Preface
Chinese culture is no more a "Chinese only" issue. For a wholistic view of the Far Eastern culture, Daode Jing or Laozi is an obligatory text. As one of the earliest sources of political liberalism and democracy, it is now the most concise philosophical classic that has brought about the most interpretations and influences. Most thoughts of this ancient text of roughly 5000 classical chinese characters and 2500 years old are still valid in contempory philosophy, psychology, management, aesthetics etc. From these, we can see the amazing insights of the author.
This translation of Laozi / Lao-tzu is, since the end of last millenium, a personal ongoing effort (if the adm don't like it here, I will move to elsewhere) to incorporate contemporary semantics into the text. In the process, efforts have been made to obey the following rules: integrity, original meaning, modernization, original rhetorics and current context. There are also intentional violation of the grammatical rules in order to attempt the impossible -- presenting the classical chinese rhetorics. The net result is sort of flowing smoothly. The text, other than complying with certain contemporary thoughts, it is also critical of our age, e.g. environmental problems, threat of nuclear weapons, red tape, capitalism, political romanticism, globalization, deregulation etc.
Readers should bear the following facts in mind:
- Regarding the ultimate concern, Laozi is (non-metaphysical) pragmatic opinions rather than declaration of hegemonistic truth, as the author believed that "Tao/Dao" expressed in human languages can not be ontologically absolute. And, since it is a model of pragmatically opinionistic and paradoxical text, it works through meeting with relevant wholistic results. And, the opinionism itself is also an opinion.
- The targeted readers were those in power or wished to be in power. Most of the educated people then worked for the governments. Therefore, the text is highly political. It could be a sarcasm to the politicians:"With the wars and other problems in our world, I would prefer our society going back to its primitive stage."
- It was extremely competitive Spring Autumn war period then. An effective legal system is the key to survival.
- No efficient recording tools were available and thus books had to be written in very succinct form. The abstruse style is its weakness as well as strength.
- Laozi is not a novel. Speed-reading will not work.
- Nothingness is no vacuum. There are things in "nothing". Analogously, in certain context, "yes" can mean "no" in Far Eastern culture. This also reflects what the author has asserted from the beginning -- the instability of text.
- Daoism is not ontological naturalism. There are far too many descriptions( the use of vehicle, room, tools etc.) in Daoist classics for refuting those irresponsible and indirect claims that Daoism is absolute naturalism.
- The original text has no chapters and punctuations.
- Unlike exclusive God/Allah from Middle East, the Dao does not have personal attributes, i.e. neither holy nor unholy, neither mercy nor unmercy etc. This makes taoism exempts from facing the problems of theodicy which have led to enormous amount of word games. These statements may lead to unduly reactions, such as mud-throwing etc., from those lack of faith in their beliefs, cultural supremacists etc. Nevertheless they are here to stay and I will never apologize for them.
- "Treat the text as a whole." No garbling, please. Taoism of Laozi is "pragmatism" of its own kind with emphases on integrated principles of nothingness, wholistic health, sustainability, moderated naturalism, limitation of language/presentation, spontaneity, political liberalism and flexibility. The style of expression could be a purposive arrangement to force readers treating the text as a whole.
- Like Hanfeizi, the original text could have been sabotaged by confucianists who had monopolized chinese education most of the times after Qin Dynasty.
- If you wish others to treat you well, then promote those "manifestive" beliefs like Confucianism, Christianity, Islam or the likes; If you really treat other well, let them know the real Daoism!
- There are always essential elements of Daoism in organisational managements (delegation etc.) & personal life (sleep, quiet, calm etc.) Disregard them at your own peril.
There are euphemisms around, leaving the readers, the uncertain subjects, certain space of imagination and interpretation. You are encouraged to read between the lines (the "nothing" part) with proper creativity. Write a book, set up a blog or website for them if you like.
Dao, Language and Perception
"Dao / Tao / The Ultimate / Absolute indefinite" that can be asserted in words
- Not the absolute Dao-in-itself
"Phenomenon" that can be confined in names
- Not the absolute phenomenon-in-itself
Nothingness
- Named beginning of universe
Haveness
- Named mother of all objects
Thus
Be always in nothingness
- If you desire to perceive the Dao's wonder
Always in haveness
- If you desire to discover the bounds of phenomena
Having same origin
- Yet appear differently
Both mysterious in nature
- Mystery of all mysteries
- Source of all wonders
Values and The Difference
We all know
- Beauty as it is
- Thus ugliness
- Good as it is
- Thus no-goodness
Therefore
- Haveness and nothingness co-create
- Difficult and easy co-accomplish
- Long and short contrast
- High and low incline against each other
- Front and back accompany
Hence
- An ideal political leader manages with nothingness
- Teaches without fussy
Dao moves the universe
- Without uttering a word
Creates
- Without domination
Acts
- Without publicity
Success
- Without making merit
Only no merit is claimed
- The merit never ends
Flaunt no...
