The Tao Te Ching
The Tao Te Ching was written by Lao Tzu in China roughly 2,500 years ago at about the same time when Buddha expounded the Dharma in India and Pythagoras taught in Greece. The Tao Te Ching is probably the most influential Chinese book of all times.
Its 81 chapters have been translated into English more times than any other Chinese document.
The Tao Te Ching provides the basis for the philosophical school of Taoism, which is an important pillar of Chinese thought.
Taoism teaches that there is one undivided truth at the root of all things. It literally means:
= tao (the way)
= te (power)
= ching (scripture)
The verses of the Tao Te Ching are written in ancient Chinese, which is very different from English. Abstraction and logic are not distinguishing marks of the ancient Chinese language, hence, it is less rigid than English and there are very few formal or grammatical structures. The classical Chinese word does not stand for a single concrete idea, but it evokes associations of different ideas and things. Quite a few Chinese words can be used as nouns, adjectives and verbs at the same time. Thus sentences composed of various signs have a sort of suggestive power, evoking emotions, ideas, and pictures.
It is almost impossible to render an ancient Chinese text properly in English without losing some part.
Different translations of the Tao Te Ching may appear as completely different texts. In order to understand the original text fully it is helpful to read various translations that consummate each other. The alternative is, of course, to learn Chinese. This document uses the translation of Feng. Like any translation it can only approximate the true meaning and depth of the original.
Lao Tzu
Not much is known about Lao Tzu, at least nothing that is certain. Some even doubt whether he is the author of the Tao Te Ching. However, his name became legendary with this writing, which also happens to be his only work.
Lao Tzu (his name is sometimes written Lao Tse or Lao Zi, and he is also known as Li Er and Lao Dan) was supposedly born in Honan on the 24th of March in the year 604 BC. His name means "old-young" and he has been called the "Old Master".
Lao Tzu was very old, when he rode on a water buffalo to retire in the mountains to a province in the western frontiers. There he was approached by a border official named Guan Yin Zi, who urged the master to write down his teachings so that they might be passed on. Lao Tzu then retreated into the solitude of the mountain pass, wrote the Tao Te Ching, whereupon he went westward and was never seen again.
In Chinese philosophy, the rhythm of life, which pulsates through the universe, is the action of complementary principles, Yin and Yang. The T'ai-chi T'u diagram illustrates this principle. The symmetrical disposition of the dark Yin and the light Yang suggests cyclical changes.
The Balance of Yin and Yang
The ideal state of things in the physical universe, as well as in the world of humans is a state of harmony represented by the balance of Yin and Yang in body and mind.
When Yin reached its climax, it recedes in favor of Yang, then after Yang reached its climax it recedes in favor of Yin. This is the eternal cycle. The dots inside the white and black halves indicate that within each is the seed of the other. Yin cannot exist without Yang and vice versa.
Yin
Yin is the quiet, female, intuitive, receiving force, which is associated with earth.
The earth is the source of life, it provides us with what we need to survive.
Yin is associated with the following ideas and things:
- Night, Dark
- Rain, Water, Cold
- Winter, Autumn
- Odd Numbers
- The Moon
- North, West
- Right, Down
- Intuition
- Passive, Static
- Contraction, Decreasing
- Conservative, Traditional
- Valley
- River
- Curve
- Soft
- Solidifying
- Psychological (Astral) World
- Dragon
- Kidneys, Heart, Liver, Lungs
Yang
Yang is the strong, male, creative, giving force, which is associated with heaven.
The heaven above us is always in motion and brings about change.
Yang is associated with the following ideas and things:
- Day, Light
- Sunshine, Fire, Heat
- Summer, Spring
- Even Numbers
- The Sun
- South, East
- Left, Up
- Intellect
- Active, Dynamic
- Expansion, Increasing
- Innovative, Reformative
- Mountain
- Desert
- Straight Line
- Hard
- Dissolving
- Physical (Observable) World
- Tiger
- Bladder, Intestines, Skin
From a translation by S.
Mitchell
Last updated 20 July 1995
1
The tao that can be told
is not the eternal Tao
The name
that can be named
is not the eternal Name.
The unnamable is the
eternally real.
Naming is the origin
of all particular things.
Free
from desire, you realize the mystery.
Caught in desire, you see only the
manifestations.
Yet mystery and manifestations
arise from the same
source.
This source is called darkness.
Darkness within
darkness.
The gateway to all understanding.
2
When people see some things as beautiful,
other things
become ugly.
When people see some things as good,
other things become
bad.
Being and non-being create each other.
