It is the Way It is

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IT IS THE WAY IT IS

IT IS THE WAY IT IS

A TAO TE CHING / LAO-TZU

INTERPRETATION BY JAY LAMB

a.k.a. Zenmaster Jay

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PREFACE

The Tao Te Chinghas a long and complex textual history. On

one hand, there are transmitted versions and commentaries

that date back two millennia; on the other, there are ancient

bamboo, silk, and paper manuscripts that archeologists

discovered in the last century.

"Tao Te Ching", Calligraphy by Gia-Fu Feng

There are many possible translations of the book's title,

owing to the polysemy of the component Chinese words:

Do/Tao literally means "way", "road", "path", or

"route," but was extended to mean "path ahead", "way

forward", "method", "principle", "doctrine", or simply

"the Way". This term, which was variously used by

other Chinese philosophers (including Confucius,

Mencius, Mozi, and Hanfeizi), has special meaning

within the context of Taoism, where it implies the

essential, unnamable process of the universe.

D/Te basically means "virtue" in the sense of

"personal character", "inner strength", or "integrity",

but was used differently by Confucianists to mean

"morality". The semantics of this Chinese word

resemble English virtue, which developed from a (now

archaic) sense of "inner potency" or "divine power" (asin "healing virtue of a drug") to the modern meaning of

"moral excellence" or "goodness". Compare the

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compound worddod( "ethics", "ethical

principles", "morals," or "morality").

Jng/Ching originally meant "norm", "rule", "plan","warp" (vs. "woof") and was semantically extended to

mean "scripture", "canon", "great book", or "classic".

Thus, Tao Te Chingcan be translated as "The

Scripture/Classic/Canon of the Way/Path and the

Power/Virtue", etc.

Note that there is in fact no "its" in the title, either explicitly

or implicitly. Therefore, commonly accepted translations of

the title such as "The Book of the Way and Its Power" are in

fact adding an extra element that takes away from the

accuracy.

Besides Daode Jing, other titles include the eponymousLaozi( "Old Master[s]"), the amalgam Laozi Daode Jing

(), the honorific Daode Zhen Jing( "True

Classic of the Way and the Power"), and the Wuqian wen(

"Five thousand character [classic]"; see next).

Internal structure

The received Tao Te Chingis a short text of around 5,000

Chinese characters in 81 brief chapters or sections (). It

has two parts, the Tao Ching(; chaps. 137) and the Te

Ching(; chaps. 3881), which may have been edited

together into the received text, possibly reversed from an

original "Te Tao Ching" (see Mawangdui texts below). The

written style is laconic, with few grammatical particles,

frequently ambiguous, occasionally rhymed, and expressing

often difficult ideas poetically.

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The Chinese characters in the original versions were

probably written in zhunsh ( seal script), while later

versions were written in lsh ( clerical script) and kish

( regular script) styles. Daoist Chinese Characters

contains a good summary of these different calligraphies.

Historical authenticity

The Tao Te Chingis universally ascribed to Laozi, who may,

or may not, have been a historical person ("Old Master"), or

people ("Old Masters"). No one can be certain; indeed, Laozi"was a hidden sage" (Kaltenmark 1969:10).

Laozi

The first reliable reference to Laozi is his "biography" in the

circa 100 BCE Shiji (63, tr. Chan 1963:35-37), by Chinese

historian Sima Qian, which combines three stories. First,

Laozi was a contemporary of Confucius (551-479 BCE), his

surname was Li ( "plum") and personal name was Er (

"ear") or Dan ( "long ear"). He was an official in the

imperial archives, and wrote a book in two parts before

departing to the West. Second, Laozi was Lao Laizi (

"Old Come Master"), also a contemporary of Confucius, who

wrote a book in 15 parts. Third, Laozi was the GrandHistorian and astrologer Lao Dan ( "Old Long-ears"), who

lived during the reign (384-362 BCE) of Duke Xian () of

Qin).

Legends that Laozi was born old, and that lived to 160 or 200

years, are seen by serious Chinese scholars as superstitious

tales. Although some Western scholars have expressed

doubts over Laozi's historical existence, much of this

skepticism is founded on a lack of cultural understanding -

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namely, that it would be inconceivable, indeed an

impossibility within the context of ancient Chinese culture,

for Sima Qian the historian to engage in confabulation.

Therefore, Chinese scholars by and large accept Laozi as a

historical figure, while dismissing superstitious legends as

mentioned.

Generations of scholars have debated the historicity of Laozi

and the dating of the Tao Te Ching. Linguistic studies of the

text's vocabulary and rhyme scheme point to a date of

composition after the Shi Jing yet before the Zhuangzi

around the late 4th or early 3rd centuries BCE.

