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The more cleverness； the more strange events
The more laws； the more law breakers
Thus the Sages say；
Act with a pure heart and the people will be transformed
Love your own life and the people will be uplifted
Give without conditions and the people will prosper
Want nothing and the people will find everything
58
When the ruler knows his own heart the people are simple and pure
When he meddles with their lives they become restless and disturbed
Bad fortune； yes ？it rests upon good fortune
Good fortune； yes ？it hides within bad fortune
Oh the things that Heaven sends ？br》 Who can know their final aim？
Who can tell of their endless ways？
Today the righteous turn to trickery
Tomorrow the good turn to darkness
Oh what delusion abounds and every day it grows worse！
But the Sage is here upon the Earth to gently guide us back
He cuts but does not harm
He straightens but does not disrupt
He illumines but does not dazzle
59
Rule the people and serve Heaven yet hold nothing more dear than the Mother抯 harvest
Let every thought and every breath be the fruit of your offering ？br》 Do it now
Let her power run thick in your blood
There will be no obstacle you cannot overcome
No limit you cannot surpass
No empire you cannot rule
Ah； but in all your glory never lose sight of the Mother
Without her your empire will crumble your power will waste away
For the Mother brings the harvest
She alone causes all things to endure
We call this 揇eep roots and a solid trunk？揟he way of long life and lasting insight？br》
60
Govern the nation as you would fry a small fish
When Tao is present in the empire dark spirits lose their power
It抯 not that they have no power it抯 that their power can抰 harm anyone
When Tao is present the people enjoy the blessing of Heaven
They find unity
They find peace
What抯 this about spirits doing harm？
The Sage is approaching and they are rushing in to sweep his path！
61
A great state is like a river basin that receives everything flowing into it
It is the place where all things come to rest where all the world is welcomed
The low is greater than the high
The still is greater than the restless
The low country wins over its neighbour
The still female wins over the male
The Sage wants to uplift the people
The people want to follow the Sage only by being low does this come to be
The Sage bows to the people
The people bow to the Sage
And when they lift up their heads only greatness remains
62
Tao is the treasure…house the true nature the secret source of everything
It is the great wealth of those who are awake the great protector of those still sleeping
If a person seems wicked do not cast him away ？br》 Awaken him with your words
Elevate him with your deeds
Recite his injury with your kindness
Do not cast him away cast away his wickedness
When the emperor is crowned or the three ministers installed they receive a gift of jade and horses
But how can this compare to sitting still and gaining the treasure of Tao
This is why the ancient masters honoured the inward path of Tao
Did they not say 揝eek and you will find？ 揈rr and you will be forgiven？
Within； within
This is where the world抯 treasure has always been
63
Act without acting
Give without giving
Taste without tasting
Tao alone becomes all things great and all things small
It is the One in many
It is the many in One
Let Tao become all your actions then your wants will become your treasure your injury will become your blessing
Take on difficulties while they are still easy
Do great things while they are still small
Step by step the world抯 burden is lifted
Piece by piece the world抯 treasure is amassed
So the Sage stays with his daily task and accomplishes the greatest thing
Beware of those who promise a quick and easy way for much ease brings many difficulties
Follow your path to the end
Accept difficulty as an opportunity
This is the sure way to end up with no difficulties at all
64
A still mind can easily hold the truth
The difficulties yet to come can easily be avoided
The feeble are easily broken
The small are easily scattered
Begin your task before it becomes a burden
Put your things in order before they get out of hand
Remember；
A tree that fills a man抯 embrace grows from a single seedling
A tower nine stories high starts with one brick
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Act and it抯 ruined
Grab and it抯 gone
People on the verge of success often lose patience and fail in their undertakings
Be steady from the beginning to the end and you won抰 bring on failure
The Sage desires that which has no desires and teaches that which cannot be taught
He does not value the objects held by a few but only that which is held by everyone
He guides men back to their own treasure and helps all things come to know the truth they have forgotten
All this he does without a stir
65
The ancient ones were simple…hearted and blended with the common people
They did not shine forth
They did not rule with cleverness
So the nation was blessed
Now the rulers are filled with clever ideas and the lives of people are filled with hardship
So the nation is cursed
He who knows the play of Tao and Te knows the nature of the universe
Tao brings forth Te from its own being
Te expands in all directions filling every corner of the world becoming the splendour of all creation
Yet at every moment Te seeks Tao
This is the movement that guides the universe
This is the impulse that leads all things back home
66
Why do the hundred rivers turn and rush toward the sea？
Because it naturally stays below them
He who wishes to rule over people must speak as if below them
He who wishes to lead the people must walk as if behind them
So the Sage rules over the people but he does not weigh them down
He leads the people but he does not block their way
The Sage stays low so the world never tires of exalting him
He remains a servant so the world never tires of making him its king
67
All the world talks about my Tao with such familiarity ？br》 What folly！
Tao is not something found at the marketplace or passe don from father to son
It is not something to be gained by knowing or lost by forgetting
If Tao were like this
It would have been lost and forgotten long ago
I have three treasures that I hold dear the first is love the second is moderation the third is humility
With love one in fearless
With moderation one in abundant
With humility one can fill the highest position
Now if one is fearless but has no love abundant but has no moderation rises up but has no humility
Surely he is doomed
Love vanquishes