DODJNG

Translated by

M. Joseph Walden

DAODEJING Copyright 2012 M. Joseph Walden All rights reserved ISBN 978-1-105-73610-0

Book I THE BOOK OF THE WAY

.1. Do can be conveyed,

But not unchanging do.

Names can be attributed,

But not unchanging names.

The origin of heaven and earth is nameless,

Yet we may call her mother of everything.

This is why, when one trusts in her sufficiency,

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Do inspires awe;

When one fears deficiency,

Her outer fringes remain manifest.

These two arise as one

Differing in name, sharing one center.

Mystery of all mysteries,

The gate to awe.

.2. When everyone knows

Beauty as being beautiful,

This only makes their hearts ugly.

2
When everyone knows

Good as doing good,

This cannot be good.

Non-being and being give birth to each other,

Difficult and easy complete each other,

Long and short reveal each other,

High and low measure each other,

Melody and harmony satisfy each other,

Before and after follow each other.

The wise ones

Earn their livelihood with non-action,

Following wordless teachings.

All things arise,

And they do not speak against them,

Allowing them to grow without possessing them.

They do their work, but expect no reward;

They accomplished their task, and move on.

It is precisely because they move on

That they never depart.

.3. Not honoring the talented,

The people cease striving against nature.

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Not prizing unattainable goods,

The people cease stealing.

Not displaying what is desirable,

The people's minds are undisturbed.

The rule of the wise ones is this:

Empty the mind, fill the belly;

Relax the ambitions, toughen the bones.

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This leads people away from learnedness and want,

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And keeps the clever ones from daring to meddle.

Act without action,

And this rule brings order to everything.

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.4. Pour do out,

And she cannot be depleted;

So deep

She seems to be the ancestor of everything.

So still

She seems to endure forever.

I do not know whose child she is;

She is the origin of every archetype.

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.5. Heaven and earth cater to no one

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They treat everyone

Impartially.

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The wise ones cater to no one

They treat everyone

Impartially.

The space between heaven and earth:

How it is like a bellows

Empty, yet inexhaustible!

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Draw upon it, and still it gives ever more.

The more words we utter, the more we wither;

Unless we keep watch at the center.

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.6. The spirit of the valley never dies,

It is called the mysterious womb.

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The mysterious womb's opening

Is called the root of heaven and earth.

Saturating everything, yet barely seeming,

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It realizes its purpose without toil.

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.7. Heaven is everlasting, and earth is ancient.

The reason that heaven and earth

Are able to last so long

Is that they do not live for themselves;

And so, they are able to live forever.

The wise ones

Remain behind,

But find themselves in front.

They reject themselves,

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Yet they are preserved.

They are without self

By this, self is realized.

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.8. The highest good is like water:

Water benefits everything without striving.

It stays in places that society despises:

Here, reverently, it approaches do.

It is good to dwell on solid ground.

It is good to reflect deeply.

It is good to treat others kindly.

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It is good to speak sincerely.

It is good to govern justly.

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It is good to work efficiently.

It is good to act unhesitantly.

Above all, not striving against nature,

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One is free from fault.

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.9. Taking when there is enough

It is better to stop.

Sharpening and beating a sword

It cannot be preserved for long.

Filling the halls with gold and jade

It cannot be guarded.

Taking pride in riches and honor

What follows is downfall.

When the work is finished, retire

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This is the way of heaven.

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.10. Bearing mind and life together as one,

It is possible to see beyond distinctions!

Gently attending to one's vital force

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It is possible to be innocent as a child!

Cleaning and polishing the vision of mystery,

It is possible to be unobscured!

Loving the nation and leading society,

It is possible to be without action!

While taking in sights and sounds,

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One can remain tranquil as a mother bird!

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Shining and pure, peering into all directions,

It is possible to let go of learnedness!

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Growing, cultivating;

Growing, but not possessing;

Working, but expecting no reward;

Leading, but not controlling;

This is called profound virtue.

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.11. Thirty spokes share a single hub,

Because of the emptiness at its center,

The wheel has a purpose.

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We make a vessel by shaping clay,

Because of the emptiness at the center,

The vessel has a purpose.

We cut doors and windows for a house,

Because of the emptiness at the center,

The home has a purpose.

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Being makes things profitable,

But emptiness gives it purpose.

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.12. The five colors blind the eye.

The five tones deafen the ear.

The five flavors destroy the palate.

Racing and hunting madden the mind.

Difficult to obtain goods limit our actions.

The wise ones act from within, not from their eyes.

They reject the latter to receive the former.

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.13. Struggling with honors and disgraces causes anxiety.

Attachment to an unchangeable identity is anguish.

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What does it mean to say:

Struggling with honors and disgraces causes anxiety?

Honor casts one down;

Gaining rank makes one anxious.

Losing rank makes one anxious.

This is what it means to say:

Struggling with honors and disgraces causes anxiety.

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What does this mean:

Attachment to an unchangeable identity is anguish?

The reason I suffer so greatly

Is that I am attached to an idea of self.

I was once without a self;

Now what trouble I bear!

One who sacrifices self for the world

May be entrusted with the world.

One who is willing to renounce self for the world

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May be the guardian of the world.

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.14. What is not seen is called invisible.

What is not heard is called inaudible.

What is not touched is called incorporeal.

These three cannot be further investigated,

And so they blend and become one.

Above it is not bright, below it is not dark.

Boundless, boundless and unnameable,

It is elusive, and returns to nothingness.

This is called formless form,

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Imageless image;

This is called indefinable and unimaginable.