Some supporters of Taoism attribute this debate to the

folkloric age of Laozi of over 900 years old who had thirteen

incarnates starting around the time of the Three Sovereigns,

a view rejected by scholars.Principal versions

Among the many transmitted editions of the Tao Te Ching

text, the three primary ones are named after early

commentaries. The "Yan Zun Version," which is only extant

for the Te Ching, derives from a commentary attributed to

Han Dynasty scholar Yan Zun (, fl. 80 BCE-10 CE). The"Heshang Gong Version" is named after the legendary

Heshang Gong ( "Riverside Sage") who supposedly

lived during the reign (202-157 BCE) ofEmperor Wen of Han.

This commentary (tr. Erkes 1950) has a preface written by

Ge Xuan (, 164-244 CE), grand-uncle ofGe Hong, and

scholarship dates this version to around the 3rd century CE.The "Wang Bi Version" has more verifiable origins than either

of the above.Wang Bi (, 226 249 CE) was a famous

Three Kingdoms period philosopher and commentator on the

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Tao Te Ching(tr. Lin 1977, Rump and Chan 1979) and the Yi

Jing.

Tao Te Chingscholarship has lately advanced fromarcheological discoveries of manuscripts, some of which are

older than any of the received texts. Beginning in the 1920s

and 1930s, Marc Aurel Stein and others found thousands of

scrolls in the Mogao Caves nearDunhuang. They included

over 50 partial and complete Tao Te Chingmanuscripts. One

written by the scribe So/Su Dan () is dated 270 CE, and

corresponds closely with the Heshang Gong version. Another

partial manuscript has the Xiang'er () commentary, which

had previously been lost. In 1973, archeologists discovered

copies of early Chinese books, known as the Mawangdui Silk

Texts, in a tomb dating from 168 BCE. They included two

nearly complete copies of the Laozi, referred to as Text A

() and Text B (), both of which reverse the traditional

ordering and put the Te Chingsection before the Tao Ching.

Based on calligraphic styles and imperial naming taboo

avoidances, scholars believe that A and B can be

respectively dated to about the first and third decades of the

2nd century BCE (Boltz 1993:284). In 1993, the oldest known

version of the text, written on bamboo tablets, was found ina tomb near the town of Guodian ( ) in Jingmen, Hubei,

and dated prior to 300 BCE. The Guodian Chu Slips comprise

about 800 slips of bamboo with a total of over 13,000

characters, about 2,000 of which correspond with the Tao

Te Ching, including 14 previously unknown verses. Both the

Mawangdui and Guodian versions are generally consistent

with the received texts, excepting differences in chapter

sequence and graphic variants. Several recent Tao Te Ching

translations (e.g., Lau 1989, Henricks 1989, Mair 1990,

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Henricks 2000, Allan and Williams 2000, and Roberts 2004)

utilize these two versions, sometimes with the verses

reordered to synthesize the new finds.

Interpretation and themes

Many believe the Tao Te Chingcontains universal truths that

have been independently recognized in other philosophies,

both religious and secular. Depending on interpretation,

some ambiguous passages have multiple readings, ranging

from political advice for rulers to practical wisdom for

people. The following themes and concepts are central to

interpreting the text.

Ineffability

The Way that can be told of is not an Unvarying Way;

The names that can be named are not unvarying

names.

It was from the Nameless that Heaven and Earth

sprang;

The named is but the mother that rears the ten

thousand creatures, each after its kind. (chap. 1, tr.

Waley[1])

These famous first lines of the Tao Te Chingstate that the

Tao is ineffable. Tao is nameless, goes beyond distinctions,

and transcends language. Perhaps the Tao, like the Dharma,

is what physicist David Bohm means by "that which is",

perfectly being what is, both all and nothing. "My words are

very easy to understand and very easy to put into practice.

Yet no one under heaven understands them; no one puts

them into practice" (chap. 70, tr. Waley[2])

The Mysterious Female

The Valley Spirit never dies

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There is a contrast between the rigidity of death and the

weakness of life: "When he is born, man is soft and weak; in

death he becomes stiff and hard. The ten thousand

creatures and all plants and trees while they are alive are

supple and soft, but when and dead they become brittle and

dry." (chap. 76, tr. Waley[5]). This is returning to the

beginning of things, or to one's own childhood.

The Tao Te Chingfocuses upon the beginnings of society,

and describes a golden age in the past, comparable with the

ideas ofJean-Jacques Rousseau. Human problems arose

from the "invention" of culture and civilization. In this

idealized past, the people should have no use for any form

of writing save knotted ropes, should be contented with their

food, pleased with their clothing, satisfied with their homes,

should take pleasure in their rustic tasks." (chap. 80, tr.

Waley[6])

However, "returning" is not a simplistic reactionary retreat.

Two illustrations are the anti-Confucianist saying that,

"Learning consists in adding to one's stock day by day; The

practice of Tao consists in 'subtracting day by day'." (chap.

48, tr. Waley[7]); and this strategic advice If you doubt your

ability to advance an inch, then retreat a foot. (chap. 69, tr.

