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But his words are not understood。
79
Reconciliation
When conflict is reconciled; some hatred remains;
How can this be put right?
The sage accepts less than is due
And does not blame or punish;
For love seeks agreement
Where justice seeks payment。
The saints said: 〃Nature is impartial;
Therefore it serves those who serve all。〃
80
Utopia
Imagine that there is a small country with few people;
Who have a hundred times more than they need;
Who love life and do not wander far;
Who own ships but do no foreign trade;
Who own weapons but do not threaten war;
Who are literate but keep no histories;
Who cook well; dress beautifully; dwell safely
And delight in their own culture;
But live within cock crow of their neighbours。
People in such a place would never leave。
81
The Sage
Truth is not rhetorical;
Therefore rhetoric is not true;
Lovers do not contend;
Therefore competitors do not love;
The enlightened need no knowledge;
Therefore the learned are not enlightened。
The sage does not aim to increase himself;
But the more he does for others the more he is satisfied;
And the more he gives the more he gets。
The best way is to benefit all and harm none;
So the sage acheives his purpose without contention。
English_Merel2_TTK
Das Tao Te King von Lao Tse
English interpolation by
Peter Merel
1
The Way
The Way that can be experienced is not true;
The world that can be constructed is not true。
The Way manifests all that happens and may happen;
The world represents all that exists and may exist。
To experience without intention is to sense the world;
To experience with intention is to anticipate the world。
These two experiences are indistinguishable;
Their construction differs but their effect is the same。
Beyond the gate of experience flows the Way;
Which is ever greater and more subtle than the world。
2
Abstraction
When beauty is abstracted
Then ugliness has been implied;
When good is abstracted
Then evil has been implied。
So alive and dead are abstracted from nature;
Difficult and easy abstracted from progress;
Long and short abstracted from contrast;
High and low abstracted from depth;
Song and speech abstracted from melody;
After and before abstracted from sequence。
The sage experiences without abstraction;
And accomplishes without action;
He accepts the ebb and flow of things;
Nurtures them; but does not own them;
And lives; but does not dwell。
3
Without Action
Not praising the worthy prevents contention;
Not esteeming the valuable prevents theft;
Not displaying the beautiful prevents desire。
In this manner the sage governs people:
Emptying their minds;
Filling their bellies;
Weakening their ambitions;
And strengthening their bones。
If people lack knowledge and desire
Then they can not act;
If no action is taken
Harmony remains。
4
Limitless
The Way is a limitless vessel;
Used by the self; it is not filled by the world;
It cannot be cut; knotted; dimmed or stilled;
Its depths are hidden; ubiquitous and eternal;
I don't know where it comes from;
It comes before nature。
5
Nature
Nature is not kind;
It treats all things impartially。
The Sage is not kind;
And treats all people impartially。
Nature is like a bellows;
Empty; yet never ceasing its supply。
The more it moves; the more it yields;
So the sage draws upon experience
And cannot be exhausted。
6
Experience
Experience is a riverbed;
Its source hidden; forever flowing:
Its entrance; the root of the world;
The Way moves within it:
Draw upon it; it will not run dry。
7
Complete
Nature is complete because it does not serve itself。
The sage places himself after and finds himself before;
Ignores his desire and finds himself content。
He is complete because he does not serve himself。
8
Water
The best of man is like water;
Which benefits all things; and does not contend with them;
Which flows in places that others disdain;
Where it is in harmony with the Way。
So the sage:
Lives within nature;
Thinks within the deep;
Gives within impartiality;
Speaks within trust;
Governs within order;
Crafts within ability;
Acts within opportunity。
He does not contend; and none contend against him。
9
Retire
Fill a cup to its brim and it is easily spilled;
Temper a sword to its hardest and it is easily broken;
Amass the greatest treasure and it is easily stolen;
Claim credit and honour and you easily fall;
Retire once your purpose is achieved … this is natural。
10
Harmony
Embracing the Way; you become embraced;
Breathing gently; you become newborn;
Clearing your mind; you become clear;
Nurturing your children; you become impartial;
Opening your heart; you become accepted;
Accepting the world; you embrace the Way。
Bearing and nurturing;
Creating but not owning;
Giving without demanding;
This is harmony。
11
Tools
Thirty spokes meet at a nave;
Because of the hole we may use the wheel。
Clay is moulded into a vessel;
Because of the hollow we may use the cup。
Walls are built around a hearth;
Because of the doors we may use the house。
Thus tools come from what exists;
But use from what does not。
12
Substance
Too much colour blinds the eye;
Too much music deafens the ear;
Too much taste dulls the palate;
Too much play maddens the mind;
Too much desire tears the heart。
In this manner the sage cares for people:
He provides for the belly; not for the senses;
He ignores abstraction and holds fast to substance。
13
Self
Both praise and blame cause concern;
For they bring people hope and fear。
The object of hope and fear is the self …
For; without self; to whom may fortune and disaster occur?
Therefore;
Who distinguishes himself from the world may be given the world;
But who regards himself as the world may accept the world。
14
Mystery
Looked at but cannot be seen … it is beneath form;
Listened to but cannot be heard … it is beneath sound;
Held but cannot be touched … it is beneath feeling;
These depthless things evade definition;
And blend into a single mystery。
In its rising there is no light;
In its falling there is no darkness;
A continuous thread beyond description;
Lining what can not occur;
Its form formless;
Its image nothing;
Its name silence;
Follow it; it has no back;
Meet it; it has no face。
Attend the present to deal with the past;
Thus y