63
  Act　without　acting。　Serve　without　serving。　Taste　without　tasting。
  Big；　little；　Many；　few；　Repay　hatred　with　Te。
  Map　difficult　with　easy　Approach　great　through　narrow。
  The　most　difficult　things　in　the　world　Must　be　accomplished　through　the　easiest。　The　greatest　things　in　the　world　Must　be　accomplished　through　the　smallest。
  Therefore　the　Sage　Never　attempts　great　things　and　so　accomplishes　them。
  Quick　promises　Mean　little　trust。　Everything　easy　Means　great　difficulty。
  Thus　for　the　Sage　everything　is　difficult；　And　so　in　the　end　Nothing　is　difficult。
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  At　rest　is　easy　to　hold。　Not　yet　impossible　is　easy　to　plan。　Brittle　is　easy　to　break。　Fine　is　easy　to　scatter。
  Create　before　it　exists。　Lead　before　it　goes　astray。
  A　tree　too　big　to　embrace　Is　born　from　a　slender　shoot。　A　nine…story　rises　from　a　pile　of　earth。　A　thousand…mile　journey　Begins　with　a　single　step。
  Act　and　you　ruin　it。　Grasp　and　you　lose　it。　Therefore　the　Sage　Does　not　act　And　so　does　not　ruin　Does　not　grasp　And　so　does　not　lose。
  People　commonly　ruin　their　work　When　they　are　near　success。　Proceed　at　the　end　as　at　the　beginning　And　your　work　won't　be　ruined。
  Therefore　the　Sage　Desires　no　desires　Prizes　no　prizes　Studies　no　studies　And　returns　To　what　others　pass　by。　The　Sage　Helps　all　beings　find　their　nature；　But　does　not　presume　to　act。
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  Taoist　rulers　of　old　Did　not　enlighten　people　But　left　them　dull。
  People　are　difficult　to　govern　Because　they　are　very　clever。　Therefore；　Ruling　through　cleverness　leads　to　rebellion。　Not　leading　through　cleverness　Brings　good　fortune。
  Know　these　two　things　And　understanding　the　enduring　pattern。　Understand　the　enduring　pattern：　This　is　called　original　Te。
  Original　Te　goes　deep　and　far。　All　things　reverse　Return　And　reach　the　great　headwaters。
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  Rivers　and　seas　Can　rule　the　hundred　valleys　Because　they　are　good　at　lying　low　They　are　lords　of　the　valleys。
  Therefore　those　who　would　be　above　Must　speak　as　if　they　are　below　Those　who　would　lead　Must　speak　as　if　they　are　behind。
  In　this　way　the　Sage　dwells　above　And　the　people　are　not　burdened。　Dwells　in　front　And　they　are　not　hindered。　Therefore　the　whole　world　Is　delighted　and　unwearied。
  Since　the　Sage　does　not　contend　No　one　can　contend　with　the　Sage。
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  Everyone　under　heaven　calls　my　Tao　great；　and　unlike　anything　else。　It　is　great　only　because　It　is　unlike　anything　else。　If　it　were　like　anything　else　It　would　stretch　and　become　thin。
  I　have　three　treasures　to　maintain　and　conserve：　the　first　is　compassion。　The　second　is　frugality。　The　third　is　not　presuming　To　be　first　under　heaven。
  Compassion　leads　to　courage。　Frugality　allows　generosity。　Not　presuming　to　be　first　Creates　a　lasting　instrument。
  Nowadays；　People　reject　compassion　But　want　to　be　brave；　Reject　frugality　But　want　to　be　generous；　Reject　humility　And　want　to　come　first。　This　is　death。
  Compassion：　Attack　with　it　and　win。　Defend　with　it　and　stand　firm。　Heaven　aids　and　protects　Through　compassion。
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  The　accomplished　person　is　not　aggressive。　The　good　soldier　is　not　hot　tempered。
  The　best　conqueror　does　not　engage　the　enemy。　The　most　effective　leader　takes　the　lowest　place。
  This　is　called　the　Te　of　not　contending。　This　is　called　the　power　of　the　leader。　This　is　called　matching　Heaven's　ancient　ideal。
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  There　is　a　saying　in　the　army：　I　do　not　presume　to　be　the　master；　But　become　the　guest。　I　do　not　dare　advance　an　inch；　but　retreat　a　foot。
  This　is　called　moving　without　moving；　rolling　up　sleeves　without　showing　your　arms；　Repelling　without　opposing；　Wielding　without　a　weapon。
  There　is　no　disaster　greater　than　Contempt　for　the　enemy。
  Contempt　for　the　enemy　…　what　a　treasure　is　lost！　Therefore；　When　the　fighting　gets　hot；　Those　who　grieve　will　conquer。
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  My　words　are　very　easy　to　understand；　Very　easy　to　practice。　No　one　under　heaven　can　understand　them；　No　one　can　practice　them。
  Words　have　ancestors；　Deeds　have　masters。　If　people　don't　understand　this；　They　don't　understand　me。　Few　understand　me；　And　that　is　my　value。
  Therefore　the　Sage　wears　rough　clothing　And　carries　Jade　inside。
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  Know　not…knowing：　supreme。　Not　know　knowing：　faulty
  Only　faulting　faults　is　faultless。
  The　Sage　is　faultless
  By　faulting　faults；
  And　so　is　without　fault。
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  When　people　are　not　in　awe　of　power；　Power　becomes　great。
