Dao De Jing

1
A Dao can be a Dao, yet not the eternal Dao; a name can be a name, yet not the eternal name. Nameless, it is the origin of the cosmos; with a name, it is the mother of the ten thousand things. Therefore, without ever wishing to grasp its unfathomable mystery, always have the desire to fathom it to its furthest extent. These two share the same source, yet bear different names; a unity said to be the deepest, darker than dark gateway to countless wonders.

2
All under heaven know beauty to be beautiful, this is why ugly exists; all know goodness to be good, this is why evil exists. Hence, with and without create each other; difficulty and ease accomplish each other; long and short define each other; high and low support each other; tone and voice harmonize each other; before and after follow each other. Thus, a wise teacher works without doing, teaches without words. The ten thousand things arise and take their course; bringing forth, but not possessing. Acting not for themselves, they accomplish results and then let go.
Indeed, it’s only by letting go that gains are not lost.

3
To keep your people from quarreling, stop worshipping the worthy; to keep your people from stealing, stop valuing rare goods; to keep your people’s minds at rest, stop showing what’s desirable. Let the wise king govern by emptying the people’s hearts and filling their bellies; by softening their ambitions and strengthening their bones. By always ensuring that the citizens remain simple and content, the crooks dare not mislead them.
Leading without imposing, none are left without governance.

4
The Dao is like a field that is used yet never exhausted. So profound! Like the ancestor to all ten thousand beings. It smoothes the edges, untangles the knots, softens the glare, and reunites with the dust. So faint! As if it isn’t even there.
I don’t know whose child it is, this image from long before the gods.

5
Nature is not kind to the ten thousand beings, regarding them as straw dogs. A wise king does not meddle with the hundred families, regarding them as straw dogs too. The vastness of the cosmos, isn’t it like a bellows? When empty it is not exhausted, in motion, it produces ever more.
Too much talking wears you thin, not as good as balance within.

6
The spirit of the valley lives on. They say she is the mystical female; they say her mysterious gateway gives birth to heaven and earth.
A soft and gentle existence, always working but never tired.

7
Heaven is endless, earth endures. Heaven and earth are endless and enduring, because they do not live themselves; that’s how they can live forever. Therefore, the wise put themselves behind, to find themselves ahead; put themselves last, to find themselves preserved.
Is it not without selfishness, that most is accomplished for oneself?

8
The best of goodness is like water. Without ambition, water benefits all ten thousand things; settling in places most people avoid. Clearly, it’s almost like Dao. A good house needs solid ground, a good heart needs depth, a good connection needs kindness, good words need sincerity, good governance needs fairness, good work needs competence, good deeds need the right moment.
Only without ambition, can there be no wrong.

9
Filling your bowl to the brim is not as good as pausing in time. Hammering and sharpening do not go on forever. Fill your house with gold and jade, and no one can protect it; boasting of wealth and rank invites misfortune.
Once success has been achieved, make way: such is the Dao of heaven.

10
Can you carry your soul and care for your body, embrace oneness and not be divided? Can you breathe Qì like a newborn, and be tender? Can you wash away obscure beliefs, and be pure? Can you govern the country with love for the people, and not be imposing? Can you open and close heaven’s gate, and find the feminine within? Can you know the four directions, and not mislead the people? Be life’s nourishment, not life’s owner; work but not for yourself.
Leading naturally is known as the profound mystery of De.

11
Thirty spokes a wheel’s hub join, yet the gap makes it a cart. Clay is kneaded and molded, yet where it is not makes it a vessel. Doors and windows are carved out, yet space makes it a room.
Thus, benefit comes from what is there, utility comes from what is left out.

12
The five colors can blind people’s eyes; the five tones can deafen people’s ears; the five flavors can numb people’s taste. Wild rides and hunting parties may drive people crazy; precious rarities may drive people to evil.
Therefore the old master turns to the belly, not to the eyes, discards one to choose the other.