Stand before it, and its face cannot be seen.

Follow behind it, its back cannot be seen.

But abide in the ancient do,

And the present is mastered.

Then the origin is known;

This is called inheriting do.

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.15. In ancient times,

The best practitioners

Were subtly mysterious and deeply penetrating;

Too deep to understand.

Because they cannot be understood,

It takes a strong effort to describe them:

Cautious! Like crossing a frozen stream in the winter,

Vigilant! Like one fearing danger on all sides,

Reserved! Like a visiting stranger,

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Yielding! Like ice about to melt,

Genuine! Like natural simplicity,

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Open! Like a valley,

Chaotic! Like muddied waters.

Calm! Like the sea,

Brutal! As though never-ending.

By keeping still, the muddied slowly becomes clear.

By constant motion, life in the womb slowly grows.

One who embraces do does not want to overflow;

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It is precisely because they do not want to overflow

That they may wear on without ever needing rest.

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.16. Attain complete emptiness

Abide in the still depths.

Everything arises together:

In this I see their cyclical nature.

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All things flourish, flourish,

Each returning to its root.

Returning to the root is called stillness.

Stillness is called the cycle of nature.

The cycle of nature is called unchanging.

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Knowing the unchanging is called enlightenment.

Not knowing the unchanging brings about disaster;

Knowing the unchanging, one embraces all.

To be all-embracing is to be impartial.

To be impartial is to be perfected.

To be perfected is to be heavenly,

To be heavenly is to be of the do,

Do is immortal.

Leave prone the concept of self; be free of danger.

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.17. Great leaders are not noticed by their people.

The next best are cherished and praised by them.

The next best are feared by them.

The next best are despised by them.

Without trusting others,

One will not be trusted.

Quiet! Why treasure words?

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When one does things well,

People will say it happened on its own

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.18. When the great do is abandoned,

Then there is philanthropy and justice,

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Wittiness and cleverness arise;

There is great hypocrisy;

Communities fail to cooperate;

Compassion is reduced to obeisance,

National policy is disordered and confused,

And the subjects become nationalistic.

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.19. Abandon self-righteousness and discard cleverness

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And the people will benefit one-hundredfold.

Abandon philanthropy and discard justice

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And the people will return to compassion.

Abandon cleverness and discard profit,

Then thieves and robbers will disappear.

These three things are superficial and insufficient

Master them or be mastered by them;

Recognize plainness and nourish natural simplicity,

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Reduce the ego, diminish attachments.

Abandon learnedness and there will be no sorrow.

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.20. Yes is the contrary of no;

How little is the difference between them?

Good is the contrary of evil;

How much are they alike?

One who is feared

Must fear others;

This untamed wilderness has no end!

Society is joyful, joyful

Like they are feasting on a fat ox,

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As if taking in the sights of springtime.

I alone remain calm, showing no sign,

Like a newborn child who has not yet smiled.

Weary, weary as one without a home.

Society has abundance, but I alone seem lacking.

My mind is like a fool'sconfused, confused!

The common people are brilliant, brilliant;

I alone am dim, dim.

The common people are sharp, sharp;

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I alone am dull, dull.

They are like the tranquil ocean;

I am like an unceasing whirlwind.

Society has a purpose,

But I alone am awkward and unrefined.

I alone differ

Because I receive nourishment from my mother.

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.21. Practicing all-embracing virtue

Comes only from do.

But do's actions

Are vague and elusive.

Elusive and vague,

Within is contained an image.

Vague and elusive,

Within is contained an object.

Hidden and obscure,

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Within is contained meaning.

This meaning is very real;

Within is contained truth.

From antiquity until now,

Her name has not departed.

By this, the origin of everything is revealed;

By stopping and sitting, I can know all beginnings.

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.22. Surrender and become perfect.

Be crooked and become rectified.

Be empty and become filled.

Be worn out and become renewed.

Have little and receive.

Have much and become bewildered.

The wise ones embrace oneness

And become the measure of the world.

They are not occupied by themselves, so they shine,

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Do not assert themselves, so they are recognized,

Do not boast about themselves, so they merit,

Do not make a show of themselves, so they endure.

Precisely because they do not strive against nature,

3
So nothing in the world can strive against them.

The ancients said:

Surrender and become perfect.

These are not empty words:

True perfection is achieved through turning back.

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.23. Nature is of few words:

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A strong wind does not last all morning,

A violent storm does not outlast a day.

Why is this so? Heaven and earth make it so.

Heaven and earth do not sustain anything forever,

Much less humanity!

One decides their devotions daily.

The devotee of do is allied with do.

The devotee of do's virtue is allied with virtue.

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To abandon devotion is to become allied with loss.

Allies of do

Do is glad to welcome them.

Allies of do's virtue

Virtue is glad to welcome them.

Allies of loss

Loss is glad to welcome them.

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.24. On tiptoes, one cannot remain standing.

Straddling, one cannot go far.

Occupied with one's self, one cannot shine.

Asserting one's self, one cannot be recognized.

Boasting of one's self, one is without merit.

Making a show of one's self, one cannot endure.

From the perspective of do,

These are like spoiled food and tumors of action,

Which all people despise.

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Followers of do do not dwell in these things.

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.25. There was something nebulous yet complete

Preceding the birth of heaven and earth.

Tranquil! Formless!

Alone she stands without wavering.

Always moving but never exhausted;

She can be called the mother of the world.

I do not know her name,

But I like to call her do.

If forced to assign a name,

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I would call her great.

Great means she passes beyond;

Passing beyond means she reaches far,

Reaching far means she returns.