Ideal political leader
- Flaunts no saints
- People stop fighting for names
Treasure no rare merchandises
- People rob not
Manifest no eagerness
- People bewilder not
Therefore
His government
- Clears people's mind off ideologies
- Fills their stomachs
- Weakens their ambitions
- Strengthens their bones
- Makes them ignorant of trickery
- And greed not
- Make those abuse their cleverness
- Dare not run amuck at society
With these principles of nothingness
- Be there no ungovernable
The Null Dao
Dao, null
Its working capacity seems never overflow
Unfathomably likes origin of the universe
Its concealment
- Make us doubt about its existence
I do not know its source
Presumably
- Exists before the personal God/Allah
The Selfless Universe and The Boundless Dao
The heaven and earth are not romantic
- Treating all objects impartially like straw dogs
Likewise
Ideal political leader is not romantic
- Treating all people selflessly
Dao
- Being nothingness in heaven and earth
- Is it not comparable to a bellow?
Empty
- Yet produces endlessly
The more it works
- The more results it gets
Too many words/laws
- Lead to unproductivity swiftly
Rather act in nothingness
The Ultimate Creator
Emptyness
Omnipresence
Immortal
Dao
- The mysterious vagina
- So to speak
- The mysterious vagina
- Origin of the universe
- Seemingly
- A weak existence
- Yet its works never end
Selflessness and Sustainability
The universe
- Sustainable
As it does not exist for itself
- Therefore long-lived
Likewise
The ideal political leader leaves behind self-interests
- Stands tall in front
Forgets his own body
- Survive
Are not these due to his selflessness
The net result
- His self-fulfillment
The Best Practices are Like Water
The Best practices are like water
Water
- Good at nurturing the nature instead of exploiting
- Lives in places where people disgusted
- Thus
- Approaching Dao
- Live in proper place
- Mind with proper depth
- Give with proper love
- Speak with proper truthfulness
- Administer with proper management
- Work with proper delegation in talents
- Act in proper timing
No exploitation
No hates
Withdraw oneself after success
Pouring till overflown
- Rather stop promptly
Overly sharpen
- Never sustain
Full house of gold and jades
- Never seen well kept forever
Flaunt of one's fortune
- Looking for troubles
Withdraw oneself after success
- Way of nature
Self-criticism
Embrace the one and only Dao
- With entire heart and soul
- Can you keep it without going astray
Move "Chi" in your body with extreme tenderness
- Can you be like a baby
Clear your mind off ideologies
- Probe around
- Can it be flawless
Be patriotic and govern the people
- Can you be in nothingness
Open and close your senses
- Can you be in quietness
Exhaust interdisciplinary knowledge
- Can your intelligence works without abuse
The Use of Nothingness
Thirty spokes center to one hub
- As there is nothingness in the hub
- We have the use of vehicle
Kneading clay into vessels
- As there is nothingness
- We have the use of vessel
Shaping door and windows for a room
- As there is nothingness
- We have the use of room
Thus
- Haveness turns into benefit
- Nothingness turns into usefulness
Artificial Temptations
Temptations of a colorful world blind people
Delicacies solicit more flavors
Hustle-bustles cause deafness
Hunting on the rampage
- People's hearts bedevil
Rare merchandises
- Bring about greedy searches
Thus
- The ideal political leader cares more about people's stomach than
enjoyments
Gives and takes
Grace and Disgrace
Grace and disgrace
- Alarming
Worry of adversity
- As well as oneself
Why are grace and disgrace alarming
In the eyes of the world
- Favor is good
- Disfavor bad
The favored
- Worry about losing favor
The disfavored
- Worry about adversity
Thus
- Grace and disgrace
- Alarming
What is worrying of adversity
- As well as oneself
Adversity
- As I am self-centred
If I am selfless
- What adversity I have
Therefore
- One who willing to sacrifice himself for the people
- Can have mandate of the world
- One who loves to sacrifice himself for the people
- Can entrust the world in him
The Hidden Dao
Look
- See not
Listen
- Hear not
Touch
- Sense not
These three aspects cannot be exhausted
- Mingle as one in Dao
No light above
- No darkness beneath
Extending endlessly
- Indescribable
- Ultimately formless
Formless form
- So to speak
- No materialistic appearance and dim
Greet
- See not its face
Follow
- See not its back
Get Hold of the old Dao
- Rein current haveness
Know the ancient sustainable source
- Comply with the law of Dao
Ancient Pilgrim of Dao
Ancient pilgrim of Dao
- Subtle
- Mysteriously proficient
- Fathomless
As fathomless
- Describe barely
Prudential
- As if stepping on winter stream
- Afraid of interference from neighbours
Courteous
- Like a guest
Yielding
- Like melting ice
Simple
- As if naive
Hollow
- Like caves
Opaque
- Like muddy pools
Who can be chaordic
- with calmness turning crystalline
Who can be peaceful in long term movement
- While showing vitality progressively
Those who keep Dao in them
- No complacency
As no complacency
- They can be hidden
- Showing off not
In Nothingness
Be in nothingness to extreme
Be in quietness wholeheartedly
All objects interact
I observe their repeating laws
- Go back to their origin in turn
- Then in quietness
So to speak
- Named constant Dao
Repeat universally
Knowing these
- Enlightened
Act without enlightenment of the constant Dao
- Assuming high risk
Knowing constants
- Accommodated
Accommodated
- Civil
Civil
- Wholistic
Wholistic
- Comply with law of the universe
Comply with law of the universe
- Following Dao
Following Dao
- Sustainable
Thus
- No hazards in life
Classes of Leadership
First class leader
- People know not his existence
Second
- Close to the people
- Praised
Next
- The people afraid of him
Last
- The people abuse him
Lack of truthfulness
- Begets no trustworthy
Be at ease
- Treasure your words
After all achievements
- Let people say
- "We are like this naturally."
