lord [over them].
It can be named 揃eing Great.?br>
Because it at no time takes itself to be great
Is the reason it can achieve its greatness.
35
Hold the Great Shape in your hands.
The world departs.
Departs and does not harm?br> Peaceful and leveled to the extreme.
[For] music and dumplings
Do the passing travelers stop.
But the going forth of the Tao is insipid to the mouth
From its being without flavor.
Inspecting it is not sufficient to see it.
Listening for it is not sufficient to hear it.
Using it is not sufficient to exhaust it.
36
Should one wish to condense it, one must certainly expand it.
Should one wish to weaken it, one must certainly strengthen it.
Should one wish to abolish it, one must certainly boost it.
Should one wish to receive it, one must certainly give it.
This is called 搒ubtle illumination.?br> The flexible and weak overcome the firm and strong.
Fish are not able to escape from the deeps?br> The beneficial tools of the state
Are not able, therefore, to be shown to people.
37
The Tao is always not 揹oing?br> And yet nothing is not done.
Lords and kings, if they could maintain it?br> The ten-thousand things would transform themselves.
Transformed, [should] they yet desire to 揳ct?br> I would cool them with the simplicity of the Nameless.
The simplicity of the Nameless
A man would also not desire.
[By] not desiring [and] by means of stillness
The world shall stabilize itself.
38
High virtue is not a virtue; therefore, it exists as virtue.
Low virtue does not lose virtue; therefore, it is not [yet high] virtue.
High virtue is uncontrived
And is not done by means of [conscious] doing.
Low virtue is [also] uncontrived
But it occurs by means of [conscious] doing.
High benevolence contrives these
But is not done by means of [conscious] doing.
High righteousness [then] contrives that [i.e., high benevolence]
And it occurs by means of [conscious] doing.
High etiquette [then] contrives that [i.e., high righteousness]
And [when people] do not consider it to be a 搈ust?br> [It] then grabs [them by] the arms and casts them out.
Therefore:
Lose Tao, and afterwards comes virtue.
Lose virtue, and afterwards comes benevolence.
Lose benevolence, and afterwards comes righteousness.
Lose righteousness, and afterwards comes etiquette.
Those who [act only by] etiquette
Are the thin shell of loyalty and sincerity and the leaders of chaos.
Those who are prescient
Are flowers of the Tao but also the initiators of folly.
Therefore, great people
Live in the thick and do not dwell in the thin.
Live in the real and do not dwell in the flowers.
This is the reason they let go of those
And receive these.
39
Those which of old obtained the One:
Heaven obtained the One and thus clarity.
Earth obtained the One and thus repose.
Spirits obtained the One and thus animation.
Waterways obtained the One and thus fullness.
The ten-thousand things obtained the One and thus livelihood.
Lords and kings obtained the One and thus became dedicated to the world.
This conveys it:
Heaven, without means of clarity, would fearfully split open.
Earth, without means of repose, would fearfully be terminated.
Spirits, without means of animation, would fearfully come to an end.
Waterways, without means of fullness, would fearfully be used up.
The ten-thousand things, without means of livelihood, would fearfully die
away.
Lords and kings, without means of dedication, would fearfully stumble and
fall.
This is the reason nobility therefore takes lowliness as the root.
The high therefore takes the low as the foundation.
Therefore, the lords and kings called themselves
揙rphaned,?揵ereft,?and 搖nfortunate.?br> Isn抰 this 搕aking lowliness as the root?considered wrong?
Not at all!
The utmost honor is not renowned.
Do not desire jade-like stones as if [they were truly] jade.
Jade beads are like rocks.
40
揜eturn?is the motion of the Tao.
揥eakening?is the function of the Tao.
The world and the ten-thousand things were born to existence.
Existence was born to non-existence.
41
High scholars hear of the Tao attentively and practice it.
Middling scholars hear of the Tao?br> They seem to keep it [sometimes], seem to lose it [at other times].
Low scholars hear of the Tao?br> They greatly deride it.
Not deriding is not sufficient to be the Tao.
This is the reason that [among the] established sayings there are these:
揟he clear Tao seems obscure.?br> 揗aking progress in the Tao seems like going backwards.?br> 揟he smooth Tao seems flawed.?br> 揝uperior virtue seems like a hollow.?br> 揋reat purity seems like dishonor.?br> 揈xtensive virtue seems insufficient.?br> 揃uilding virtue seems like whiling away without purpose.?br> 揟rue qualities seem to change.?br>
揂 great region is without corners.?br> 揂 great instrument is completed toward the end.?br> 揋reat sound is rarely made known.?br> 揋reat shape is without form.?br>
The Tao is hidden.
Nameless.
But only the Tao is good at pardoning and completing.
42
The Tao gives birth to One
One gives birth to Two
Two gives birth to Three
The three give birth to the ten-thousand things.
The ten-thousand things take refuge in yin but harbor yang
Infusing ch抜 in order to act in harmony.
That which is detested among people:
Only [being] orphaned, bereft, unfortunate.
Yet kings are indifferent to being [thus] called.
Therefore, beings might decry them
And yet [they are] profited.
Might profit them and yet [they are] decried.
That which is taught among people?br> I also teach it:
Those who are swelling with violence
Do not conquer their death.
I will therefore take [these] teachings as [my] father.
43
The softest [things] in the world
[Are like] swift, galloping horses
[To] the hardest [things] in the world.
Non-existence enters no-space.
We therefore know
That the occurrence of non-action is advantageous.
The teaching of no-words
The advantages of non-action?br>
The world rarely matches them.
44
Fame and the body: which is dear?
The body and money: which is more?
Gaining and losing: which is a fault?
This is indeed the reason that excessive love
Most certainly exacts a great price.
[After] much hoarding is certainly substantial loss.
Knowing sufficiency, no dishonor.
Knowing to stop, no danger.
[One is] able thereby to last eternally.
45
Great completion seems incomplete.
Its use is not worn-out.
Great fullness seems empty.
Its use is not exhausted.
Great straightness seems bent.
Great skill seems clumsy.
Great argumentation seems slow of speech.
Stillness overcomes restlessness.
Coldness overcomes heat.
Clear and still, become for the world what is correct.
46
[When] the world has the Tao
[It] retires trotting horses to fertilize the soil.
[When] the world lacks the Tao
War horses are bred in the suburbs.
Of misfortunes, there is none greater than not knowing sufficiency.
Of faults, there is none greater than desiring gain.
This is the reason that to know the sufficiency of sufficiency
Is a lasting sufficiency indeed.
47
Without going out the door, know the world.
Without peaking out the windows, see the Celestial Tao.
The more distant one抯 going-out
The less one抯 knowledge is.
Therefore, the sages
Do not travel, and yet know
Do not see, and yet clearly understand
Do not 揹o,?and yet complete [their work].
48
Take learning to be daily increase.
Take Tao to be daily decrease.
Decrease upon decrease?br> Thereby arrive at non-action.
Non-action and not 揹oing?
Take the world always by non-administration.
Until this [happens], there exists administration.
[This is] not sufficient to take the world.
49
The sages are without fixed minds.
Therefore, the hundred clans?mind
Do [the sages] take to be [their own] mind.
Those who are good, I am good to them.
Those who are not good, I am also good to them.
[This is] virtue [as] goodness.
Those who are sincere, I am sincere to them.
