The Book of Virtue (De Jing)
A person of superior virtue does not consciously seek virtue; thus, they possess it. A person of inferior virtue consciously tries not to lose virtue; thus, they lack it. The person of superior virtue acts without acting and accomplishes without purposeful action. The person of superior benevolence acts but without ulterior motive. The person of superior righteousness acts with a purpose. The person of superior ritual acts, but when no one responds, they reach out and forcibly pull others. Thus, the Way is lost. After losing the Way, there is virtue; after losing virtue, there is benevolence; after losing benevolence, there is righteousness; after losing righteousness, there is ritual. Ritual is the attenuation of loyalty and trust, the beginning of chaos. What is called foresight is merely the superficial flourish of the Way, the beginning of foolishness. Therefore, the great person establishes themselves in substance, not shallowness; they pursue the solid, not the ornamental. Thus, they reject the latter and choose the former.
Since ancient times, those who attained the "One": Heaven attained it and became clear; Earth attained it and became tranquil; the spirits attained it and became efficacious; the valley attained it and became full; the myriad things attained it and lived; lords and kings attained it and brought order to the world. If it were lost: Heaven, without clarity, would fear splitting; Earth, without tranquility, would fear quaking; the spirits, without efficacy, would fear fading; the valley, without water, would fear drying up; the myriad things, without life, would fear extinction; lords and kings, without their noble station, would fear toppling. Therefore, the noble takes the humble as its root; the high takes the low as its foundation. This is why lords and kings refer to themselves as "the orphaned," "the widowed," "the unworthy." Is this not taking the humble as the root? Therefore, seeking excessive praise results in no praise. Thus, do not wish to be lustrous like jade; be solid and unadorned like stone.
When the highest type of person hears the Way, they diligently practice it. When the middling type hears the Way, they half believe, half doubt it. When the lowest type hears the Way, they laugh heartily at it. If it were not laughed at, it would not be worthy of being called the Way. Therefore, the ancient saying goes: The bright Way seems dim; the advancing Way seems like retreat; the level Way seems rugged. Superior virtue is like a valley; the greatest whiteness seems sullied; ample virtue seems insufficient. Robust virtue seems lazy; genuine simplicity seems changeable; the greatest square has no corners; the greatest vessel is completed late; the greatest sound is inaudible; the greatest form is formless. The Way is hidden and nameless. Only the Way is good at beginning and good at completing.
Cycling is the movement of the Way; weakness is the function of the Way. The myriad things under Heaven are born from "Being"; Being is born from "Non-Being." The Way gives birth to the One; the One gives birth to the Two; the Two gives birth to the Three; the Three gives birth to the myriad things. The myriad things carry Yin on their backs and embrace Yang in their arms, blending these vital forces to achieve harmony. What the people of the world detest are precisely "the orphaned," "the widowed," "the unworthy," yet lords and kings use these terms for themselves. Sometimes diminishing something leads to increase; sometimes increasing something leads to diminishment. What others teach, I also use to teach others. The violent and overbearing do not meet a natural death. I will take this as the primary principle for teaching.
The softest thing in the world can gallop through the hardest thing in the world. The formless can enter the seamless. I therefore know the benefit of non-action. The teaching without words, the benefit of non-action—few in the world can match these. Which is dearer, fame or life? Which is more valuable, life or goods? Which is more harmful, gain or loss? Excessive fondness inevitably leads to great expense; hoarding much inevitably leads to heavy loss. Therefore, knowing contentment avoids disgrace; knowing when to stop avoids danger; thus, one can endure long.
The greatest perfection seems flawed, yet its function is unimpaired. The greatest fullness seems empty, yet its function is inexhaustible. The straightest seems bent; the most skillful seems clumsy; the greatest gain seems like loss. Movement overcomes cold; stillness overcomes heat. Clarity and stillness can set the standard for the world.
When the world has the Way, warhorses are retired to fertilize the fields. When the world lacks the Way, warhorses are bred on the outskirts. No crime is greater than indulging desire; no disaster is greater than not knowing contentment; no fault is more grievous than the desire for gain. Therefore, the contentment of knowing contentment is eternal contentment.
