can　be　done　for　it。
  This　may　be　called　the　two…pronged　lesson：　Bad　men　can　learn　from　the　good　man's　successes。　Good　men　can　learn　from　the　bad　man's　failures。
  Whoever　despises　such　teachers；　whether　good　or　bad；　or　who　fails　to　appreciate　such　lessons；　Even　though　he　may　be　a　〃walking　encyclopedia；〃　is　really　a　misguided　fool。　This　is　the　secret　of　wisdom。
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  He　who　knows　how　to　be　aggressive；　and　yet　remains　patient；　becomes　a　receptacle　for　all　Nature's　lessons。　Being　thus　receptive；　he　continually　reembodies　intelligence；　and　recuperates　his　primal　nature。
  He　who　knows　how　to　be　brilliant；　and　yet　remains　demure；　becomes　the　ideal　which　all　things　have　as　their　ultimate　goal。　Being　thus　the　ideal；　he　actualizes　the　unending　goal　of　existence；　and　reinstates　his　primordial　condition　of　perfect　self　sufficiency。
  He　who　know　how　to　be　proud；　and　yet　remains　humble；　becomes　the　recipient　of　all　Nature's　bounties。　Being　thus　receptive；　he　reintegrates　intrinsic　goodness；　and　restores　primitive　wholeness。
  Intrinsic　goodness；　when　devoted　to　varieties　of　uses；　functions　as　instrumental　value。　When　the　intelligent　man　employs　instrumental　values；　he　treats　them　as　means　to　ends；　For　he　is　concerned　with　the　ultimate　ends；　never　mistaking　the　means　as　ends　in　themselves。
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  Whenever　someone　sets　out　to　remold　the　world；　experience　teaches　that　he　is　bound　to　fail。
  For　Nature　is　already　as　good　as　it　can　be。　It　cannot　be　improved　upon。　He　who　tries　to　redesign　it；　spoils　it。　He　who　tries　to　redirect　it；　misleads　it。
  Consider　how　Natures　operates：　Some　things　precede　while　others　follow。　Some　things　blow　one　way　while　some　blow　another。　Some　things　are　strong　while　others　are　weak。　Some　things　are　going　up　while　others　are　going　down。
  Therefore　the　intelligent　man　avoids　both　extremes；　shunning　excess　in　one　way　as　well　as　in　the　other。
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  Whoever　tries　to　help　Nature　run　itself　does　not　need　to　use　force。　For　force　will　be　met　with　force；　and　wherever　force　is　used　fighting　and　devastation　follows。
  After　the　battle　come　years　of　destitution。
  He　who　is　wise　lets　well　enough　alone。　He　does　not　press　a　victory　by　further　conquest。
  When　peace　has　been　restored；　he　does　not　behave　like　an　arrogant　victor。　When　security　has　been　regained；　he　does　not　gloat　like　a　conqueror。　When　he　gets　what　he　needs；　he　does　not　destroy　those　who　have　been　defeated。　Whenever　he　does　something　which　he　has　to　do；　he　does　it　without　cruelty。
  When　things　reach　maturity；　they　decay　of　themselves。　So　cruelty　is　unnatural。　Whoever　acts　unnaturally　will　come　to　an　unnatural　finish。
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  Weapons　have　a　negative　value；　for　they　create　fear　in　others。　Therefore；　the　follower　of　Nature　avoids　them。
  For　when　among　intimates；　one　naturally　prefers　the　gentler；　more　trusting；　position　on　the　left。　And　when　among　enemies；　one　naturally　jockeys　for　the　more　strategic　position　on　the　right。
  Since　weapons　have　a　negative　value；　the　intelligent　man　will　have　nothing　to　do　with　them　if　he　can。　But　when　he　is　forced　to　use　them；　he　does　so　with　reluctance　and　restraint。
  He　does　not　admire　conquest。　For　whoever　desires　to　conquer　desires　to　kill。　And　whoever　delights　in　murder；　cannot　inherit　the　earth。
  When　things　go　well；　we　signify　this　by　honouring　the　position　on　the　left。　When　ills　prevail；　we　symbolize　this　by　giving　precedence　to　the　position　on　the　right。　In　military　parades；　the　second　in　command；　who　is　ordered　to　give　orders；　takes　his　place　on　the　left；　While　the　first　in　command；　who　by　himself　undertakes　to　give　orders；　takes　the　right　hand　position。　There　is　a　significant　similarity　between　fighting　and　funerals。
  Just　as　the　slaughter　of　many　people　should　be　accomplished　by　weeping　and　mourning；　So　the　positions　in　a　victory　parade　should　properly　parallel　those　in　a　funeral　procession。
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  Nature　is　always　indeterminable。　Although；　in　its　original　simplicity；　it　may　appear　to　be　helpless；　no　one　else　can　tell　it　what　to　do。
  If　legislators　and　administrators　could　keep　this　in　mind；　everybody　would　obey　their　laws　without　enforcement。
  When　opposites　supplement　each　other；　everything　is　harmonious。　Without　compulsion；　each　supports　the　other。
  But　when　boundaries　between　opposites　appear；　then　the　boundary　lines　are　marked　out。　Once　one　begins　to　differentiate　between　one　thing　and　another；　how　will　we　know　where　to　stop？　To　know　when　to　stop　making　distinctions　is　to　be　free　from　error。
  The　true　relationship　of　every　determinate　thing　to　Nature　is　reintegrative；　like　all　the　rivers　and　rivulets　ever　running　to　their　ocean。