Difficult and easy support
each other.
Long and short define each other.
High and low depend on each
other.
Before and after follow each other.
Therefore the
Master
acts without doing anything
and teaches without saying
anything.
Things arise and she lets them come;
things disappear and she
lets them go.
She has but doesn't possess,
acts but doesn't
expect.
When her work is done, she forgets it.
That is why it lasts
forever.
3
If you overesteem great men,
people become powerless.
If
you overvalue possessions,
people begin to steal.
The Master
leads
by emptying people's minds
and filling their cores,
by weakening
their ambition
and toughening their resolve.
He helps people lose
everything
they know, everything they desire,
and creates confusion
in
those who think that they know.
Practice not-doing,
and everything
will fall into place.
4
The Tao is like a well:
used but never used up.
It is
like the eternal void:
filled with infinite possibilities.
It is
hidden but always present.
I don't know who gave birth to it.
It is older
than God.
5
The Tao doesn't take sides;
it gives birth to both good and
evil.
The Master doesn't take sides;
she welcomes both saints and
sinners.
The Tao is like a bellows:
it is empty yet infinitely
capable.
The more you use it, the more it produces;
the more you talk of
it, the less you understand.
Hold on to the center.
6
The Tao is called the Great Mother:
empty yet
inexhaustible,
it gives birth to infinite worlds.
It is always present
within you.
You can use it any way you want.
7
The Tao is infinite, eternal.
Why is it eternal?
It was
never born;
thus it can never die.
Why is it infinite?
It has no
desires for itself;
thus it is present for all beings.
The Master
stays behind;
that is why she is ahead.
She is detached from all
things;
that is why she is one with them.
Because she has let go of
herself,
she is perfectly fulfilled.
8
The supreme good is like water,
which nourishes all things
without trying to.
It is content with the low places that people
disdain.
Thus it is like the Tao.
In dwelling, live close to the
ground.
In thinking, keep to the simple.
In conflict, be fair and
generous.
In governing, don't try to control.
In work, do what you
enjoy.
In family life, be completely present.
When you are content to
be simply yourself
and don't compare or compete,
everybody will respect
you.
9
Fill your bowl to the brim
and it will spill.
Keep
sharpening your knife
and it will blunt.
Chase after money and
security
and your heart will never unclench.
Care about people's
approval
and you will be their prisoner.
Do your work, then step
back.
The only path to serenity.
10
Can you coax your mind from its wandering
and keep to the
original oneness?
Can you let your body become
supple as a newborn
child's?
Can you cleanse your inner vision
until you see nothing but the
light?
Can you love people and lead them
without imposing your
will?
Can you deal with the most vital matters
by letting events take
their course?
Can you step back from you own mind
and thus understand all
things?
Giving birth and nourishing,
having without
possessing,
acting with no expectations,
leading and not trying to
control:
this is the supreme virtue.
11
We join spokes together in a wheel,
but it is the center
hole
that makes the wagon move.
We shape clay into a pot,
but it is
the emptiness inside
that holds whatever we want.
We hammer wood for a
house,
but it is the inner space
that makes it livable.
We work
with being,
but non-being is what we use.
12
Colors blind the eye.
Sounds deafen the ear.
Flavors
numb the taste.
Thoughts weaken the mind.
Desires wither the
heart.
The Master observes the world
but trusts his inner
vision.
He allows things to come and go.
His heart is open as the sky.
13
Success is as dangerous as failure.
Hope is as hollow as
fear.
What does it mean that success is a dangerous as
failure?
Whether you go up the ladder or down it,
you position is
shaky.
When you stand with your two feet on the ground,
you will always
keep your balance.
What does it mean that hope is as hollow as
fear?
Hope and fear are both phantoms
that arise from thinking of the
self.
When we don't see the self as self,
what do we have to
fear?
See the world as your self.
Have faith in the way things
are.
Love the world as your self;
then you can care for all things.
14
Look, and it can't be seen.
Listen, and it can't be
heard.
Reach, and it can't be grasped.
Above, it isn't
bright.
Below, it isn't dark.
Seamless, unnamable,
it returns to the
realm of nothing.
Form that includes all forms,
image without an
image,
subtle, beyond all conception.
Approach it and there is no
beginning;
follow it and there is no end.
You can't know it, but you can
be it,
at ease in your own life.
Just realize where you come from:
this
is the essence of wisdom.
15
The ancient Masters were profound and subtle.
Their wisdom
was unfathomable.
There is no way to describe it;
all we can describe is
their appearance.
They were careful
as someone crossing an iced-over
stream.