Waley[8]) Diminishing one's ego, instead of "improving" it

through study, is the path to real wisdom. Letting the enemy

take the first step (thus reducing his range of possibilities) is

the way to gain the upper hand. This theme is similar to

psychological practices such as introspection or meditation,

but one returns not to oneself but to nothingness, to "thatwhich is".

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Emptiness

We put thirty spokes together and call it a wheel;

But it is on the space where there is nothing that the

usefulness of the wheel depends.We turn clay to make a vessel;

But it is on the space where there is nothing that the

usefulness of the vessel depends.

We pierce doors and windows to make a house;

And it is on these spaces where there is nothing that

the usefulness of the house depends.

Therefore just as we take advantage of what is, we

should recognize the usefulness of what is not.

Philosophical vacuity is a common theme among Asian

wisdom traditions including Taoism (especially Wu wei

"nonaction"), Buddhism, and some aspects of Confucianism.

One could interpret the Tao Te Chingas a suite of variations

on the "Powers of Nothingness". This resonates with the

Buddhist Shunyata philosophy of "form is emptiness,

emptiness is form."

Looking at a traditional Chinese landscape, one can

understand how emptiness (the unpainted) has the power of

animating the trees, mountains, and rivers it surrounds.Emptiness can mean having no fixed preconceptions,

preferences, intentions, or agenda. Since "The Sage has no

heart of his own; He uses the heart of the people as his

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heart." (chap. 49, tr. Waley[10]). From a ruler's point of view,

it is a laissez-faireapproach:

So a wise leader may say:

"I practice inaction, and the people look after

themselves."

But from the Sage it is so hard at any price to get a

single word

That when his task is accomplished, his work done,

Throughout the country every one says: It happened

of its own accord. (chap. 17, tr. Waley[11])

Knowledge

Knowing others is wisdom;

Knowing the self is enlightenment.

Mastering others requires force;

Mastering the self requires strength;

He who knows he has enough is rich.Perseverance is a sign of will power.

He who stays where he is endures.

To die but not to perish is to be eternally present.

The Tao Te Chingpraises self knowledge but criticizes

rational understanding. For example: "Banish wisdom,

discard knowledge, And the people will be benefited ahundredfold." (chap. 19, tr. Waley[12]) Knowledge, like

desire, should be diminished. "It was when intelligence and

knowledge appeared that the Great Artifice began." (chap.

18, tr. Waley[13]).

Christian Interpretations

Since Christian missionaries were among the firstWesterners to study the Tao Te Ching, it is not surprising

that they connected Taoism with Christianity. They drew

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many parallels between the New Testament and the Tao Te

Ching, for instance, "Do good to those who hate you" (Luke

6:27, tr. NASB) and "Requite injuries with good deeds" (chap.

63, tr. Waley[14]). Note that the Chinese Bible translates

logosas Tao.

Two particularTao Te Chingchapters are perceived as

exemplifying Christian themes. Chapter 42 bears a

resemblance to the Trinity doctrine: "The Way gave birth to

unity, Unity gave birth to duality, Duality gave birth to trinity,

Trinity gave birth to the myriad creatures." (tr. Mair 1990:9).

Zhuangzi once stated in a passage from his famous work

Inner Chapters, that a great sage would come who would

bring knowledge and peace to all men; though he didn't know

if it would be in a thousand years or in a day.[citation needed]

Naturally, this was interpreted by missionaries as aprediction or foreshadowing of Christ.

Going even further, in 1823 the French sinologist Jean-Pierre-

Abel Rmusat suggested that Yahweh was signified by three

words in Chapter 14;yi( "calm; level; barbarian"), xi(

"rare; indiscernible; hope"), and wei( "tiny, small;

obscure").

We look for it but do not see it; we name it "subtle." We listen for it

but do not hear it; we name it "rare." We grope for it but do not

grasp it; we name it "serene." These three cannot be fully

fathomed, Therefore, They are bound together to make unity."

(chap. 14, tr. Mair 1990:74)

James Legge (1891:57-58[15]) dismissed this hypothetical

yi-xi-weiand Yahwehconnection as "a mere fancy or dream".

According to Holmes Welch:

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It is not hard to understand the readiness of early scholars to

assert that the doctrine of the Trinity was revealed in the Tao Te

Chingand that its fourteenth chapter contains the syllables of

"Yahveh." Even today, though these errors have been recognizedfor more than a century, the general notion that Lao Tzu was

Christ's forerunner has lost none of its romantic appeal. (1965:7)

Present day researchers, such as Damascene et al. (1999),

continue to explore the similarities between Taoist and

Christian teachings.

Critics point out that these "similarities" consist of taking

select passages out of context of the text as a whole, and

out of the history of Chinese textual interpretation and

religious practice. Passages that are incompatible with

Christian doctrines, such as Chapter 5 "Heaven and Earth

are not Humane (ren)"(Wing-tsit Chan trans.) are ignored.