Belated "Good"
Wherever the great Dao is forsaken
- There is political romanticism
Wherever wisdom is publicized
- There is hypocrisy
Wherever relatives are in alienation
- There are piety and kindness
Wherever a nation is in chaos
- There are loyal subjects
Three Political Taboos
Stop flaunting sage and saint
- People have hundred times benefit
Forsake political romanticism
- People have piety and kindness back naturally
Relinquish opportune benefits
- Robbers and thieves vanish
These three aspects
- If propagate with word games
- Show all sorts of defects
Thus
- Provide the people with options
- Let them
- show their true selves
- Embrace indigenuity
- Short of egotism
- Lack of greed
The Best Knowledge
The best knowledge leads no anxiety
Impose them with compliment or disgrace
- How far is in between
Attach them with the feel of good or bad
- What difference does it makes
What others afraid of cannot be ignored
How desolate
- The Dao's wastefulness
People push by in the crowd
- Like having feasts
- Like ascending lookout towers
I live alone in insipidity
- Like never seen any sign
- Like an infant never been boyish
- Like slack astray
People have swelling confidence
- I seem incompetent
What a mind of fool I have
Others look smart
- I seem muddle-headed
Others appear attentive
- I appear could not care less
I can be a sea in placidity
- Or perpetually drifting wind
Others show talents
- I seem superficially childish
- I am different
- Consuming mother of the universe dearly
Countenance of De
Countenance of the hollow De
- Reflects only Dao
How indeterminately vague
- Yet phenomena within
How vaguely indeterminate
- Yet substance within
How profoundly dusky
- Yet sperms of creation within
Highly real the sperms
- Certain messages within
Its phenomena manifested since time immemorial
- For us to review the beginning of all things
How do I perceive the beginning of all things
- With these
Defect makes perfect
Defect
- Perfect
Inflection
- Straightened
Hollow
- Filled
Spoiled
- Renewed
Less
- Content
Excessive
- Confused
Thus
- The ideal political leader
- Embraces the integrated Dao as paradigm
No self-glorifying
- Thus illuminate
No self-approbation
- Thus prominent
No brag
- Thus praiseworthy
No arrogant
- Thus sustain
No rivalry
- No rival in the world
How can the good old principle of "defect makes perfect"
- Be just empty talk
Have faith in it wholeheartedly
Transcient Nature
Few words/law
- Be natural
Blasting wind survive not the morning
- A brash last not whole day
Who set these
- Heaven and earth
Even the heaven and earth last not
- How can a human
Thus
- The taoist operator
- Has Dao-like manner
- One who has the De
- Has De-like manner
- One who loses both
- Has loser-like manner
- Those identify with the Dao
- The Dao is glad to have them
- Those identify with the De
- The De is glad to have them
- Those who lose both
- The "loser" is glad to have them
- Lack of truthfulness
- Begets no trustworthy
Drawbacks of Forceful Measures
Lifted heels
- Lose firm foothold
Run in big steps
- Travel not far
Self-glorify
- Edify none
Self-conceite
- Unprominent
Brag
- Unpraiseworthy
Arrogant
- Unsustainable
For Dao
- These are leftovers
- Superfluous demeanors
- Even those alienated may detest them
Thus
- Daoists abstain from them
The Omnipresent Great Dao
An existence
- Intermingled
Before the universe
- It be
Serene and formless
Aloof and everlasting
Moving infinitely
Be it mother of the universe
As my ignorant of its name
- Inadequately named it Dao
- Barely describe it as great
- Great thus omnipresent
- Omnipresent thus infinite
- Infinite thus rotary
Dao
- Great
Universe
- Great
Earth
- Great
Human
- Great
Four greatness in the universe
- Human is one of them
- Human
- Rely on earth
- Earth
- Rely on Universe
- Universe
- Rely on Dao
- Dao
- Rely on nature
Calm, Detached, Non-materialistic
Heaviness
- Root of flightiness
Calmness
- Leader of fickleness
Thus
- The ideal political leader
- Advances without leaving burden
- Though in glory
- Deal with it detachedly
As a leader of many advanced troops
- How can he be fickle with his self-interests
Flighty loses root
Fickleness loses leadership
Good Performances
Good travel leaves no trace
Good speech makes no mistake
Good count utilize no calculator
Good confinement has no lock and latch
- Yet unable to open
Good bond apply no rope and knot
- Yet loosen not
Thus
- The ideal political leader
- Good at saving people
- No one left behind
- Good at saving goods
- Nothing left behind
- Good at saving people
Inherit enlightenment
- So to speak
Thus
- The Good
- Be mentor of the no-good
- The No-good
- Be lessons of the good
- Valued not the mentor
- Or heeded not the lessons