Do is great, heaven is great;

Earth is great, and humanity is also great.

In the midst of the world there are four great things,

And human life is one of them.

Humanity follows the earth,

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Earth follows heaven;

Heaven follows do,

Do follows her own nature.

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.26. Heaviness is the root of lightness,

Stillness is the master of restlessness.

The wise ones

Travel every day,

Never abandoning their baggage.

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Though they live in glorious places,

They remain aloof and indifferent.

How could the master of ten thousand chariots

Behave lightly before the people of the world?

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To be light is to lose one's root,

To be restless is to lose one's master.

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.27. A good traveler leaves neither tracks nor trace.

A good speaker is without flaw or reproach.

A good accountant neither counts nor calculates.

A good gate has no lock,

Yet none can open it.

A good knot needs no rope,

Yet it cannot be untied.

The wise ones are skilled at caring for people,

So no one is rejected;

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They are always skilled at caring for things,

So things are never rejected.

This is called practicing enlightenment.

Skillful people are the teachers of unskilled people;

Unskilled people are a lesson for skillful people.

One who neither values their teacher

Nor loves their lesson,

Although clever, will be greatly confused

They deny that which calls for reverence.

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.28. Know the masculine, abide in the feminine,

Become the river of the world.

Become the river of the world,

And do's virtue will never depart,

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Then innocence will return.

Know the white, abide in the black,

Become the measure of the world.

Becoming the measure of the world

And never straying from do's virtue,

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One returns to the infinite.

Know the light, abide in the dark,

Become the valley of the world.

Become the valley of the world,

And do's virtue will be ever sufficient,

Then nature's simplicity will return.

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When nature's simplicity falls apart,

The wise ones gather the pieces,

Then they become the leading officials,

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And great simplicity is undivided.

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.29. Some want to unite the world by meddling with it,

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But I realize this cannot succeed.

The world is a spiritual thing;

It must not be meddled with.

Meddling ruins it;

Taking hold loses it.

Some people lead, others follow.

Some whisper, others yell.

Some are strong, others are weak.

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Some destroy, others are destroyed.

The wise ones

Abandon extremes,

Abandon extravagances,

Abandon excess.

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.30. Guide the people with do,

Do not dominate the world with soldiers.

Such interference can only go so far.

Thorn bushes grow where the army is camped.

The aftermath of great wars is famine.

The skillful ones achieve and then stop

If they dare to take hold by force,

They achieve without arrogance,

Achieve without boasting or pride,

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Achieve, regretting that force was not avoided!

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.31. Even an excellent soldier is a bad omen,

Because their tools are despised by all.

One who follows do turns away from them.

Soldiers are bad omens

Their tools oppose those of the master philosopher.

The slaughter of multitudes of people

Causes lamentation and sorrow;

Victory in war is celebrated with funerals.

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.32. The unchanging do is nameless.

Her natural simplicity, though insignificant,

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Cannot be ruled over.

If rulers could abide with her,

They would be honored by all.

Heaven and earth, joined together,

Would drip sweet dew;

The people would have no law

And could naturally achieve harmony.

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When systems are created, there are names

When there are names, know it is also time to stop.

Knowing when to stop, there is no danger.

Do moves in the world

Like rivers streaming into the ocean.

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.33. Knowing others is clever,

Knowing one's self is enlightened.

Conquering others exhibits force,

Conquering self is indeed powerful.

One who knows satisfaction is rich;

One who perseveres has discipline,

One who knows where they are endures;

Then, even dying, one cannot perish.

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.34. The great do flows! She may go in any direction.

All things rely upon her to grow,

And she never speaks against them.

Her accomplishments are meritorious,

Yet she is anonymous.

She clothes and nourishes all things,

Yet she does not lord over them.

She may be named Caretaker of the lowly.

Everything returns to her

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Because she does not lord over them.

She may be named Master of the great.

One ought not make one's self great,

So that greatness may be accomplished.

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.35. Contemplate this daunting image,

And the whole world appears,

Revealing itself to be harmless,

Abundant with peace and contentment!

When there is music and cake,

Passing strangers stop,

But do's words are flat and without flavor!

Her image is imperceptible;

Her testimony, inaudible,

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Her providence, inexhaustible.

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.36. What is to be withdrawn

Must first be extended.

What is to be weakened

Must first be strengthened.

What is to be rejected

Must first be exalted.

What is to be taken

Must first be given.

This is called subtle enlightenment:

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Gentle yielding conquers unyielding force.

As fish cannot be taken from the deep,

So too the nation's greatest tools

Must not be offered to the people.

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.37. Do never acts,

Yet nothing is left unaccomplished.

If lords and rulers abide with her,

Then everything would be naturally transformed.

They would be transformed, but desires arise in them,

So I would restrain them

By the natural simplicity of the nameless

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And the natural simplicity of the nameless

Settles things without desiring it.

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Because she lacks nothing,

There is stillness;

The world settles itself.

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Book II THE BOOK OF VIRTUE

.38. The highest virtue lets go of virtue,

This is why it has virtue.

The lowest virtue never forgets virtue,

This is why it has no virtue.

The highest virtue does not act,

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And does not interfere.

The lowest virtue acts

Only to manipulate things.

The highest kindness acts

6
And does not interfere;

The highest justice acts

Only to manipulate things.

The highest duty acts,

But no one responds to it;

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So it stretches out its arms

And forces itself on them.

Losing do, still there is virtue.

Losing virtue, still there is kindness.

Losing kindness, there is only unjust justice.

Then after comes duty.

