Tao Te Ching Written by Lao-tzu, translated by Stephen Mitchell Found at http://acc6.its.brooklyn.cuny.edu/%7Ephalsall/texts/taote-v3.html#27

Tao Te Ching means the Classic (Ching) of the Way (Tao) and Its Power (Te). Today it’s often written Dao De Jing. This means it is about the way of formless and unfathomable Being, and the power that following that way bestows upon an individual. It is pronounced dow duh jing. It is also known as The Lao-tzu, its mythical author’s name. Lao-tzu means Old (Lao) Master (tzu). It was probably written in the fourth or third century BCE, during the Warring States period. Numbers in parentheses cross reference poems.

1 acts without doing anything The tao that can be told and teaches without saying anything. is not the eternal Tao. Things arise and she lets them come; The name that can be named things disappear and she lets them go. is not the eternal Name. (14) She has but doesn't possess, The unnamable is the eternally real. acts but doesn't expect. When her work is done, she forgets it. NAMING is the origin That is why it lasts forever. of all particular things. 3 Free from DESIRE, you realize the mystery. (37) If you over-esteem great men, Caught in desire, you see only the manifestations. people become powerless. If you overvalue possessions, Yet mystery and manifestations people begin to steal. arise from the same source. This source is called DARKNESS. The Master leads by emptying people's minds DARKNESS within DARKNESS. and filling their cores, The gateway to all understanding. (28) by weakening their ambition and toughening their resolve. 2 He helps people lose everything When people see some things as beautiful, they know, everything they desire, other things become ugly. and creates confusion When people see some things as good, in those who think that they know. other things become bad. Practice NOT-DOING, Being and non-being create each other. and everything will fall into place. Difficult and easy support each other. Long and short define each other. 4 High and low depend on each other. The Tao is like a well: Before and after follow each other. used but never used up. (35) It is like THE ETERNAL VOID: Therefore the Master filled with infinite possibilities.

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It is hidden but always present. which nourishes all things without trying to. I don't know who gave birth to it. It is content with the low places that people disdain. It is older than God. Thus it is like the Tao.

5 In dwelling, live close to the ground. The Tao doesn't take sides; In thinking, keep to the simple. it gives birth to both good and evil. (49) In conflict, be fair and generous. The Master doesn't take sides; In governing, don't TRY to control. she welcomes both saints and sinners. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present. The Tao is like a bellows: it is EMPTY yet infinitely capable. When you are content to be simply yourself The more you use it, the more it produces; and don't compare or compete, the more you talk of it, the less you understand. everybody will respect you.

Hold on to the CENTER. 9 Fill your bowl to the brim 6 and it will spill. The Tao is called the GREAT MOTHER: (52) Keep sharpening your knife EMPTY yet inexhaustible, and it will blunt. it gives birth to infinite worlds. Chase after money and security and your heart will never unclench. It is always present within you. Care about people's approval You can use it any way you want. and you will be their prisoner. (15)

7 Do your work, then step back. The Tao is infinite, eternal. The only path to serenity. Why is it eternal? It was never born; 10 thus it can never die. Can you coax your mind from its wandering Why is it infinite? and keep to the original oneness? It has no desires for itself; Can you let your body become thus it is present for all beings. supple as a newborn child's? Can you cleanse your inner vision The Master stays behind; until you see nothing but the light? that is why she is ahead. Can you love people and lead them She is detached from all things; without imposing your will? that is why she is one with them. (22) Can you deal with the most vital matters Because she has let go of herself, by letting events take their course? she is perfectly fulfilled. Can you step back from you own mind and thus understand all things? 8 The supreme good is like WATER, Giving birth and nourishing,