- Though clever
- Yet muddleheaded
- Though clever
The primary knacks
- So to speak
Know and Hold
Know its "masculine"
- Hold on to "feminine"
- Be conjunction of the world
Be the conjunction of the world
- Conform to De without deviation
- Revert to natural state of infant
Know its "white"
- Hold on to its "black"
- Be a paragon of the world
Abide by The De constantly without error
- Return to The Eternal Dao
Know its grace
- Hold on to its disgrace
- Be the vale of the world
Adhere to The De till content
- Resume nature
Lose the nature
- Alienate into tools
The ideal political leader knows how to use them
- Becomes leader of all ministers
The great/complex systems
- Reductionistic not
War
Generals who wish to seize power
- And do something "worthwhile"
I reckon they run out of alternatives
Power is like magical weapon
- Shall not act upon
Those act upon
- Vitiate it
Those lay hand on
- Lose it
All creatures
- Advance
- Or follow
- Breath cold
- Or puff warm
- Strong
- Or weak
- Increase
- Or perish
Thus
- The ideal political leader eliminates
- Excess
- Extravagance
- Extreme
The Government Adviser
A Daoist adviser
- Flaunt no superiority to the world with forces
Long term implications it has
Wherever armed divisions camped
- Thorns and brambles clustered
After grand scale military conflicts
- Lean years ensued
Good strategists
- Content with efficacy
- Tough no more
Effected
- No arrogance
- No brag
- No pride
War
- Inevitable aftermath
Achieved ends
- Violence no more
All creatures aged after turning strong
- Disregard Dao
- So to speak
Disregard Dao
- Die an earlier death
The Cursed Merchandise
Weapons
- Cursed merchandise
Even those alienated may detest
Thus
- Daoist
- Dance not with them
Gentlemen
- Treasure daily peaceful life
- Regard armed mobilization as ominous
Weapons
- Cursed merchandise
- Not tools for gentlemen
- Use only when run out of alternatives
Better be indifferent of fame and gain
Victory
- No beauty
Those glorify it with passion
- Amuse in massacre
Those amuse in massacre
- Let the world prevent his will to power
Left
- Luck
Right
- Ill omen
Sub-lieutenant
- Stays in the left
Commander in Chief
- Stays in the right
Words
- Express in obsequial manner
Killed many
- Mourn in person with grief
Deal victory like a funeral
The Unadorned Dao
Dao
- Everlasting
- Nameless
- Unadorned in nature
Seems inappreciable
- Yet the world cannot turn it under subordination
If rulers keep it
- All creatures submit themselves voluntarily
Sky and earth interact
- For timely rainfalls
No commands from the people
- Yet balance naturally
Primordial systems have appearances
Once appeared
- Limits be known
Know the limits
- Be no hazards
Dao relates to the world
- Like sea relates to rivers and ravines
Real Power
Understand others
- Wise
Self-understood
- Enlightened
Transcend over others
- Strong
Self-transcend
- Real power
Content
- Rich
Diligent Daoist
- Great expectation
Lose not dominion of Dao
- Sustainable
Died no dead
- Real longevity
Paradoxes of Dao
The great Dao floods freely
- Be it left or right
All things born in Dao
- Yet utter not a word
Accomplished
- Yet no name in haveness
Clothes and nurtures all things
- Yet no domination
No greed
- So to speak
- Inappreciable
All things vested in
- Yet no domination
- So to speak
- Its greatness
As no self-glorifying
- Thus its greatness complete
The Exit of Dao
Uphold the great phenomena
- The whole world follows
If the followers be not hurt
- Calm
- Harmony
- Peace
Entertain with delicacy
- Passerby stop over
Yet the exit of Dao
- Wishy-washy and flavorless
Look
- Hard to see
Hear
- Hard to listen
Use
- Never exhausted
Alternative Strategies
Want to integrate
- Must overspread them on purpose
Want to weaken
- Must strengthen them on purpose
Want to abolish
- Must vitalize them on purpose
Want to dispossess
- Must provide them on purpose
Inappreciably enlightened
- So to speak
Rather be gentle and tender
- Than hard and strong
Fishes better stay in deep water
The best weapons of a nation
- Keep from exhibition
Acts in Nothingness
Dao always acts with nothingness
- Yet everything done
If rulers could keep it
- All creatures self-transformed
If self-transformed
- Yet desire of acting (feigning)
- I will restrain them with nameless ingenuousness
Restrained with the nameless ingenuousness
- They will have no greed
No greed and peaceful
- The world will self-adjust
From The Best De To The Best Propriety
The best De
- Does not look like "De"
- Thus be "Deistic"
The inferior De
- The look of "De"
- Yet "Deistic" not
The best De
- Acts in nothingness
- Achieves nothing
The inferior De
- Acts in nothingess
- Achieves something
The best propriety
- Acts