This approach was started by Christian missionaries, who

were actively working to supplant Chinese religions.

Other themes

Force begets force.

One whose needs are simple can fulfill them easily.

Material wealth does not enrich the spirit.

Self-absorption and self-importance are vain and self-

destructive.

Victory in war is not glorious and not to be celebrated,

but stems from devastation, and is to be mourned.

The harder one tries, the more resistance one creates

for oneself.

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The more one acts in harmony with the universe (the

Mother of the ten thousand things), the more one will

achieve, with less effort.

The truly wise make little of their own wisdom for the

more they know, the more they realize how little they

know.

When we lose the fundamentals, we supplant them

with increasingly inferior values which we pretend are

the true values.

Glorification of wealth, power and beauty beget crime,

envy and shame.

The qualities of flexibility and suppleness are superior

to rigidity and strength.

Everything is in its own time and place.

Duality of nature that complements each other instead

of competing with each other the two faces of the

same coin one cannot exist without the other.

The differences of opposite polarities i.e. the

differences between male and female, light and dark,

strong and weak, etc. helps us understand and

appreciate the universe.

Humility is the highest virtue.

Knowing oneself is a virtue.

Envy is our calamity; overindulgence is our plight.

The more you go in search of an answer, the less you

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will understand.

Know when it's time to stop. If you don't know then

stop when you are done

Translations and interpretations

Tao T e ChingThe Tao Te Chinghas been translated into over 250 Western

languages, mostly to English, German, and French.[2]

According to Holmes Welch, "It is a famous puzzle which

everyone would like to feel he had solved."[3] There are also

Tao Te Ching interpretations and poetic renderings by non-

Chinese speaking authors.

Translational difficulties

The Tao Te Ching is written in classical Chinese, which canbe difficult to understand completely even for well-educated

native speakers of modern Chinese. Classical Chinese relies

heavily on allusion to a corpus of standard literary works to

convey semantic meaning, nuance, and subtext. This corpus

was memorized by highly-educated people in Laozi's time,

and the allusions were reinforced through common use inwriting, but few people today have this type of deep

acquaintance with ancient Chinese literature. Thus, many

levels of subtext are potentially lost on modern translators.

Furthermore, many of the words that the Tao Te Ching uses

are deliberately vague and ambiguous.

Since there are no punctuation marks in classical Chinese, itcan be difficult to conclusively determine where one

sentence ends and the next begins. Moving a period a few

ZENMASTER JAY16
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Tao_Te_Chinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tao_te_ching#_note-1#_note-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tao_te_ching#_note-2#_note-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_Chinesehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allusionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corpushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subtexthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punctuation_markshttp://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Tao_Te_Chinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tao_te_ching#_note-1#_note-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tao_te_ching#_note-2#_note-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_Chinesehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allusionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corpushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subtexthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punctuation_marks


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words forward or back or inserting a comma can profoundly

alter the meaning of many passages, and such divisions and

meanings must be determined by the translator. Some

editors and translators argue that the received text is so

corrupted (from originally being written on one-line bamboo

tablets linked with silk threads) that it is impossible to

understand some chapters without moving sequences of

characters from one place to another.

Source: wikipedia.org

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The Tao Te Ching

The way called is not theway it is.

Names can name nothinglasting.

Nameless is the bearer of

the heavens.Naming is the bearer ofthe earth.

Desireless be themystery.

Desiring the worldmanifests.

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The same in essence but

called different.

Both figuresUnfigured and refigured.

Unsolved and resolved.

The way of the mystery.

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Hold beauty and beholdthe wretched.

Hold the good and beholdevil.

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Is and isnt are each other.

Hard relies on easy.Long is measured by the

quick.

High depends upon thelow.Sounds are accorded by

intent.

Before follows after.

So one is given to nonknowing.

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Goes without saying.

Creates without intention.Lives without possessing.Does without believing.

Finishes without credits.

Without credit things

settle themselves.

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Honorless virtueNo contention.

Rarify objects

People steal.

Displaying treasures

troubles hearts.

One lives byClearing desires and

building hunger.Clearing ambition and

building supports.

Leads away from doing

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desires.

Too much is too far.

Does non doing and then

nature is undetermined.

The way it empties

It is never emptied.

Without foundation allthings are built.

Rounds corners,loosens jams,

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shades the light.

Mixes with the mixed upworld.

Deeply engrained

A mystery the creation.

Older than the past.Heaven and earth do notappear in kind.

Everything is a charade to

them.

One is not a kind ofappearance.

Individuality a true

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This is called the subtle

female.In the emptiness of theshadow

Is the essence of the light.

Endless flow of limitlesspowers.

Heaven is long and earthenduring.

Lasting and enduringNot selfish.

Leading by staying back.Within by without.

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Without rights the wholeis left.

Supreme is like water.Benefiting all without

contending.

Pools wherever you want.

Lowers itself finding the

way.

Live with good place.Keep well thoughts.Treat others well.