Page 2 of 18 having without possessing, What does it mean that hope is as hollow as fear? acting with no expectations, Hope and fear are both phantoms leading and not trying to control: that arise from thinking of the self. this is the supreme virtue. When we don't see the self as self, what do we have to fear? 11 We join spokes together in a WHEEL, See the world as your self. but it is the CENTER HOLE (19) Have faith in the way things are. that makes the wagon move. Love the world as your self; then you can care for all things. We shape clay into a pot, but it is the EMPTINESS inside 14 that holds whatever we want. Look, and it can't be seen. Listen, and it can't be heard. We hammer wood for a house, Reach, and it can't be grasped. but it is the inner space that makes it livable. Above, it isn't bright. Below, it isn't dark. We work with being, Seamless, unnamable, but non-being is what we use. it returns to the realm of nothing. Form that includes all forms, 12 image without an image, Colors blind the eye. subtle, beyond all conception. Sounds deafen the ear. Approach it and there is no beginning; Flavors numb the taste. follow it and there is no end. Thoughts weaken the mind. YOU CAN'T KNOW IT, BUT YOU CAN BE IT, (1) Desires wither the heart. at EASE in your own life. JUST REALIZE WHERE YOU COME FROM: The Master observes the world THIS IS THE ESSENCE OF WISDOM. but trusts his inner vision. He allows things to come and go. 15 His heart is open as the sky. The ancient Masters were profound and subtle. Their wisdom was unfathomable. 13 There is no way to describe it; Success is as dangerous as failure. all we can describe is their appearance. Hope is as hollow as fear. They were careful What does it mean that success is as dangerous as as someone crossing an iced-over stream. failure? Alert as a warrior in enemy territory. Whether you go up the ladder or down it, Courteous as a guest. you position is shaky. Fluid as melting ice. When you stand with your two feet on the ground, Shapable as a block of wood. you will always keep your balance. Receptive as a valley.

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Clear as a glass of water. we did it, all by ourselves!" Do you have the patience to wait till your mud settles and the water is clear? 18 Can you remain unmoving When the great Tao is forgotten, till the right action arises by itself? goodness and piety appear. When the body's intelligence declines, The Master doesn't seek fulfillment. (9) cleverness and knowledge step forth. Not seeking, not expecting, When there is no peace in the family, she is present, and can welcome all things. filial piety begins. When the country falls into chaos, 16 patriotism is born. EMPTY YOUR MIND OF ALL THOUGHTS. LET YOUR HEART BE AT PEACE. 19 WATCH THE TURMOIL OF BEINGS, Throw away holiness and wisdom, BUT CONTEMPLATE THEIR RETURN. and people will be a hundred times happier. Throw away morality and justice, Each separate being in the universe and people will do the right thing. RETURNS to the common source. (25) Throw away industry and profit, RETURNING to the source is serenity. and there won't be any thieves. If you don't realize the source, If these three aren't enough, you stumble in confusion and sorrow. just stay at the CENTER of the circle (11) When you realize where you come from, and let all things take their course. you naturally become tolerant, disinterested, amused, 20 kindhearted as a grandmother, Stop thinking, and end your problems. dignified as a king. What difference between yes and no? IMMERSED IN THE WONDER OF THE TAO, What difference between success and failure? YOU CAN DEAL WITH WHATEVER LIFE BRINGS YOU, Must you value what others value, AND WHEN DEATH COMES, YOU ARE READY. avoid what others avoid? How ridiculous! 17 When the Master governs, the people Other people are excited, are hardly aware that he exists. as though they were at a parade. Next best is a leader who is loved. I alone don't care, Next, one who is feared. I alone am expressionless, The worst is one who is despised. like an infant before it can smile.

If you don't trust the people, Other people have what they need; you make them untrustworthy. I alone possess nothing. I alone drift about, The Master doesn't talk, he acts. like someone without a home. When his work is done, I am like an idiot, my mind is so empty. the people say, "Amazing: Other people are bright;