Duty is the husk of devotion

The beginning of trouble.

Superficial knowledge is the flower of do

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The origin of foolishness.

Great ones reside in the substance,

Not dwelling in the husk.

Reside in the fruit,

Not dwelling in the flower.

Reject the latter to receive the former.

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.39. In ancient times, they attained unity:

Heaven attained unity, and it became pure.

Earth attained unity, and it became peaceful.

The spirits attained unity, and they became divine.

The valleys attained unity and became full.

All things attained unity and began to grow.

The rulers attained unity and ruled the world justly.

This is what unity accomplishes.

When the heavens are not pure,

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I fear they will split open.

When the earth is not peaceful,

I fear it will be shaken.

When the spirits are not divine,

I fear they will wither.

When the valleys are not full,

I fear they will be exhausted.

When things cease to grow,

I fear they will die.

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When the rulers are not honorable,

I fear their nations will be lost.

The humble is the root of the valuable;

The lowly is the foundation of the high.

This is why the rulers call themselves

Solitary, desolate, and unworthy.

Is this not taking the humble as the root?

How scandalous this is!

The highest praise is not to be praised.

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Do not desire things that shimmer like gems,

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But rather things that clatter like pebbles.

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.40. Cyclic returning is the motion of do.

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Gentleness is do's purpose.

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The world and everything in it grows from being,

Being grows from non-being.

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.41. Great scholars hear do

And diligently follow her.

Mediocre scholars hear do;

Sometimes following, sometimes losing their way.

The inferior scholar hears do

And laughs heartily.

If she were not laughable, she would not be do.

One could say that

Enlightened do seems dark,

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Advancing in do seems like retreating,

Smooth do seems rough.

The highest virtue seems low,

Abundant virtue seems lacking,

Steadfast virtue seems unsteady.

The substance of reality seems ethereal.

Great whiteness seems sullied.

A great square has no corners;

A great tool works slowly.

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The greatest melody needs little accompaniment.

The greatest image is invisible.

Do is hidden and nameless,

Yet do alone skillfully provides and fulfills.

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.42. Do gives birth to the one.

One gives birth to two.

Two gives birth to three.

Three gives birth to all things.

All things carry yin and embrace yang.

Blending their vital force, they achieve harmony.

11
Ugly-hearted people, orphans, and widows

2
Are considered worthless,

Yet rulers call themselves by these titles.

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Things diminish, and then they increase;

People gain, and then they lose.

What others teach, I also teach:

Violent and aggressive people die miserably.

This is the father of my teachings.

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.43. The softest thing in the world

Surpasses the hardest thing in the world.

Non-being penetrates that which has no crevices.

I know the benefit of non-action,

But the benefit of non-action is a wordless teaching,

So the world seldom hears it.

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.44. Name or body, which is more intimate?

Body or possessions, which is worth more?

Gain or loss, which is worse?

The stronger the attachment,

The more one is willing to waste.

More treasure

Surely leads to more loss.

Know how to be content, and there is no dishonor.

Know when to stop, and there is no danger.

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These are the ways to endure.

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.45. Great perfection seems imperfect,

But its purpose is never impaired.

10
Great abundance seems empty,

But its purpose never fails.

What is most straight seems twisted,

The greatest skill seems clumsy,

The greatest eloquence seems awkward.

Activity overcomes cold; stillness overcomes heat.

Tranquil stillness can govern the world.

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.46. When the world follows do,

Galloping horses turn back to fertilize the fields.

When the world is without do,

Warhorses breed in the countryside.

There is no greater disaster

Than not knowing how to be satisfied.

There is no greater misfortune than wanting more.

Knowing to be satisfied with satisfaction,

One is always satisfied!

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.47. Without going out the door,

One can know the whole world.

Without looking out of the window,

One can see the way of heaven.

The farther one goes,

The less one knows.

The wise ones

Know without going.

They do not look, yet they see.

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They achieve without taking action.

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.48. Attending to learning accumulates day after day,

Attending to do diminishes day after day.

Diminish, and continue to diminish,

Until reaching the point of non-action.

No action is taken, but nothing is left undone.

The world is united by never interfering.

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As soon as one begins to interfere,

One is unable to unite the world.

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.49. The wise ones do not have hard hearts,

So they let the people move their hearts.

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The good ones, I treat well;

The bad ones, I treat well,

Because do's virtue is good.

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With the sincere ones, I am sincere;

With the insincere ones, I am sincere,

Because do's virtue is sincere.

The wise ones are in the midst of the world,

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Yet withdrawn, so withdrawn.

To the world, they seem muddled and confused;

All the people eavesdrop and stare

The wise ones regard them all as children.

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.50. Being born, we enter death.

Three out of ten are pursuers of life,

Three out of ten are pursuers of death,

Three out of ten hasten to death by clinging to life.

Tell me, why is this?

Because they worry themselves over life.

I hear that those who live a good life,

While traveling in the hills,

Do not meet tigers or wild buffaloes.

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They do not enter the midst of battle,

Nor wear armor or weapons;

A wild buffalo finds no place to put its horn;

A tiger can find no place to sinks its claws;

Soldiers can find no place to thrust their blades.

Tell me, how is this possible?

Because in them there is no place for death.

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.51. Do produces them,

Do's virtue cultivates them.

22
Matter shapes them,

Circumstances complete them.

Everything without exception esteems do

And treasures do's virtue.

Do's nobility

And virtue's value

Arise without anyone's order;

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Always naturally so.