Without going out the door, one can know the world. Without peering through the window, one can see the Way of Heaven. The further one goes, the less one knows. Therefore, the sage knows without traveling, understands without seeing, accomplishes without acting. The student of knowledge gains more each day; the follower of the Way loses more each day. Losing and losing again, one reaches non-action. Through non-action, nothing is left undone. To take the world, one must always remain free of interference. Once there is interference, it is insufficient for taking the world.
The sage is always without a personal mind, taking the mind of the people as their own. They are good to the good, and also good to the not-good; thus, they attain goodness. They trust the trustworthy, and also trust the untrustworthy; thus, they attain trustworthiness. The sage's presence in the world is self-effacing, for the world's mind is made simple. The people all fix their eyes and ears upon them, yet the sage treats them all as children.
Emerging is the beginning of life; entering is the end of death. Three in ten are companions of life; three in ten are companions of death. And people, striving to live, yet move into the realm of death—also three in ten. Why is this? Because they strive too hard to live. I have heard that those adept at holding to life travel on land without avoiding rhinoceros or tiger, enter battle without donning armor or bearing weapons. The rhinoceros finds no place to thrust its horn, the tiger no place to sink its claws, weapons no place to admit their blades. Why? Because they have no realm of death.
The Way gives them life; Virtue nurtures them. Matter gives them form; circumstances complete them. Therefore, the myriad things revere the Way and honor Virtue. The reverence for the Way, the honor of Virtue—these are not conferred by any rank but are eternally so of themselves. The Way gives them life, nurtures them, rears them, matures them, shelters them, protects them. Giving life yet not possessing, acting yet not relying, guiding yet not lording—this is called Profound Virtue.
The world has a beginning, which can be considered the mother of the world. Having known the mother, one understands the children. Having understood the children, one holds fast to the mother, thus free from peril to the end of one's days. Block the openings, shut the doors, and to the end of life one will be unwearying. Open the openings, meddle in affairs, and to the end of life one will be beyond help. Seeing the subtle is called "clarity"; holding to weakness is called "strength." Use its light, return to its clarity, bring no calamity upon oneself—this is called "following the Constant."
Suppose I had a little knowledge, walking on the Great Way. My only fear would be to stray onto bypaths. The Great Way is very level, yet people are fond of shortcuts. The court is very corrupt, the fields are very weedy, the granaries are very empty. Yet they wear elegant clothes, carry sharp swords, eat and drink to excess, and have surplus goods and wealth. This is called "Robber Chief." The conduct of a Robber Chief is not the Way.
What is well planted cannot be uprooted; what is well embraced cannot slip away. By it, sacrifices to ancestors continue unbroken. Cultivate it in oneself, and one's virtue becomes genuine. Cultivate it in the family, and one's virtue becomes abundant. Cultivate it in the village, and one's virtue grows. Cultivate it in the state, and one's virtue becomes ample. Cultivate it in the world, and one's virtue becomes universal. Therefore, view the self through the self; view the family through the family; view the village through the village; view the state through the state; view the world through the world. How do I know the world is so? By this.
One who embodies virtue deeply is like an infant. Poisonous insects do not sting it, fierce beasts do not seize it, birds of prey do not strike it. Its bones are weak, its sinews soft, yet its grip is firm. It does not know the union of male and female, yet its organ stirs—such is the height of vitality. It cries all day without becoming hoarse—such is the height of harmony. Knowing harmony is called "the Constant"; knowing the Constant is called "clarity." Enhancing life is called "ominous"; the mind forcing the vital breath is called "forcing." When a thing reaches its prime, it ages. This is called "not the Way." What is not the Way comes to an early end.
One who knows does not speak; one who speaks does not know. Block the openings, shut the doors, blunt the sharpness, untie the tangles, soften the glare, merge with the dust. This is called "Mysterious Union." Therefore, one can neither be drawn close nor distanced; neither benefited nor harmed; neither honored nor debased. Therefore, they are valued by the world.