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I alone am dark. Because he doesn't display himself, Other people are sharp; people can see his light. I alone am dull. Because he has nothing to prove, Other people have a purpose; people can trust his words. I alone don't know. Because he doesn't know who he is, I drift like a wave on the ocean, people recognize themselves in him. I blow as aimless as the wind. Because he has no goal in mind, everything he does succeeds. I am different from ordinary people. I drink from the Great Mother's breasts. (6) When the ancient Masters said, "If you want to be given everything, 21 give everything up," The Master keeps her mind they weren't using empty phrases. always at one with the Tao; Only in being lived by the Tao can you be truly that is what gives her her RADIANCE. yourself. The Tao is ungraspable. How can her mind be at one with it? 23 Because she doesn't cling to ideas. Express yourself completely, then keep quiet. The Tao is DARK and unfathomable. (1) Be like the forces of nature: How can it make her radiant? when it blows, there is only wind; Because she lets it. when it rains, there is only rain; when the clouds pass, the sun shines through. Since before time and space were, the Tao is. If you open yourself to the Tao, It is beyond is and is not. you are at one with the Tao How do I know this is true? and you can embody it completely. I look inside myself and see. If you open yourself to insight, you are at one with insight 22 and you can use it completely. If you want to become whole, If you open yourself to loss, let yourself be partial. you are at one with loss If you want to become straight, and you can accept it completely. let yourself be crooked. (45) If you want to become full, Open yourself to the Tao, let yourself be empty. then trust your natural responses; If you want to be reborn, and everything will fall into place. let yourself die. If you want to be given everything, 24 give everything up. (7) He who stands on tiptoe doesn't stand firm. The Master, by residing in the Tao, He who rushes ahead sets an example for all beings. doesn't go far.

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He who TRIES to SHINE (30) she stays serenely in herself. dims his own light. Why should the lord of the country He who defines himself flit about like a fool? can't know who he really is. If you let yourself be blown to and fro, He who has power over others you lose touch with your root. can't empower himself. If you let restlessness move you, He who clings to his work you lose touch with who you are. will create nothing that endures. 27 If you want to accord with the Tao, A good traveler has no fixed plans just do your job, then let go. and is not intent upon arriving. A good artist lets his intuition 25 lead him wherever it wants. There was something formless and perfect A good scientist has freed himself of concepts before the universe was born. and keeps his mind open to what is. It is serene. Empty. Solitary. Unchanging. Thus the Master is available to all people Infinite. Eternally present. and doesn't reject anyone. It is the mother of the universe. (6) He is ready to use all situations For lack of a better name, and doesn't waste anything. I call it the Tao. (1) This is called embodying the light. It flows through all things, inside and outside, and RETURNS (16) What is a good man but a bad man's teacher? to the origin of all things. What is a bad man but a good man's job? If you don't understand this, you will get lost, The Tao is great. however intelligent you are. The universe is great. It is the great secret. Earth is great. Man is great. 28 These are the four great powers. Know the male, yet keep to the female: (1) Man follows the earth. receive the world in your arms. Earth follows the universe. If you receive the world, The universe follows the Tao. the Tao will never leave you The Tao follows only itself. and you will be like a little child.

26 Know the white, The heavy is the root of the light. yet keep to the black: (1) The unmoved is the source of all movement. be a pattern for the world. If you are a pattern for the world, Thus the Master travels all day the Tao will be strong inside you without leaving home. (47) and there will be nothing you can't do. However splendid the views,

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Know the personal, The Master does his job yet keep to the impersonal: and then stops. accept the world as it is. He understands that the universe If you accept the world, is forever out of control, the Tao will be luminous inside you and that trying to dominate events and you will return to your primal self. goes against the current of the Tao. Because he believes in himself, The world is formed from the VOID, he doesn't TRY to convince others. like utensils from a block of wood. Because he is content with himself, The Master knows the utensils, he doesn't need others' approval. yet keeps to the the block: thus she can use all things. Because he accepts himself, the whole world accepts him. 29 DO YOU WANT TO IMPROVE THE WORLD? 31 I DON'T THINK IT CAN BE DONE. Weapons are the tools of violence; all decent men detest them. The world is sacred. It can't be improved. Weapons are the tools of fear; If you tamper with it, you'll ruin it. a decent man will avoid them If you treat it like an object, you'll lose it. except in the direst necessity and, if compelled, will use them There is a time for being ahead, only with the utmost restraint. a time for being behind; Peace is his highest value. a time for being in motion, If the peace has been shattered, a time for being at rest; how can he be content? a time for being vigorous, His enemies are not demons, a time for being exhausted; but human beings like himself. a time for being safe, He doesn't wish them personal harm. a time for being in danger. Nor does he rejoice in victory. How could he rejoice in victory The Master sees things as they are, and delight in the slaughter of men? without trying to control them. He enters a battle gravely, She lets them go their own way, with sorrow and with great compassion, and resides at the CENTER OF THE CIRCLE. as if he were attending a funeral.