Alert as a warrior in enemy territory.
Courteous as a
guest.
Fluid as melting ice.
Shapable as a block of wood.
Receptive as
a valley.
Clear as a glass of water.
Do you have the patience to
wait
till your mud settles and the water is clear?
Can you remain
unmoving
till the right action arises by itself?
The Master doesn't
seek fulfillment.
Not seeking, not expecting,
she is present, and can
welcome all things.
16
Empty your mind of all thoughts.
Let your heart be at
peace.
Watch the turmoil of beings,
but contemplate their
return.
Each separate being in the universe
returns to the common
source.
Returning to the source is serenity.
If you don't realize the
source,
you stumble in confusion and sorrow.
When you realize where you
come from,
you naturally become tolerant,
disinterested,
amused,
kindhearted as a grandmother,
dignified as a king.
Immersed in
the wonder of the Tao,
you can deal with whatever life brings you,
and
when death comes, you are ready.
17
When the Master governs, the people
are hardly aware that
he exists.
Next best is a leader who is loved.
Next, one who is
feared.
The worst is one who is despised.
If you don't trust the
people,
you make them untrustworthy.
The Master doesn't talk, he
acts.
When his work is done,
the people say, "Amazing:
we did it, all
by ourselves!"
18
When the great Tao is forgotten,
goodness and piety
appear.
When the body's intelligence declines,
cleverness and knowledge
step forth.
When there is no peace in the family,
filial piety
begins.
When the country falls into chaos,
patriotism is born.
19
Throw away holiness and wisdom,
and people will be a
hundred times happier.
Throw away morality and justice,
and people will do
the right thing.
Throw away industry and profit,
and there won't be any
thieves.
If these three aren't enough,
just stay at the center of the
circle
and let all things take their course.
20
Stop thinking, and end your problems.
What difference
between yes and no?
What difference between success and failure?
Must you
value what others value,
avoid what others avoid?
How
ridiculous!
Other people are excited,
as though they were at a
parade.
I alone don't care,
I alone am expressionless,
like an infant
before it can smile.
Other people have what they need;
I alone possess
nothing.
I alone drift about,
like someone without a home.
I am like an
idiot, my mind is so empty.
Other people are bright;
I alone am
dark.
Other people are sharper;
I alone am dull.
Other people have a
purpose;
I alone don't know.
I drift like a wave on the ocean,
I blow
as aimless as the wind.
I am different from ordinary people.
I drink
from the Great Mother's breasts.
21
The Master keeps her mind
always at one with the
Tao;
that is what gives her her radiance.
The Tao is
ungraspable.
How can her mind be at one with it?
Because she doesn't cling
to ideas.
The Tao is dark and unfathomable.
How can it make her
radiant?
Because she lets it.
Since before time and space were,
the
Tao is.
It is beyond is and is not.
How do I know this is
true?
I look inside myself and see.
22
If you want to become whole,
let yourself be partial.
If
you want to become straight,
let yourself be crooked.
If you want to
become full,
let yourself be empty.
If you want to be reborn,
let
yourself die.
If you want to be given everything,
give everything
up.
The Master, by residing in the Tao,
sets an example for all
beings.
Because he doesn't display himself,
people can see his
light.
Because he has nothing to prove,
people can trust his
words.
Because he doesn't know who he is,
people recognize themselves in
him.
Because he has no goad in mind,
everything he does
succeeds.
When the ancient Masters said,
"If you want to be given
everything,
give everything up,"
they weren't using empty phrases.
Only
in being lived by the Tao can you be truly yourself.
23
Express yourself completely,
then keep quiet.
Be like
the forces of nature:
when it blows, there is only wind;
when it rains,
there is only rain;
when the clouds pass, the sun shines through.
If
you open yourself to the Tao,
you are at one with the Tao
and you can
embody it completely.
If you open yourself to insight,
you are at one with
insight
and you can use it completely.
If you open yourself to
loss,
you are at one with loss
and you can accept it
completely.
Open yourself to the Tao,
then trust your natural
responses;
and everything will fall into place.
24
He who stands on tiptoe
doesn't stand form.
He who
rushes ahead
doesn't go far.
He who tries to shine
dims his own
light.
He who defines himself
can't know who he really is.
He who has
power over others
can't empower himself.
He who clings to his work
will
create nothing that endures.
If you want to accord with the Tao,
just
do your job, then let go.
25
There was something formless and perfect
before the
universe was born.
It is serene. Empty.
Solitary. Unchanging.
Infinite.
Eternally present.
It is the mother of the universe.