13
Favor or insult both startle; the body harbors great distress. What is meant by: “Favor or insult both startle”? A favor makes you the lesser; receiving it feels startling, losing it startles too. That is what’s meant by favor or insult startle. What is meant by: “The body harbors great distress”? My great suffering is bound up with my body; without a body, what trouble remains?
Therefore, care for the world as if it were your body, so that all under heaven can trust in you; love the world like you love yourself, so that all under heaven can rely on you.

14
What’s looked at and not seen, is named obscure; what’s listened to and not heard, is named out of reach; what’s touched on and not grasped, is named elusive. Since these three offer no more insight, let’s fold them into one. One, which above is not bright, down below is not dark; a neverending, unmeasurable line, impossible to name. Cycling into nothingness, this so-called form of formlessness, image drawn from a vacuum. They say it is dazzling and perplexing; meeting it you see no head, following it you see no tail.
Hold to the Dao of old, and let it rule the present; know the ancient origins, known as the Dao’s record.

15
The wisdom of the ancient masters, delving into the depths of a wondrous, unfathomable mystery, is beyond understanding. Since it cannot be known, we can only imagine how it was perceived. So careful, like crossing a river in winter; so quiet, like respecting the 4 neighbors; so courteous, like being the guest. So yielding, like ice about to melt; so plain, like an uncarved log; so open, like the wide valley; so bewildered, like muddy water. Who is able to remain quiet till the waters clear? Who can gently persist till the flow is revived?
Those who uphold the Dao, do not seek fulfillment; only by not being fulfilled, can they find what’s hidden behind.

16
With utmost openness and keeping profoundly quiet, I closely observe the return of the ten thousand beings, as they arise together. They all flourish abundantly, then return to their roots. Going back to the root speaks of stillness; it is called restoring life. Restoring life speaks of the enduring; knowing the enduring speaks of insight; not knowing it is foolish and leads to disaster. To know the enduring is to be open-minded; to be open-minded is to be impartial; to be impartial is to be royal. Being royal leads to heaven; heaven leads to the Dao; the Dao is neverending.
Even when the body is gone.

17
The very best leaders are barely noticed by the people; the next best ones are loved and praised; those below are feared; the lowest are laughed at. If trust is missing, how can one be trusted? Superior leaders are mindful of their words.
When results are achieved and their work is done, all the 100 families will say: “It’s naturally so!”

18
When the great Dao is forgotten, feigned kindness and morality appear. Rote learning arises, and with it great deception. The six family ties fall out of harmony, and filial piety is all that remains.
The houses of the kingdom are in turmoil, and false loyalty reigns.

19
Sever holiness, discard rote learning, and the people will be a hundred times better off. Sever feigned kindness, discard morality, and love and affection will return among the people. Sever scheming, discard profits, and thieves and robbers will disappear. Even with these three established, it’s still not enough for culture to flourish and citizens to prosper.
For that, keep it simple; stay with the purity of uncarved wood; be less selfish and lessen your desires.

20
Cut off teachings and stop worrying. Nitpicking over similar words, how does it help to distinguish good from evil? Will it help the people to shake off their fears? It’s ridiculous, I’m still drifting off! The crowds bustle with joy, as if at a sacrifice festival. Or climbing terraces in spring. No one sees an omen, yet I fear what’s to come. Like a newborn, not even a child, I wander aimlessly, as if I there is no place to return to. Everyone has more than they need; I alone seem left behind. Oh, the fool that I am! Confused, and unbalanced. Common people shine brightly; I alone am dim, and hazy. Nothing escapes their eyes; I alone turn inward. So calm! They’re like the ocean; I alone am restless, like winds without end. All the people have their business; I alone stubbornly refuse. I am not like the others, I alone treasure the mother’s nurture.

21
De, the virtue of naturalness, arises only through following the Dao. The workings of the Dao in this world are cloudy and confusing. Confusing and cloudy, yet form is within it; misty and elusive, yet being is within it; quiet and dark, yet essence is within it. In essence: ultimate reality, truth is within it. To this day, its ancient name endures, bringing forth all being. How do I know it to be the father of so many?
In this way…

22
What is crooked then becomes whole; what is bent then becomes straight; what is shallow then becomes filled. What is worn out then becomes new; what is less then becomes more; what is excessive then becomes a burden. This is why the wise king embraces the one principal, setting an example for all under heaven. Shining by not being seen; seen by not being stubborn; recognized by not being boastful; enduring by not showing off. Indeed, without competing, none under heaven can compete.
The saying of the ancients, what once was crooked now is whole, is no empty phrase: it is truly how wholeness is restored.