30 32 Whoever relies on the Tao in governing men The Tao can't be perceived. doesn't TRY to force issues (24) Smaller than an electron, or defeat enemies by force of arms. it contains uncountable galaxies. For every force there is a counterforce. If powerful men and women Violence, even well intentioned, could remain centered in the Tao, always rebounds upon oneself. all things would be in harmony. (37)

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The world would become a paradise. 35 All people would be at peace, She who is centered in the Tao and the law would be written in their hearts. can go where she wishes, without danger. She perceives the universal harmony, When you have names and forms, even amid great pain, know that they are provisional. because she has found peace in her heart. When you have institutions, know where their functions should end. Music or the smell of good cooking Knowing when to stop, may make people stop and enjoy. you can avoid any danger. But words that point to the Tao All things end in the Tao seem monotonous and without flavor. as rivers flow into the sea. When you look for it, there is nothing to see. When you listen for it, there is nothing to hear. 33 When you use it, it is inexhaustible. (4) Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. 36 Mastering others is strength; If you want to shrink something, mastering yourself is true power. you must first allow it to expand. If you want to get rid of something, If you realize that you have enough, you must first allow it to flourish. you are truly rich. If you want to take something, If you stay in the center you must first allow it to be given. and embrace death with your whole heart, This is called the subtle perception you will endure forever. of the way things are.

34 The soft overcomes the hard. The great Tao flows everywhere. The slow overcomes the fast. All things are born from it, Let your workings remain a mystery. yet it doesn't create them. Just show people the results. It pours itself into its work, yet it makes no claim. 37 It nourishes infinite worlds, The Tao never does anything, yet it doesn't hold on to them. yet through it all things are done. Since it is merged with all things and hidden in their hearts, If powerful men and women it can be called HUMBLE. could center themselves in it, Since all things vanish into it the whole world would be transformed and it alone endures, by itself, in its natural rhythms. (32) it can be called GREAT. People would be content It isn't aware of its greatness; with their simple, everyday lives, thus it is truly great. in harmony, and free of desire.

When there is no desire, (1)

Page 8 of 18 all things are at peace. the sky becomes filthy, the earth becomes depleted, 38 the equilibrium crumbles, The Master doesn't TRY to be powerful; creatures become extinct. thus he is truly powerful. The ordinary man keeps reaching for power; The Master views the parts with compassion, thus he never has enough. because he understands the whole. His constant practice is humility. The Master does nothing, He doesn't glitter like a jewel yet he leaves nothing undone. but lets himself be shaped by the Tao, The ordinary man is always doing things, as rugged and common as stone. yet many more are left to be done. 40 The kind man does something, RETURN is the movement of the Tao. yet something remains undone. Yielding is the way of the Tao. The just man does something, and leaves many things to be done. All things are born of being. The moral man does something, Being is born of non-being. and when no one responds he rolls up his sleeves and uses force. 41 When a superior man hears of the Tao, When the Tao is lost, there is goodness. he immediately begins to embody it. When goodness is lost, there is morality. When an average man hears of the Tao, When morality is lost, there is ritual. he half believes it, half doubts it. Ritual is the husk of true faith, When a foolish man hears of the Tao, the beginning of chaos. he laughs out loud. If he didn't laugh, Therefore the Master concerns himself it wouldn't be the Tao. with the depths and not the surface, with the fruit and not the flower. Thus it is said: He has no will of his own. The path into the light seems dark, He dwells in reality, the path forward seems to go back, and lets all illusions go. the direct path seems long, true power seems weak, 39 true purity seems tarnished, In harmony with the Tao, true steadfastness seems changeable, the sky is clear and spacious, true clarity seems obscure, the earth is solid and full, the greatest art seems unsophisticated, all creatures flourish together, the greatest love seems indifferent, content with the way they are, the greatest wisdom seems childish. endlessly repeating themselves, endlessly renewed. The Tao is nowhere to be found. When man interferes with the Tao, Yet it nourishes and completes all things.