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Keep your word.

Make fair shares.Do good things.Work when you want.

No contending no wrongdoing.

Cling and keep fullBetter to have what you

can use.

Measure and gradeIt will change to your

dislike.

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When riches fill thestreets

No one can keep them.

Riches and pride pass on

bad judgement.

Leaving good enoughalone

The way of heaven.

Can you keep living andlive as one

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Without the two?

Can you relax and breatheeasy

Like children?

Can you see light in thedark

Without adjustment?

Can you love and leadWithout knowing?

Can you hold the heavenlygate

Without your feet on theground?

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Can you have directionWithout action?

Nature and nurtureNature does not possess.

Acts independently.Opulence without

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oppression.

This is the dark power.

Spokes are joined at thehub.The empty hub the wheel

uses.

With the earth we makebowls.

The empty bowl can be

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used.

Doorways make the room.The emptiness makes the

room useful.

So being creates anexcessBeing without creates

meanin

Many colors dull.Many sounds drown.

Many tastes jade.

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Chasing goods maddensthe heart.

The excess wraps.

So one

Fills the need.Lets the ideal rest.

Chooses this.By understanding that.

Love and hate are fear.Pride and shame are

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name.

Say what?

Love defines us.

Afraid to lose what wehave.

The self is informationembodied.

No self no shame nor

pride.

Respect all as yourself.Be home.

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Love all as yourself.Be trueThe seeking never find

home.

The listening never hearmusic.

The grasping never hold

the touch.

Since all things can not beseparated

They remain as one.

Rises and sets withoutminding.

Moving all things back

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home.

Meet the way with nofront.

Follow through and never

look back.

Live in this way.

Center now.Find the source.

The way of play.

Descendants find our way.A mysterious wonder of

profound depth.Unknown depths.

Forever unknown is always

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described.

Timing like facing a flow.Prudent like meeting theneighbors.

Mannered like a student.

Giving like a mirror.Blank like a formable

mind.

Open like the valley.Freely like the wind.Calm the waters.

It is clearing.

Mix the still and it comesto life.

Those who walk this wayShall not want.Wanting not

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Effortless.

Find absolutely no thingRemain there.

The multitudes create astir.

I see them going home.

Things go and growBack to the roots.Still in the root.

Returning to what really is.This return is simple.

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Understand the ordinaryorder.

Enlightening.Not understanding

delusion.

So let the mind open.

Compassion to nobilityLeads the heavenly way.

Tao everlasting.Bodies die.

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No danger.

Appearances disappear.

But people like believing.

They see and adore.Soon they fear.

Then they hate.

Without faith no trust.

Be wary of teachings.

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After all is said and done

They say it just camenatural.

Easy Tao refused pride

arises.

Skill claimed liars rise.

Relativity lost pity and

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affection is found.

The people lost saviorsare risen.

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Ignore skill and do notclaim

The people are well.

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Bar benevolence and

relinquish righteousness.

The people arecompassionate and

truthful.

Banish skill and spread thewealthNo more thieves.

One more step.Look at the plain and see

wholesomeness.

The self rests desireless.

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Learning is grief.

Yes of no whats thedifference?

Good and evil how much?Pointless to fear whatothers do.

People garnish smiles as ifat a carnival.I give no sign.

Like the newbornAs if I was more than at

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home.

Others keep excess. Ileave it out.I liken the fool and dont

know any better.

Others are so bright. I amrounded.

Floating on circumstanceLike a leaf in the wind.

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Others plan. I amwayward.I differ from others

Like the unborn.

Great integrity appears asthe way.

Te.

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Tao in action mystical.

Images forming.Entities becoming.

Obscure the shadows lifewithin.

Life so real it is the

trust.

Names reappear.The origins?

Like this!

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Parts become the whole.

Bends straighten.The hollow is full.Worn by the new.

Little things grow.Much is stupefied.

So one knows one and isthe world.

No display play away.No assertion incredible.

No pride success.No complacency

enduring.

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No contention for one

has already

The saying goes

And the whole thingreturns.

Efficient in word isnatures way.

Violent winds are soon

calmed.Downpours lighten up.

Why?Heaven and earth.

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Be accordingly.

So in the way on the waybecomes.

Gain and you must lose.

Lose and you must begaining.

All within TaoWayfarer welcomed.

Gainers welcome gain.

The loose not lost.

Trust.Or not at all.

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Tiptoes not good forstanding.

Clamber clumsy.Self display shadows

showing.Assertion just ass.

Pride never flourishing.

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In accord with Tao

Excess intake and

extraneous actions inspiredisgust.

So the wayfarer moveson

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Nothing less than thecompletely unformed.Stands before the heaven

and earth.

The silence shines.

Changing unchanged

before you infinitely inall.

The natural mother of

earth.

Must have nature.Must be great.

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Great means giving.

Giving means going on.Going on means goingback.

Therefore,Heaven and earth and

humans

are in a great way.

