The　net　of　Heaven　is　vast。
  Its　meshes　may　be　wide；
  but　not　a　thing　slips　through。
  74
  If　people　are　not　afraid　of　death；
  how　can　they　be　threatened　by　it？
  But　if　they　always　live　in　fear　of　death；
  and　still　continue　in　their　lawlessness；
  we　can　arrest　and　kill　them。
  Who　then　would　dare？
  And　yet　there　is　a　Lord　of　Death　whose　charge　it　is　to　kill。
  To　take　his　place　and　kill　would　be
  like　carving　wood　in　place　of　the　master　carpenter。
  Few　would　escape　without　injuring　their　hands。
  75
  Why　are　the　people　starving？
  Because　their　rulers　devour　too　much　in　taxes。
  That's　why　they　starve。
  Why　are　the　people　rebellious？
  Because　their　rulers　can't　stop　interfering。
  That's　why　they　rebel。
  Why　do　the　people　make　light　of　death？
  Because　they　are　intent　on　life。
  That's　why　they　make　light　of　death。
  Yet　those　who　do　not　strive　to　live
  are　wiser　than　those　who　value　life。
  76
  We　are　born　soft　and　weak；
  we　die　stiff　and　hard。
  All　things　…　the　grass；　the　trees　…
  are　soft　and　delicate　in　life；
  but　dried　and　withered　when　they　die。
  And　so　the　stiff　and　hard　are　friends　of　Death；
  the　soft　and　weak　are　friends　of　Life。
  An　army　that　cannot　yield　will　be　destroyed。
  A　tree　that　cannot　bend　will　crack　and　fall。
  And　so　the　mighty　and　unyielding　will　be　laid　low；
  the　soft　and　weak　will　overcome。
  77
  The　DAO　of　heaven　is　like　the　stretching　of　a　bow。
  If　it　is　too　high；　it　is　pulled　down；
  if　too　low；　it　is　raised　up。
  If　it　overshoots；　it　is　cut　back；
  if　it　undershoots；　it　is　made　longer。
  The　DAO　of　heaven　takes　away　from　what　is　overmuch
  and　gives　to　what　is　not　enough。
  The　way　of　humankind　is　different：
  they　take　away　from　those　who　do　not　have　enough
  and　offer　it　to　those　who　have　too　much。
  Who　could　offer　to　the　world　all　that　they　have；　and　more？
  Only　a　follower　of　DAO。
  Those　who　are　enlightened
  act　but　do　not　expect　reward；
  complete　the　task　but　do　not　stop　there；
  have　no　wish　to　flaunt　their　worthiness。
  78
  There　is　nothing　in　the　world
  as　soft　and　weak　as　water。
  But　to　erode　the　hard　and　strong；
  nothing　can　surpass　it；
  nothing　can　be　a　substitute。
  The　weak　can　overcome　the　strong；
  the　soft　can　overcome　the　hard。
  There　is　no…one　in　the　world　who　does　not　know　this；
  but　there　is　no…one　who　can　put　it　into　practice。
  Those　who　are　enlightened　say：
  those　who　bear　a　nation's　disgrace
  will　become　lords　of　its　shrines　to　earth　and　grain；　*
  those　who　bear　a　nation's　misfortune
  will　become　kings　under　heaven。
  True　words　often　seem　a　paradox。　**
  *　she　ji　zhu：　lords　of　its　shrines　to　earth　and　grain
  the　phrase　she　ji　zhu　has　been　variously　phrased　by　translators　（憀ord　of　the　community？　慻ods　of　millet　and　earth？　慚aster　of　the　Altar　of　Soil　and　Grain？　憀ord　of　its　soil　shrines？　憀ord　of　the　earth抯　sacrifices？　憀ord　of　every　offering？。　The　version　here　seeks　to　evoke　both　the　religious　（憇hrine？　and　the　physical　（慹arth？and　慻rain？　aspects　of　the　position。
  **　zheng　yan　ruo　fan：　true　words　often　seem　a　paradox
  not　for　the　first　time　in　the　text；　this　line　seems　unconnected　with　the　rest　of　the　section；　although　its　actual　meaning　is　acknowledged　throughout　the　Daode　jing。　Some　interpreters　have　either　moved　the　line　to　section　41　or　45；　or　eliminated　it　altogether。
  79
  When　peace　is　made　between　great　enemies；
  some　residue　of　enmity　is　sure　to　remain。
  What　can　be　done　for　the　good？
  Those　who　are　enlightened
  mind　what　they　owe　others；
  not　what　others　owe　them。　*
  People　of　DE　keep　their　promises；
  those　lacking　DE　insist　on　payment。
  The　DAO　of　heaven　is　impartial；
  but　it　is　always　in　accord　with　what　is　good。
  *　zhi　zuo　qi：　mind　what　they　owe　others
  literally；　zhi　zuo　qi　means　慼olds　the　left…hand　side　of　the　contract？　a　reference　to　the　ancient　Chinese　practice　of　recording　a　loan　of　money。　The　sum　involved　was　drawn　on　a　bamboo　stick；　which　was　then　broken　in　half　lengthwise；　so　creating　two　pieces　that　interlocked　with　each　other。　The　left…hand　side　marked　the　side　of　the　debtor；　the　right…hand　the　side　of　the　creditor。
  80
  Countries　should　be　small；
  their　people　few。
  If　they　have　devices　by　the　hundred；　*
  they　should　not　use　them。
  They　should　be　mindful　of　death；
  and　not　migrate　to　far…off　places。