Govern the state with uprightness; deploy the army with craft; take the world by not interfering. How do I know this is so? The more taboos and prohibitions in the world, the poorer the people. The more sharp implements the people possess, the more the state falls into chaos. The more clever and crafty the people, the more strange things arise. The more laws and ordinances are promulgated, the more thieves and bandits there are. Therefore, the sage says: I practice non-action, and the people transform themselves. I prefer stillness, and the people rectify themselves. I do not interfere, and the people prosper themselves. I desire not to desire, and the people become simple of themselves.
If governance is generous, the people are honest. If governance is harsh, the people are cunning. Disaster—good fortune rests beside it. Good fortune—disaster lurks within it. Who knows the ultimate principle? Is there no standard? The upright reverts to the strange; the good reverts to the monstrous. Long indeed have the people been deluded. Therefore, the sage is square but does not cut, sharp but does not stab, straight but not unrestrained, bright but not dazzling.
In governing the people and serving Heaven, nothing is better than frugality. Only by being frugal can one be prepared early. Being prepared early is called "accumulating virtue doubly." Doubly accumulating virtue, nothing is unconquerable. When nothing is unconquerable, no one knows its limits. When no one knows its limits, one can possess the state. Possessing the mother of the state, one can endure long. This is called "deep roots and a firm foundation," the Way of long life and lasting vision.
Governing a large state is like frying a small fish. Use the Way to preside over the world, and its ghosts will lose their potency. It is not that the ghosts lack potency, but that their potency does not harm people. Not only do the ghosts not harm people, the sage also does not harm them. Since neither harms the other, virtue converges and returns to the people.
A great state should be like the lower reaches of a river—the place where all under Heaven converge, the meeting point of all under Heaven. The female always overcomes the male by stillness. Because she is still, it is fitting for her to take the lower position. Therefore, if a great state takes the lower position with a small state, it wins over the small state. If a small state takes the lower position with a great state, it is won over by the great state. So one either takes the lower position to win over, or takes the lower position and is won over. Therefore, a great state wants nothing more than to nurture and embrace others; a small state wants nothing more than to enter and serve another. If both get what they desire, the great state should take the lower position.
The Way is the refuge of the myriad things. It is the treasure of the good person, and the protection of the not-good person. Fine words can win respect; fine conduct can be an example to others. Even if a person is not good, why should they be abandoned? Therefore, when installing the Son of Heaven and appointing the three ministers, though one might present the jade disk followed by a team of four horses, it is not as good as sitting and offering this Way. Why did the ancients value this Way? Did they not say: "Seek and you will find; have fault and it will be forgiven"? Therefore, it is valued by the world.
Act through non-action; do through non-doing; taste the tasteless. Regard the small as great, the few as many. Respond to resentment with virtue. Plan for the difficult while it is easy; accomplish the great while it is small. The world's difficult tasks arise from the easy; the world's great tasks arise from the small. Therefore, the sage never attempts great things, yet can accomplish the great. One who makes promises lightly is sure to lack trust; one who finds everything easy will encounter much difficulty. Therefore, the sage regards things as difficult, and thus in the end encounters no difficulty.
When things are stable, they are easy to maintain. Before signs appear, they are easy to plan for. When things are brittle, they are easy to break. When things are minute, they are easy to scatter. Act on things before they come into being; put things in order before disorder sets in. A tree so big you can barely embrace it grows from a tiny shoot. A tower nine stories high rises from a heap of earth. A journey of a hundred miles begins with a single step. Those who act on things ruin them; those who cling to things lose them. Therefore, the sage acts without acting and thus does not ruin; clings to nothing and thus does not lose. People, in their endeavors, often ruin things just as they are about to succeed. If one is as careful at the end as at the beginning, there will be no ruined endeavors. Therefore, the sage desires the absence of desire, does not value rare goods; learns the unlearned, returns to what the multitude have missed. Thus, they can support the naturalness of the myriad things and dare not act.
