Weapons are of il…omen； avoided by the wise man； who resorts to them only if he must。
To him； quiet and peace are his chief delight。
He takes no delight in conquest。
To delight in conquest is to delight in slaughter。
He who delights in slaughter cannot hope to work his will in the world。
32
The Never…changing Tao has no name。
It may appear； so simple is it； of small account；
Yet the whole world would not venture to subdue it。
If kings and princes were possessed of it；
Homage would be gladly paid to them by all the people in the world。
Heaven…and…Earth would sweeten them with the gentle dew。
The people； unconstrained by commands； would live in harmony。
That which functions； however； is named。
When naming starts； see that you know where to stop。
If you know where to stop； danger cannot touch you。
As the brooks and the streams flow into and become the rivers and seas；
So everything in the world flows into and is made one with the Tao。
33
To know others is to be clever；
To know oneself is to be enlightened。
He who conquers others has strength；
But he who conquers himself has strength and courage indeed。
To know when one has enough is to be rich。
He who pursues a course with energy may attain his goal；
But to remain in one's proper place is to endure；
And he who dies yet does no cease to be
Achieves the blessing of true longevity。
34
The great Tao flows in all directions：
To left； to right； at the same time。
To it all things owe their existence； for it rejects none。
Throught it all things are brought to perfection； but it lays no claim to them。
It clothes and nourishes them； but does not claim mastery over them。
Because it at no time makes demands on them； we may class it with the humble；
Because all things return home to it … and still it does not play the master … we may name it Supreme。
Thus it is with the Sage；
He never prides himself on greatness；
Therefore he achieves greatness。
35
Hold fast to the Great Idea； the Formless Form that is the Tao； and all men will come to you。
In you they will see no danger and meet no harm。
In you they will find stillness； safety； and peace。
Pleasant music and the smell of savoury dishes cause passing strangers pasing by to linger。
But how pure； how lacking in savour； are the utterances of the Tao！
Look for the Tao； and you see nothing！
Listen for the Tao； and there is nothing to be heard！
But use it； and you will find that it is inexhaustible。
36
If a thing is capable of being contracted； no doubt is was previously expanded；
It a thing is capable of being weakened； no doubt it was previously strengthened。
Exaltation precedes abasement。
He who would take must first give。
This is the Secret Law；
Whereby the soft and the weak overcome the hard and the strong。
Leave the fish in the depths of the water； out of harm's way；
And leave the nation's sharpest weapons where they cannot be seen。
37
The Tao is eternally inactive；
Yet nothing is left undone。
If kings and princes grasped this truly
All creatures would develop of themselves。
And if； as they developed； desires stirred within them；
I would curb them by the Simplicity…without…a…name。
This Simplicity…without…a…name leads to detachment from desire；
Detachment from desire leads to stillness。
And in this way the world； of itself； would reach Peace。
38
The highest power is not aware of itself as a power；
Hence its power。
The inferior power clings to the appearance of power：
Hence its lack of power。
The highest power works by non…action and has no ulterior aims。
The inferior power acts and claims recognition。
The highest loving…kindness acts without motive。
The highest justice acts with motive。
The highest ritual of convention and respectability acts； and if there is no response； force is used to compel respect。
Therefore： Whan the Tao is lost； power appears；
When power is lost； loving…kindness appears；
When loving…kindness is lost； justice appears；
When justice is lost； ritual appears。
Ritual is but the sahdow of faith and loyalty； and the beginning of confusion。
Prediction of what is to come is doubtless an offshoot of the Tao； but the beginning of ignorant folly。
Therefore； he who is truly great holds to the substance and not to the shadow；
He holds to the main stem and not to the offshoot。
Thus he disregards That and nurtures This。
39
These things have from the beginning attained Unity：
Earth； through Unity； is firm；
Spirits； through Unity； are active；
The Valley； through Unity； is brimming；
All creatures； through Unity； multiply；
Kings and princes； through Unity； govern the world；
Yes： in all these things works Unity。
If Heaven through Unity were not clear； it would be rent；
If Earth through Unity were not firm； it would topple over；
If Spirits through Unity were not active； they would shrivel away；
If the Valley through Unity were not brimming； it would dry up；
If all creatures through Unity did not multiply； they would die out；
If kings and princes through Unity did not govern the world； they would be overthrown。
For nobility has its roots in humility；
And the high is built on a foundation that is low。
Thus kings and princes speak of themselves as 〃ophans；〃 〃the lonely ones；〃 〃the unworthy〃；
In this way they acknowledge that their might is rooted in the lowly？ Surely this is so？
For without the component parts of a waggon there is no waggon。
The sages of old sought to be neither the isolated single gem； nor yet the common stone among other stones。
40
The movement of the Tao is a returning。
The chief method of the Tao is non…striving。
All manifestations have their source in Being：
Being has its source in Non…Being。
41
When a man of highest wisdom is told about the Tao；
He is eager to follow it。
When a man of middling wisdom is told about the Tao；
At times he follows it； at times he loses touch with it。
When a man of no wisdom is told about the Tao；
He laughs aloud；
If he did not laugh at it； it could not rightly be named the Tao。
For as a maekr of proverbs has truly siad：
〃Enlightenment in the Tao seems like darkness；
Progress in the Tao seems like regress〃；
Evenness in the Tao seems like roughness；
The highest virtue seems like the emptiness of a valley。
The purest white seems murky；
The most exalted virtue seems inadequate；
The strongest virtue seems unstable；
The most steadfast nature seems variable。
For 〃the greatest square of all has no angles；
The largest vessels are late brought to perfection；
The highest note is scarcely heard；
The greatest image has no shape。〃
The Tao； in its secrecy； is nameless；
Yet it is the Tao which is behine everyhting and brings all things to completion。
42
From the Tao was born the One；
From the One was born the Two；
From the Two was born the Three；
And from the Three all things proceeded。
All creatures have the shadow at their backs and embrace the light；
And the everlasting breath of life unites them。
What men hate is to be orphaned； lonely； unworthy；
But do not kings and princes often so describe themselves？
〃For things by being diminished may be increased；
And by being increased； diminished。〃
What others teach； I will teach too。
〃Those who are foolhardy and violent do not come to a natural end。〃
On this maxim I too will base my teaching。
43
The most yielding thing in the world
Masters the hardest thing in the world。
Its nothingness can penetrate even the impenetrable。
That is how I know the value of non…action。
But teaching without the use of words；
And action that is non…action …
How few in the world achieve this！
44
Your fame； or yourself … which is the nearer to you？
Your self； or your possessions … which is the more precious to you？
Acquiring； or losing … which is the worse to you？
He who sets his heart on things will spend wastefully；
He who hoards greatest treasure will risk greatest loss。
Therefore； to be content with enough is to risk no humiliation。
He who knows when to be still escapes harm。
He will endure。
45
The greatest perfection seems inadequate；
But it is unfailing in its usefulness；
What is brimful seems empty；
But it is inexhaustible in its usefulness。
The completely straight seems crooked； the greatest skill seems awkward；
The greatest eloquence seems like stammering。
Activity overcomes cold；
But stillness overcomes heat。
Only by purity and stillness will the world be governed。
46
When the Tao is reigning on the earth；
Racehorses are harnessed to dung…carts；
When the