- Achives nothing
The best righteousness acts
- Achives something
The best propriety
- Acts yet no response
- Thus stretch out the arms of power
- Coerce the people to act
Thus
- Lost Dao
- Then be De
- Lost De
- Then be propriety
- Lost propriety
- Then righteous
- Lost righteous
- Then be propriety
So called propriety
- Thinness of faithfulness
- Chief of conflicts
Prophesy/fortelling
- Extravagant for Dao
- Beginning of foolhardy
Thus a great leader
- Stays with the thickness (the best De)
- Stays out of the thinness
- Keeps the real
Keeps out of the extravagance
Thus gives and takes
The One
There were those attained The One long ago
The sky attained The One
- Turned clear
The earth attained The One
- Turned tranquil
Gods attained The One
- Turned efficacious
The valley attained The One Filled Creatures attained The One Survived Leaders attained The One Turned paragon of the world
Dao caused these
Fearfully
- Should the sky fail be clear
- Broken apart
- Should the earth fail be tranquil
- Abolish
- Should gods fail be efficacious
- Disappear
- Should valley fail be filled
- Run dry
- Should creature fail to survive
- Vanish
- Should leader failed be upright
- Topple over
- Dignity
- Based on humbleness
- High
- Founded on low
Many leaders proclaim themself
- Aloof
- Unromantic
- Proud
Are these based on disennobleness
- Are they not
Thus
- The best reputation is no reputation
- Be not jade in a riot of colors
- Be solid stone
Dao's Movement
Circulation
- Movement of Dao
Gentleness/tenderness
- Usefulness of Dao
All objects
- From haveness
Haveness
- From nothingness
Eidetic of Dao and De
The best warriors heard Dao
- Practice diligently
Mediocre warriors heard Dao
- Indifferent
Worst warriors heard Dao
- Laugh out loud
No ridicules
- Not qualify as Dao
Thus
These well-established words
Clear Dao
- Seems obscure
Advancing Dao
- Seems retreating
Smooth Dao
- Seems bumpy
Best De
- Seems like valley
Abundant De
- Seems inadequate
Diligent De
- Seems truant
Solid De
- Seems hollow
Greatest clearness
- Seems filthy
Biggest square
- Have no angles
Great device
- Accomplishes late
Loudest
- Hardly heard
Greatest phenomenon
- formless
Hidden Dao
- Nameless
Dao alone
- The best in giving and accomplishing
Creation and Leadership
Dao gave birth to One
One to Two
Two to Three
Three to others
All objects
- Bear Yin
- Embrace Yang
- Harmonize with air of hollowness
The people detest
- Alone
- Aloof
- Proud
The ideal political leader claims himself as such
Thus all objects
- Gain from damage
- Damage from gain
What the other taught
- I teach too
Strong and violent
- Die no natural death
I see this as father of all teachings
The Softest and Nothingness
The softest in the world
- Run through the hardest
Nothingness infiltrate into the seamless
From these
- I realize advantages of acting in nothingness
The advantage of wordless teaching and nothingness
- Few equals in the world
Contentment
Name and life
- Which comes first
Life and materials
- Which be more precious
Gain and lost
- Which ill
Obsession must lead to huge waste
More treasure more lost
Thus
- Contentment
- Disgrace not
- Knowing limits
- Hazards not
Sustainable
Paradoxes of the Best
The greatest success seems flawed
- Its pragmaticality never ends
The greatest fulfillment seems empty
- Its pragmaticality inexhaustible
The straightest seems inflected
The skillest seems clumsy
The greatest debater seems awkward
The calm transcends over fickleness
The cold transcends over heat
Calm and serene
- Upright of the world
Absence and Presence of Dao
When the world has Dao
- Horses are driven to plow farms
When the world has Dao not
- Ponies born in rural battlefields
Nothing more disastrous than insatiability
Nothing more blameworthy than obsession
Thus
- Contentment of being contented
- Contentment that long last
Act Less and Success
Never stepped out of door
- Yet known the world
Never looked over window
- Yet seen the natural Dao
The further one goes
- Acquires fewer knowledge
Thus
- The ideal political leader
- Travels not
- Yet well-informed
- Sees not
- Yet enlightened
- Acts not
- Yet succeeded
- Travels not
Practice The Dao
Absorbing knowledge
- Increasing daily
Practicing Dao
- Decreasing daily
Decreasing and decreasing
- Till act in nothingness
Act in nothingness
- Yet everything done
Take from the world
- Should make no troubles
If there are troubles
- Worthy not of getting from the world
Impartial Leader
The ideal political leader always has heart of nothingness
- Minds only the people's mind
The good
- I treat him good
The No-good
- I also treat him good
"De"-ify good
The faithful
- I treat him with faithfulness
Unfaithful
- I also treat him with faithfulness