23
A minimum of words is only natural. A turbulent wind doesn’t last all morning; a downpour doesn’t last all day. What causes these events? The cosmos does. Even the cosmos cannot keep them going forever, so how could man endure? Thus, for those who entrust their affairs to the Dao, the Dao unites with Dao; De unites with nature; a loss unites with loss.
Trust is a two-way street: it’s earned with trust.

24
Balancing on tiptoes is not very stable; standing astride doesn’t get very far; putting on a display is not very wise. A know-it-all is not commended; bragging is not applauded; boasting will not last. To those truly living with the Dao, these are all wasteful ways, like food scraps.
Whoever has the Dao needs no such pettiness.

25
There’s a wholeness beyond being, even before the universe was born. So empty! Such silence! Standing on its own, immutable. Going round and round yet never a hazard; acting for all under heaven as the mother. Its name I do not know, the character in use is called Dao. If you must, call it the grand old. Old speaks of departure; departure speaks of distance; distance speaks of reversal. Hence, great is the Dao, great is heaven, great is earth, and great is also the king. For in the realm of the great four, one belongs to the king.
Man is carried by earth, earth is carried by heaven, heaven is carried by Dao, the Dao is carried by nature.

26
Seriousness serves to ground the frivolous, calmness serves to settle the restless. A gentleman travels all day, without forgetting his baggage. He is serious. Even observing the splendid flight of a swallow, he remains above. How can a leader of ten thousand chariots take the world lightly?
The frivolous lose their ground, the restless lose their kingdom.

27
A well-made journey leaves no track or footprint; well-spoken words leave no blame or disgrace; counting the right numbers needs no tallies. A good closure needs no lock or bolt, yet it cannot be opened. A good connection needs no rope or bond, yet it cannot unravel. Thus, the wise keep caring for others, leaving no one behind; keep caring for things, leaving nothing behind. Light travels light, so they carry it on. Skilled people teach the others, while the students provide material. When either the lessons are not treasured, or the material is not appreciated, knowledge becomes utter confusion.
This is what’s called the essence of wonder.

28
Recognize the male, preserve the female, and be a mountain stream for all. To be a river for all under heaven is to be guided by De, the constant flow of nature, and to return to the state of a newborn child. Know her light, embrace her darkness, and be a model for all under heaven. To be a heavenly model is to be forever carried by De, and to return to the state of endless possibility. Accept your honors, embrace your disgrace, and be a valley for all under heaven. To be a heavenly valley is to be filled with De, and to return to the state of uncarved wood. To make it into a useful tool, the uncarved block is carefully cut.
This is what sets a wise king apart: to be of use, and not to divide.

29
Whoever seeks control over all under heaven, it’s clear to me it cannot succeed. The world is a sacred vessel, not made to be commanded. Those who try will ruin it, those who do will lose it. It’s because beings may lead or follow. We breathe in or sputter out; can be strong or weak; either bend or break.
Thus, a wise king removes excesses, and stays away from waste and extravagance.

30
The Dao provides no weapons to master the people and rule the world by force, as the troubles keep returning. Wherever troops set up camp, thorny bushes and spiny shrubs take root. Great military campaigns yield only bad harvests. Competence bears fruit; the truly skilled would not think of using force for their own gain. Their accomplishments leave them neither boastful nor arrogant, they do not brag of their harvest. Only when a tree must be felled do they pick up an axe. Even the mightiest grow old, as Dao slips away.
All things end but the Dao.

