ure　them　and　protect　them。
  （Tao）　produces　them　but　does　not　take　possession　of　them。　It　acts；　but　does　not　rely　on　its　own　ability。　It　leads　them　but　does　not　master　them。　This　is　called　profound　and　secret　virtue。
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  There　was　a　beginning　of　the　universe　Which　may　be　called　the　Mother　of　the　Universe。
  He　who　has　found　the　mother　（Tao）　And　thereby　understands　her　sons　（things）；　And　having　understood　the　sons；　Still　keeps　to　its　mother；　Will　be　free　from　danger　throughout　his　lifetime。
  Close　the　mouth。　Shut　the　doors　（of　cunning　and　desires）。　And　to　the　end　of　life　there　will　be　（peace）　without　toil。
  Open　the　mouth。　Meddle　with　affairs。　And　to　the　end　of　life　there　will　be　no　salvation。
  Seeing　what　is　small　is　called　enlightenment。　Keeping　to　weakness　is　called　strength。
  Use　the　light。　Revert　to　enlightenment。　And　thereby　avoid　danger　to　one's　life　…　This　is　called　practicing　the　eternal。
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  If　I　had　but　little　knowledge　I　should；　in　walking　on　a　broad　way；　Fear　getting　off　the　road。
  Broad　ways　are　extremely　even；　But　people　are　fond　of　bypaths。
  The　courts　are　exceedingly　splendid；　While　the　fields　are　exceedingly　weedy；　And　the　granaries　are　exceedingly　empty。
  Elegant　clothes　are　worn；　Sharp　weapons　are　carried；　Food　and　drinks　are　enjoyed　beyond　limit；　And　wealth　and　treasures　are　accumulated　in　excess。　This　is　robbery　and　extravagance。　This　is　indeed　not　Tao　（the　Way）。
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  He　who　is　well　established　（in　Tao）　cannot　be　pulled　away。　He　who　has　a　firm　grasp　（of　Tao）　cannot　be　separated　from　it。　Thus　from　generation　to　generation　his　ancestral　sacrifice　will　never　be　suspended。
  When　one　cultivates　virtue　in　his　person；　it　becomes　genuine　virtue。　When　one　cultivates　virtue　in　his　family；　it　becomes　overflowing　virtue。　When　one　cultivates　virtue　in　his　community；　it　becomes　lasting　virtue。　When　one　cultivates　virtue　in　his　country；　it　becomes　abundant　virtue。　When　one　cultivates　virtue　in　the　world；　it　becomes　universal。
  Therefore　the　person　should　be　viewed　as　a　person。　The　family　should　be　viewed　as　a　family。　The　community　should　be　viewed　as　a　community。　The　country　should　be　viewed　as　a　country。　And　the　world　should　be　viewed　as　the　world。
  How　do　I　know　this　to　be　the　case　in　the　world？　Through　this。
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  He　who　possesses　virtue　in　abundance　May　be　compared　to　an　infant。　Poisonous　insects　will　not　sting　him。　Fierce　beasts　will　not　seize　him。　Birds　of　prey　will　not　strike　him。　His　bones　are　weak；　his　sinews　tender；　but　his　grasp　is　firm。
  He　does　not　yet　know　the　union　of　male　and　female；　But　his　organ　is　aroused；　This　means　that　his　essence　is　at　its　height。
  He　may　cry　all　day　without　becoming　hoarse；　This　means　that　his　（natural）　harmony　is　perfect。　To　know　harmony　means　to　be　in　accord　with　the　eternal。　To　be　in　accord　with　the　eternal　means　to　be　enlightened。
  To　force　the　growth　of　life　means　ill　omen。　For　the　mind　to　employ　the　vital　force　without　restraint　means　violence。
  After　all　things　reach　their　prime；　they　begin　to　grow　old；　Which　means　being　contrary　to　Tao。　Whatever　is　contrary　to　Tao　will　soon　perish。
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  He　who　knows　does　not　speak。　He　who　speaks　does　not　know。
  Close　the　mouth。　Shut　the　doors。　Blunt　the　sharpness。　Untie　the　tangles。　Soften　the　light。　Become　one　with　the　dusty　world。　This　is　called　the　profound　identification。
  Therefore　it　is　impossible　either　to　be　intimate　and　close　to　him　or　to　be　distant　and　indifferent　to　him。　It　is　impossible　either　to　benefit　him　or　to　harm　him。　It　is　impossible　either　to　honour　him　or　disgrace　him。　For　this　reason　he　is　honoured　by　the　world。
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  Govern　the　state　with　correctness。　Operate　the　army　with　surprise　tactics。　Administer　the　empire　by　engaging　in　no　activity。　How　do　I　know　that　this　should　be　so？　Through　this：
  The　more　taboos　and　prohibitions　there　are　in　the　world；　The　poorer　the　people　will　be。　The　more　sharp　weapons　the　people　have；　The　more　troubled　the　state　will　be。
  The　more　cunning　and　skill　a　man　possesses；　The　more　vicious　things　will　appear。　The　more　laws　and　orders　are　made　prominent；　The　more　thieves　and　robbers　there　will　be。
  Therefore　the　sage　says：　I　take　no　action　and　the　people　of　themselves　are　transformed。　I　love　tranquillity　and　the　people　of　themselves　become　correct。
  I　engage　in　no　activity　and　the　people　of　themselves　become　prosperous。　I　have　no　desires　and　the　people　of　themselves　become　simple。
