Still　the　two　are　the　same；　the　secret　andits　manifestations　came　from　the　same　ground；　the　same　mould；　but　anywaysound　different　…
  they're　given　different　names　where　theyappear。
  They　can　both　be　called　the　cosmic　mystery；awesome　deep
  or　rather　more　secret　than　so…called　mystery。
  There's　the　deeper　mystery：　the　gate　and　doorwayfrom　which　issued　all　secret　essences；　yes；　all　subleties；
  and　the　subtle　mysterial　opening　homewards。
  Call　it　the　door　mystery　or　golden　secretof　all　life。
  2
  When　the　people　of　the　world　see　beauty　asbeauty；
  the　notion　of　ugliness　pops　up　along　withthat
  And　equally　if　every　one　recognize　virtueas　virtue；　if　they　all　know　the　good　as　good；　the　recognition　of　adjacentevil　is　wont　to　rise。
  So：　Being　and　not…yet…being　interdepend　ingrowth；　grow　out　of　another；　they　can　produce　each　other。
  And　hard　and　easy　interdepend　in　completion；
  long　and　short　interdepend。　They　test　eachother　in　contrast。
  High　and　low　determine　one　another　and　interdependor　distinguish　each　other　in　position。　So　it　seems。
  Pitch　and　mode　give　harmony　to　one　another；tones；　sound　and　voice　interdepend　in　basic；　functional　harmony；
  Front　and　back　give　sequence　to　one　another。
  The　couples　follow　each　other　…　interdependin　company；　so　to　speak。
  From　this　the　wise　man　relies　on　doing　nothingin　the　open；　it's　wu…wei。　And　he　spreads　doctrines　without　true　or　falsewords；　by　oddly　wordless　influence。
  All　things　appear；　and　he　hardly　turns　awayfrom　the　creatures　worked　on　by　him：
  Some　he　gives　solid；　good　life；　he　hardlydisowns　his　chosen　ones。
  He　hardly　takes　possession　of　anyone　underfair　conditions。
  He　rears　his　sons　in　earthly　ways；　but　neitherappropriates　nor　lays　blatant　claim　to　any　one。
  He　acts；　but　doesn't　rely　on　his　outer；　visiblesmartness　or　miracle…working　ability。　He　very　often　claims　no　credit。
  At　times　he　controls　them；　but　hardly　leanson　any　of　them。
  Because　he　lays　claim　to　no　credit；　the　handycredit　can　hardly　be　taken　away　from　him。
  Yes；　for　the　very　reason　that　he　hardly　callsattention　to　what　he　does；　he　isn't　ejected　at　once。
  3
  Stop　looking　for　rare；　moral　persons　（hsien）to　put　in　power。
  There　will　be　jealousies　among　people；　jealousiesand　strife。
  If　we　cease　to　set　store　by　products　thatare　hard　to　get；　there　will　be　less　outright　thieves。
  If　the　people　never　see　such　things　as　excitedesire；　their　hearts　can　remain　placid　and　undisturbed。
  Therefore　the　wise　one　rules　by　emptyingtheir　hearts　＇like　the　clown＇。　He　fills　their　bellies；　weakens　their　brightnessand　toughens　their　bones；
  ever　striving　to　make　the　people　withoutknowledge。
  He　sees　to　it　that　if　there　are　any　who　arebright　and　clever；　they　dare　not　interfere。
  Through　his　non…do　actions　all　＇such　subjection＇runs　well　＇for　some　time＇。
  4
  Dao　is　like　an　empty　vessel　that　yet　canbe　drawn　from
  without　ever　needing　to　be　filled。
  It's　without　bottom；
  the　very　breeder　of　all　things　in　the　world。
  In　it　all　sharpness　is　blunted；
  all　tangles　untied；
  all　glare　tempered；
  all　turmoil　smoothed。
  It's　like　a　deep　pool　that　never　dries。
  Was　it　too　the　child　of　something　else？
  We　can　hardly　tell。
  A　substanceless　image　of　all　things　seemedto　exist　before　the　progenitor　that　we　hardly　know　of。
  5
  The　universe　seems　without　mercy；　quite　ruthless；
  in　that　wider　perspective　all　things　arebut　as　ritual　straw　dogs。
  The　wise　man　too　is　hard　as　nail；　to　himthe　people　are　but　as　straw　dogs　to　throw。
  Yet　heaven　and　earth　and　all　that　lies　betweenis　like　a　bellows；
  empty；　yet　yielding　a　supply　that　hardlyfails。
  Work　it；　and　more　comes　out。
  Whereas　the　force　of　words　is　soon　spent。
  It　seems　far　better　to　keep　what's　in　theheart。
  So　hold　to　the　heart　core　and　a　regular　mean。
  6
  The　valley　spirit　never　dies。
  It's　named　the　mystic　woman。
  And　the　gate　of　the　profound　woman　is　theroot　that　heaven　and　earth　sprang　from。
  It's　there　within　us　all　the　while；
  draw　upon　it　as　you　will；
  you　can　never　wear　it　out。
  7
  Heaven　is　always；　the　earth；　too。
  How　can　it　be？
  Well；　they　don't　live　only　for　themselves；
  that's　why　they　live　long。
  So　the　wise　man　puts　himself　last；　and　findshimself　in　the　foremost　place；
  puts　himself　in　the　background；　yet　alwayscomes　to　the　fore。
  He　keeps　well　fit；　looks　on　his　body　almostas　accidental；　outer；　something　to　be　well　taken　care　of；