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yet it is perfectly itself. 42 True fullness seems empty, The Tao gives birth to One. yet it is fully present. One gives birth to Two. Two gives birth to Three. True straightness seems crooked. (22) Three gives birth to all things. True wisdom seems foolish. True art seems artless. All things have their backs to the female and stand facing the male. The Master allows things to happen. When male and female combine, She shapes events as they come. all things achieve harmony. She steps out of the way Ordinary men hate solitude. and lets the Tao speak for itself. But the Master makes use of it, embracing his aloneness, realizing 46 he is one with the whole universe. When a country is in harmony with the Tao, the factories make trucks and tractors. 43 When a country goes counter to the Tao, The gentlest thing in the world warheads are stockpiled outside the cities. overcomes the hardest thing in the world. That which has no substance There is no greater illusion than fear, enters where there is no space. no greater wrong than preparing to defend yourself, This shows the value of NON-ACTION. no greater misfortune than having an enemy. Teaching without words, performing without actions: Whoever can see through all fear that is the Master's way. will always be safe.

44 47 Fame or integrity: which is more important? Without opening your door, Money or happiness: which is more valuable? you can open your heart to the world. Success or failure: which is more destructive? Without looking out your window, you can see the essence of the Tao. (26) If you look to others for fulfillment, you will never truly be fulfilled. The more you know, If your happiness depends on money, the less you understand. you will never be happy with yourself. The Master arrives without leaving, Be content with what you have; sees the light without looking, rejoice in the way things are. achieves without doing a thing. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you. 48 In pursuit of knowledge, 45 every day something is added. True perfection seems imperfect, In the practice of the Tao,

Page 10 of 18 every day something is dropped. is an expression of the Tao. Less and less do you need to force things, It springs into existence, until finally you arrive at NON-ACTION. unconscious, perfect, free, When nothing is done, takes on a physical body, nothing is left undone. lets circumstances complete it. That is why every being True mastery can be gained spontaneously honors the Tao. by letting things go their own way. The Tao gives birth to all beings, It can't be gained by interfering. nourishes them, maintains them, cares for them, comforts them, protects them, 49 takes them back to itself, The Master has no mind of her own. creating without possessing, She works with the mind of the people. acting without expecting, guiding without interfering. She is good to people who are good. That is why love of the Tao She is also good to people who aren't good. (5) is in the very nature of things. This is true goodness. 52 She trusts people who are trustworthy. In the beginning was the Tao. She also trusts people who aren't trustworthy. All things issue from it; This is true trust. all things return to it.

The Master's mind is like space. To find the origin, People don't understand her. trace back the manifestations. They look to her and wait. When you recognize the children She treats them like her own children. and find the mother, (6) you will be free of sorrow. 50 The Master gives himself up If you close your mind in judgments to whatever the moment brings. and traffic with desires, He knows that he is going to die, your heart will be troubled. and he has nothing left to hold on to: If you keep your mind from judging no illusions in his mind, and aren't led by the senses, no resistances in his body. your heart will find peace. He doesn't think about his actions; they flow from the core of his being. Seeing into darkness is clarity. He holds nothing back from life; Knowing how to yield is strength. therefore he is ready for death, Use your own light as a man is ready for sleep and return to the source of light [yin, Tao, Great after a good day's work. Mother]. This is called practicing eternity. 51 Every being in the universe