19
Do produces them,

Do's virtue cultivates them,

Raises them, nurtures them,

Covers them, matures them,

Rears them, protects them;

Grows them, but does not possess,

Does her work, but expects no reward,

Leads, but does not control.

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This is called do's profound virtue.

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.52. The world has an origin,

Which may be called the world's mother.

When one's mother is known,

Then her children are known

Then one returns to their mother,

And is always free of danger.

If one closes the mouth

And shuts the senses,

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Until the end of life, one need not worry.

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If the mouth is opened,

And affairs become overwhelming,

Until the end of life, one is beyond rescue.

Perceiving the subtle is called enlightened.

Abiding in gentleness is called strength.

Bask in her radiance,

Return to her enlightenment,

And one will not be exposed to misfortune.

This is called bringing the eternal into time.

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.53. If I suddenly attained wisdom,

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I would follow the great do,

And straying would be my only fear.

Do is very smooth,

But the people prefer rules and traditions.

The palaces may be very splendid,

But the fields are filled with weeds,

And the granaries are all but empty.

They are clothed in elegant gowns,

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Carrying sharp weapons,

Indulging in food and drink.

Having abundant wealth

Is but theft and vanity

Alas, this is not do!

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.54. A good root cannot be uprooted;

A good grip cannot be loosened

To such a one, all will pay homage without ceasing.

Cultivate this in the self

And do's virtue will be abundant.

22
Cultivate this in the home

And do's virtue will linger.

Cultivate this in the village,

And do's virtue will be long-lasting.

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Cultivate this in the nation,

And do's virtue will be teeming.

Cultivate this everywhere,

And do's virtue will be all-pervasive.

Consider the self as the self,

The home as the home,

The village as the village,

The nation as the nation;

See the world just as it is.

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How do I know things this way?

By stopping and sitting.

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.55. Those who keep the plenitude of do's virtue

22
Are like a newborn child:

The serpent will not bite them,

Wild beasts will not attack them,

Birds of prey will not strike them.

Their bones, yielding,

Their muscles, pliant,

Yet their grasp is firm.

They have not yet known sexual union,

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Yet they are fully aroused.

They are brimming with potential.

All day they cry, yet never become hoarse.

They are brimming with tranquility.

Knowing tranquility

Is called the unchanging.

Knowing the unchanging

Is called enlightenment.

Having fullness of life

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Is called a blessing.

Directing the vital force with the mind

11
Is called strength.

Overgrown creatures will grow old,

This is called going against do.

Going against do leads to an early end.

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.56. Those who are wise do not speak;

Those who speak are not wise;

32
Close the mouth,

Shut the senses,

31
Blunt sharpened tongues,

And end disputes.

Humble the exalted,

Unite the people

33
This is called the mystery of union,

118

This causes one to become impossible to approach,

Yet impossible to avoid;

Impossible to benefit,

Yet impossible to harm;

Impossible to esteem,

Yet impossible to disgrace;

This is the greatest treasure of the world.

119

.57. A nation is governed by rules,

A war is won by lawlessness,

The whole world is united when meddling ceases.

26
How do I know it is so?

By stopping and sitting, I see:

21
The more restrictions and taboos in the world,

The poorer the people.

The sharper the people's weapons,

The more disordered the nation.

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The more clever and cunning the people,

The more trickery will occur.

The more rules and commands are promulgated,

The more thieves and robbers appear.

The wise ones say:

I am without action,

So the people reform themselves.

I provide room for stillness,

So the people adjust themselves.

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I do not interfere,

So the people enrich themselves.

I have no attachments,

So the people return to natural simplicity.

15

122

.58. When government is subdued, subdued,

The people are pure, pure.

When government is prying, prying,

The people are restless, restless.

Good fortune rests upon misery,

And misery is concealed in good fortune.

Who knows where it ends?

The world is unjust,

But justice turns to injustice,

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And good turns to misfortune.

Every day, society's confusion endures.

The wise ones are sharp,

But do not cut.

Acute, but not piercing.

Direct, but not severe.

Brilliant, but not blinding.

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.59. To care for humanity and serve heaven,

Nothing surpasses prudence.

Only through prudence

May one be prepared.

By being prepared,

Do's virtue is abundant.

22
An abundance of virtue

Means nothing is impossible.

Because nothing is impossible,

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There are no known limits.

Because there are no known limits,

One is then able to maintain the nation.

One who maintains the mother of the nation

Can endure.

This is called having deep roots and a sturdy trunk;

The do of ever-increasing insight

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.60. Governing a great nation is like frying a small fish.

Govern the world with do,

And the dark spirits will not have power.

The dark spirits will not have power,

And their power will not harm the people.

Their power will not harm the people,

And the wise ones will not harm the people.

Neither of them will cause harm;

And so their virtue unites and returns.

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.61. A great nation, flowing down the world's stream,

Is a confluence of the world's feminine energy.

The feminine, through her stillness,

Always overcomes the masculine.

By stillness,

She strikes at the root.

If a great nation defers to a small nation,

Then it can unite the small nation.

26
If a small nation defers to a great nation,

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Then it unites with the great nation.

Some unite by deferring,

And others are united by deferring.

A great nation only wants to annex and herd people.

A small nation only wants to serve its people.

Each of them obtains that which they desire,

But it behooves the great to defer to the small.

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.62. Do is the silent reservoir of all things

34
The treasure of the good person,

The guardian of the bad.

Beautiful words earn respect;

Noble actions confer honor.

Why shun people for their faults?

When the emperor is crowned

And his three ministers are appointed,

Though he may have precious jade

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And be preceded by four horses,

He is not superior to one who sits and offers do.