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  He　who　knows　much　about　others　may　be　learned；　but　he　who　understands　himself　is　more　intelligent。
  He　who　controls　others　may　be　powerful；　but　he　who　has　mastered　himself　is　mightier　still。
  He　who　receives　his　happiness　from　others　may　be　rich；　but　he　who　whose　contentment　is　self…willed　has　inexhaustible　wealth。
  He　who　occupies　a　place　provided　for　him　by　others　may　live　a　long　life；　but　he　who　dwells　in　his　own　self…contained　place；　even　though　he　decays；　is　eternal。
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  Ultimate　reality　is　all…pervasive；　it　is　immanent　everywhere。
  All　other　things　owe　their　existence　to　it　and　draw　their　sustenance　from　it；　without　anyone　being　refused。　Having　created　and　and　nurtured　them；　it　does　not　demand　title　to　them。　Even　though　it　has　provided　for　all；　it　refuses　to　dominate　over　a　single　one。
  Since　it　asks　nothing　in　return　for　its　services；　it　may　appear　as　of　little　worth。
  But　all　things　return　home　to　it　again；　even　though　they　do　not　know　that　they　are　being　called　home。　Therefore　it　may　be　thought　of　as　ultimate。
  Since　it　never　claims　ultimacy　for　itself；　it　is；　by　that　very　fact；　ultimate　indeed。
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  He　who　grasps　the　ultimate　structure　of　reality　draws　everyone　to　him。　They　approach　him　without　being　harmed；　but　find　security；　satisfaction；　and　contentment。
  Particular　goods　of　various　kinds　attract　the　interests　of　men　as　they　travel　through　life。
  But　the　all…pervasive　way　of　Nature　attracts　no　attention　to　itself　（for　its　true　nature　is　not　found　to　be　in　particulars）。　Even　though　it　is　present　in　the　mouth；　it　remains　untasted。　Even　though　it　is　embedded　in　all　objects；　it　remains　unseen。　Even　though　it　permeates　sound；　it　remains　unheard。　Yet；　no　matter　how　much　we　use　it；　it　can　never　be　exhausted。
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  The　purpose　of　contracting　（returning　to　Nature）　is　served　by　expanding　（emerging　out　of　Nature　in　the　first　place）。　The　purpose　of　weakening　（subsiding　or　satisfying　of　desire）　is　served　by　strengthening　（arousing　the　will　to　live）。　The　purpose　of　decline　（of　individual　self…assertion）　is　served　by　arising　（of　individuality）。　The　purpose　of　taking　away　（culminating　or　perfecting　life）　is　served　by　being　given　（ie。；　〃the　last　of　life　for　which　the　first　was　made〃）。
  This　is　the　most　penetrating　insight　into　the　way　of　life。　The　giving　in　or　finishing　always　triumphs　over　the　starting　out。
  Just　as　a　fish　should　not　be　taken　out　of　water；　So　a　sword　should　never　be　taken　from　its　scabbard。
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  Nature　never　acts；　yet　it　activates　everything。
  If　legislators　and　administrators　would　behave　likewise；　each　thing　would　develop　in　accordance　with　its　own　nature。　Just　as；　when　things　develop；　those　which　become　passionate　are　restrained　by　that　passionless　one　which　activates　them；
  So　the　way　to　restrain　men's　passions　is　by　dispassionate　restraint。　And　thus　all　passions　will　subside。
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  Intelligent　control　appears　as　uncontrol　or　freedom。　And　for　that　reason　it　is　genuinely　intelligent　control。　Unintelligent　control　appears　as　external　domination。　And　for　that　reason　it　is　really　unintelligent　control。
  Intelligent　control　exerts　influence　without　appearing　to　do　so。　Unintelligent　control　tries　to　influence　by　making　a　show　of　it。
  The　generous　giver　gives　because　he　wants　to　give。　The　dutiful　giver　gives　because　he　wants　to　receive。　Whenever　a　regulation　is　imposed　from　above；　it　is　not　willingly　obeyed。　Then　effort　is　used　to　enforce　it。
  But　when　Nature's　spontaneous　activity　disappears；　then　intelligent　action　is　called　for。　But　when　intelligent　action　is　unavailable；　then　intuitive　generosity　may　be　appealed　to。　But　when　intuitive　sympathy　is　lacking；　principles　of　morality　may　be　invoked。　But　where　morality　is　ineffective；　laws　are　enacted。
  But　where　law　is　enforced；　spontaneous　and　sincere　loyalty　declines；　and　disintegration　of　the　harmonious　society　sets　in。　Thus　valuing　law　as　an　end　in　itself　results　in　minimizing　fidelity　to　Nature　itself。　Knowledge　of　law　appears　at　once　as　a　flowering　of　Nature's　way　and　as　the　source　of　error。
  Therefore　the　intelligent　man　adheres　to　the　genuine　and　discards　the　superficial。　He　keeps　the　fruit　rather　than　the　flower；　Naturally　preferring　the　one　to　the　other。
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  There　are　things　that　have　always　maintained　their　own　self…activity。　The　tendency　to　initiate　is；　by　its　self…activity；　obviously　self…originating。　The　tendency　towards　completion　is；　by　its　self…activi