Those of old who were adept in the Way did not use it to enlighten the people, but to keep them simple. The people are difficult to govern because they have too much cunning. Therefore, to govern the state with cunning is a scourge to the state; to govern the state without cunning is a blessing to the state. To know these two is to know the model. Constantly knowing the model is called "Profound Virtue." Profound Virtue is deep, far-reaching, and, with the myriad things, returns to the great confluence.
The reason rivers and seas can be kings of the hundred valleys is that they excel at staying low. This is how they can be kings of the hundred valleys. Therefore, if the sage wishes to be above the people, they must, in their words, be below them. If they wish to lead the people, they must, in their person, be behind them. Therefore, the sage dwells above, yet the people do not feel burdened; they are in front, yet the people do not feel hindered. The whole world delights in supporting them and does not tire of them. Is it not because they do not contend? Therefore, no one in the world can contend with them.
Let the state be small, the people few. Though there are tools requiring ten or a hundred men, do not use them. Let the people value their lives dearly and not move far away. Though there are boats and carriages, there is no reason to ride in them. Though there are armor and weapons, there is no reason to display them. Let the people return to knotted cord records. They will find their food sweet, their clothes beautiful, their customs satisfying, their homes secure. Neighboring states are within sight, the sounds of chickens and dogs are within hearing, yet the people grow old and die without having visited one another.
Truthful words are not beautiful; beautiful words are not truthful. The wise are not learned; the learned are not wise. The good are not many; the many are not good. The sage accumulates nothing. Having given fully to others, they themselves have more. Having given fully to others, they themselves are enriched. The Way of Heaven benefits and does not harm; the way of the sage acts and does not contend.
All under Heaven say I am great, but resemble nothing. Precisely because I resemble nothing, I can be great. If I did resemble something, I would have been insignificant long ago. I have three treasures that I hold and cherish: The first is compassion; the second is frugality; the third is not daring to be first in the world. Through compassion, one can be courageous; through frugality, one can be ample; not daring to be first in the world, one can become the leader of all vessels. Now, to abandon compassion for courage, abandon frugality for abundance, abandon the rear for the front—this is death. Compassion, used in attack, will win; used in defense, will be secure. When Heaven is about to establish someone, it protects them with compassion.
Therefore, the good warrior is not martial; the good fighter is not angry; the good victor does not contend; the good employer places themselves below others. This is called the virtue of not contending; this is called employing others' strength; this is called matching Heaven—the highest achievement of antiquity.
There is a saying about using arms: I dare not be the host but prefer to be the guest; I dare not advance an inch but would rather retreat a foot. This is called marching without formation, raising arms without arms, gripping without weapons, hurling without an enemy. No disaster is greater than having no enemy. Having no enemy nearly costs me my treasures. Therefore, when opposing forces are evenly matched, the compassionate side will win.
My words are very easy to understand, very easy to put into practice. Yet the world cannot understand them, cannot practice them. Words have a source; affairs have a master. It is precisely because people are ignorant that they do not understand me. Few understand me, and thus I am valued. Therefore, the sage wears coarse cloth but carries jade within.
To know yet think one does not know is best; not to know yet think one knows is a flaw. The sage is flawless because they recognize flaws as flaws; therefore, they are flawless. When the people no longer fear authority, then great authority is about to arrive. Do not constrain their dwellings; do not deprive them of their livelihood. It is precisely by not depriving that they are not wearied. Therefore, the sage knows themselves but does not display themselves; loves themselves but does not exalt themselves. Thus, they reject the latter and choose the former.
To be brave in daring leads to death; to be brave in not daring leads to life. These two kinds of bravery bring either benefit or harm. What Heaven detests, who knows the reason? The Way of Heaven does not contend, yet excels at winning; does not speak, yet excels at responding; is not summoned, yet comes of itself; is relaxed, yet excels at planning. The net of Heaven is vast; its meshes are wide, yet nothing escapes. If the people are constantly unafraid of death, how can one frighten them with death? If the people are constantly afraid of death, and for the perverse ones I seize and kill them, who would dare? If the people are constantly and necessarily afraid of death, then there is always an executioner. To take the place of the executioner in killing is like taking the place of a master carpenter in chopping wood. Those who take the place of a master carpenter in chopping wood rarely escape injuring their own hands.