31
However fine a weapon may be, it is no instrument of fortune. Weapons of war are despised by all creation, so no one with the Dao lives by them. At a good family’s home, the left side is honored; in war, honor goes to the right side. A weapon is no instrument of fortune, auspicious families use no such tools. When the use of force cannot be avoided, it is done with composure and mastery. Never with pleasure, or to celebrate death. Those who rejoice in the killing of people will not be able to fulfill their ambitions under heaven. Auspicious matters honor the left side, unfortunate events honor the right side. The lieutenant general is positioned on the left, while the general in command is positioned on the right, as though at a funeral ceremony. Indeed, when so many lives are lost, mourning and grief are all that’s left.
Victory in battle is like living at a funeral.

32
The Dao, forever without a name, is like a virgin field. No more than an uncarved block, yet no one under heaven masters it. If kings and nobles embraced it, all ten thousand beings would naturally align. From this nameless field, honey dew would flow organically, and the citizens would all be equal. Once the uncarved block is cut, a name begins to appear; once a name appears, the end draws near; knowing how all ends is to be safe.
Like a mirror to the Dao’s presence in the world; the valley that carries all rivers to the sea.

33
Knowledge of others is information, knowing yourself is wisdom. Victory over others is strength, overcoming yourself is might. Knowing when you have enough is fulfillment, using force to have more is ambition. In order to endure, hold on to your roots.
Long live the immortals!

34
The great Dao flows in every direction, left and right it goes. All ten thousand beings rely upon it, to give them life and not be rejected. Completing every task, it claims no name or fame; clothing and sustaining all beings, it takes no dominion; never wishing for anything, its name is meaningless. All ten thousand things return upon it, but not because they must, it simply is that great.
The old masters were great at being humble, for this is how greatness is achieved.

35
Hold on to the grand vision, where the world comes together. Gathering in peace and security, a perfect calm. Good food and music make a passerby linger; the flavors of the Dao are bland. Look: there is nothing to see. Listen: there is nothing to hear.
Eat: there is nothing to run out.

36
What has to contract must stretch out first; what has to weaken must strengthen first; what has to leave must first arrive. What has to be taken must first be given; that is the meaning of soft-glowing brilliance. The hardness of a rock yields to the softness of water; fish swim hidden in the deep.
The sharpest teeth of the nation should not be revealed to the people.

37
To make sure nothing is left undone, the Dao does not do a thing. If kings and nobles practiced this, all ten thousand things would naturally evolve. Change may call for intervention; the simplicity of the uncarved, nameless block keeps me in check. This unplowed, nameless field leaves nothing to wish for; free from desire, my mind is at peace.
And all under heaven will find their haven.

38
Those of higher De do not pretend; they just have De, that’s why they have De. Those with little De do not lose their pretentions, that’s why they don’t have De. Those of higher De don’t serve their own interests, they work without doing. Those with little De work only for personal gain. Those of higher kindness don’t serve their own interests, they work for humanity. Those of superior righteousness work only for personal gain. Those of supreme rituals serve no end at all; so they roll up their sleeves and push on. Thus, when Dao is lost, De is all that remains; when De is lost, kindness remains; when kindness is lost, righteousness remains. After righteousness, ritual is all that is left. Those rituals are a poor surrogate for truth and devotion, merely honoring foolishness. In the garden of the Dao, omens and foreknowledge blossom, merely honoring confusion. The tallest trees care about their roots, not their appearance.
They care about the fruits, not the beauty of their flowers.

39
Earliest days’ One origin: heaven attained oneness, and its clarity; earth attained oneness, and its stability; spirit attained oneness, and its energy. Oneness filled the valley; oneness brought the ten thousand beings to life; oneness made nobles and kings serve all under heaven. All these were thus attained. I fear that without clarity, heaven would split; without stability, earth would erupt; without energy, spirit would vanish. Without a steady stream, the valley becomes a dreadful desert; without birth, the ten thousand beings fear extinction; without their ranks, kings and nobles would quickly fall. Thus, humility serves the esteemed well. The lower the level, the heavier the burden, so kings and nobles are right to call themselves orphans, or worthless widowers. Isn’t the humble what serves them well? Therefore, accept being unimportant.
Don’t wish to be precious and special like jade; but rather plain and simple like rock.

40
To move ahead, the Dao returns; to be of use, the Dao yields. Everything under heaven is born from being.
Being is born from without.

