66
  Rivers　and　seas　dominate　the　landscape；　Because；　by　being　good　at　seeking　the　lowest　places；　they　fill　and　occupy　and　spread　over　everything。
  Likewise　the　intelligent　man　is　superior　to　others；　Because　he　admits　that　he　is　inferior；　And　he　is　a　leader　of　others　Because　he　is　willing　to　be　a　follower。
  Thus　although　he　is　actually　superior　to　others；　they　do　not　feel　depressed。　And　when　he　leads　them；　they　do　not　feel　that　they　are　being　forced　to　obey。　So　all　are　happy　to　give　him　their　support。
  Since　he　competes　with　no　one；　no　one　competes　with　him。
  67
  Everyone　says：　〃Nature　is　great；　yet　Nature　is　simple。〃　It　is　great　because　it　is　simple。　If　it　were　not　simple；　long　ago　it　would　have　come　to　little。
  Nature　sustains　itself　through　three　precious　principles；　which　one　does　well　to　embrace　and　follow。　These　are　gentleness；　frugality　and　humility。
  When　one　is　gentle；　he　has　no　fear　of　retaliation。　When　one　is　frugal；　he　has　no　fear　of　retaliation。　When　one　is　humble；　no　one　challenges　his　leadership。
  When　rudeness　replaces　gentleness；　And　extravagance　replaces　frugality；　and　pride　replaces　humility；　The　one　is　doomed。
  Since　a　gentle　attack　arouses　little　antagonism；　And　a　gentle　defense　provokes　little　anger；　Nature　predisposes　to　gentleness　those　most　suited　for　survival。
  68
  The　best　soldier　does　not　attack。　The　superior　fighter　succeeds　without　violence。
  The　greatest　conqueror　wins　without　a　struggle。　The　most　successful　manager　leads　without　dictating。
  This　is　called　intelligent　nonaggressiveness。　This　is　called　mastery　of　men。　This　is　called　matching　the　wisdom　of　the　highest　and　oldest　in　Nature。
  69
  Military　maxims　say：　〃It　is　easier　to　defend　than　to　attack。〃　〃It　is　better　to　back　away　a　foot　than　to　assault　to　gain　an　inch。〃
  This　means　that　the　best　way　to　advance　is　to　retreat。　He　who　bares　his　flesh　will　appear　to　have　no　need　for　carrying　weapons。　He　who　does　not　flourish　weapons　appears　to　have　nothing　to　defend。　He　who　does　not　prepare　to　defend　himself　appears　to　have　no　enemies。
  No　one　will　attack　a　person　unless　he　appears　to　be　an　enemy；　For　to　attack　one　who　is　not　an　enemy　is　to　lose　a　friend。
  Therefore；　when　opposing　enemies　meet　for　open　battle；　he　who　runs　away　to　hide　is　the　one　who　wins。
  70
  The　things　I　am　saying　are　very　easy　to　understand　and　very　easy　to　practice。　Yet　no　one　in　the　world　can　comprehend　them　fully　nor　practice　them　perfectly。
  The　things　I　am　saying　did　not　originate　with　me　but　have　their　source　in　Nature。　It　is　because　men　do　not　understand　this　source　that　they　do　not　understand　me。　Since　those　who　understand　me　are　few；　they　are；　for　that　reason；　all　the　more　worthy　of　emulation。
  Therefore　the　intelligent　man　presents　a　poor　exterior；　yet　carries　Nature's　riches　embedded　in　his　core。
  71
  To　know　how　little　one　knows　is　to　have　genuine　knowledge。　Not　to　know　how　little　one　knows　is　to　be　deluded。
  Only　he　who　knows　when　he　is　deluded　can　free　himself　from　such　delusion。　The　intelligent　man　is　not　deluded；　because　he　knows　and　accepts　his　ignorance；　and　accepts　his　ignorance　as　ignorance；　and　thereby　has　genuine　knowledge。
  72
  Do　not　be　irritated　when　people　do　not　recognize　your　importance；　For　if　you　are　really　important；　sooner　or　later　circumstances　will　force　them　to　recognize　it。
  Do　not　treat　them　contemptuously　nor　despise　them；　For　only　when　you　do　not　despise　them　will　they　not　despise　you。
  Although　the　intelligent　man　knows　his　own　importance；　He　does　not　require　that　others　recognize　it；　and　he　esteems　himself　for　what　he　is；　But　does　not　insist　that　others　esteem　him。　He　does　not　seek　to　be　esteemed　by　others　because　he　recognizes　his　self…esteem　as　sufficicent。
  73
  He　whose　courage　expresses　itself　as　defiance　is　often　put　to　death。　He　whose　courage　manifests　itself　as　patience　to　endure　insult　continues　to　live。
  Of　these　two　kinds　of　courage；　the　one　is　beneficial；　the　other　harmful。　Many　people　are　puzzled　as　to　why；　of　two　courageous　men；　one　is　harmed　and　one　benefited。　But　the　intelligent　man　finds　no　difficulty　with　this　question。
  Nature　itself　has　the　patience　to　endure　insult；　yet　always　wins　in　the　end。　It　does　not　explain；　nevertheless　all　understand。　It　does　not　command；　but　all　eventually　obey。　It　does　not　hurry；　yet　everything　is　accomplished。
  Nature's　web　is　so　finely　woven　…　wide　enough　to　catch　the　biggest；　fine　enough　to　catch　the　smallest　…　that　not　a　single　thing　escapes。
  74