The people hunger because their superiors consume too much in taxes; therefore, they hunger. The people are difficult to govern because their superiors are meddlesome; therefore, they are difficult to govern. The people treat death lightly because their superiors strive too hard for the good life; therefore, they treat death lightly. Only those who do not live for the sake of life are wiser than those who value life.
When people are born, they are soft and weak; when they die, they are stiff and hard. The myriad things, plants and trees, are soft and pliant when alive; when they die, they are withered and dry. Therefore, the stiff and hard are companions of death; the soft and weak are companions of life. Thus, an army that is strong will not triumph; a tree that is strong will be cut down. The strong and great take the lower place; the soft and weak take the higher place.
The Way of Heaven is like drawing a bow: the high is pulled down, the low is raised up; the excessive is reduced, the insufficient is supplemented. The Way of Heaven reduces the excessive to supplement the insufficient. The way of man is not so: it reduces the insufficient to offer to the excessive. Who can take what is excessive and offer it to Heaven? Only one who has the Way. Therefore, the sage acts but does not possess, accomplishes but does not dwell on it. This is because they do not wish to display their worthiness.
Nothing in the world is softer and weaker than water, yet for attacking the hard and strong, nothing surpasses it. Because nothing can take its place. That the soft overcomes the hard, the weak overcomes the strong—no one in the world does not know this, yet no one can put it into practice. Therefore, the words of the sage say: "To bear the disgrace of the state is to be lord of the altars of soil and grain. To bear the misfortunes of the state is to be king of the world." Right words seem paradoxical.
To reconcile great enmity is bound to leave some enmity. How can this be considered good? Therefore, the sage holds the tally but does not demand payment from others. Thus, the virtuous hold the tally; the virtueless levy taxes. The Way of Heaven has no favorites; it constantly sides with the good person.
The Book of the Way (Dao Jing)
The Way that can be spoken of is not the eternal Way; the name that can be named is not the eternal name. The nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth; the named is the mother of the myriad things. Therefore, constantly be without desire, in order to observe its subtlety; constantly have desire, in order to observe its manifestations. These two emerge together but have different names. Both are called mysterious. Mystery upon mystery—the gateway to all marvels.
When all under Heaven know beauty as beauty, ugliness appears. When all know good as good, not-good appears. Thus, being and non-being give rise to each other; difficult and easy complete each other; long and short contrast with each other; high and low incline toward each other; sound and voice harmonize with each other; front and back follow each other—this is constant. Therefore, the sage dwells in non-action and practices the teaching without words. The myriad things arise, and he does not initiate them; he acts but does not rely; accomplishes but does not dwell. It is precisely because he does not dwell that his achievements do not depart.
Not exalting the worthy keeps the people from contention. Not valuing rare goods keeps the people from theft. Not displaying the desirable keeps the people's hearts from confusion. Therefore, in the sage's governance: he empties their hearts, fills their bellies; weakens their wills, strengthens their bones. Constantly he keeps the people without knowledge and without desire, so that the knowledgeable dare not act. Act through non-action, and nothing is left ungoverned.
The Way is empty, yet when used, it is never exhausted. Deep! It seems the ancestor of the myriad things. Blunt the sharpness, untie the tangles, soften the glare, merge with the dust. Hidden! It seems to exist. I do not know whose child it is; it seems to have preceded the Lord.
Heaven and Earth are not benevolent; they treat the myriad things as straw dogs. The sage is not benevolent; he treats the people as straw dogs. The space between Heaven and Earth—is it not like a bellows? Empty yet not collapsing; the more it moves, the more comes out. Much talk leads to exhaustion. Better to hold fast to the center.
The valley spirit never dies; it is called the Mysterious Feminine. The gateway of the Mysterious Feminine is called the root of Heaven and Earth. Continuous, seeming to exist; use it, it is never exhausted.
Heaven and Earth endure long. The reason Heaven and Earth can endure long is that they do not live for themselves. Therefore, they can live long. Thus, the sage puts himself last, yet finds himself first; treats his person as external, yet his person is preserved. Is it not because he is without self-interest that he can accomplish his self-interest?