41
An eminent scholar, upon learning of the Dao, diligently embarks on it; a common scholar who learns of the Dao may practice it once, lose it twice. But a not-so-bright scholar who hears of the Dao, laughs out loud. If it weren’t ridiculed, it would not be a genuine Dao. That’s why the light of the Dao has been described as obscure; the advancement of the Dao as returning; the nature of the Dao as tied up into knots. The height of De is like a valley. Her purest white seems gray; De’s breadth seems insufficient; De’s depth seems hidden; nature’s truth seems to meander. A square is great if it has no angles; a useful tool takes time to be ready; a sound is not always music; a beautiful image not yet a shape.
Only the Dao, nameless and without beginning, completes it all.

42
The Dao begets one, one begets two, two begets three, three begets the ten thousand things. All ten thousand things carry Yin on their back and Yang in their arms; balanced by the flow of Qì . What the people hate is to be alone, widowed, or worthless. Yet these are the titles kings and nobles decorate themselves with. Showing that sometimes less is more, and sometimes more is less. As the saying goes: live by the sword, die by the sword; it’s what the people are taught and it’s my lesson too.
I will take it as a father for my teachings.

43
The softest gentleness under heaven runs galloping over world’s toughest rigor. Where there is no space, nothing still enters. This is how I know the benefits of working without doing.
To teach without words, and to gain without doing: few under heaven attain such aims.

44
Fame and yourself, what is dearer to you? You and your riches, what counts more? To gain and lose it again, what harm is done? Excessive greed gets very costly; too much stock becomes a heavy loss. To avoid disgrace, know how far to go; to avoid disaster, know when to stop.
That’s how you keep going.

45
Great success may seem to fall short, but the work is not in vain; great prosperity may seem fleeting, but the work continues. High integrity may feel crooked; great skill may look clumsy; strong arguments may sound puzzling. Busyness overcomes cold; calmness overcomes heat.
Quiet purity uplifts all under heaven.

46
In a world with the Dao, horses are for riding, and for manure. In a world without the Dao, horses are bred for distant battlefields. No sin is more terrible than greed; no misfortune is worse than not knowing when it’s enough; no mistake is bigger than wishing for more.
Those who content themselves with what they have, will always have enough.

47
Know the world without leaving home, know heaven’s Dao without looking through the window. The farther one goes, the less one knows. Therefore the journey of the old master is measured by insight gained, not by distance traveled; by what’s named, not by what’s seen.
By achievement, not effort.

48
The pursuit of knowledge gives more every day; the pursuit of Dao takes more every day. More and more it takes till there’s no more to pursue. Working without doing, nothing is left undone; without interference, the world is earned.
Those who can’t stop meddling, do not deserve anything under heaven.

49
A wise teacher has no mind of their own, but takes the hearts of the 100 families as their own. To those who are kind, I am kind too; to those who are not, I am kind anyway. For De is kindness. To those who are honest, I am honest too; to those who are not, I am honest anyway. For De is honesty. A wise teacher lives in harmony with the world, taking all in. Serving all under heaven by blending with their hearts and minds.
The people open their ears and eyes, as the children of their teaching.

50
When it comes to life or death, three out of ten choose life, and three out of ten choose death. The people whose lives just move toward an untimely grave are also three out of ten. For what reason? Because they want to live large. As is often said, those who successfully preserve their lives do not cross paths with a tiger or wild buffalo; nor do they go into battle with no shields or weapons. The buffalo’s horns have nowhere to strike, the tiger’s claws have nothing to shred, the enemy’s sword has no gap to pierce through. For what reason?
Because they don’t run to their graves.

51
They are the Dao’s children: raised by De, shaped by matter, completed by their environment. As a result, none of the ten thousand beings dishonor the Dao or disregard De. Honor to the Dao or regard for De are not commanded, and always come naturally. So it is that De sustains what Dao generates; in order to raise, to nourish, to shelter, to heal, to support, and protect. Nurturing without claiming property, guiding without claiming credit, leading without claiming dominion.
Profound naturalness, by the name of De.