For lack of a better
name,
I call it the Tao.
It flows through all things,
inside and
outside, and returns
to the origin of all things.
The Tao is
great.
The universe is great.
Earth is great.
Man is great.
These
are the four great powers.
Man follows the earth.
Earth follows the
universe.
The universe follows the Tao.
The Tao follows only itself.
26
The heavy is the root of the light.
The unmoved is the
source of all movement.
Thus the Master travels all day
without
leaving home.
However splendid the views,
she stays serenely in
herself.
Why should the lord of the country
flit about like a
fool?
If you let yourself be blown to and fro,
you lose touch with your
root.
If you let restlessness move you,
you lose touch with who you
are.
27
A good traveler has no fixed plans
and is not intent upon
arriving.
A good artist lets his intuition
lead him wherever it
wants.
A good scientist has freed himself of concepts
and keeps his mind
open to what is.
Thus the Master is available to all people
and
doesn't reject anyone.
He is ready to use all situations
and doesn't waste
anything.
This is called embodying the light.
What is a good man but a
bad man's teacher?
What is a bad man but a good man's job?
If you don't
understand this, you will get lost,
however intelligent you are.
It is the
great secret.
28
Know the male,
yet keep to the female:
receive the world
in your arms.
If you receive the world,
the Tao will never leave
you
and you will be like a little child.
Know the white,
yet keep
to the black:
be a pattern for the world.
If you are a pattern for the
world,
the Tao will be strong inside you
and there will be nothing you
can't do.
Know the personal,
yet keep to the impersonal:
accept the
world as it is.
If you accept the world,
the Tao will be luminous inside
you
and you will return to your primal self.
The world is formed from
the void,
like utensils from a block of wood.
The Master knows the
utensils,
yet keeps to the the block:
thus she can use all things.
29
Do you want to improve the world?
I don't think it can be
done.
The world is sacred.
It can't be improved.
If you tamper with
it, you'll ruin it.
If you treat it like an object, you'll lose
it.
There is a time for being ahead,
a time for being behind;
a
time for being in motion,
a time for being at rest;
a time for being
vigorous,
a time for being exhausted;
a time for being safe,
a time for
being in danger.
The Master sees things as they are,
without trying to
control them.
She lets them go their own way,
and resides at the center of
the circle.
30
Whoever relies on the Tao in governing men
doesn't try to
force issues
or defeat enemies by force of arms.
For every force there is
a counterforce.
Violence, even well intentioned,
always rebounds upon
oneself.
The Master does his job
and then stops.
He understands
that the universe
is forever out of control,
and that trying to dominate
events
goes against the current of the Tao.
Because he believes in
himself,
he doesn't try to convince others.
Because he is content with
himself,
he doesn't need others' approval.
Because he accepts
himself,
the whole world accepts him.
31
Weapons are the tools of violence;
all decent men detest
them.
Weapons are the tools of fear;
a decent man will avoid
them
except in the direst necessity
and, if compelled, will use
them
only with the utmost restraint.
Peace is his highest value.
If the
peace has been shattered,
how can he be content?
His enemies are not
demons,
but human beings like himself.
He doesn't wish them personal
harm.
Nor does he rejoice in victory.
How could he rejoice in
victory
and delight in the slaughter of men?
He enters a battle
gravely,
with sorrow and with great compassion,
as if he were attending a
funeral.
32
The Tao can't be perceived.
Smaller than an electron,
it
contains uncountable galaxies.
If powerful men and women
could remain
centered in the Tao,
all things would be in harmony.
The world would
become a paradise.
All people would be at peace,
and the law would be
written in their hearts.
When you have names and forms,
know that they
are provisional.
When you have institutions,
know where their functions
should end.
Knowing when to stop,
you can avoid any danger.
All
things end in the Tao
as rivers flow into the sea.
33
Knowing others is intelligence;
knowing yourself is true
wisdom.
Mastering others is strength;
mastering yourself is true
power.
If you realize that you have enough,
you are truly rich.
If
you stay in the center
and embrace death with your whole heart,
you will
endure forever.
34
The great Tao flows everywhere.
All things are born from
it,
yet it doesn't create them.
It pours itself into its work,
yet it
makes no claim.
It nourishes infinite worlds,
yet it doesn't hold on to
them.
Since it is merged with all things
and hidden in their hearts,
it
can be called humble.
Since all things vanish into it
and it alone
endures,
it can be called great.
It isn't aware of its greatness;
thus
it is truly great.
35
She who is centered in the Tao
can go where she wishes,
without danger.