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53 of male and female, The great Way is EASY, yet its penis can stand erect, yet people prefer the side paths. so intense is its vital power. Be aware when things are out of balance. It can scream its head off all day, Stay CENTERED within the Tao. yet it never becomes hoarse, so complete is its harmony. When rich speculators prosper While farmers lose their land; The Master's power is like this. when government officials spend money He lets all things come and go on weapons instead of cures; EFFORTLESSLY, without desire. when the upper class is extravagant and He never expects results; irresponsible thus he is never disappointed. while THE POOR have nowhere to turn- He is never disappointed; all this is robbery and chaos. thus his spirit never grows old. It is not in keeping with the Tao. (77) 56 54 Those who know don't talk. Whoever is planted in the Tao Those who talk don't know. (1) will not be rooted up. Whoever embraces the Tao Close your mouth, will not slip away. block off your senses, Her name will be held in honor blunt your sharpness, from generation to generation. untie your knots, soften your glare, Let the Tao be present in your life settle your dust. and you will become genuine. This is the primal identity. Let it be present in your family and your family will flourish. Be like the Tao. Let it be present in your country It can't be approached or withdrawn from, and your country will be an example benefited or harmed, to all countries in the world. honored or brought into disgrace. Let it be present in the universe It gives itself up continually. and the universe will sing. That is why it endures.

How do I know this is true? 57 By looking inside myself. If you want to be a great leader, you must learn to follow the Tao. 55 Stop trying to control. He who is in harmony with the Tao Let go of fixed plans and concepts, is like a newborn child. and the world will govern itself. Its bones are soft, its muscles are weak, but its grip is powerful. The more prohibitions you have, It doesn't know about the union the less virtuous people will be.

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The more weapons you have, supple like a tree in the wind, the less secure people will be. he has no destination in view The more subsidies you have, and makes use of anything the less self-reliant people will be. life happens to bring his way.

Therefore the Master says: Nothing is impossible for him. I let go of the law, Because he has let go, and people become honest. he can care for the people's welfare I let go of economics, as a mother cares for her child. and people become prosperous. I let go of religion, 60 and people become serene. Governing a large country I let go of all desire for the common good, is like frying a small fish. and the good becomes common as grass. You spoil it with too much poking.

58 Center your country in the Tao If a country is governed with tolerance, and evil will have no power. the people are comfortable and honest. Not that it isn't there, If a country is governed with repression, but you'll be able to step out of its way. the people are depressed and crafty. When the will to power is in charge, Give evil nothing to oppose the higher the ideals, the lower the results. and it will disappear by itself. TRY to make people happy, and you lay the groundwork for misery. 61 TRY to make people moral, When a country obtains great power, and you lay the groundwork for vice. it becomes like the sea: all streams run downward into it. Thus the Master is content The more powerful it grows, to serve as an example the greater the need for humility. and not to impose her will. Humility means trusting the Tao, She is pointed, but doesn't pierce. thus never needing to be defensive. Straightforward, but supple. Radiant, but easy on the eyes. A great nation is like a great man: When he makes a mistake, he realizes it. 59 Having realized it, he admits it. For governing a country well Having admitted it, he corrects it. there is nothing better than moderation. He considers those who point out his faults as his most benevolent teachers. The mark of a moderate man He thinks of his enemy is freedom from his own ideas. as the shadow that he himself casts. Tolerant like the sky, If a nation is centered in the Tao, all-pervading like sunlight, if it nourishes its own people firm like a mountain, and doesn't meddle in the affairs of others,