  It　is　futile　to　threaten　people　with　death。　If　they　are　not　afraid　to　die；　they　cannot　be　frightened　by　the　death　penalty；　and　if　they　are　afraid　to　die；　why　should　we　kill　them？
  Only　Nature　knows　the　proper　time　for　a　man　to　die。　To　kill　is　to　interrupt　Nature's　design　for　dying；　Like　a　blundering　apprentice　judging　himself　to　be　wiser　than　his　master。
  Whenever　an　apprentice　thinks　he　is　smarter　than　his　master；　he　is　very　likely　to　hurt　himself。
  75
  Those　who　make　their　living　by　collecting　taxes　cause　the　people　to　starve；　when　the　people　starve；　the　tax　collectors；　having　no　one　to　tax；　starve　also。
  Those　who　govern　people　make　them　discontented　with　being　controlled；　and　therefore　cause　them　to　be　uncontrollable。
  Those　who　are　so　eager　to　make　a　better　living　that　they　risk　death　in　doing　so　are　the　very　ones　most　likely　to　die。　Only　the　self…sufficient　person　who　depends　upon　and　endangers　no　one　else　in　order　to　get　his　living　is　most　sure　to　live。
  76
  At　birth　a　man　is　soft　and　weak　…　yet　capable　of　living　the　whole　life　ahead　of　him。　At　death　he　is　hard　and　tough　…　yet　unable　to　live　for　even　a　minute　longer。
  All　things；　whether　plants　of　animals；　while　living；　are　soft　and　weak；　But；　when　dead；　are　hard　and　tough。
  Thus　hardness　and　toughness　are　allied　with　death；　While　softness　and　weakness　are　interrelated　with　life。
  This　is　the　reason　why　the　tougher　fighters　are　more　likely　to　be　killed；　and　the　harder　trees　more　likely　to　be　cut　down。
  Therefore　it　is　better　to　be　soft　and　weak　than　to　be　hard　and　tough。
  77
  Nature's　way　is　like　the　bending　of　a　bow：　The　top　which　is　high　is　lowered　while　the　bottom　which　is　low　is　raised；　And　the　width　which　is　narrow　is　widened　while　the　length　which　is　long　is　shortened。
  Nature's　way　is　to　take　from　those　that　have　too　much　and　give　to　those　that　have　too　little。
  Man's　way；　on　the　contrary；　is　to　take　away　from　those　who　have　too　little　to　give　more　to　those　who　already　have　too　much。　What　kind　of　man　is　able　to　take　away　from　his　own　more　than　enough　and　give　to　others　who　have　less　than　enough？
  Only　he　who　embodies　Nature's　way　within　himself。　Such　a　man　gives　his　gift　without　desiring　a　reward；　achieves　benefit　for　others　without　expecting　approbation；　And　is　generous　without　calling　attention　to　his　generosity。
  78
  Nothing　is　weaker　than　water；　Yet；　for　attacking　what　is　hard　and　tough；　Nothing　surpasses　it；　nothing　equals　it。
  The　principle；　that　what　is　weak　overcomes　what　is　strong；　And　what　is　yielding　conquers　what　is　resistant；　Is　known　to　everybody。　Yet　few　men　utilize　it　profitably　in　practice。
  But　the　intelligent　man　knows　that：　He　who　willingly　takes　the　blame　for　disgrace　to　his　community　is　considered　a　responsible　person；　And　he　who　submissively　accepts　responsibility　for　the　evils　in　his　community　naturally　will　be　given　enough　authority　for　dealing　with　them。　These　principles；　no　matter　how　paradoxical；　are　sound。
  79
  Make　agreements　and　then　quarrelling　when　they　are　broken　is　never　advisable。　For　even　when　a　quarrel　is　patched　up；　some　animosity　will　remain。　How　can　this　be　considered　good？
  Therefore　the　intelligent　man　continues　to　carry　out　his　side　of　a　bargain　Even　though　he　does　not　demand　of　others　that　they　fulfill　their　promises
  The　righteous　insist　on　keeping　agreements　to　the　letter；　And　the　indiscreet　foolishly　neglect　or　break　their　agreements；
  But　Nature　neither　keeps　nor　breaks　contracts　（because　it　makes　none）。　And　its　ways　are　good　for　men。
  80
  The　ideal　state　is　a　small　intimate　community　Where　all　the　necessities　of　life　are　present　in　abundance。　There　everyone　is　satisfied　to　live　and　die　without　looking　around　for　greener　pastures。
  Even　if　they　have　cars　or　boats；　they　do　not　use　them　for　travelling　abroad。　Even　if　they　have　police　and　fortifications；　these　are　never　put　to　use。
  Business　transactions　are　simple　enough　to　be　calculated　on　one's　fingers　rather　than　requiring　complicated　bookkeeping。　The　people　are　satisfied　with　their　food；　Contented　with　their　clothing；　Comfortable　in　their　dwellings；　And　happy　with　their　customs。
  Even　though　neighbouring　communities　are　within　sight；　And　the　crowing　of　the　neighbour's　cocks　and　barking　of　the　neighbour's　dogs　are　within　hearing；　They　grow　old　and　die　without　ever　troubling　themselves　to　go　outside　of　their　own　communities。
  81
  He　who　is　genuine　is　not　artificial；　He　who　is　artificial　is　not　genuine。
  He　who　is　intelligent　is　not　quarrelsome；　He　who　i