  Do　not　intrude　into　their　homes；　Do　not　make　their　lives　weary。　If　you　do　not　weary　them；　They　will　not　becoem　weary　of　you。
  Therefore　the　Sage　Has　self…knowledge　without　self…display；　Self…love　without　personal　pride；　Rejects　one；　accepts　the　other。
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  Courage　to　dare　kills；　Courage　not　to　dare　saves。　One　brings　profit；　one　brings　harm。
  Of　these　two；　one　is　good；　and　one　is　harmful。　Some　are　not　favored　by　heaven。　Who　knows　why？　Even　the　wise　consider　it　a　difficult　question。
  Heaven　hates　what　it　hates　…　Who　knows　why！　Even　the　Sage　finds　it　difficult。　Heaven's　Tao　does　not　contend　But　prevails；　Does　not　speak；　But　responds；　Is　not　summoned；　But　arrives；　Is　utterly　still；　But　plans　all　actions。
  Heaven's　net　is　wide；　wide；　Loose　…　But　nothing　slips　through。
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  If　people　do　not　fear　death；　How　dare　you　threaten　them　with　death？
  But　if　people　with　a　normal　fear　of　death　Are　about　to　do　something　vicious；　And　I　could　seize　and　execute　them；　Who　would　dare？
  There　is　always　an　official　executioner。　Trying　to　take　the　executioner's　place；　Is　like　trying　to　replace　a　master　woodworker　…　Few　would　not　slice　their　own　hands。
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  People　are　hungry。　When　rulers　tax　grain　People　are　hungry。
  People　are　rebellious。　When　rulers　are　active　People　are　rebellious。
  People　ignore　death。　When　searching　only　for　life's　bounty　People　ignore　death。　Only　those　who　do　not　strive　after　life　Truly　respect　life。
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  Humans　are　born　soft　and　weak。　They　die　stiff　and　strong。
  The　ten　thousand　plants　and　trees　Are　born　soft　tender；　And　die　withered　and　sere。
  The　stiff　and　strong　Are　Death's　companions　The　soft　and　weak　Are　Life's　companions。
  Therefore　the　strongest　armies　do　not　conquer；　The　greatest　trees　are　cut　down。
  The　strong　and　great　sink　down。　The　soft　and　weak　rise　up。
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  Heaven's　Tao　Is　a　stretched　bow；　Pulling　down　on　the　top　Pulling　up　on　the　bottom。
  If　it's　too　much；　cut。　If　it's　not　enough；　Add　on　to　it：　Heaven's　Tao。
  The　Human　Route　Is　not　like　this；　Depriving　the　poor；　Offering　to　the　rich。　Who　has　a　surplus　And　still　offers　it　to　the　world？　Only　those　with　Tao。
  Therefore　the　Sage　Acts　and　expects　nothing；　Accomplishes　and　does　not　linger；　Has　no　desire　to　seem　worthy。
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  Nothing　in　the　world　is　soft　and　weak　as　water。　But　when　attacking　the　hard　and　strong　Nothing　can　conquer　so　easily。
  Weak　overcomes　strong；　soft　overcomes　hard。　Everyone　knows　this；　no　one　attains　it。
  Therefore　the　Sage　says：　Accept　a　country's　filth　And　become　master　of　its　sacred　soil。　Accepts　country's　ill　fortune　And　become　king　under　heaven。　True　words　resemble　their　opposites。
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  Appears　great　hatred　sand　hatred　will　remain。　How　can　this　be　good？
  Therefore　the　Sage　Holds　the　tally　But　does　not　judge　people。
  Those　who　have　Te　Control　the　tally。　Those　who　lack　Te　Collect　their　due。
  Heaven　has　no　favourites　But　endures　in　good　people。
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  Small　country；　few　people　…　Hundreds　of　devices；　But　none　are　used。　People　ponder　on　death　And　don't　travel　far。
  They　have　carriages　and　boats；　But　no　one　goes　on　board；　Weapons　and　armour；　But　no　one　brandishes　them。
  They　use　knotted　cords　for　counting。　Sweet　is　their　food；　Beautiful　their　clothes；　Peaceful　their　homes；　Delightful　their　customs。
  Neighboring　countries　are　so　close　You　can　hear　their　chickens　and　dogs。　But　people　grow　old　and　die　Without　needing　to　come　and　go。
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  Sincere　words　and　not　pretty。　Pretty　words　are　not　sincere。
  Good　people　do　not　quarrel。　Quarrelsome　people　are　not　good。
  The　wise　are　not　learned。　The　learned　are　not　wise。
  The　Sage　is　not　acquisitive　…　Has　enough　By　doing　for　others；　Has　even　more　By　giving　to　others。
  Heaven's　Tao　Benefits　and　does　not　harm。　The　Sage's　Tao　Acts　and　does　not　contend。
  English_Allchin_TTK
  Das　Tao　Te　King　von　Lao　Tse
  English　interpretation　by
  Douglas　Allchin；　2002
  Vorwort/Foreword
  Who　would　follow　the　Way
  must　go　beyond　words。
  With　such　bold　words；　who　would　dare　to　introduce　yet　another　version　of　the　Tao　Te　Ching　（Dao　De　Jing；　or　The　Classics　of　Integrity　and　the　Way）？　If　words　are　inadequate；　how　can　one　regard　favorably　yet　one　more　set　of　an　already　much　translated　text？　Many　things　make　this　version　unique。
  First；　while　many　translations　of　this　Chinese　classic　exist；　none　（to　my　mind）　capture　the　cadence　and　sound　of　poetry。　While　I　regard　many　translations　as　faithful　in　meaning；　their　convoluted　rhythm　bears　witness　to　an　effort　to　transcend　languages。　The　Classics