52
The world has a mother too, acting as the beginning for all under heaven. Once the mother is found, her children are known; once her children are known, the mother is guarded again. No self, no harm. Remain silent, shut your gates, and life is a gift that keeps giving. Remain alert, open to worldly affairs, and life offers no respite. Having an eye for the small means insight; holding on to gentleness means strength. Use her light to return to your brilliance, so that no harm comes to you.
Such is the practice of durability.

53
Little do I know, except to travel along the path of the great Dao. There’s only one worry: even if the great Dao is extremely smooth, many favor a goat path. While the royal court is well attended, the rice fields are overgrown with weeds, and the granaries are empty. At the court they are dressed in fine, colorful silk, carrying a well-crafted sword. There’s more food and drinks than they can stomach; more property and money than they can spend. They’re going down the wrong path.
Certainly not the Dao!

54
What’s firmly built does not uproot; what’s firmly grasped does not slip away. The ancestors continue to be honored by their children and grandchildren. Build it within, and De is genuine; build it at home, and De is abundant, build it in the village, and De is durable; build it in the land, and De is fruitful; build it under heaven, and De is universal. Know yourself by observing yourself; know your home by observing your family; know your village by observing the nation, know your nation by observing the world; know your world by observing the universe. How do I know the world is like that?
Through this!

55
Harboring the essence of De, one is like a newborn child. Insects and scorpions don’t sting; poisonous snakes don’t bite; savage beasts don’t pounce; birds of prey don’t strike. A baby’s bones are weak and tendons soft, yet its grip is firm. In essence complete, it is unaware of the unity of man and woman that brought it forth. All in harmony, it cries the whole day without losing voice. Knowing harmony speaks of eternity; knowing eternity speaks of brilliance; caring for life speaks of fortune; breathing out Qì speaks of power. After things reach their summit and start to decline, Dao is slowly lost.
No Dao left, the end is near.

56
Those who know do not speak, those who speak do not know. Block your senses, shut the gates. Blunt your sharpness, untangle your disputes and soften your glow. The most profound union, they say, is being one with earth and mud. Surely, this can not be won with closeness, nor with distance; can not be won for benefit, nor for harm; can not be won for honor, nor for disgrace.
Under heaven’s most precious gift for sure.

57
Ruling a nation requires justice; commanding troops demands genius; winning the world takes inaction. But how can we be certain? Look: under heaven’s many taboos and restrictions only deepen the poverty among citizens. Arming the nation’s citizens with many weapons only causes trouble in their homes. Telling stories to the people only gives rise to strange ideas. Too many laws only result in more thiefs and bandits. A wise king once said: Nothing. I work without doing, and my people change themselves; I treasure quietness, and my people correct themselves; I don’t interfere, and my people prosper.
I renounce all ambition, and my people are once again the uncarved block.

58
When a government seems lacking, people are simple and sincere. When a government interferes with everything, people fall very short. Such misery! Their happiness leans on misfortune. Such happiness! Misfortune lies beneath it. Who knows where it will end? There is no justice; what remains is just rubbish. What kindness is left, is bizar and evil. The people keep going around in neverending confusion. A wise king on the other hand, treats all as one and the same.
Speaks truth and doesn’t harm; acts straight and doesn’t impose; shines brightly and doesn’t blind.

59
To govern the land in harmony with heaven, savings are best. Only savings can be considered good preparation. Being well prepared, De counts twice; with enough De, one can not be beaten; unbeatable, no summit is too high. Reaching the summit, one owns the kingdom. Indeed, one owns the kingdom’s mother, forever and ever.
This is what is meant with deep roots and firm foundations: the Dao of a long view, and a long life.

60
Governing a great nation is like cooking delicate fish. The presence of the Dao in this world makes spirits lose their power. Not that they are powerless, but they don’t hurt anyone. Those spirits don’t hurt the people, and neither does a wise king harm the people.
If neither hurts the other, then De returns to both.