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  When　the　government　is　non…discriminative　and　dull；　The　people　are　contented　and　generous。　When　the　government　is　searching　and　discriminative；　The　people　are　disappointed　and　contentious。
  Calamity　is　that　upon　which　happiness　depends；　Happiness　is　that　in　which　calamity　is　latent。
  Who　knows　when　the　limit　will　be　reached？　Is　there　no　correctness　（used　to　govern　the　world）？　Then　the　correct　again　becomes　the　perverse。　And　the　good　again　will　become　evil。　The　people　have　been　deluded　for　a　long　time。
  Therefore　the　sage　is　as　pointed　as　a　square　but　does　not　pierce。　He　is　as　acute　as　a　knife　but　does　not　cut。　He　is　as　straight　as　an　unbent　line　but　does　not　extend。　He　is　as　bright　as　light　but　does　not　dazzle。
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  To　rule　people　and　to　serve　Heaven　there　is　nothing　better　than　to　be　frugal。
  Only　by　being　frugal　can　one　recover　quickly。　To　recover　quickly　means　to　accumulate　virtue　heavily。　By　the　heavy　accumulation　of　virtue　one　can　overcome　everything。　If　one　can　overcome　everything；　then　he　will　acquire　a　capacity　the　limit　of　which　is　beyond　anyone's　knowledge。　When　his　capacity　is　beyond　anyone's　knowledge；　he　is　fit　to　rule　a　state。
  He　who　possesses　the　Mother　（Tao）　of　the　state　will　last　long。
  This　means　that　the　roots　are　deep　and　the　stalks　are　firm；　which　is　the　way　of　long　life　and　everlasting　vision。
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  Ruling　a　big　country　is　like　cooking　a　small　fish。
  If　Tao　is　employed　to　rule　the　empire；　Spiritual　beings　will　lose　their　supernatural　power。
  Not　that　they　lose　their　spiritual　power；　But　their　spiritual　power　can　no　longer　harm　people。　Not　only　will　their　supernatural　power　not　harm　people；　But　the　sage　also　will　not　harm　people。
  When　both　do　not　harm　each　other；　Virtue　will　be　accumulated　in　both　for　the　benefit　（of　the　people）。
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  A　big　country　may　be　compared　to　the　lower　part　of　a　river。　It　is　the　converging　point　of　the　world；　It　is　the　female　of　the　world。　The　female　always　overcomes　the　male　by　tranquillity；　And　by　tranquillity　she　is　underneath。
  A　big　state　can　take　over　a　small　state　if　it　places　itself　below　the　small　state；　And　the　small　state　can　take　over　a　big　state　if　it　places　itself　below　the　big　state。
  Thus　some；　by　placing　themselves　below；　take　over　（others）；　And　some；　by　being　（naturally）　low；　take　over　（other　states）。
  After　all；　what　a　big　state　wants　is　but　to　annex　and　herd　others；　And　what　a　small　state　wants　is　merely　to　join　and　serve　others。
  Since　both　big　and　small　states　get　what　they　want；　The　big　state　should　place　itself　low。
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  Tao　is　the　storehouse　of　all　things。　It　is　the　good　man's　treasure　and　the　bad　man's　refuge。
  Fine　words　can　buy　honour；　And　fine　deeds　can　gain　respect　from　others。　Even　if　a　man　is　bad；　when　has　（Tao）　rejected　him？
  Therefore　on　the　occasion　of　crowning　an　emperor　or　installing　the　three　ministers；　Rather　than　present　four　large　pieces　of　jade　preceded　by　teams　of　four　horses；　It　is　better　to　kneel　and　offer　this　Tao。
  Why　did　the　ancients　highly　value　this　Tao？　Did　they　not　say；　〃Those　who　seek　shall　have　it　and　those　who　sin　shall　be　freed〃？　For　this　reason　it　is　valued　by　the　world。
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  Act　without　action。　Do　without　ado。　Taste　without　tasting。
  Whether　it　is　big　or　small；　many　or　few；　repay　hatred　with　virtue。
  Prepare　for　the　difficult　while　it　is　still　easy。　Deal　with　the　big　while　it　is　still　small。
  Difficult　undertakings　have　always　started　with　what　is　easy。　And　great　undertakings　have　always　started　with　what　is　small。
  Therefore　the　sage　never　strives　for　the　great；　And　thereby　the　great　is　achieved。
  He　who　makes　rash　promises　surely　lacks　faith。　He　who　takes　things　too　easily　will　surely　encounter　much　difficulty。
  For　this　reason　even　the　sage　regards　things　as　difficult。　And　therefore　he　encounters　no　difficulty。
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  What　remains　still　is　easy　to　hold。　What　is　not　yet　manifest　is　easy　to　plan　for。　What　is　brittle　is　easy　to　crack。　What　is　minute　is　easy　to　scatter。
  Deal　with　things　before　they　appear。　Put　things　in　order　before　disorder　arises。
  A　tree　as　big　as　a　man's　embrace　grows　from　a　tiny　shoot。　A　tower　of　nine　stories　begins　with　a　heap　of　earth。　The　journey　of　a　thousand　li　starts　from　where　one　stands。
  He　who　takes　action　fails。　He　who　grasps　things　loses　them。　For　this　reason　the　sage　takes　no　action　and　therefore　does　not　fail。　He　grasps　nothing　and　therefore　does　not　lose　anything；
  A　sane　man　is　sane　in　knowing　what　things　he　can　spare；　In　not　wishing　what　most　people　wish；　In　not　reaching　for　things　that　seem　rare。
  Therefore　the　sage　desires　to　have　no　desi