Page 13 of 18 it will be a light to all nations in the world. What is rooted is easy to nourish. What is recent is easy to correct. What is brittle is easy to break. 62 What is small is easy to scatter. The Tao is the center of the universe, the good man's treasure, Prevent trouble before it arises. the bad man's refuge. Put things in order before they exist. The giant pine tree Honors can be bought with fine words, grows from a tiny sprout. respect can be won with good deeds; The journey of a thousand miles but the Tao is beyond all value, starts from beneath your feet. and no one can achieve it. Rushing into action, you fail. Trying to grasp things, you lose them. Thus, when a new leader is chosen, Forcing a project to completion, don't offer to help him you ruin what was almost ripe. with your wealth or your expertise. Offer instead Therefore the Master takes action to teach him about the Tao. by letting things take their course. He remains as calm Why did the ancient Masters esteem the Tao? at the end as at the beginning. Because, being one with the Tao, He has nothing, when you seek, you find; thus has nothing to lose. and when you make a mistake, you are forgiven. What he desires is non-desire; That is why everybody loves it. what he learns is to unlearn. He simply reminds people 63 of who they have always been. Act without doing; He cares about nothing but the Tao. work without effort. Thus he can care for all things. Think of the small as large and the few as many. 65 Confront the difficult The ancient Masters while it is still easy; didn't TRY to educate the people, accomplish the great task but kindly taught them to not-know. by a series of small acts. When they think that they know the answers, The Master never reaches for the great; people are difficult to guide. thus she achieves greatness. When they know that they don't know, When she runs into a difficulty, people can find their own way. she stops and gives herself to it. She doesn't cling to her own comfort; If you want to learn how to govern, thus problems are no problem for her. avoid being clever or rich. The simplest pattern is the clearest. 64 Content with an ordinary life,

Page 14 of 18 you can show all people the way enters the mind of his enemy. back to their own true nature. The best businessman serves the communal good. 66 The best leader All streams flow to the sea follows the will of the people. because it is lower than they are. Humility gives it its power. All of them embody the virtue of non-competition. If you want to govern the people, Not that they don't love to compete, you must place yourself below them. but they do it in the spirit of play. If you want to lead the people, In this they are like children you must learn how to follow them. and in harmony with the Tao.

The Master is above the people, 69 and no one feels oppressed. The generals have a saying: She goes ahead of the people, "Rather than make the first move and no one feels manipulated. it is better to wait and see. The whole world is grateful to her. Rather than advance an inch Because she competes with no one, it is better to retreat a yard." no one can compete with her. This is called going forward without advancing, 67 pushing back without using weapons. Some say that my teaching is nonsense. Others call it lofty but impractical. There is no greater misfortune But to those who have looked inside themselves, than underestimating your enemy. this nonsense makes perfect sense. Underestimating your enemy And to those who put it into practice, means thinking that he is evil. this loftiness has roots that go deep. Thus you destroy your THREE TREASURES (67) and become an enemy yourself. I have just three things to teach: SIMPLICITY, PATIENCE, COMPASSION. When two great forces oppose each other, These three are your greatest TREASURES.(69) the victory will go SIMPLE in actions and in thoughts, to the one that knows how to yield. you return to the source of being. PATIENT with both friends and enemies, 70 you accord with the way things are. My teachings are EASY to understand COMPASSIONATE toward yourself, and EASY to put into practice. you reconcile all beings in the world. Yet your intellect will never grasp them, (1) and if you TRY to practice them, you'll fail. 68 My teachings are older than the world. The best athlete How can you grasp their meaning? wants his opponent at his best. The best general If you want to know me,

Page 15 of 18 look inside your heart. When you handle the master carpenter's tools, chances are that you'll cut your hand.

71 75 Not-knowing is true knowledge. When taxes are too high, Presuming to know is a disease. people go hungry. First realize that you are sick; When the government is too intrusive, then you can move toward health. people lose their spirit.

