We　take　from　those　who　have　too　little
  and　give　to　those　who　have　too　much。
  Who　is　it　that　has　more　than　enough
  and　gives　his　surplus　to　those　in　need？
  Only　the　follower　of　the　Tao。
  The　follower　of　the　Tao　acts　without　hope　of　gain；
  accomplishes　but　takes　no　credit；
  does　not　wish　to　lord　it　over　others。
  78
  Water　is　soft　and　yielding；　but
  nothing　can　more　effectively　dissolve　the　hard　and　inflexible。
  Weak　defeats　strong。
  Soft　defeats　hard。
  This　is　well杒nown；　but　not　easy　to　put　into　practice。
  Therefore；　the　Tao朚aster　says：
  He　who　takes　upon　himself　the　dirt　of　the　nation
  becomes　the　master　of　its　sacred　soil；
  he　who　takes　upon　himself　the　evils　of　the　land
  becomes　a　true　king　under　Heaven。
  Straight　words　seem　crooked。
  79
  Great　resentment；　even　when　appeased；　does　not　go　away。
  How　can　this　be　good？
  Therefore；　the　Tao朚aster　keeps　his　promises；
  but　he　does　not　look　into　whether　others　are　keeping　theirs。
  The　man　of　virtue　（Te）　monitors　himself；
  The　man　without　virtue　monitors　others。
  The　Tao　of　Heaven　plays　no　favorites；
  but　it　is　always　manifest　in　the　good　man。
  80
  Imagine　a　small　country　with　a　small　population。
  They　have　lots　of　technology；　but　they　use　none　of　it。
  They　take　the　prospect　of　death　seriously
  and　thus　do　not　travel　far　from　home。
  They　have　boats　and　carriages；　but　no　one　takes　them　out。
  They　have　weapons　and　armor；
  but　no　one　takes　them　out　of　the　armory。
  Instead　of　writing；　they　have　gone　back
  to　the　old　system　of　cord杒notting。
  They　enjoy　their　plain　but　good　food；
  their　simple　but　fine　clothing；
  their　humble　but　secure　homes。
  They　are　happy　with　their　way　of　life。
  The　next　country　is　so　close　that　the　crowing　of　the　cocks　and
  the　barking　of　the　dogs　over　there　can　be　easily　heard　over　here；
  and　yet　the　people　over　here　grow　old　and　die
  without　ever　having　been　over　there。
  81
  True　words　aren't　pretty；　pretty　words　aren't　true。
  The　good　do　not　contend；　those　who　contend　aren't　good。
  The　wise　are　not　learned；　the　learned　are　not　wise。
  The　Tao朚aster　is　not　greedy。
  The　more　he　does　for　others；　the　more　he　has。
  The　more　he　gives　to　others；　the　richer　he　becomes。
  The　Tao　sharpens　without　cutting。
  The　Tao朚aster　acts　with　non朼do。
  English_Crowley_TTK
  Das　Tao　Te　King　von　Lao　Tse
  Chinese　…　English　by
  Aleister　Crowley；　1923
  1
  THE　NATURE　OF　THE　TAO
  The　Tao…Path　is　not　the　All…Tao。
  The　Name　is　not　the　Thing　named。
  Unmanifested；　it　is　the　Secret　Father　of
  To　understand　this　Mystery；　one　must　be　fulfilling　one's　will；
  and　if　one　is　not　thus　free；　one　will　but　gain　a　smattering　of　it。
  The　Tao　is　one；　and　the　Teh　but　a　phase　thereof。　The　abyss　of　this
  Mystery　is　the　Portal　of　Serpent…Wonder。
  The　Tao
  The　Teh；　　　　　　　　　　The　Tao；
  source　of　the　Mother　　　　source　of　the　Father
  2
  THE　ENERGY　…　SOURCE　OF　THE　SELF
  All　men　know　that　beauty　and　ugliness　are　correlatives；　as　are　skilland
  clumsiness；　one　implies　and　suggests　the　other。
  So　also　existence　and　non…existence　pose　the　one　the　other；
  so　also　is　it　with　ease　and　difficulty；　length　and　shortness；　heightand
  lowness。　Also　Musick　exists　through　harmony　of　opposites；
  time　and　space　depend　upon　contraposition。
  By　the　use　of　this　method；　the　sage　can　fulfil　his　will　without　action；
  and　utter　his　word　without　speech。
  All　things　arise　without　diffidence；　they　grow；　and　none　interferes；they
  change　according　to　their　natural　order；　without　lust　of　result。　The
  work　is　accomplished；　yet　continueth　in　its　orbit；　without　goal。　This
  work　is　done　unconsciously；　this　is　why　its　energy　is　indefatigable。
  3
  QUIETING　FOLK
  To　reward　merit　is　to　stir　up　emulation；　to　prize　rarities　is　to
  encourage　robbery；　to　display　desirable　things　is　to　excite　the　disorder
  of　covetousness。
  Therefore；　the　sage　governeth　men　by　keeping　their　minds　and　their　bodies
  at　rest；　contenting　the　one　by　emptiness；　the　other　by　fullness。　He
  satisfieth　their　desires；　thus　fulfilling　their　wills；　and　making　them
  frictionless；　and　he　maketh　them　strong　in　body；　to　a　similar　end。
  He　delivereth　them　from　the　restlessness　of　knowledge　and　the　cravingsof
  discontent。　As　to　those　who　have　knowledge　already；　he　teacheth　themthe