21
This is the reason that the ancients treasured do.

Through her they obtained what they sought

And were forgiven their transgressions.

This is why the whole world treasures her.

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.63. Act without action,

Do without doing,

Find flavor even in what is flavorless.

Whether great or small, many or few,

Respond to injuries with virtue.

Deal with the difficult while it is still easy.

Deal with the great while it is still small.

The world's difficulties

Always arise as simple things.

132

The world's great affairs

Always arise as small things.

The wise ones

Do not strive after great things;

This is why their accomplishments are great.

Frivolous commitments are divorced from trust.

Over-simplicity leads to great difficulties.

The wise ones confront difficult things;

And so there is never difficulty!

133

.64. What is at rest is easily grasped.

What has not yet happened is easily prepared for.

What is fragile is easily broken.

What is small is easily scattered.

Take action before it emerges,

Govern before there is trouble.

A tree as big as one's embrace

Grows from a tiny seed.

A nine story tower

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Begins with a heap of earth.

A long journey

Begins where one's feet stand.

Taking action is failure;

Taking hold lets it slip

The wise ones do not act,

So that there is no failure.

They do not take hold,

So that it does not slip.

135

The people follow their affairs,

Constantly approaching success,

Yet failing.

As patient in the end as the beginning,

There will be no failure.

The wise ones

Desire to be desireless,

And do not esteem treasures obtained with difficulty.

They learn to be unlearned,

136

And return to where the people have overshot.

They support the spontaneous nature of all things

19
Without daring to act.

137

.65. The ancient ones practiced do well;

They did not seek to enlighten the people,

But let them follow their own simplicity.

The people are impossible to govern

Because of their cleverness.

To rule the nation cleverly

Is the nation's ruin.

To rule the nation without cleverness

Is the nation's good fortune.

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Knowing this balance

Is knowing the rule of heaven.

Never forgetting this standard

Is called profound virtue.

Profound virtue goes deep and distant!

It returns things to their source!

Then greatest harmony is attained.

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.66. The reason that the rivers and seas

Can become the rulers of the valleys

Is because they are good at staying in low places.

This is why they can be the rulers of the valleys.

The wise ones speak humbly to the people,

And do not speak down to them.

One who wishes to lead others

Must leave their assumptions behind.

The wise ones dwell in high places

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But the people do not feel their weight.

They stand in front without obstructing the people

This is why

The world never tires of joyously exalting them.

Because they do not strive against nature,

3
Nothing in the world can strive against them.

141

.67. All say that

Do is great,

Great, and resembling nothing else.

It is precisely because she resembles nothing else

That she can be great.

If she resembled others, she would be trivial.

I have three treasures that I hold and cherish:

One is called compassion.

The second is called moderation.

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The third is called not daring to be the world's leader.

Compassion begets the ability to be without fear.

Moderation begets the ability to be generous.

Not daring to be the world's leader

Allows one's talents to endure.

Seeking bravery without compassion,

Seeking generosity without moderation,

Seeking leadership without humility,

These things are fatal!

143

Only compassion can bring victory out of a battle

If one is guarded in this way,

They become impregnable.

Heaven will come to save those

Who are guarded by compassion.

144

.68. A well-trained commander does not make war.

A well-fought battle is not violent.

A skillful conquerer does not compete.

A good leader is humble.

This is called the virtue of not striving against nature.

3
This is called the strength to cooperate with others.

This is called the sublime union with heaven.

The supreme ultimate of the ancient ones.

145

.69. In military engagements, there is a saying:

I do not dare act as a ruler,

But act as a guest.

Nor dare to advance an inch

Without retreating a foot.

This is called movement without moving,

Reaching out without forcing,

Confronting without attacking,

Seizing without soldiers.

146

There is no greater calamity

Than making light of one's opponent.

Making light of one's opponent

Risks destroying my treasures.

When soldiers meet in battle,

The reluctant one will prevail.

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.70. My words are very easy to understand

And very easy to practice.

But no one is able to understand them

Or practice them

My words have an ancestor,

My deeds have a master,

It is precisely because she is unknown

That my teachings are unknown.

Those who know my teachings are a rare sight,

148

For the wise ones wear coarse clothes

To hide their treasures.

149

.71. To know that one does not know is noble.

Not knowing yet thinking one knows is a sickness.

The wise ones are not sick.

Because they are sick of this sickness,

They are not sick.

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.72. When the people are not afraid of harm,

They will be greatly harmed.

Do not restrict the people's lives,

Do not oppress their livelihood.

It is only because someone oppresses

That there is oppression.

This is why the wise ones know themselves

But do not to parade themselves about.

Love yourself, but do not treasure yourself.

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.73. He who shows bravery by taking risks will die.

He who shows bravery by not taking risks will live .

Some things benefit, while others harm.

Who knows why heaven despises what it despises?

Even the wise ones consider this question difficult.

The do of heaven

Does not strive, yet deftly conquers.

She does not speak, yet skillfully responds.

She does not ask, yet she receives.

152

She has no aim, yet her planning is impeccable.

The holes in heaven's net are vast and wide,

Yet nothing slips through.

153

.74. The people do not fear death,

So how can executions threaten them?

But if the people fear death,

Then they become vicious,

Then who would dare arrest and execute them?

There is already a natural death to do the killing.

One who kills in the stead of natural death

Is cutting wood for a master carpenter.

One who cuts wood for a master carpenter

154

Seldom remains uninjured by their own hands!

155

.75. The people are starving

Because their rulers feast on their taxes.