  still　it　always　there；　and　always　remains。He　remains　in　the　open　by　it；　too。
  He　hardly　strives　for　great　personal　ends；
  his　main　ends　seem　fulfilled。
  8
  The　highest　good　is　like　that　of　water。
  The　goodness　of　water　is　that　it　benefitsthe　ten　thousand　creatures；　yet　itself　hardly　ever　scrambles　…
  it　seems　quite　content　with　the　places　thatall　men　disdain。
  It's　this　that　can　make　water　so　near　tosome　dao。
  And　if　men　think　the　ground　the　best　placefor　building　a　house　upon；
  if　among　thoughts　they　value　those　that　areprofound；
  if　in　friendship　they　value　gentleness；
  in　words；　truth；　or　sincere　faithfulness；
  in　government；　＇bugbear＇　order；
  in　deeds：　competence；　ability；　effectiveness；
  in　actions：　timeliness　and　being　properlytimed　…
  In　each　case　it's　because　they　prefer　thingsthat　hardly　lead　to　strife；　and　therefore　hardly　go　much　astray　or　amiss。
  9
  Stretch　a　bow　to　the　full；　and　you'll　endup　wishing　you'd　stopped　in　time；　to　hold　and　fill　to　overflowing　isn'tquite　as　able　as　to　stop　in　time。
  Temper　a　sword…edge　to　its　very　sharpest；and　you'll　find　it　soon　grows　dull。
  When　gold　and　jade　fills　your　hall；　can　itbe　well　guarded　any　more？
  To　be　proud　with　things　and　glory　given；could　bring　ruin。　Wealth　and　place　breed　insolence　and　could　slowly　harmand　ruin：
  If　your　work　is　done；　withdraw！
  That's　heaven's　way。　It　can　be　opposed　tolots　of　ways　of　man。
  10
  Can　you　keep　the　unquiet　physical…soul　fromstraying；　hold　fast　to　the　unity　and　middle；　and　never　quit　it？
  Can　you；　when　concentrating　your　breath；make　it　soft　like　that　of　an　infant？
  Strive　after　less　tainted　perfection；　letit　be　aided　by　penetrating　insight。　So　wipe　and　cleanse　your　vision　ofthe　mystery　till　all　is　without　blur。
  Can　you　love　the　people　and　rule　the　land；yet　remain　unknown？
  Can　you　in　opening　and　shutting　the　heavenlygates；　ever　play　the　feminine　part？
  Can　your　mind　penetrate　every　corner　of　theland；　but　you　yourself　never　interfere？　Can　you　renounce　the　grosser　mindfor　comprehending　all　inside　knowledge？
  Produce　things　and　rear　well；
  but　never　lay　claims　to　such　things　…
  control　them；　never　lean　upon　them。
  Rely　on　some　innate　ability　to　act　well。
  Be　a　sort　of　master　among　others；　just　refrainfrom　mismanaging。
  Here　is　found　the　essence　of　dao　might；　itsdeep；　mystic　virtue。
  11
  We　put　thirty　spokes　together　and　call　ita　wheel；　but　it's　on　the　space　where　there's　nothing　that　the　usefulnessof　the　wheel　depends。
  We　turn　clay　to　make　a　vessel；　but　it's　onthe　space　where　there's　nothing　that　the　usefulness　of　the　vessel　depends。
  We　pierce　and　cut　out　doors　and　windows　tomake　a　house；
  and　it's　on　these　spaces　where　there's　nothingthat　the　usefulness　of　the　house　depends。
  Take　advantage　of　what　is；　turn　existinginto　a　great　advantage：　just　make　as　much　as　you　can　out　of　it　here。
  Feel　free　to　recognise　the　possible　usefulnessof　whats　not　yet　here。　Prosper　by　clever　use　of　something　not　yet。
  12
  The　five　colours　tend　to　confuse　the　eye；
  the　five　sounds　of　music　can　deafen　the　ear；
  the　five　tastes　all　dull　or　spoil　the　palate。
  Excess　of　hunting　and　chasing　makes　a　mindgo　mad。
  Things　hard　to　get；　keeps　one　on　one's　guard。Valuable　things　and　products　quite　hard　to　get；　can　impede　their　owner'sprogress。
  So　the　wise　man　is　concerned　with　his　tummybefore　his　eyes。　He　can　consider　the　tummy　first；　not　the　eye。　That　is：He　disregards　the　world　outside　…　〃that〃；　and　he　accepts；　goes　for　andin　the　end　grabs　the　supernormal　powers　dormant　within　…　his　daoist　〃this〃。Therefore　he　rejects　the　one　but　accepts　the　other。
  13
  Be　glad　for　favour。　Still　receive　favouror　disgrace　with　regular　apprehension。
  Be　cautious　not　to　lose　the　winning　sortof　favour。　Lower　favour　and　disgrace　can　cause　one　dismay；
  We　can　have　fears　because　we　have　a　self。Yet　what　we　value　and　what　we　fear　are　as　if　within　that　inner　sanctimoniumself。〃
  What　does　this　mean：
  〃Favour　and　disgrace　can　cause　one　dismay？
  Those　who　receive　favour　from　above　are　dismayedwhen　they　receive　it。
  And　should　they　lose　it　they　turn　distraught。
  What　does　this　mean：
  〃What　we　value　and　what　we　fear　are　as　ifwithin　our　serious　self？〃
  Regard　great　trouble　as　seriously　as　youregard　the　body。　One　reason　that　we　suffer　hurt　is　that　we　have　bodies。
  When　we　don't　regard　that　gross　body　as　＇mostimportant　aspect　of　self；　what　have　we　to　fear？　＇Lao　tse。＇
  And