She perceives the universal harmony,
even amid great
pain,
because she has found peace in her heart.
Music or the smell of
good cooking
may make people stop and enjoy.
But words that point to the
Tao
seem monotonous and without flavor.
When you look for it, there is
nothing to see.
When you listen for it, there is nothing to hear.
When you
use it, it is inexhaustible.
36
If you want to shrink something,
you must first allow it to
expand.
If you want to get rid of something,
you must first allow it to
flourish.
If you want to take something,
you must first allow it to be
given.
This is called the subtle perception
of the way things
are.
The soft overcomes the hard.
The slow overcomes the fast.
Let
your workings remain a mystery.
Just show people the results.
37
The Tao never does anything,
yet through it all things are
done.
If powerful men and women
could venter themselves in it,
the
whole world would be transformed
by itself, in its natural rhythms.
People
would be content
with their simple, everyday lives,
in harmony, and free
of desire.
When there is no desire,
all things are at peace.
38
The Master doesn't try to be powerful;
thus he is truly
powerful.
The ordinary man keeps reaching for power;
thus he never has
enough.
The Master does nothing,
yet he leaves nothing undone.
The
ordinary man is always doing things,
yet many more are left to be
done.
The kind man does something,
yet something remains
undone.
The just man does something,
and leaves many things to be
done.
The moral man does something,
and when no one responds
he rolls
up his sleeves and uses force.
When the Tao is lost, there is
goodness.
When goodness is lost, there is morality.
When morality is lost,
there is ritual.
Ritual is the husk of true faith,
the beginning of
chaos.
Therefore the Master concerns himself
with the depths and not
the surface,
with the fruit and not the flower.
He has no will of his
own.
He dwells in reality,
and lets all illusions go.
39
In harmony with the Tao,
the sky is clear and
spacious,
the earth is solid and full,
all creature flourish
together,
content with the way they are,
endlessly repeating
themselves,
endlessly renewed.
When man interferes with the
Tao,
the sky becomes filthy,
the earth becomes depleted,
the
equilibrium crumbles,
creatures become extinct.
The Master views the
parts with compassion,
because he understands the whole.
His constant
practice is humility.
He doesn't glitter like a jewel
but lets himself be
shaped by the Tao,
as rugged and common as stone.
40
Return is the movement of the Tao.
Yielding is the way of
the Tao.
All things are born of being.
Being is born of non-being.
41
When a superior man hears of the Tao,
he immediately begins
to embody it.
When an average man hears of the Tao,
he half believes it,
half doubts it.
When a foolish man hears of the Tao,
he laughs out
loud.
If he didn't laugh,
it wouldn't be the Tao.
Thus it is
said:
The path into the light seems dark,
the path forward seems to go
back,
the direct path seems long,
true power seems weak,
true purity
seems tarnished,
true steadfastness seems changeable,
true clarity seems
obscure,
the greatest are seems unsophisticated,
the greatest love seems
indifferent,
the greatest wisdom seems childish.
The Tao is nowhere to
be found.
Yet it nourishes and completes all things.
42
The Tao gives birth to One.
One gives birth to Two.
Two
gives birth to Three.
Three gives birth to all things.
All things have
their backs to the female
and stand facing the male.
When male and female
combine,
all things achieve harmony.
Ordinary men hate
solitude.
But the Master makes use of it,
embracing his aloneness,
realizing
he is one with the whole universe.
43
The gentlest thing in the world
overcomes the hardest thing
in the world.
That which has no substance
enters where there is no
space.
This shows the value of non-action.
Teaching without
words,
performing without actions:
that is the Master's way.
44
Fame or integrity: which is more important?
Money or
happiness: which is more valuable?
Success of failure: which is more
destructive?
If you look to others for fulfillment,
you will never
truly be fulfilled.
If your happiness depends on money,
you will never be
happy with yourself.
Be content with what you have;
rejoice in the way
things are.
When you realize there is nothing lacking,
the whole world
belongs to you.
45
True perfection seems imperfect,
yet it is perfectly
itself.
True fullness seems empty,
yet it is fully present.
True
straightness seems crooked.
True wisdom seems foolish.
True art seems
artless.
The Master allows things to happen.
She shapes events as they
come.
She steps out of the way
and lets the Tao speak for itself.
46
When a country is in harmony with the Tao,
the factories
make trucks and tractors.
When a country goes counter to the Tao,
warheads
are stockpiled outside the cities.
There is no greater illusion than
fear,
no greater wrong than preparing to defend yourself,
no greater
misfortune than having an enemy.