The highest goodness is like water. Water is good at benefiting the myriad things without contending. It dwells in places the multitude detest. Therefore, it is close to the Way. Dwelling, be good at choosing the place; the heart, be good at being deep; giving, be good at being trustworthy; governing, be good at bringing order; affairs, be good at being competent; movement, be good at choosing the time. It is only because he does not contend that he is without fault.
To hold and fill it is not as good as stopping. To hammer and sharpen it cannot be preserved long. If a hall is filled with gold and jade, no one can guard it. Wealth and honor with arrogance bring calamity upon oneself. When the work is done, withdraw. This is the Way of Heaven.
Can you embrace the One and not let go? Can you concentrate your vital breath and become soft like an infant? Can you cleanse the dark mirror and leave no blemish? Can you love the people and govern the state without cunning? Can you, when the gates of Heaven open and close, play the part of the female? Can you, understanding all within the four directions, do so without knowledge? Give them life, nurture them. Give life but do not possess; act but do not rely; lead but do not master. This is called Profound Virtue.
Thirty spokes join at one hub; it is the emptiness that makes the cart useful. Mold clay to make a vessel; it is the emptiness that makes the vessel useful. Cut out doors and windows to make a room; it is the emptiness that makes the room useful. Therefore, having gives benefit; non-having gives use.
The five colors make people's eyes blind; the five tones make people's ears deaf; the five flavors make people's mouths jaded. Racing and hunting make people's hearts wild. Goods hard to obtain make people's conduct harmful. Therefore, the sage provides for the belly, not for the eyes. Thus, he rejects the latter and chooses the former.
Favor and disgrace are like being startled; value great calamity as you value your own person. What is meant by "Favor and disgrace are like being startled"? Favor is inferior: to gain it is to be startled, to lose it is to be startled. This is "Favor and disgrace are like being startled." What is meant by "Value great calamity as you value your own person"? The reason I have great calamity is that I have a self. If I had no self, what calamity would I have? Therefore, one who values the self as the world can be entrusted with the world; one who loves the self as the world can be given charge of the world.
Look for it, it cannot be seen—it is called "invisible." Listen for it, it cannot be heard—it is called "inaudible." Grasp for it, it cannot be caught—it is called "intangible." These three cannot be fully fathomed, so they are merged into one. Its top is not bright; its bottom is not dark. Vast, boundless! It cannot be named. It returns to no-thing. This is called the shape without shape, the form without form. It is called vague and elusive. Confront it, you do not see its front; follow it, you do not see its back. Hold to the Way of the present to manage the affairs of the present; thus, knowing the ancient beginning, this is called the thread of the Way.
The ancients adept in the Way were subtly profound and mysteriously perceptive, too deep to be understood. Because they could not be understood, I reluctantly describe them: Cautious, as if crossing a winter stream; wary, as if fearing neighbors on all sides; dignified, as if a guest; yielding, as ice about to melt; simple, as an unworked block; vast, as a valley; murky, as muddy water. Who, by stilling, can gradually become clear? Who, by movement, can gradually come to life? Those who preserve this Way do not desire fullness. It is because they do not desire fullness that they can wear out and not be renewed.
Attain the utmost emptiness; maintain steadfast stillness. The myriad things arise together; I watch their return. The teeming things each return to their root. Returning to the root is called stillness. Stillness is called returning to destiny. Returning to destiny is called the constant. Knowing the constant is called clarity. Not knowing the constant leads to reckless action, and reckless action leads to misfortune. Knowing the constant allows acceptance; acceptance leads to impartiality; impartiality leads to all-embracing; all-embracing leads to Heaven; Heaven leads to the Way; the Way leads to endurance. One's whole life will be free from danger.
The highest type of ruler—the people merely know he exists. The next—they draw near and praise him. The next—they fear him. The lowest—they despise him. When trust is insufficient, there is distrust. Reluctant, he values his words. When his work is done and affairs are accomplished, the people all say, "We are so of ourselves."