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Four corners to the world.Are not humans one?

Humans to earth.Earth to heaven.Heavenly way.

Tao is your nature.

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Dark desire is the root of

joyous light.The still rules the passingpassion.

One moves freely.But not without now

remembering.

When beauty comes

Remain calm

When the extremelycapable behave lightly in

this world

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Passions are set free

Bliss.

Good movement no drag.

Good words noimpression.

Good counting no marks.

The best doors are

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insecurely secure.

The best knots remainno strings attached.

In this way one helps all

in all ways.By accepting them all.

Helping all beings byrejecting none.This becomes the

brightness.

So good directs bad andbad is goods resource.

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Not to appreciate

directionNot to love your sources

The bright fogs.

This is vital information.

Know light and remainshadow.

Channel the whole world.

Be this and te pervades.Return to the opening.

Know white in the black.Become the pattern.

Be the original paternity

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and all is integral.

Ablank.

Honor hides disgrace.

Behold the world beforeyou

And no one needs to hold

onSimple.Simple segmentation is

useful.

The high official of onewise.

Uncarved.Try to control the world?

No success.

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The world is a spirit oneand all.Your will is ones own.

Control control.

Grasp it and lose it.Some lead and some are

led.

Some cry and some sing.Some are supple and somestrengthen.

Some oppression destroys.

The wiseCast extremities and

excess.Extravagance included.

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What better way to lead

than to show the way?Weapons soon turn backWe have no need for them.

Armies ruin the earth.

People famished.Fruitful outcomes are not

forced.

Arrogance does notsucceed.Finds out pride.

Finds out hostility.

Finds out resistance andviolence.

They grow and wither

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Fear blocks proper

purpose.Tools build the home.Weapons in the hands of

right.

Governor on the left.President on the right.

Funeral ceremonies.

When many do not knowthe TaoGrief is widespread.

Victories are funerals.

Tao is not effected bynames.

It simply can not bemastered here

bring heaven to earth.

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We are the guest of the

one in possession.Bliss distributed in allunconditionally.

Order and names arise.

Names lead to more of thesame.

Know when to stop.Balance.

The way in this world is

like rivers flowing into thesea.

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Aware of others isintelligent.Aware of yourself is

enlightened.

Overcoming others is

forceful.Overcoming yourself istrue power.

Content with enough iswealth.

Getting ahead is unrest.

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Stand last.Let go live.

The great way isoverflowingLeft right.

All beings owe their life toit.

From it they never depart.Action without names.Clothing and feeding all.

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Free mastery.

Forever selfless.All simply return.

But the great way is notcontrolling.

Greater than great.By not making itself so

It can do great things.

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Hold great form.

The ideal image.Making the world turn.Turning fearlessly in

peace.

Chorus and candy

Gatherings.

But Tao remains the originof flavor.

Look never seen.

Listen never heard.

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Used never used up.

To find lose.To concentrate dilute.

To end start.To conclude query.

This is the way of

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reflecting.

The diluted rises abovethe concentration.

Fish can not escape theirfathoms.

Peoples brightest toolscan not be seen.

Tao permanentlypermeates.

No hesitation.

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If one could possess allwould transform.

Transforming is of

creations desire.

I quiet in simplicity.No desire.

No desire is serenity.

Things settle themselves.

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Te is not lacking.

Those who know it have noneed to act.Those who dont take

action.

The benevolent watch therighteous.

The proprietor wantsreciprocation.

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Therefore..Lose Tao and te follows.Lose te all sorts ofpropriety follow.

Propriety dilutes truth anddelusion begins.

Foresight is glorified andstupidity sets in.

So ideally dwell in

clarity.Not glory.

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Accept un-ity and reject

the other.As the re-union became

Heaven cleared.

Earth stabilized.Spirits valued.

Valleys bloomed.

Myriad beings fertilized.The best at this purifiedothers.

The clear splits.The stable erupts.The values fade.

The bounties wither.The beings perish.

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Nobles stumble.

So the noble is rooted inhumility.

The high needs a low

foundation.Good rulers have humble

roots.

To the use of manyowning none.

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Not wishing to outshineRest like an anchor.

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Turning around is the waythe way gets round.

Giving way is the ways wayof giving.

All in all non acceptance.

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All accept this

completely.

The learned try to practiceTao.

The learning sometimes.The simple just laugh.

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Laughter is close to Tao.

So we say

The bright road is dark.

Progress withdraws.The level is uneven.

Great te seems hollow.Great purity seems soft.Te is enough.

Simple truths seem to

change.

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An edgeless square is agreat vessel.An unheard sound is an

invisible image.

Tao observes all naming.

And by Tao alone thingsare done.

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Tao becomes one.One becomes two.Two become three.

Three becomes all.

All carry shade andembody light.

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Shade and light.

Yin and yang.

Breathing harmony.

Humans hate to be empty.Yet the great one

Gains by losingand loses

by gaining.