  Even　if　they　have　boats　and　carriages；
  they　should　have　no　reason　to　ride　in　them。
  Even　if　they　have　armour　and　weapons；
  they　should　have　no　reason　to　display　them。
  Let　the　people　return　to　tying　knots　in　ropes
  and　using　them　for　counting。
  Let　them　delight　in　their　food；
  find　their　clothes　beautiful；
  be　content　with　their　homes；
  rejoice　in　their　everyday　lives。
  Even　if　neighbouring　countries
  are　in　sight　of　each　other；
  and　barking　dogs　and　crowing　cocks
  in　earshot；
  let　the　people　grow　old　and　die
  without　needing　to　go　and　visit。
  *　shi　you　shi　bo　zhi：　even　if　they　have　devices　by　the　hundred
  the　character　zhi　here　is　ambiguous；　and　has　been　variously　interpreted　as　evoking　a　domestic　level　（慽mplements？　憉tensils？　憊essels？；　more　military　connotations　（憈ools？　憁achines？　憌eapons？；　to　high　human　ability　（憄eople　of　enormous　talent？。　The　choice　of　慸evices？here　may　be　thought　to　occupy　a　middle　ground　between　the　extremes　and；　in　its　generalised　meaning；　to　retain　the　ambiguity　of　the　original。
  81
  Truthful　words　are　not　fine…sounding；
  fine…sounding　words　are　never　true。
  Good　people　are　not　quarrelsome；
  quarrelsome　people　are　not　good。
  Those　who　understand　are　not　learn鑔；
  learn鑔　people　do　not　understand。
  Those　who　are　enlightened　do　not　hoard。
  The　more　they　do　for　others；
  the　fuller　they　are　themselves。
  The　more　they　give　to　others；
  the　richer　they　become。
  The　DAO　of　Heaven　never　harms；　but　helps。
  The　DAO　of　those　who　are　enlightened
  is　to　act　and　be　in　harmony。
  English_Clatfelter_TTK
  Das　Tao　Te　King　von　Lao　Tse
  English　interpretation　by
  Jim　Clatfelter；　2000
  Vorwort/Foreword
  Introduction　to　the　Headless　Tao
  I　discovered　the　Tao　Te　Ching　in　the　mid…60s。　It　was　the　first　book　of　its　kind　to　come　my　way。　Everything　about　it　was　right。　It　valued　the　simple　and　the　spontaneous。　It　valued　wholeness　over　opposition　and　contention。　And　it　valued　the　mystery　within　and　everywhere。　In　the　mid…70s　I　discovered　another　book；　On　Having　No　Head　by　Douglas　Harding。　This　book　showed　me　that　where　others　see　my　head；　I　see　nothing；　the　nothing　that　is　the　source　and　destiny　of　all　things。　In　other　words；　it　showed　me　the　Tao。　In　1999　I　learned　that　the　Chinese　ideograph　for　Tao　is　composed　of　two　graphs；　one　that　means　go　and　one　that　means　head。　Of　course！　The　Tao　is　the　gone　head；　gone　because　it　never　was　here。　I　can　see　the　Tao　right　here　and　now！　It抯　the　bare　awareness　or　presence　that　I　truly　am。　This　called　for　some　exposition；　hence　my　interpretation　of　Lao　Tzu抯　classic。　The　original　is　terse；　and　it抯　largely　in　verse。　So　I　set　out　to　make　my　version　similar。　It抯　the　same　length　as　the　original；　and　it抯　in　rhyme。　And　it　shows　the　Tao；　shows　how　to　see　it。　Lao　Tzu　asks　that　we　see　the　Tao。　All　else　follows　from　that。　Lao　Tzu　also　says　that　most　will　reject　the　Tao；　even　laugh　at　it。　Are　you　daring　enough　to　look　instead　of　laugh？
  1
  Words　and　names　are　not　the　way
  They　can't　define　the　absolute
  It's　better　that　you　look　within
  Hold　your　tongue　and　just　be　mute
  Look　within　and　look　out　too
  You　will　not　find　a　separation
  Out　there　you　see　appearance
  Within　you　see　origination
  Look　within　with　wonder
  At　emptiness　and　bliss
  For　wonder　names　totality
  Where　nothing　is　amiss
  The　space　within　is　always　there
  If　you　can　moderate　desire
  A　place　of　utter　emptiness
  And　possibility　entire
  2
  Where　beautiful　and　ugly
  Do　not　stand　in　opposition
  Where　life　and　death　or　yes　and　no
  Do　not　make　a　contradiction
  Can　you　see　the　vacant　place
  Where　good　and　bad　and　sad　and　merry
  Disappear　forevermore？
  Where　nothing　ever　is　contrary
  So　stay　within　the　emptiness
  Unless　you　rise　you　never　fall
  Accepting　that　which　comes　your　way
  You　are　forever　all　in　all
  3
  If　you　love　accumulation
  Gain　and　increase　every　day
  Thieves　and　robbers　will　be　waiting
  Just　to　take　it　all　away
  Best　to　be　so　empty…headed
  That　it　seems　you've　lost　it　all
  You　will　know　you're　on　the　way
  Though　others　say　you're　at　a　stall
  4
  This　nothingness　is　like　a　well
  Always　giving；　never　taking
  And　all　claims　to　origin
  Neither　wanting　or　forsaking
  You　know　it's　ever　present
  You　find　it　where　you　have　no　face
  It　is　a　wondrous　blessing