This is why they are starving.

The people are difficult to rule

Because their rulers are meddlesome.

This is why they are difficult to rule.

The people take death lightly

Because their rulers make much of life.

This is why they take death lightly.

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Only one who does not strive for life

Has a life worth honoring.

157

.76. While they grow, people are

Tender and fragile.

When they die, they are

Rigid and stiff.

While they grow, the grass and trees are

Yielding and delicate.

When they die, they are

Brittle and rotten.

Rigidity and stiffness pursue death;

158

Tenderness and fragility pursue life;

This is why unyielding soldiers cannot win.

An unyielding tree will meet the axe.

The unyielding are toppled from their places.

The tender and fragile will be lifted up.

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.77. Heaven's way

Is like drawing a bow:

The top is pulled down

As the bottom is lifted.

The long is diminished

The short is supplemented.

The do of heaven diminishes whatever is abundant

And supplements what is lacking.

The way of society is not so:

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It diminishes the lacking,

And adds to what is already abundant.

Who can take the surplus

And offer it to the world?

Only those who follow do.

The wise ones do their work, expecting no reward.

Merit success without taking credit,

They do not act in order to display their excellence.

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.78. Nothing is as tender and weak as water,

Yet even the most forceful attack

Cannot conquer it.

For this reason, nothing can replace it.

The weak surpasses unyielding force,

Tenderness surpasses aggression.

This is not unknown to the world,

Yet none can practice it.

The wise ones say:

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One who takes on the nation's shame

Is called the ruler of the land.

One who takes on the nation's misfortunes

Is called the ruler of the world.

True words seem paradoxical.

163

.79. Make peace with enemies,

And yet hatred still remains.

How can this be any good?

The wise ones meet their obligations

35
Without blaming others;

The virtuous ones merely keep contracts;

Those without virtue hold others responsible.

Heaven's way is without preference,

Yet is always on the side of the good.

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.80. A small nation with few citizens;

Even if they possess ten times one hundred tools,

They do not use them.

If the people take death seriously,

They will not travel far.

Although they possess boats and carriages,

They find no place to ride them.

Though they possess weapons,

They do not display them.

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Let the people return to knotting cords

To keep their accounts.

36
They enjoy their food,

Their clothes are beautiful,

They are content with their homes.

They find joy in everyday life.

Neighboring communities can see one another,

Roosters and dogs can be heard between them,

Yet the people will grow old and die,

166

Never having visited them.

167

.81. Sincere words are not beautiful

Beautiful words are not sincere.

The good do not argue

Arguments are not good.

Wisdom is not learned

32
Learning is not wisdom.

The wise ones do not hoard.

The more they act for others,

The more they have.

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The more they share with the people,

The more they receive.

Heaven's way benefits

And does not injure.

The wise one's way

Is to act without striving against nature.

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NOTES

1 In Verse 1, The character is made up of the character for lack and the character valley. I have translated this line unconventionally based on the frequent usage of valley as a metaphor for do. While I have maintained a more orthodox approach to other instances of this character, they could certainly be read in this sense as well. 2 The character may be translated hateful, ugly, despised, evil, and so on. Etymologically, it consists of the character for heart and a radical that here means deformed. Thus, ugly-hearted, used in Verses 2 and 42. 3 The character may simply be translated to strive. In spaces when it seems to amplify the text (Verses 8, 22, 56, 66, 68, 81), I have translated it to strive against nature. This is because it not only captures the spirit of the Dodjng, but also because the character itself is an image of an animal's claw and a human hand fighting over a sticka perfect image of the battle between humanity and nature. 4 The character is used in various senses throughout the text; it generally means knowledge. In Verses 3 as well as in 10, it is used in a negative sense, so I have chosen to translate it the same way as , learnedness, which is used exclusively in the negative throughout. (see also note 32.) 5 In Verse 4, the literal translation of this line would be imagelord's origin. This has been translated variously as the origin of gods, the origin of nature, etc. (Though the character , usually translated image, may also be interpreted seems to be.) I have chosen to interpret the image-lord as being akin to the Jungian concept of archetype, but I readily admit that this line is difficult, and any translation, including my own, will be lacking. 6 Paradoxically, the character , which might be translated kindness or humanity, is sometimes used in the positive sense (Verse 8), sometimes in a neutral sense (Verse 38), and, most often, in a negative sense (Verses 5, 18, 19.) In the negative sense, it seems to indicate partiality or kindness done out of duty rather than care. I have translated it differently in each context to reflect this.

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NOTES 7 In Verse 5, the literal translation of this line is like straw dogs. I have chosen to capture its meaning in the word impartially and leave researching the cultural significance of straw dogs as an exercise for the reader. 8 In Verse 6, the character means female, but also valley or even keyhole. I have used womb to try to capture the various meanings. 9 In the text, there are several places where a character is duplicated to place emphasis, and in most of these instances I have retained the duplication in the translation in order to capture the feel of the original. In Verse 6 I deviate from this and translate

as saturating everything, because saturating, saturating

would be an awkward and confusing rendering. (see also note 28.) 10 The character is most easily translated to use, to employ, or possibly to enjoy. In some places such translation is limiting due to the utilitarian baggage of the English word, and in several chapters (Verses 6, 11, 40, 45) I have chosen to interpret it in the sense of realizing the purpose of. 11 The character , transliterated q, is a complex concept in Chinese philosophy, and demands significant research for a passable understanding, which I leave as an exercise for the reader. It appears in Verses 10, 42, and 55, and I have translated it vital force for lack of a better alternative. 12 In Verse 10, the literal translation of is heaven's gate opens and closes. The gate of heaven refers to the senses, and I have chosen to make this meaning explicit in my translation. (see also note 31.) 13 The literal translation of this line in Verse 10 might be It is possible to be feminine! My translation is based on the particular character , conventionally meaning female. The right portion of the character means bird, while the left means this. The character for this, , is used several times in the text to imply a meditative stance (Verses 21, 54, 62; see also note 20), thus tranquil. To preserve the feminine implications of the character as well as the do's characterization as mother, I have used the phrase mother bird. While this is certainly not the most literal