61
All streams under heaven flow downwards into a great land, a feminine world. The feminine always wins over the male with peacefulness. Peacefulness is served with humility; thus, she humbles herself before a smaller nation, in order to win it over. Naturally, a small nation humbles itself before a greater nation, in order to win it over. For both may benefit from mutual respect and cooperation. Great nations carry water to serve the people and their cattle; lesser nations carry water for work.
In order for both greater and lesser to get what they earn, the greater one must earn the lesser one.

62
As the inner connection between all ten thousand things, the Dao is the treasure of good people, and a refuge for the malicious. Sweet talk works in the market place; good deeds work for the people. Those with bad behavior, should we really abandon them? When the son of heaven is seated on his throne, or the three excellencies are installed, their four horse chariot passes through the jaden gate. But it’s still not as good as sitting on the throne of the Dao. For what reason did the old masters value the Dao so much? Stop seeking and start finding they said; stop judging and start forgiving.
No wonder the Dao is under heaven’s greatest treasure.

63
Lead without leading, work without working, charm without charming. Tiny is great, few is plenty. Kill the unkind with the kindness of De. Prepare for bad times during good times; fatten your pig while it is lean. The troubling matters of the world are simple at their core, as under heaven’s biggest problems must have started small. A wise king knows that in the end, greatness comes from great results. They know that empty promises will damage trust. That taking things lightly will make problems worse.
A wise king prepares for difficulty, and thus avoids such problems.

64
What is already stable is easily upheld. What is coming is easily prepared for; what is brittle is easily broken; what is tiny is easily lost. Act while there is still time; govern while there is still peace. A tree too large to embrace grows from the tiniest sprout; building a nine-story terrace begins with a pile of dirt; a journey of a thousand miles starts under your feet. Push it and it gets destroyed; seize it and it slips away. Wise is the one who does not push too hard and destroys it; who does not grab too tightly and loses it. Most people fail when they are on the verge of success. Had they been as careful as when they first started, they might have succeeded. Wise is the one who wants to have neither wishes, nor hard to find goods. Who learns to not learn, returns to what’s left behind, and helps all ten thousand beings run their natural course.
And would not dare to interfere.

65
The old masters of the Dao did not aim to educate their people, but rather let them live a simple life. The citizens are smart and unruly, governing a country with deceit will cause it to fail. Blessed is the nation that’s governed without such cleverness. Let these two examples serve as a lasting standard for what’s called the essence of De. The essence of De is so profound! Going such a distance!Everything returns to it.
Only then will harmony reign supreme.

66
Rivers and seas reign like kings over the 100 valleys. Their majesty comes from being good at staying low. Thus, for a wise king to rise above his people, humility in speech is paramount. To stand before his citizens, he must put himself behind them. A wise king sits on top, without being a burden to his people; leads before the citizens, without doing them harm. In that way, no one under heaven gets tired of cheering on his leadership.
Who doesn’t compete, faces no competition.

67
All under heaven praise my Dao. It may not seem like much, but only because modesty is the hallmark of greatness. If it weren’t so humble, it would indeed have been forgotten long ago! Talking about treasures, there’s three that I hold dearly. The first says loving compassion; the second says frugal economy; and the third says humble connection. Compassion gives courage; economy gives plentitude; connection gives life. Nowadays, compassion is abandoned and courage is lost; economy is abandoned and plenty is lost; connection is abandoned and life is lost.
When at war, compassion might help to win the battle and strengthen your defenses; when at the mercy of heaven, compassion might save you.

68
The best soldier is no war hero. The best fighters show no anger; the best tactics do not engage the enemy; the best commanders places themselves below their troops. Non-competition, they say, is the power of De; they say that unity is strength.
What they are saying is: rise to the level of the ancients in heaven.

69
In the military, it is often said: “I am just a guest, I dare not act the master. Rather than inching closer, I pull back a foot.” This is called marching without a march; fighting without an assault; maneuvering without the enemy; defending without force. No bigger failure than underestimating the enemy; thinking lightly of war will cause me to lose my assets.
When two armies are evenly matched, the more compassionate wins.

70
My words are crystal clear, yet no one under heaven understands them or knows how to put them into practice. These words, rooted in the past, govern my affairs. They are not about common knowledge, which is why I am rarely understood.
True understanding is a precious commodity, which is why the old masters wear simple clothes, and carry their costly jade in their hearts.