The violent separate fromnature.

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The soft water runs freelyand forms the hard stone.

That without enters thatwithin.

This shows me the good ofnon knowing.

Saying without words.

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Good without knowing.

The worldly find it hard.

Name or body whichcomes closer?

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Body or ideas which

means more?

Gain or loss which hurtsmore?

Extreme love is greatly

exacting.Owning entails loss.

Enough is enough.

Abuse not.

Know when to let goNo harm done.

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This is lasting

Not finished is still useful.

Fully empty.Inexhaustible.

Harmonious bends.Clumsy grace.

Mute eloquence.

Exertion overcomes cold.Calm overcomes heat.

Pure calm is heavensbeauty.

Tao on earth

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Strays are beneficial.

Without this wayBenefits are held.

No greater calamity thannot knowing enough.

No greater fault thanambition.

Therefore knowing what

is enough.

Always enough.Without going know.Without looking see.

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The more you try theless you know.

So the wise

Knows not going.

Understands not seeing.

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Does not try

Chase the past andaccumulate.

Chase the Tao lose and

get loose.

Lose and again lose.

Arrive at effortless being.

Non doing and nothing notdone.

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Take the world as one ornothing at all.Try even a little

And the whole thing

Slips away.

The way is not set.

The ordinary sets the

stage.The good find the well.The bad are led there.

Te as goodness.

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Trust only the

trustworthy?Not te.Te as trust.

Sages harmoniously blendwith the world.

People want to see andhear their wayBut the sage is like a child.

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Into life into death.

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Life is part.

Death is part.

Human part.

Why?Because life points out.

Wayfarers live walkingthrough junglesunarmed.

Why are they unharmed?

They cling not.Tao bears.

Tao heals.

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Behavior forms.

Energy completes.

So all review integrity andhonor Tao in their own

way.

Tao honored.

Te respected.

For they are the natureof nature.

Tao and te rear, raise, getbehind and protect.

Bears not owning.Helps not coddles.

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Upholds not ruling.

Original te.Original integrity.

Mother earth also has amother.

See the mother and knowthe children.Return to the mother.

Bodies dieNo harm done.

Block the passSeal the seep.

No strife,

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Until the other side.

Open the passTake charge.

No relief,

Until the other side.Small is bright.

Gentle is strong.

Use light to be bright.

Do not cling and you maynot have to endurE

Claiming knowledge of thiswonderful way

Cultures fear.

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The wonderful way is veryeasy

but people like to learn

The hard way.

The people are divided byamazing speakers hungryfor excess.

This passes forconfidence

For those who wish to

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know.

Unplanted is not uprooted.Unclinging is not lost.

The elders ways.The generations will.

Center the self.Self becomes real.Center the family.

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Self abounds.

Center the people.Self extends.Center the world.Self is profound.

Center the universe.Self is realized.

By self see self.

By family see family.By people see people.By world see world.

By all see all.

How do I know theuniverse?

Like this!

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Completed te, new born.

None fear it.

Nearly spineless yet hasgot the grip.

Its path awaits.

Vitality present.

So hard yet so easyharmony.

Harmony is enduring.

Endurance illumines.Appreciating fortune.

Power to clear the mind.

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Prospering in age notTao.

Not Tao ends.

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Those who know dont

talk.Those who talk dontknow.

No passage sealed leftdull and loose.

Blended light like the dust.

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Unity.

Careless your cares.

Tao revered under heaven.

Lead people as expected.Wage war unexpectedly.Follow nothing and lead

everything.How have I come to this?

More rules mean less

happy people.

Sharper weapons moreignorant people.

More skill more kill.

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Complexity is

incriminating.So the wise one says

I relax and people change

and organize.

I empty and people fulfill.

I desire nothing andpeople are simple.

When rulers are calmpeople cool.

When rulers pry peopleheat up and wear down.

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Bad things rest upon thegood.Good luck inside bad.

No one knows the ending.

Principles without priority.Reverting to disorder.

Good becomes calamity.

Confusion hardens.So the sageMolds

Rounds

Contours

Shines not dazzles.

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Guiding people by servingheaven is like simpleliving.

Efficient in response-ability means great te.

Only no-thing is notlimited.Not coming over you and

never overcome.

Be the country and thenature.

Perpetuate the life of theland.

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Deep root firm base.

The way of seeing long lifeand farther than far.

Big things treat like little

ones.

Way harmonizing

Ill will loses its reason.Illness can not harm.

It has no power over you.

Power can harm but

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energy is harmless.

Neither harming

The harmony of te

flowing

Going and coming.Good nations lowerthemselves to the worldspool.

A resource under heaven.

Still the female risesthrough the male.

Still by taking the low

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road.

So the great one lowersself winning over the small

one.

Small ones keep low andwin over great ones.

Be high by staying low.

Big nations desirecommunity.Small nations desire to be

of service.

