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o help all things be natural he thus dares not act
65
The ancient masters of the Way tried not to enlighten but to keep men in the dark
what makes the people hard to rule is knowledge who rules the realm with knowledge spreads evil in the realm who rules without knowledge spreads virtue in the realm
who understands these two understands the universal key this is called Dark Virtue
Dark Virtue goes deep goes far goes the other way until it reaches perfect harmony
66
The reason the sea can govern a hundred rivers is because it has mastered being lower thus it can govern a hundred rivers
thus if the sage would be above the people he should speak as if he were below them if he would be before them he should act as though he were behind them
thus when the sage is above the people are not burdened when he is in front the people are not hindered the world never wearies of pushing him forward
because he doesn't struggle no one can struggle against him
67
The world calls me great great but useless because I am great I am useless if I were of use I would have stayed small
but I possess three treasures I treasure and uphold first is compassion second is austerity third is reluctance to excel
because I am compassionate I can be valiant because I am austere I can be extravagant because I am reluctant to excel I can be chief of all tools
if I renounced compassion for valour austerity for extravagance reluctance for supremacy I would die
compassion wins every battle and outlasts every attack what Heaven creates let compassion protect
68
In ancient times the perfect officer wasn't armed the perfect warrior wasn't angry
the perfect victor wasn't hostile the perfect commander acted humble
this is the virtue of nonaggression this is using the strength of others this is uniting with Heaven which was the ancient end
69
In warfare there is a saying rather than a host better to be a guest rather than advance an inch better to retreat a foot
this means to form no column to wear no armour to brandish no weapon to repulse no enemy
no fate is worse than to have no enemy without an enemy we would lose our treasure
thus when opponents are evenly matched the remorseful one prevails
70
My words are easy to understand easy to employ but no one can understand them no one can employ them
words have an ancestor deeds have a master because they have no understanding people fail to understand me rare are they who understand me thus I am exalted
the sage therefore wears coarse cloth and keeps his jade inside
71
To understand yet not understand is transcendence not to understand yet understand is affliction
the reason the sage is not afflicted is because he treats affliction as affliction hence he is not afflicted
72
When people no longer fear authority a greater authority will appear
don't restrict where people dwell don't repress how people live if they aren't repressed they won't protest
thus the sage knows himself but doesn't reveal himself he loves himself but doesn't exalt himself thus he picks this over that
73
Daring to act means death daring not to act means life
of these two one benefits one harms what Heaven hates who knows the reasons
the Way of Heaven wins easily without a fight answers wisely without a word comes quickly without a summons plans ingeniously without a thought
the Net of Heaven is all…embracing it mesh is wide but nothing escapes
74
If people no longer fear death why do we threaten to kill them
and if others fear death and still act perverse and we catch and kill them who else will dare
as long as people fear death the executioner will exist to kill in the executioner's place is to take the carpenter's place who takes the carpenter's place is bound to hurt his hands
75
The reason the people are hungry is because those above levy so many taxes thus the people are hungry
the reason the people are hard to rule is because those above are so forceful thus the people are hard to rule
the reason people think little of death is because those above think so much of life thus the people think little of death meanwhile those who do nothing to live are more esteemed than those who love life
76
When people are born they are soft and supple when they perish they are hard and stiff
when plants shoot forth they are soft and tender when they die they are withered and dry
thus it is said the hard and strong are followers of death the soft and weak are followers of life
when an army becomes strong it suffers defeat when a plant becomes hard it snaps
the hard and strong dwell below the soft and weak dwell above
77
The Way of Heaven is like stringing a bow pulling sown the high lifting up the low shortening the long lengthening the short
the Way of Heaven takes from the long and supplements the short unlike the Way of Man taking from the short and giving to the long
who can find the long and give it to the world only those who find the Way
thus the sage does not presume on what he does or claim what he achieves thus he chooses to hide his skill
78
Nothing in the world is weaker than water but against the hard and the strong nothing excels it for nothing can change it
the soft overcomes the hard the weak overcomes the strong this is something everyone knows but no one is able to practice
thus the sage declares who accepts a country's disgrace we call the lord of soil and grain who accepts a country's misfortune we call king of all under Heaven upright words sound upside down
79
In resolving a great dispute a dispute is sure to remain how can this be good
thus the sage holds the left marker he makes no claim on others
thus the virtuous oversee markers the virtueless oversee taxes
the Way of Heaven favours no one but always helps the good
80
Imagine a small state with a small population let there be labour…saving tools that aren't used let people consider death and not move far
let there be boats and carts but no reason to ride them let there be armour and weapons but no reason to employ them
let people return to the use of knots and be satisfied with their food and pleased with their clothing and content with their homes and happy with their customs
let there be a state so near people hear its dogs and chickens and live out their lives without making a visit
81
True words aren't beautiful beautiful words aren't true
the good aren't eloquent the eloquent aren't good
the wise aren't learned the learned aren't wise
the sage accumulates nothing but the more he does for others the greater his existence the more he gives to others the greater his abundance
the Way of Heaven is to help without harming the Way of the sage is to act without struggling
English_Roberts_TTK
Das Tao Te King von Lao Tse
Chinese （MWD； Guodian） … English by
Moss Roberts； 2001
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