Whoever can see through all fear
will
always be safe.
47
Without opening your door,
you can open your heart to the
world.
Without looking out your window,
you can see the essence of the
Tao.
The more you know,
the less you understand.
The Master
arrives without leaving,
sees the light without looking,
achieves without
doing a thing.
48
In pursuit of knowledge,
every day something is
added.
In the practice of the Tao,
every day something is dropped.
Less
and less do you need to force things,
until finally you arrive at
non-action.
When nothing is done,
nothing is left undone.
True
mastery can be gained
by letting things go their own way.
It can't be
gained by interfering.
49
The Master has no mind of her own.
She works with the mind
of the people.
She is good to people who are good.
She is also good to
people who aren't good.
This is true goodness.
She trusts people who
are trustworthy.
She also trusts people who aren't trustworthy.
This is
true trust.
The Master's mind is like space.
People don't understand
her.
They look to her and wait.
She treats them like her own children.
50
The Master gives himself up
to whatever the moment
brings.
He knows that he is going to die,
and her has nothing left to hold
on to:
no illusions in his mind,
no resistances in his body.
He doesn't
think about his actions;
they flow from the core of his being.
He holds
nothing back from life;
therefore he is ready for death,
as a man is ready
for sleep
after a good day's work.
51
Every being in the universe
is an expression of the
Tao.
It springs into existence,
unconscious, perfect, free,
takes on a
physical body,
lets circumstances complete it.
That is why every
being
spontaneously honors the Tao.
The Tao gives birth to all
beings,
nourishes them, maintains them,
cares for them, comforts them,
protects them,
takes them back to itself,
creating without
possessing,
acting without expecting,
guiding without interfering.
That
is why love of the Tao
is in the very nature of things.
52
In the beginning was the Tao.
All things issue from
it;
all things return to it.
To find the origin,
trace back the
manifestations.
When you recognize the children
and find the
mother,
you will be free of sorrow.
If you close your mind in
judgements
and traffic with desires,
your heart will be troubled.
If
you keep your mind from judging
and aren't led by the senses,
your heart
will find peace.
Seeing into darkness is clarity.
Knowing how to yield
is strength.
Use your own light
and return to the source of light.
This
is called practicing eternity.
53
The great Way is easy,
yet people prefer the side
paths.
Be aware when things are out of balance.
Stay centered within the
Tao.
When rich speculators prosper
While farmers lose their
land;
when government officials spend money
on weapons instead of
cures;
when the upper class is extravagant and irresponsible
while the
poor have nowhere to turn-
all this is robbery and chaos.
It is not in
keeping with the Tao.
54
Whoever is planted in the Tao
will not be rooted
up.
Whoever embraces the Tao
will not slip away.
Her name will be held
in honor
from generation to generation.
Let the Tao be present in your
life
and you will become genuine.
Let it be present in your family
and
your family will flourish.
Let it be present in your country
and your
country will be an example
to all countries in the world.
Let it be
present in the universe
and the universe will sing.
How do I know this
is true?
By looking inside myself.
55
He who is in harmony with the Tao
is like a newborn
child.
Its bones are soft, its muscles are weak,
but its grip is
powerful.
It doesn't know about the union
of male and female,
yet its
penis can stand erect,
so intense is its vital power.
It can scream its
head off all day,
yet it never becomes hoarse,
so complete is its
harmony.
The Master's power is like this.
He lets all things come and
go
effortlessly, without desire.
He never expects results;
thus he is
never disappointed.
He is never disappointed;
thus his spirit never grows
old.
56
Those who know don't talk.
Those who talk don't
know.
Close your mouth,
block off your senses,
blunt your
sharpness,
untie your knots,
soften your glare,
settle your
dust.
This is the primal identity.
Be like the Tao.
It can't be
approached or withdrawn from,
benefited or harmed,
honored or brought into
disgrace.
It gives itself up continually.
That is why it endures.
57
If you want to be a great leader,
you must learn to follow
the Tao.
Stop trying to control.
Let go of fixed plans and
concepts,
and the world will govern itself.
The more prohibitions you
have,
the less virtuous people will be.
The more weapons you have,
the
less secure people will be.
The more subsidies you have,
the less
self-reliant people will be.
Therefore the Master says:
I let go of
the law,
and people become honest.
I let go of economics,
and people
become prosperous.
I let go of religion,
and people become serene.
I
let go of all desire for the common good,
and the good becomes common as
grass.
58
If a country is governed with tolerance,
the people are
comfortable and honest.
If a country is governed with repression,
the
people are depressed and crafty.