71
True knowledge is knowing that you don’t know. Being unaware of one’s ignorance is like an illness; the diagnosis of this illness is also the cure.
The wise are well aware of their ignorance, and so are cured from this disease.

72
When citizens lose respect for those in power, even worse is bound to come. No need to destroy homes; no need to disrespect livelihoods. Only when respected, will the citizens respect you.
Therefore, instead of parading their capabilities, or showing their hubris, a wise king makes the right choices.

73
Reckless courage leads to death, courage with caution may lead to survival. Between the two, sometimes one brings harm, sometimes the other. Why heaven blesses here and curses there, no one knows, not even the wisest teacher. Heaven’s Dao is not to contend, but to skilfully deliver. Not to speak, but to answer sincerely; not to demand, but to let things happen; not to rush but to be well prepared.
Heaven’s net spans the universe; its meshes are wide, yet nothing slips through.

74
The people are not afraid of death, so why threaten them with it? Suppose someone, out of fear of death, were to act strangely, so that this person could be caught and put to death; wouldn’t that have stopped him from doing the crime in the first place? The death penalty is officially carried out regularly. Doing the executioner’s job for him is like chopping wood and then calling it great artistry.
Of those who mistake craftmanship for woodcutting, few avoid hurting their hands.

75
The citizens are starving, because the governors ate their grain, collected as taxes. When the people are hungry, they become unruly. When the state then tightens control, the citizens turn even more rebellious. As death already stares them in the face, they are no longer afraid.
With no life worth losing, they know what makes life worthwhile.

76
No matter how soft and flexible we are at birth, at death we’re hard and stiff. The ten thousand animals, the grass and trees, all are soft and smooth at birth, but at death they’re dry as firewood. Which shows that hard and stiff follow in the footsteps of death, but soft and pliant promise life. A sword that doesn’t flex will break. A tree that doesn’t bend will fall.
The hard and rigid go down, where the soft and yielding stand.

77
How is heaven’s Dao like stretching a bow? As the high end is pulled down, the low end is lifted. In that way, those with too much are relieved, those in need are supplemented. The Dao of heaven is to level out surplus and make up for shortage. The Dao of humanity is the opposite: to take from the poor and give it to the rich. Who is capable of sharing their wealth with the world? Only those with the Dao. For it is good to act, but not for reward; even better to achieve, but not for credits.
Wisdom is to be best, but not for being seen.

78
Nothing under heaven is as soft and yielding as water. Yet to conquer the hard and strong, there is nothing like it, as it flows with ease. The delicate overcomes the rigid, the gentle overcomes the brutal. It is preached by all, but practiced by none. Thus, the old masters say: own the nation’s disgraces, to be worthy of the shrines of earth and grain. Own the nation’s misfortunes, to be worthy of the title “Master of the World.”
Words of truth can seem paradoxical.

79
When peace returns after a bitter quarrel, not all resentment is instantly solved. Where can harmony be found? Wisdom says to honor your side of the bargain, rather than blaming the other. Hence, good De says to manage an agreement, a lack of De says to enforce it.
For the Dao of heaven there is no good or bad; yet it always favors doing good.

80
A small country, with few inhabitants, needs to be well armed if it wants to live in peace. It must be careful with the citizens’ lives, and hope they don’t move too far. There’s not much room for ships and carriages to be useful, or for weapons and armor to be displayed. Instead, the ancient art of tying knots to record events is still in use. But the food is delicious, dresses are beautiful, homes are welcoming, and life is joyful.
Even if a neighboring country is so close that the crowing of a rooster can be heard, or the barking of a dog, most people are content to die of old age without ever going there.

81
True words aren’t pretty, pretty words aren’t true. The kind don’t make an argument, arguing isn’t kind. The learned don’t always know, knowledge isn’t always learned. Wisdom says, keep nothing to yourself; because the more you give, the more you have. Wisdom’s Dao is cooperation, not competition.
Heaven’s Dao brings blessings, not harm.