Both are fulfilled when noone is lower.

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Tao is the infinite center.

Treasure and refuge for

all.Compliments are traded.Deeds make reputations.

Do not reject ofundervalue the clean

slate.

When reason rules withthree fold wisdom

Presenting presentsCannot compare with

presence

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Elders honor this way

and they sayIn it seekers find andremorse is freed.

Tao honored under

heaven.Do without performance.

Give without serving.

Class without compare.Largesmall.Muchlittle.

Know hard by easy.

Find great by narrow.

The hardest must be doneby the easy.

The greatest must be done

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by the smallest.

Therefore the sage doesnttry great things.

And so does them.

Easy promise little faith.Easy means difficult.

Thus the sage says all isdifficult.So in the end nothing is

Resting holds easy.Planning is possible.

Brittle breaks.Fine scatters.

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Create before it and lead.

The great is born small.Towers rise from the earth.All amount begin as one.

Acting ruins and graspingloses.

The sage

Non actingNot ruining.No grasping and is never

lost.

People ruin near the endby not finishing how they

started.Wise desire no prize.The unlearned finds the

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heaven they overlooked.

Helping all beings bethemselves byNot presuming.

The elders just let them

be as they are.People are hard to help

stubborn and clever.

So the clever rebel andthe simple bring goodfortune...

See the pattern?

The pattern of original te.

Te all pervadingAll things reverse

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Returning to the great

order.

Flows rule the valley.They lay low.

Those who would riseabove

Speak from below.

Those who would leadSpeak from behind.

Sage

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Unburdened un-hindering.

Finding the world un-

weary.

The sage does not contend

with one

and so no one contendswith the sage.

All do call Tao great.Unlike anything they have

ever known.

That is what makes it

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great.

I maintain three treasures.Compassion.

Efficiency.

Humility.

Compassion is faithful.

Efficiency generates.

These days

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People want to be brave,

generous, and come firstwithout the threetreasures.

They die.

Compassion prevails.

Heaven works like this.

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The extinguished are not

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aggressive.

The warrior is composed.The conqueror is notengaged.

The leader is behind.

The integrity of noncontention.

The leaders power.

Mirroring heaven.

Confronted I master bybeing the guest.

Advance retreating.Moving without moving.

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Mirror.

In contempt all is lost.

Those who yield rise..

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Easy now easy.

No one.

No one.

Words have priorities.

Understand this.Understand me.

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Rarity is valued.

The sage carries wealthinside.

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Know not-knowing.Whole.

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Not know knowing.Careful.

Only causing causes iscauseless.

The sage is causeless bycausing causes.

Without cause.

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The people not awed

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Power resides.

Unwearied by respecting

all.

The wise oneKnows without show.Loves without pride.

No one accepts theother.

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Courage kills. Serenity

saves.Do not profit from harm.

Heaven hates what itdoes

Even so

Heavenly way prevails bynot contending.

Speechless yet

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responding.

Uncalled yet arrives.So still orders.

Heavens net so wide and

loose

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Once death is not a fear

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Who dares?

Officials are always tryingto take the executioners

place.

They are in too deep.

People hunger.When leaders are taxing

people hunger.

People rebel.

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When leaders take action

people rebel.

People are ignorant.When only chasing lifes

richness people areignorant.

Only those who dontchase life

Truly respect life.

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Born soft.Die stiff.

Beings do this.

Stiff and strong

Shadow.

Soft and supple

Light.

And so the greatest one is

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divided.

The strong sink.The soft rise.

The way of heaven

pulls in the ends.Brings down the high andpicks up the low.

Too much cut.Not enough add.

Heavens way.

The way of the world

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Is more like the poor get

poorer and the rich getricher.Who has too much and

gives it away?

Those with heaven inside.

So the wise act andexpect no reaction.Finish and do not boast.

Have no wish forworthiness.

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Nothing is as gentle as

water.Nothing is as powerful aswater.

Nothing dominates aseasily.

Supple overcomesstiffness.Soft overcomes hard.

All know thisWho attains it?

Therefore

Accept a countrys

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shadows and know its

sacred soil.Accept a countrys fortuneand become the order.

True words have truecomplimentarycontradictions.

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Entertain anger and angercontinues.How is this useful?

So the sage

Keeps score withoutjudgement.

Those with power score.Those without power arepaid.

Heavens way hold no one

close

Lasting in productivepeople.

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Small town simplepeople.Lots of things sit.

People wonder withoutchasing all over.

They own vehicles but liketo walk.

Have protection but

unused.

They count on their hands.

Love in their food.

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Durability in their clothing.

Peace in their homes.Enjoyable their routine.

Honest words do notdazzle.

Dazzling words are nothonest.

Useful people do not

argue.Arguing people are not

useful.

The wise are not discipled.

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The discipled are not wise.

One does not want.

Has enough and helps

others.Has more and gives.

Heavens way buildswithout destroying.

One knows without

claiming.

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