When the will to power is in
charge,
the higher the ideals, the lower the results.
Try to make people
happy,
and you lay the groundwork for misery.
Try to make people
moral,
and you lay the groundwork for vice.
Thus the Master is
content
to serve as an example
and not to impose her will.
She is
pointed, but doesn't pierce.
Straightforward, but supple.
Radiant, but
easy on the eyes.
59
For governing a country well
there is nothing better than
moderation.
The mark of a moderate man
is freedom from his own
ideas.
Tolerant like the sky,
all-pervading like sunlight,
firm like a
mountain,
supple like a tree in the wind,
he has no destination in
view
and makes use of anything
life happens to bring his
way.
Nothing is impossible for him.
Because he has let go,
he can
care for the people's welfare
as a mother cares for her child.
60
Governing a large country
is like frying a small
fish.
You spoil it with too much poking.
Center your country in the
Tao
and evil will have no power.
Not that it isn't there,
but you'll be
able to step out of its way.
Give evil nothing to oppose
and it will
disappear by itself.
61
When a country obtains great power,
it becomes like the
sea:
all streams run downward into it.
The more powerful it grows,
the
greater the need for humility.
Humility means trusting the Tao,
thus never
needing to be defensive.
A great nation is like a great man:
When he
makes a mistake, he realizes it.
Having realized it, he admits it.
Having
admitted it, he corrects it.
He considers those who point out his
faults
as his most benevolent teachers.
He thinks of his enemy
as the
shadow that he himself casts.
If a nation is centered in the Tao,
if
it nourishes its own people
and doesn't meddle in the affairs of
others,
it will be a light to all nations in the world.
62
The Tao is the center of the universe,
the good man's
treasure,
the bad man's refuge.
Honors can be bought with fine
words,
respect can be won with good deeds;
but the Tao is beyond all
value,
and no one can achieve it.
Thus, when a new leader is
chosen,
don't offer to help him
with your wealth or your
expertise.
Offer instead
to teach him about the Tao.
Why did the
ancient Masters esteem the Tao?
Because, being one with the Tao,
when you
seek, you find;
and when you make a mistake, you are forgiven.
That is why
everybody loves it.
63
Act without doing;
work without effort.
Think of the
small as large
and the few as many.
Confront the difficult
while it is
still easy;
accomplish the great task
by a series of small
acts.
The Master never reaches for the great;
thus she achieves
greatness.
When she runs into a difficulty,
she stops and gives herself to
it.
She doesn't cling to her own comfort;
thus problems are no problem for
her.
64
What is rooted is easy to nourish.
What is recent is easy
to correct.
What is brittle is easy to break.
What is small is easy to
scatter.
Prevent trouble before it arises.
Put things in order before
they exist.
The giant pine tree
grows from a tiny sprout.
The journey
of a thousand miles
starts from beneath your feet.
Rushing into
action, you fail.
Trying to grasp things, you lose them.
Forcing a project
to completion,
you ruin what was almost ripe.
Therefore the Master
takes action
by letting things take their course.
He remains as calm
at
the end as at the beginning.
He has nothing,
thus has nothing to
lose.
What he desires is non-desire;
what he learns is to unlearn.
He
simply reminds people
of who they have always been.
He cares about nothing
but the Tao.
Thus he can care for all things.
65
The ancient Masters
didn't try to educate the
people,
but kindly taught them to not-know.
When they think that they
know the answers,
people are difficult to guide.
When they know that they
don't know,
people can find their own way.
If you want to learn how to
govern,
avoid being clever or rich.
The simplest pattern is the
clearest.
Content with an ordinary life,
you can show all people the
way
back to their own true nature.
66
All streams flow to the sea
because it is lower than they
are.
Humility gives it its power.
If you want to govern the
people,
you must place yourself below them.
If you want to lead the
people,
you must learn how to follow them.
The Master is above the
people,
and no one feels oppressed.
She goes ahead of the people,
and
no one feels manipulated.
The whole world is grateful to her.
Because she
competes with no one,
no one can compete with her.
67
Some say that my teaching is nonsense.
Others call it lofty
but impractical.
But to those who have looked inside themselves,
this
nonsense makes perfect sense.
And to those who put it into practice,
this
loftiness has roots that go deep.
I have just three things to
teach:
simplicity, patience, compassion.
These three are your greatest
treasures.
Simple in actions and in thoughts,
you return to the source of
being.
Patient with both friends and enemies,
you accord with the way
things are.
Compassionate toward yourself,
you reconcile all beings in the
world.