"De"-ify faithfulness
In the world
- The ideal political leader seems pulling in his horns
- Deal with the world
- Heart in nothingness
- Deal with the world
People observe with ears and eyes
- The ideal political leader cares about them like their own children
No Fatal Land
Born out of life
- Died into earth
Long-lived
- Three out of ten
Short-lived
- Three out of ten
Could have long-lived
- Yet stepped into fatal land
- Also three out of ten
Why
As they lived extravagant lives
Ever heard of those good at survival
On their ways uphill
- Never met rhinoceros or tigers
Enlisted
- Never hurt by weapons
Rhinoceros
- No target to thrust with its horn
Tiger
- No victim to ply with its claws
Enemy
- No way to penetrate with his sword
Why
As for him
- No fatal land
Dao Generates, De Nurtures
Dao generates
- De nurtures
Things form
- Trends accomplish
Thus All creatures
- Honor the Dao
- Glorify the De
Dao's honor and De's glory
- From having no predestination
- Natural always
Thus
- Dao generates
- De nurtures
- Grows and educates
- Fulfills and ripens
- Nourishes and protects
Creates without domination
Acts without publicity
Succeed without making merit
So to speak
- Mysterious De
Block off Channels of Greed
The world has a beginning
- Be it the Mother
Once has the Mother
- To know her Son
- Revert back to abide by the Mother
No hazards in life
Block off channels of greed
- Close off the exit
- No toils in life
Open up channels of greed
- Aid the business
- No cure in life
See the inappreciable
- Named enlightenment
Keep the flexible
- Named powerful
Make use of its light
- Revert to enlightenment
- Left no disaster to oneself
So to speak
- Inherit the Eternal
Side Roads
Supposedly
- I somewhat know
- Walk along the Great Way
- Fear only going astray
The Great Way
- Quite smooth
- Yet people like side roads
Officialdom corrupts
Farm lands desolate
Warehouses vacant
But those in power
- Clothe flowery
- Rattle sharp swords
- Eat and drink till surfeit
- Squander wealth and property excessively
Named bandit chieftains
- Opposed to Dao
Skills
Good building
- Uproots not
Good grip
- Looses not
Descendants appreciate their merits
- Never stop worshipping them
Practice physically
- De real
Practice at home
- De abundant
Practice down town
- De long last
Practice in state
- De fulfilled
Practice in the world
- De ubiquitous
Observe self with the self's context
Observe home with the homey context
Observe state with the stately context
Observe world with the worldly context
How do I manage to know the world as such
With these
Be abundant with De
Those be abundant with De
- Analogous to a baby
Poisonous insects and snakes
- Wound not
Birds and beasts of prey
- Fight not
Bones weak and tendons flexible
- Yet hold firmly
Not yet learn of intercourse
- Yet has erections
- As his potency
Cry whole day
- Yet bring no throaty
- As his harmony
Know harmony
- Constant
Know the constant
- Enlightened
Benefit health
- Auspicious
Controlling Qi4 (pneuma)
- Strong
Things aged after strengthened
Adhere not to Dao
- So to speak
Adhere not to Dao
- Die an earlier death
The Wise
The wise
- Define not Dao in words
Define Dao in words
- Wise not
Dao
- Diminishes sharpness
- Resolves conflicts
- Soften brightness
- Collaborate earthly life
- Mysterious collaboration
- So to speak
There
- Unattainable
- Intimate
- Thus alienated
- Unattainable
- Benefit
- Thus harm
- Unattainable
- Precious
- Thus inferior
Thus the world treasures it
Govern with Upright Dao
Govern a state with the upright Dao
Mobilize army with oddity
Win the world with peace
How do I know these
- With these
More taboos
- Poorer the people
More people own ferocious weapons
- More unsettled the state
More people have trickery
- Tricky goods turn superabundant
More laws we reveal
- More robbers and thieves in jail
Thus
The ideal political leader asserts
- I act in nothingness
- The people self-transform
- I love meditation
- The people self-adjust
- I remain in peace
- The people self-prosper
I have no greed
- The people turn unadorned
Administration
If administration unruffled
- The people turn unadorned
If administration overly watchful
- The people turn deficient
Blessings lean on adversaries
- Adversaries ambush blessings
Who knows the ends of the adversaries or blessings
- No certainty in them
Certainty can turn odd
- Good can turn evil
People have delusion of these since long ago
Thus
The ideal political leader
- In square
- Slashes not with angles
- Sharp edges
- Scratches not
- Straight
- Runs riot not
- Beam
- Glare not
Reserve
Management or service
- No comparable to reserve
Only with reserve
- Thus obey Dao earlier
Obey Dao earlier
- Emphasize on accumulating De
Accumulating De