Therefore, when the great Way is abandoned, there is benevolence and righteousness. When wisdom and cleverness appear, there is great hypocrisy. When the six family relations are not in harmony, there is filial piety and parental affection. When the state is in chaos, there are loyal ministers.
Renounce sageliness, discard wisdom, and the people will benefit a hundredfold. Renounce benevolence, discard righteousness, and the people will return to filial piety and parental affection. Renounce skill, discard profit, and thieves and robbers will disappear. These three sayings are insufficient as a doctrine. Therefore, let there be something to which the people can attach themselves: manifest simplicity, embrace plainness, lessen selfishness, reduce desires. Renounce learning, and have no worries.
Agreement and disagreement—how much difference is there? Beauty and ugliness—how much do they differ? What the people fear cannot but be feared. Vast, boundless! The multitude are joyous, as if enjoying the great sacrificial feast, as if ascending a terrace in spring. I alone am placid, showing no sign, like an infant that has not yet smiled. Forlorn, as if having nowhere to return. The multitude all have surplus; I alone seem lacking. I have the mind of a fool—so confused! Common people are bright; I alone am dim. Common people are discerning; I alone am dull. Vast, as the sea; boundless, as if never ceasing. The multitude all have purpose; I alone am stubborn and lowly. I alone am different from others, and value being nourished by the mother.
The appearance of great virtue follows the Way alone. The Way as a thing is vague and elusive. Elusive and vague, within it are images. Vague and elusive, within it are things. Obscure and dark, within it is essence. The essence is very real; within it is trustworthiness. From ancient times to the present, its name has not departed, so that we may contemplate the beginnings of all things. How do I know the beginnings of all things are so? By this.
Tiptoeing, one cannot stand firm; straddling, one cannot walk. Those who display themselves are not enlightened; those who assert themselves are not distinguished; those who boast have no merit; those who exalt themselves do not last. In the Way, these are called "leftover food and excrescences." Even things probably detest them. Therefore, one with the Way does not abide in them.
To yield is to be preserved whole; to be bent is to become straight; to be hollow is to become full; to be worn out is to be renewed; to have little is to gain; to have much is to be confused. Therefore, the sage holds to the One and becomes the model for the world. He does not display himself, therefore he is enlightened. He does not assert himself, therefore he is distinguished. He does not boast, therefore he has merit. He does not exalt himself, therefore he endures. It is only because he does not contend that no one in the world can contend with him. The ancient saying, "To yield is to be preserved whole"—are these empty words? Truly, whole preservation is attained.
Sparse words are natural. A whirlwind does not last all morning; a rainstorm does not last all day. What makes these? Heaven and Earth. Even Heaven and Earth cannot make them last long, how much less can humans? Therefore, those who follow the Way identify with the Way; those who follow virtue identify with virtue; those who follow loss identify with loss. Identifying with the Way, the Way is also pleased to have them. Identifying with virtue, virtue is also pleased to have them. Identifying with loss, loss is also pleased to have them. When trust is insufficient, there is distrust.
Something formed in chaos, born before Heaven and Earth. Silent, solitary! Standing alone, unchanging; going everywhere, unhindered. It can be considered the mother of Heaven and Earth. I do not know its name; I style it "the Way." Reluctantly, I name it "great." Great means passing away; passing away means far-reaching; far-reaching means returning. Therefore, the Way is great; Heaven is great; Earth is great; the king is also great. In the realm, there are four greats, and the king is one of them. Humans model themselves on Earth; Earth models itself on Heaven; Heaven models itself on the Way; the Way models itself on what is so of itself.
Heavy is the root of the light; stillness is the master of agitation. Therefore, the noble person travels all day without leaving the heavy baggage wagons. Though there be splendid vistas, he remains calm and aloof. How is it that the lord of ten thousand chariots treats his own person more lightly than the world? Lightness loses the root; agitation loses mastery.
A good walker leaves no tracks; a good speaker makes no slips; a good counter uses no tallies. A good closer needs no bolt, yet what he has closed cannot be opened. A good binder uses no cords, yet what he has bound cannot be undone. Therefore, the sage is always good at saving people, and so abandons no one; is always good at saving things, and so abandons nothing. This is called "following enlightenment." Therefore, the good person is the teacher of the good; the not-good person is the material for the good. Not to value the teacher, not to cherish the material—though intelligent, one is greatly deluded. This is called the essential wonder.
