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Nor yet by estrangement
Or profit or loss
Or honor or shame。
Accordingly； by all the world；
He is held highest。
57
〃Govern the realm by the right；
And battles by stratagem。〃
The world is won by refraining。
How do I know this is so？
By this：
As taboos increase； people grow poorer；
When weapons abound； the state grows chaotic；
Where skills multiply； novelties flourish；
As statutes increase； more criminals start。
So the Wise Man will say：
As I refrain； the people will reform：
Since I like quiet； they will keep order；
When I forebear； the people will prosper；
When I want nothing； they will be honest。
58
Listlessly govern：
Happy your people；
Govern exactingly：
Restless your people。
〃Bad fortune will
Promote the good；
Good fortune； too；
Gives rise to the bad。〃
But who can know to what that leads？
For it is wrong and would assign
To right the strangest derivations
And would mean that goodness
Is produced by magic means！
Has man thus been so long astray？
Accordingly； the Wise Man
Is square but not sharp；
Honest but not malign；
Straight but not severe；
Bright but not dazzling。
59
〃For ruling men or serving God；
There's nothing else like stores saved up。〃
By 〃stores saved up〃 is meant forehandedness；
Accumulate Virtue； such that nothing
Can resist it and its limit
None can guess： such infinite resource
Allows the jurisdiction of the king；
Whose kingdom then will long endure
If it provides the Mother an abode。
Indeed it is the deeply rooted base；
The firm foundation of the Way
To immortality of self and name。
60
Rule a large country
As small fish are cooked。
The evil spirits of the world
Lose sanction as divinities
When government proceeds
According to the Way；
But even if they do not lose
Their ghostly countenance and right；
The people take no harm from them；
And if the spirits cannot hurt the folk；
The Wise Man surely does no hurt to them。
Since then the Wise Man and the people
Harm each other not at all；
Their several virtues should converge。
61
The great land is a place
To which the streams descend；
It is the concourse and
The female of the world：
Quiescent； underneath；
It overcomes the male。
By quietness and by humility
The great land then puts down the small
And gets it for its own；
But small lands too absorb the great
By their subservience。
Thus some lie low； designing conquest's ends；
While others lowly are； by nature bent
To conquer all the rest。
The great land's foremost need is to increase
The number of its folk；
The small land needs above all else to find
Its folk more room to work。
That both be served and each attain its goal
The great land should attempt humility。
62
Like the gods of the shrine in the home；
So the Way and its mystery waits
In the world of material things：
The good man's treasure；
The bad man's refuge。
Fair wordage is ever for sale；
Fair manners are worn like a cloak；
But why should there be such waste
Of the badness in men？
On the day of the emperor's crowning；
When the three noble dukes are appointed；
Better than chaplets of jade
Drawn by a team of four horses；
Bring the Way as your tribute。
How used the ancients to honor the Way？
Didn't they say that the seeker may find it；
And that sinners who find are forgiven？
So did they lift up the Way and its Virtue
Above everything else in the world。
63
Act in repose；
Be at rest when you work；
Relish unflavored things。
Great or small；
Frequent or rare；
Requite anger with virtue。
Take hard jobs in hand
While they are easy；
And great affairs too
While they are small。
The troubles of the world
Cannot be solved except
Before they grow too hard。
The business of the world
Cannot be done except
While relatively small。
The Wise Man； then； throughout his life
Does nothing great and yet achieves
A greatness of his own。
Again； a promise lightly made
Inspires little confidence；
Or often trivial； sure that man
Will often come to grief。
Choosing hardship； then； the Wise Man
Never meets with hardship all his life。
64
A thing that is still is easy to hold。
Given no omen； it is easy to plan。
Soft things are easy to melt。
Small particles scatter easily。
The time to take care is before it is done。
Establish order before confusion sets in。
Tree trunks around which you can reach with
your arms were at first only minuscule sprouts。
A nine…storied terrace began with a clod。
A thousand…mile journey began with a foot put down。
Doing spoils it； grabbing misses it；
So the Wise Man refrains from doing
and doesn't spoil anything；
He grabs at nothing so never misses。
People are constantly spoiling a project
when it lacks only a step to completion。
To avoid making a mess of it；
be as careful of the end as you were of the beginning。
So the Wise Man wants the unwanted；
he sets no high value on anything
because it is hard to get。
He studies what others neglect
and restores to the world what multitudes have passed by。
His object is to restore everything to its natural course；
but he dares take no steps to that end。
65
Those ancients who were skilled in the Way
Did not enlighten people by their rule
But had them ever held in ignorance：
The more the folk know what is going on
The harder it becomes to govern them。
For public knowledge of the government
Is such a thief that it will spoil the realm；
But when good fortune brings good times to all
The land is ruled without publicity。
To know the difference between these two
Involves a standard to be sought and found。
To know that standard always； everywhere；
Is mystic Virtue； justly known as such；
Which Virtue is so deep and reaching far；
It causes a return； things go back
To that prime concord which at first all shared。
66
How could the rivers and the seas
Become like kings to valleys？
Because of skill in lowliness
They have become the valley's lords。
So then to be above the folk；
You speak as if you were beneath；
And if you wish to be out front；
Then act as if you were behind。
The Wise Man so is up above
But is no burden to the folk；
His station is ahead of them
To see they do not come to harm。
The world will gladly help along
The Wise Man and will bear no grudge。
Since he contends not for his own
The world will not contend with him。
67
Everywhere； they say the Way； our doctrine；
Is so very lik