The Master is her own physician. Act for the people's benefit. She has healed herself of all knowing. Trust them; leave them alone. Thus she is truly whole. 76 72 Men are born soft and supple; WHEN THEY LOSE THEIR SENSE OF AWE, dead, they are stiff and hard. PEOPLE TURN TO RELIGION. Plats are born tender and pliant; When they no longer trust themselves, dead, they are brittle and dry. they begin to depend upon authority. Thus whoever is stiff and inflexible Therefore the Master steps back is a disciple of death. so that people won't be confused. Whoever is soft and yielding He teaches without a teaching, is a disciple of life. so that people will have nothing to learn. The hard and stiff will be broken. 73 The soft and supple will prevail. The Tao is always at EASE. It overcomes without competing, 77 answers without speaking a word, As it acts in the world, the Tao arrives without being summoned, is like THE BENDING OF A BOW. accomplishes without a plan. The top is bent downward; the bottom is bent up. Its net covers the whole universe. It adjusts excess and deficiency And though its meshes are wide, so that there is perfect balance. (53) it doesn't let a thing slip through. It takes from what is too much and give to what isn't enough. 74 Those who TRY to control, IF YOU REALIZE THAT ALL THINGS CHANGE, who use force to protect their power, THERE IS NOTHING YOU WILL TRY TO HOLD ON TO. go against the direction of the Tao. If you aren't afraid of dying, They take from those who don't have enough there is nothing you can't achieve. and give to those who have far too much.

Trying to control the future The Master can keep giving is like trying to take the master carpenter's place. because there is no end to her wealth.

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She acts without expectation, They enjoy the labor of their hands succeeds without taking credit, and don't waste time inventing and doesn't think that she is better labor-saving machines. than anyone else. Since they dearly love their homes, they aren't interested in travel. 78 There may be a few wagons and boats, Nothing in the world but these don't go anywhere. is as soft and yielding as WATER. There may be an arsenal of weapons, Yet for dissolving the hard and inflexible, but nobody ever uses them. nothing can surpass it. People enjoy their food, take pleasure in being with their families, The soft overcomes the hard; spend weekends working in their gardens, the gentle overcomes the rigid. delight in the doings of the neighborhood. Everyone knows this is true, And even though the next country is so close but few can put it into practice. that people can hear its roosters crowing and its dogs barking, Therefore the Master remains they are content to die of old age serene in the midst of sorrow. without ever having gone to see it. Evil cannot enter his heart. Because he has given up helping, 81 he is people's greatest help. True words aren't eloquent; eloquent words aren't true. True words seem paradoxical. Wise men don't need to prove their point; men who need to prove their point aren't wise. 79 Failure is an opportunity. The Master has no possessions. If you blame someone else, The more he does for others, there is no end to the blame. the happier he is. The more he gives to others, Therefore the Master the wealthier he is. fulfills her own obligations and corrects her own mistakes. The Tao nourishes by NOT FORCING. She does what she needs to do By NOT DOMINATING, the Master leads. and demands nothing of others. End of Tao Te Ching. 80 If a country is governed wisely, See the study guide and required its inhabitants will be content. readings on the next page.

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A Very Short Tao Te Ching Study Guide Be sure to study the “Explanations of Some Terms and Concepts in Taoist (Daoist) Philosophy.”

1. What do each of the three words tao, te, and ching mean in English? 2. The three Ws, three key images/concepts: water, wu-wei, wheel (center of the). What are they describing, and what are they teaching about what they’re describing? 3. What does the Tai Chi Tu symbol stand for? Does it represent the Tao, Taoism, or something else (what)? 4. Difference between yin and yang. 5. The way (tao) to all understanding: is it yin, or is it yang, or is it a combination or balancing of yin and yang, or is it something else? 6. Why does Taoism choose the yin approach to life and truth? 7. Understand all of poem 1. 8. Poem 2 is a little like the end of the biblical story of the Garden of Eden, where the first people eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Explain. 9. TTC teaches not just the truth of life, it also teaches the right way to do metaphysics, by the way it is written. Think of pointing, suggesting, hyperbole, paradox, images, metaphors. Explain, and relate to the first four lines of the TTC. 10. What is the significance of ease in this collection of wisdom poetry, and how is ease opposed to trying? 11. TTC is about a Way of life. Describe that way. 12. Desire: why is it so important to the East Asian metaphysicians? 13. What are the three treasures? 14. What is the bent bow image about? 15. How is the philosophy of Tao Te Ching like that of Anaximander?

Study guides © 2003-2010 Arthur C. Dechene, Jr. Updated September 1, 2013.

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