68
The best athlete
wants his opponent at his best.
The
best general
enters the mind of his enemy.
The best businessman
serves
the communal good.
The best leader
follows the will of the
people.
All of the embody
the virtue of non-competition.
Not that
they don't love to compete,
but they do it in the spirit of play.
In this
they are like children
and in harmony with the Tao.
69
The generals have a saying:
"Rather than make the first
move
it is better to wait and see.
Rather than advance an inch
it is
better to retreat a yard."
This is called
going forward without
advancing,
pushing back without using weapons.
There is no greater
misfortune
than underestimating your enemy.
Underestimating your
enemy
means thinking that he is evil.
Thus you destroy your three
treasures
and become an enemy yourself.
When two great forces oppose
each other,
the victory will go
to the one that knows how to yield.
70
My teachings are easy to understand
and easy to put into
practice.
Yet your intellect will never grasp them,
and if you try to
practice them, you'll fail.
My teachings are older than the world.
How
can you grasp their meaning?
If you want to know me,
look inside your
heart.
71
Not-knowing is true knowledge.
Presuming to know is a
disease.
First realize that you are sick;
then you can move toward
health.
The Master is her own physician.
She has healed herself of all
knowing.
Thus she is truly whole.
72
When they lose their sense of awe,
people turn to
religion.
When they no longer trust themselves,
they begin to depend upon
authority.
Therefore the Master steps back
so that people won't be
confused.
He teaches without a teaching,
so that people will have nothing
to learn.
73
The Tao is always at ease.
It overcomes without
competing,
answers without speaking a word,
arrives without being
summoned,
accomplishes without a plan.
Its net covers the whole
universe.
And though its meshes are wide,
it doesn't let a thing slip
through.
74
If you realize that all things change,
there is nothing you
will try to hold on to.
If you aren't afraid of dying,
there is nothing
you can't achieve.
Trying to control the future
is like trying to take
the master carpenter's place.
When you handle the master carpenter's
tools,
chances are that you'll cut your hand.
75
When taxes are too high,
people go hungry.
When the
government is too intrusive,
people lose their spirit.
Act for the
people's benefit.
Trust them; leave them alone.
76
Men are born soft and supple;
dead, they are stiff and
hard.
Plats are born tender and pliant;
dead, they are brittle and
dry.
Thus whoever is stiff and inflexible
is a disciple of
death.
Whoever is soft and yielding
is a disciple of life.
The hard
and stiff will be broken.
The soft and supple will prevail.
77
As it acts in the world, the Tao
is like the bending of a
bow.
The top is bent downward;
the bottom is bent up.
It adjusts excess
and deficiency
so that there is perfect balance.
It takes from what is too
much
and give to what isn't enough.
Those who try to control,
who
use force to protect their power,
go against the direction of the
Tao.
They take from those who don't have enough
and give to those who have
far too much.
The Master can keep giving
because there is no end to
her wealth.
She acts without expectation,
succeeds without taking
credit,
and doesn't think that she is better
than anyone else.
78
Nothing in the world
is as soft and yielding as
water.
Yet for dissolving the hard and inflexible,
nothing can surpass
it.
The soft overcomes the hard;
the gentle overcomes the
rigid.
Everyone knows this is true,
but few can put it into
practice.
Therefore the Master remains
serene in the midst of
sorrow.
Evil cannot enter his heart.
Because he has given up
helping,
he is people's greatest help.
True words seem
paradoxical.
79
Failure is an opportunity.
If you blame someone
else,
there is no end to the blame.
Therefore the Master
fulfills
her own obligations
and corrects her own mistakes.
She does what she needs
to do
and demands nothing of others.
80
If a country is governed wisely,
its inhabitants will be
content.
They enjoy the labor of their hands
and don't waste time
inventing
labor-saving machines.
Since they dearly love their
homes,
they aren't interested in travel.
There may be a few wagons and
boats,
but these don't go anywhere.
There may be an arsenal of
weapons,
but nobody ever uses them.
People enjoy their food,
take
pleasure in being with their families,
spend weekends working in their
gardens,
delight in the doings of the neighborhood.
And even though the
next country is so close
that people can hear its roosters crowing and its
dogs barking,
they are content to die of old age
without ever having gone
to see it.
81
True words aren't eloquent;
eloquent words aren't
true.
Wise men don't need to prove their point;
men who need to prove
their point aren't wise.
The Master has no possessions.
The more he
does for others,
the happier he is.
The more he gives to others,
the
wealthier he is.
The Tao nourishes by not forcing.
By not dominating,
the Master leads.