Know the male, but keep to the female, and be a ravine for the world. Being a ravine for the world, constant virtue does not depart, and you return to infancy. Know the white, but keep to the black, and be a model for the world. Being a model for the world, constant virtue does not err, and you return to the limitless. Know honor, but keep to disgrace, and be a valley for the world. Being a valley for the world, constant virtue is sufficient, and you return to simplicity. Simplicity dispersed becomes vessels; the sage makes use of them and becomes the chief official. Therefore, the great system is not divisive.
To take the world and act on it—I see that it cannot be done. The world is a sacred vessel; it cannot be acted upon. Those who act on it ruin it; those who cling to it lose it. Among creatures, some lead, some follow; some blow hot, some blow cold; some are strong, some are weak; some are supported, some are toppled. Therefore, the sage discards the extreme, the excessive, the extravagant.
Use the Way to assist the lord; do not use arms to compel the world. The matter tends to rebound. Where armies are stationed, brambles and thorns grow. A good commander achieves his aim, then stops. He does not presume to take by force. Achieve the aim, but do not be arrogant; achieve the aim, but do not boast; achieve the aim, but do not brag; achieve the aim, but only because it cannot be avoided. This is called "achieving the aim without force." When a thing reaches its prime, it ages. This is called "not the Way." What is not the Way comes to an early end.
Arms are tools of ill omen; even things probably detest them. Therefore, one with the Way does not abide in them. The noble person, in his dwelling, values the left; in using arms, he values the right. Arms are not tools of the noble person. Arms are tools of ill omen; they are used only when unavoidable. Calm detachment is best. Do not glorify them. To glorify them is to delight in killing people. One who delights in killing people cannot have his will in the world. For auspicious affairs, the left is honored; for mourning affairs, the right is honored. A lieutenant general stands on the left; the commander-in-chief stands on the right. This means that the position is treated as a mourning ritual. The many people killed—one mourns for them with grief. Victory in battle—treat it as a mourning ritual.
The Way is eternally nameless. Though simplicity is small, nothing in the world dares to make it a subject. If lords and kings can preserve it, the myriad things will submit of themselves. Heaven and Earth unite to send down sweet dew; none commands the people, yet of themselves they are just. When order began, names arose. Once names existed, one should also know when to stop. Knowing when to stop avoids danger. The Way's relation to the world is like rivers and streams flowing into the sea.
To know others is wisdom; to know oneself is clarity. To conquer others is strength; to conquer oneself is power. To know contentment is wealth; to act with vigor is will. Not to lose one's proper place is endurance; to die but not be forgotten is longevity.
The Way overflows, it can go left or right. The myriad things depend on it for life, yet it does not turn away. It accomplishes its work, yet does not claim possession. It clothes and nourishes the myriad things, yet does not lord over them. Ever without desire, it can be called small. The myriad things return to it, yet it does not lord over them; it can be called great. Therefore, the sage can become great because he does not act great. Therefore, he can become great.
Hold fast to the great image, and the world will come. They come and are not harmed, thus finding peace, tranquility, and greatness. Music and food induce the passing guest to stop. But the Way, when uttered, is bland and tasteless. Look for it, it is insufficient to be seen; listen for it, it is insufficient to be heard; use it, it cannot be exhausted.
To shrink it, one must first expand it. To weaken it, one must first strengthen it. To abolish it, one must first promote it. To seize it, one must first give it. This is called subtle clarity. The soft and weak overcome the hard and strong. Fish should not be taken from the deep; the sharp instruments of the state should not be shown to others.
The Way is eternally nameless. If lords and kings can preserve it, the myriad things will transform of themselves. If, after transforming, desire should arise, I shall subdue it with nameless simplicity. Subdued with nameless simplicity, they will be without desire. Being without desire and thus still, Heaven and Earth will of themselves be rectified.