- No unbeatable
No unbeatable
- Can own a nation
Can own a nation
- Sustainable
Deep-rooted
- So to speak
- Dao of long-live and eternal
Govern a Great Nation
Govern a great nation
- Akin to cooking undersized seafood
Rule with Dao
- Ghosts will lose their power
Not only ghosts will lose godhood
- God also hurts no people
Not only God hurts no people
- The ideal political leader also hurt no people
Thus no hurting of each other De interacts
Big and Small Nations
Great nation should flow downward as confluence of the world
Be it feminine in nature
Female often won over male with its calmness
- Humble with calmness
Thus
Great nation be humble to small nation
- Win over small nation
Small nation be humble to great nation
- Win over great nation
Either be humble to win over
- Or be humble yet win over
Great nation wants only to dominate
- Small nation submits only for protection
Win-win
Great nation should humble
Pray and Get
Dao
- Secret of all things
- Treasure of good people
- Valuable of those no-goods
Words of comeliness
- Procure honor
Acts of charm
- Grow followers
Though no-good
- How can Dao abandons them
When ordain the Son of Heaven
- Ascertain three kingships
Though there are large jades as offering
- Preceding four-horse chariot
- No better than sitting in Dao
Why did ancient people treasure this Dao
- Were not because of getting what pleaded
- Condemned pardoned
Thus treasure by the world
Hard and Easy
Act in nothingness
Work in peace
Taste in flavorlessness
Magnify the small
- Amplify the little
Return animosity with De
Masterminding complex from easy
Managing great projects from small
The most complex work in the world must start from easy
The greatest project in the world must start from small
Thus the ideal political leader never exagerates his actions
- Yet his greatness complete
Make light of promises
- Few have faith
Regard things as easy
- Troubles come
The ideal political leader see more of complexity
- Thus no difficulty
Prevention
When stable
- Easy to hold down
Before signs appear
- Easy to resolve
When fragile
- Easy to break up
When small
- Easy to dispel
Act when nothing yet happen
- Manage before disorder appears
Arms-full tree
- Set out from hairlike twig
Tower of nine stories
- Erects from a shallow basket of soil
Travel of thousand miles
- Begins from a footstep
People's works often fail when success at hand
Be attentive from beginning to the end
- Fail not
Discourage Trickiness
Ancient proficient Daoist
- Never tried to illuminate people on everything
- But make them lack of trickiness
The people are hard to govern
- As they have much trickiness
Thus govern with trickiness
- Misfortune of the nation
Govern not with trickiness
- Blessing of a nation
Know both of these
- Paradigm
Always comprehend the paradigm
- Mysterious De
The mysterious De
- Profound and far-reaching
In opposite with those alienated
- Till yielding to the great Dao
Humble and Selfless
Rivers and seas
- Rulers of all valleys
- As they stay lowly
- Thus be rulers of all valleys
Hence
- If an ideal political leader needs be atop of the people
- Must humble himself in his language
- Needs be ahead of the people
- Must leave his interests behind
Thus be the ideal political leader
- Atop of the people
- Yet the people feel no burden
- Ahead of the people
- And the people get no hurt
Thus the world elect him without reluctance
Only no willingness to fight
- That none of the world can fight you
Three Treasures
The people commented
- Dao I spoke of
- Immeasurable
- Seems too good to be true
As Dao
- Immeasurable
- Thus be not as "good" as one can imagine
If Dao
- As "good" as one can imagine
- Something too trivial to mention long ago
I have 3 treasures that I keep dearly
First
- Be kind
Second
- Be economical
Third
- Dare not make up the first in the world
Kind thus can be brave
Economical thus can be expanded
Dare not make up the first in the world
- Thus be leader of all
The people nowadays
- Abandon kindness but aggression
- Abandon economy but expansion
- Abandon last but first
Doom
Kindness
- Turns victory
- Strengthens defence
When the nature wants to save a person
- Protects him with kindness
The Best Fighter
Best general
- Resorts not to violence
Best fighter
- Angers not
Best winner
- Fights not with the enemy
Best manager
- Humble
So to speak
Indisputable De
- Employing human resource
- Matching up with the nature
Ancient ultimate concern
Be Guest
A strategist remarked
I dare not be the host but the guest
Dare not advance an inch but retreat a yard
So to speak
Act no action
Raise no arm
Capture no enemy
Hold no weapon
Nothing more disastrous than no equal
No equal almost lose (aforementioned) treasures
