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The advent of kindness；
The loss of kindness
The advent of service；
The loss of service
The advent of ritual rule。
Ritual rule turned loyal trust to deceit；
Leading to disorder。
All that has been learned adorns the Way
And engenders delusion。
Hence those strong and true keep commitment；
Shun deceit；
Stay with the kernel that抯 real；
And sun flowery adornment；
Choosing the first； refusing the last。
39
From ancient times the foremost number
Has kept the heavens clear and pure；
The earth below firm and secure；
And made its spirits animate；
And its vales exuberant；
Enabled being to procreate；
And kings and lords to tell their fate。
Without that one prime integer
Heaven would crack； since not kept pure；
And earth would split； since not secure。
Spirits would fade since not vital；
And valleys fail； since not fruitful。
All things would die； not procreating；
And kings would fall； their fate mistaking。
The noble and the lowly are sustained；
Those above must have support below。
Hence lords and kings themselves proclaim
揃ereft；？揵ereaved；？or 揾umble slave；？br》 Relying on a lowly name。
Is it not so？
Thus 揻requent praising brings no fame。？br》 揚refer not jade抯 gentle chime
To dull stone抯 harsher tang。？br》
40
The Way moves on by contra…motion；
Yielding is the application。
Becoming begets all beings below；
Becoming begotten of negation。
41
When men of service hearken to the Way；
The lofty strive to see it applied；
The average cannot seem to decide；
While the lower sort grandly deride。
Their derision makes Dao抯 reputation。
So the Words of Guidance says：
揝eers of the Way seem not to see
And those who advance； to retreat。
The smoothest path seems unsure；
Honoured virtue seems undistinguished；
Ample virtue unqualified；
Resolute virtue undependable；
Stable virtue unfaithful。
Pure white seems impure；
Broad planes lack angles；
Great works take time；
Mighty voices rarely sound；
Grand vision has no set design；
Unknown the Way and thus unnamed。？br》 But the Way it is； the Way alone；
That brings first motions to fruition。
42
The number one of the Way was born。
A duad from this monad formed。
The duad next a triad made；
The triad bred the myriad；
Each holding The number one of the Way was born。
A duad from this monad formed。
The duad next a triad made；
The triad bred the myriad；
Each holding yang
And held by yin；
Whose powers？balanced interaction
Brings all ten thousand to fruition。
By the names men most of all abhor ？br》 揙rphaned；？搘anting；？揹estitute？？br》 Kings and lords make themselves known。
For in this world
Those who take less shall have more；
Those given more shall have less。
These words men have taught
And so shall I teach：
揥ho lives by might never do die right？
These my authority； my guiding light。
43
In this world below the sky
The gentle wind will outdo the strong；
And the nonmaterial are able
To enter the impregnable。
Thus I know and know for sure
The gains that under…acting yields。
But teaching by the word unspoken
In this world few can master；
The gains that under…acting yields
In this world few realize。
44
Is the name or the man more precious？
Does the man or his goods count for more？
Does the gain or loss bring more pain？
Extreme economies entail great waste；
And excess holding heavy losses；
But a humbling is spared by few wants；
A miscarriage by knowing the limits；
Thus one can abide and endure。
45
Great successes may seem flawed；
But their benefits injure no one。
Great abundance may seem spent；
But its supply is endless。
Great honesty may seem unfair；
Great eloquence like reticence；
Great artistry like clumsiness；
But they stand the trial of use。
Keen cold yields to excitation；
And heat of passions to repose：
On reflection and repose rely
To rightly rule the world below the sky。
46
When the Way prevails below the sky
Disbanded chargers dung the lad；
But when the Way the world deserts
War horses breed outside the towns。
No crime exceeds desire sanctioned；
No woe is worse than discontent；
No omen more dire than desire gained。
Truly with few wants content；
Contentment lasts as long as life。
47
No need to venture past the door
To know this world below the skies；
No peer outside the window frame
To see the heaven's works and ways：
揇istant ventures； meager knowledge。？br》 For this reason men of wisdom
Know the world not having walked it；
And name it true not having seen it；
And gain success not striving for it。
48
To pursue learning； learn more day by day；
To pursue the Way； unlearn it day by day：
Unlearn and then unlearn again
Until there is nothing left to pursue：
No end pursued； no end ungained。
Whoever means to win this world below
Never undertakes that task：
Whoever does make that his task
Is not fit to win this world below。
49
The wise maintain no constant mind；
But take as theirs the people抯 mind。
揟hos minded to do good we take for good；
As we do those not so minded？
And this obligates their goodness。
揂nd the trusted I trust；
As I trust the not…to…trust？
And this obligates their trust。
In this world the wise man stands
All…enfolding； all…accepting ？br》 No longer apart from the world； no above。
The people lend him their eyes and their ears；
The wise man cradles them like babes。
50
They come forth into life and they go to the dead：
The gateways of life are thirteen in all；
And the gateways of death the same thirteen。
But people in pursuit of life
Drive themselves to where death waits
At any of the thirteen mortal points。
And why is this？
A way of life too rich。
Men say those who secret themselves well
Will meet no gaur or tiger on the land；
Nor suffer weapon抯 wound in war：
Present the gaur no place to gore them；
Nor the tiger place to claw them；
Nor the foe a place to stab them。
And why is this so？
Their mortal points are not exposed。
51
Ten thousand Dao begets and breeds；
Which its power tends and feeds
As objects all take varied shape；
As things to use reach final form。
For this the natural myriad
Honour the Way； esteem its power。
Such honour and such high esteem
No mandate from above decreed；
It is their norm of self…becoming。
Dao indeed begets and breeds
All its power tends and feeds
And fosters and then raises up
And brings to full maturity
And still preserves and still protects。
For Dao begets but does not keep；
Works its way but does n