  way　of　non…action。　This　being　assured；　there　is　no　disorder　in　the
  world。
  4
  THE　SPRING　WITHOUT　SOURCE
  The　Tao　resembleth　the　emptiness　of　Space；　to　employ　it；　we　must　avoid
  creating　ganglia。　Oh　Tao；　how　vast　art　Thou；　the　Abyss　of　Abysses；thou
  Holy　and　Secret　Father　of　all　Fatherhoods　of　Things！
  Let　us　make　our　sharpness　blunt；　let　us　loosen　our　complexes；　let　us
  tone　down　our　brightness　to　the　general　obscurity。　Oh　Tao；　how　stillart
  thou；　how　pure；　continuous　One　beyond　Heaven！
  This　Tao　hath　no　Father；　it　is　beyond　all　other　conceptions；　higherthan
  the　highest。
  5
  THE　FORMULA　OF　THE　VACUUM
  Heaven　and　earth　proceed　without　motive；　but　casually　in　their　orderof
  nature；　dealing　with　all　things　carelessly；　like　used　talismans。　Soalso
  the　sages　deal　with　their　people；　not　exercising　benevolence；　but
  allowing　the　nature　of　all　to　move　without　friction。
  The　Space　between　heaven　and　earth　is　their　breathing　apparatus：
  Exhalation　is　not　exhaustion；　but　the　complement　of　Inhalation；　andthis
  equally　of　that。　Speech　exhausteth；　guard　thyself；　therefore；　maintaining
  the　perfect　freedom　of　thy　nature。
  6
  THE　PERFECTING　OF　FORM
  The　Teh　is　the　immortal　enemy　of　the　Tao；　its　feminine　aspect。　Heaven
  and　Earth　issued　from　her　Gate；　this　Gate　is　the　Root　of　their　World…
  Sycamore。　Its　operation　is　of　pure　Joy　and　Love；　and　faileth　never。
  7
  THE　CONCEALMENT　OF　THE　LIGHT
  Heaven　and　Earth　are　mighty　in　continuance；　because　their　work　is
  delivered　from　the　lust　of　result。
  Thus　also　the　sage；　seeking　not　any　goal；　attaineth　all　things；　he　doth
  not　interfere　in　the　affairs　of　his　body；　and　so　that　body　acteth　without
  friction。　It　is　because　he　meddleth　not　with　personal　aims　that　these
  come　to　pass　with　simplicity。
  8
  THE　NATURE　OF　PEACE
  Admire　thou　the　High　Way　of　Water！　Is　not　Water　the　soul　of　the　lifeof
  things；　whereby　they　change？　Yet　it　seeketh　its　level；　and　abideth
  content　in　obscurity。　So　also　it　resembleth　the　Tao；　in　this　Way
  thereof！
  The　virtue　of　a　house　is　to　be　well…placed；　of　the　mind；　to　be　at　easein
  silence　as　of　Space；　of　societies；　to　be　well…disposed；　of　governments；
  to　maintain　quietude；　of　work；　to　be　skillfully　performed；　and　of　all
  motion；　to　be　made　at　the　right　time。
  Also　it　is　the　virtue　of　a　man　to　abide　in　his　place　without　discontent；
  thus　offendeth　he　no　man。
  9
  THE　WAY　OF　RETICENCE
  Fill　not　a　vessel；　lest　it　spill　in　carrying。　Meddle　not　with　a
  sharpened　point　by　feeling　it　constantly；　or　it　will　soon　become
  blunted。
  Gold　and　jade　endanger　the　house　of　their　possessor。　Wealth　and　honors
  lead　to　arrogance　and　envy；　and　bring　ruin。　Is　thy　way　famous　and　thy
  name　becoming　distinguished？　Withdraw；　thy　work　once　done；　into
  obscurity；　this　is　the　way　of　Heaven。
  10
  THINGS　ATTAINABLE
  When　soul　and　body　are　in　the　bond　of　love；　they　can　be　kept　together。
  By　concentration　on　the　breath　it　is　brought　to　perfect　elasticity；and　one
  becomes　as　a　babe。　By　purifying　oneself　from　Samadhi　one　becomes　whole
  In　his　dealing　with　individuals　and　with　society；　let　him　move　without
  lust　of　result。　In　the　management　of　his　breath；　let　him　be　like　the
  mother…bird。　Let　his　intelligence　comprehend　every　quarter；　but　lethis
  knowledge　cease。
  Here　is　the　Mystery　of　Virtue。　It　createth　all　and　nourisheth　all；　yet
  it　doth　not　adhere　to　them；　it　operateth　all；　but　knoweth　not　of　it；nor
  proclaimeth　it；　it　directeth　all；　but　without　conscious　control。
  11
  THE　VALUE　OF　THE　UNEXPRESSED
  The　thirty　spokes　join　in　their　nave；　that　is　one；　yet　the　wheel
  dependeth　for　use　upon　the　hollow　place　for　the　axle。　Clay　is　shapento
  make　vessels；　but　the　contained　space　is　what　is　useful。　Matter　is
  therefore　of　use　only　to　mark　the　limits　of　the　space　which　is　thething
  of　real　value。
  12
  THE　WITHDRAWAL　FROM　THE　EXTERNAL
  The　five　colors　film　over　Sight；　The　five　sounds　make　Hearing　dull；The
  five　flavours　conceal　Taste；　occupation　with　motion　and　action　bedevil
  Mind；　even　so　the　esteem　of　rare　things　begetteth　covetousness　and
  disorder。
  The　wise　man　seeketh　therefore　to　content　the　actual　needs　of　the
  people；　not　to　excite　them　by　the　sight　of　luxuries。　He　banneth　these；
  and　concentrateth　on　those。
  13
  THE　CONTEMPT