Thus when two equals encounter
- The kind one win
Words of Easy Practice
My words
- Quite easy to understand
- Quite easy to practice
Yet in the world
- Few understand
- Few practice
My words have source
- My practices have ground
The world
- Ignorant
- Thus comprehend not of me
Fewer acquaintances of me
- More precious I am
Thus the ideal political leader wears coarse clothing
- Yet has precious jades inside
Knowing of not Known
Knowing of not known
- Best
Not knowing of not known
- Faulty
The ideal political leader has no such fault
As he fault the fault
Thus has no fault of such
No Oppression
When the people fear not of authority
- The great power (of the people) shall arrive
Therefore government
- Constrain not the people's livings
- Oppress not their life
Only no oppression
- No revolt from the people
Thus ideal political leader
- Self-aware
- Self-glorify not
- Self-esteem
- Self-signify not
Thus gives and takes
Be brave in Hazard-not
Brave in hazards
- Die
Brave in hazard-not
- Survive
Both may benefit or harm
About those cursed by the nature
- Who know their reasons
The Dao of nature
- No fight
- Yet good at victory
- No words
- Yet good at reply
- No calls
- Yet come along
- Seemingly slack
- Yet good at plotting
- The web of Nature is boundless
- Sparse yet never lost
Punish to Prevent
If people afraid not of death
- Why threaten them with death
To induce people afraid of death
Once there is oddity
- Arrest and punish accordingly
- Who will dare it again?
Always
Executioner in operation
Those do for the Executioner the task of killing
- Like hewing for logging master
For amateurs who hew for logging master
- Few of their hands never get hurt
The People's Predicament
Hunger of the people
- From over taxation of those in power
- Thus hunger
Hard govern people
- From acts in haveness of those in power
- Thus hard to govern
Trivia death of the people
- From the thick lives of those in power
- Thus trivial of death
Those act not for themselves
- Much better than those self-signify
Gentle and Hard
Humans begin life gentle and tender
- Turn hard and rigid in death
Plants begin life gentle and fragile
- Wither and dry up in death
Thus gentle and tender are living types
- Hard and rigid are dying types
Headstrong army
- May not win a battle
Hard wood
- Normally cut down
Strong and bulky
- Low
Gentle and tender
- The highest ranked
Adjustment
Dao of the Nature
- Akin to string a bow
- Repress if too high
- Raise if too low
- Reduce it if excessive
- Supplement if fall short
Dao of the nature
- Reduces excessive
- Supplement insufficient
Dao of mortals are different
- Supplement excessive
- Reduce insufficient
Who can reduce the excessive
- And supplement the insufficient
- Only Daoist
Thus ideal political leader
- Acts without publicity
- Succeeds without making merit
- Desires not to show sageness
Gentleness Overcome the Strong
None
- More gentle and tender than water
None
- Better in breaching strongholds
None can replace it
Gentleness can overcome strong
- Tenderness can overcome hardness
None
- Ignorant of these in the world
- Yet few practice
Thus the ideal political leader stated
- Bearer of a nation's humiliation
- Leader of society
- Bearer of a nation's ill omen
- King of the world
Right words
- Paradoxical
The Grantor
Mediate deadly animosity
- Must have residual hatred
React hatred with De
- To what degree is proper
Thus ideal political leader
- Be grantor
- Exploits no people
With De
- Grantor
Without De
- Tax collector
Dao of the Nature
- Favor none
- Yet always bless those with proper De
Small Country, Small Communities
Downsize the nation
- Lessen the people
Let them have arms
- Yet use not
Let them give weight to death
- And move not far
Though there are vessels and vehicles
- No ways to ride on
Though there are weapons and armors
- No place to display
Let them utilize the old-fashion recording method
Give taste to their foods
Beautify their clothes
Pacify their livings
Delight their cultures
Neighboring nations watch over each other
- Noise of chicken and dogs mixing
- Yet the people never visit each other
Paradoxes
Words of faithful
- Not beautiful
Words of beautiful
- Not faithful
The good
- Argue not
The arguer
- Proper not
The expert
- Knows not wide knowledge
All-rounded
- Expert not
The ideal political leader
- Accumulate not for himself
- Insomuch he cares about others as he benefits
- Insomuch he gives as he gains
Dao of the nature
- Sharp yet hurt not
Dao of the ideal political leader
- Acts without fighting
This work is a translation and has a separate copyright status to the applicable copyright protections of the original content.
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