171

NOTES translation, I find the imagery of a bird patiently incubating her eggs to capture the meaning well. 14 In Verse 13, the character may mean body or self. Because the meaning is ambiguous here, I have tried to capture both. By unchangeable identity, I mean to capture a sense of ego that is, like the body, effete and material, which we attempt to maintain at all costs. This seems to capture the meaning of the text. 15 The character means simple or genuine. It is often translated uncarved block due to the character's etymology. I have chosen to translate it natural simplicity to capture the meaning of the character as well as its etymological connection to the undomesticated wilderness. (see Verses 15, 19, 28, 32, 37, 57.) 16 The character , like , means return, but here in Verse 16 it is meant to imply a sort of eternal returna cyclemuch like

is employed in Verse 40 (see note 29.)

17 This line of Verse 16 might be translated drown the self, be free of danger, or give up the self, be free of danger, or any other number of ways. The general sense seems to be freeing one's self from danger by exposing one's self to danger. 18 This line of Verse 17 might be translated So quietly he treasures words, but the character can also indicate a question, and so I have chosen my translation accordingly, which I believe better captures the sense of a silent ruler. 19 The phrase is an important technical term in doism, and might be translated self-so. It may be said to mean that which genuinely honors the nature that formed it, and I have translated it somewhat differently in each place that it occurs (Verses 17, 23, 25, 51, 64) to reflect that meaning in each context. 20 The character usually means wise or sacred, but in Verse 19, where it is used in a negative sense, I have rendered it self-righteousness to indicate the artifice of wisdom. 21 The character generally means this. The component on the left of the character means stop while that on the right depicts a seated figure. Hence my choice to amplify the meaning

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NOTES as it appears in Verses 21, 54, 57, and 62. 22 I have translated , as do's virtue in several places (Verses 23, 28, 49, 51, 54, 55, 59.) This is in accord with the meaning of the character explicated in Verse 21, which tells us that can only come from do. 23 In Verse 26, the character , meaning baggage, is the same character used earlier to mean heavy. This constitutes a pun that is lost in the translation. 24 More literally, this line in Verse 27 might read This demands awe, but I have chosen a translation that amplifies its reference to failing to value their teacher and love their lesson. 25 In Verse 28, the character means system, establishment, or power. It consists of an image of a large tree being cut down. This is the reverse of the character , which literally means uncarved block of wood, and is translated in this passage as nature's simplicity (see note 15.) In this line, the is described as uncut. Literally, perhaps, it claims that the cut wood remains uncut. Because this refers back to nature's simplicity, I have chosen to translate it in a way that reflects all of these concerns, along with the claim that the wise ones gather the pieces. 26 The character generally means to take hold or to receive, but in several places the more context-appropriate meaning is to bring together or to unite (Verses 29, 48, 57, 61.) 27 In Verse 35, the character is interpreted to mean realizing the purpose of do, which in this context is providence. (see note 10.) 28 In the text, there are several places where a character is duplicated to place emphasis, and in most of these instances I have retained the duplication in the translation in order to capture the feel of the original. In Verse 39 I deviate from this and translate

as things that shimmer, because jade, jade would be an

awkward and confusing rendering. In the following line, I have followed a similar convention. (see also note 9.)

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NOTES

29 The character , like , means return, but here in Verse 40 it is meant to imply a sort of eternal returna cyclemuch like

is employed in Verse 16 (see note 16.)

30 Many translations have these opening lines of Verse 49 claim something about the wise ones taking the people's mind as their own. Because the verse is specifically about the wise ones reacting differently than those who act upon them, this seems inappropriate. Instead, these lines appear to say that the wise ones' hearts are moved by the peoplethat they care for the people rather than simply reacting in kind. 31 The phrase found in Verses 52 and 56 literally means shut the gates, but is being used as a metaphor for the senses. I believe my translation amplifies the meaning as well as bringing it into congruence with the line preceding it. (see also note 12.) 32 The character is used in various senses throughout the text. While it generally means knowledge, it seems to indicate something deeper in Verses 53, 56 and 81. I have chosen to translate it wisdom. (see also note 4) 33 In Verse 56, the phrase may be more literally translated blunt the sharp, loosen the knots, soften the lights, unite the scattered dust. The translation presented is meant to amplify the metaphor that is being presented. 34 In Verse 62, the character may mean obscure, profound, container, or storehouse. It originally referred to the southwest corner of a house, where treasure is kept. The character is made of a treasure inside of a container, above the character for great. To maintain the sense of profundity, its role as a container, and the frequent allusions to water metaphors in the text, I have interpolated the translation silent reservoir. 35 In Verse 79, the line may be more literally translated The wise ones keep the left contract. The cultural significance of this is that the wise one repays their debts. I have chosen to translate this more generally as meeting obligations. 36 In Verse 80, this line literally means and using them. The use of knotting cords is to keep track of information, usually

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NOTES numbersthe practice resulted eventually in the abacus. translation is meant to reflect this meaning. My

175