Place　therefore　the　army　where　there　is　no　army；　prepare　for　actionwhere
  there　is　no　engagement；　strike　where　there　is　no　conflict；　advance
  against　the　enemy　where　the　enemy　is　not。
  There　is　no　error　so　great　as　to　engage　in　battle　without　sufficient
  force。　To　do　so　is　to　risk　losing　the　gentleness　which　is　beyond　price。
  Thus　when　the　lines　actually　engage；　he　who　regretteth　the　necessityis
  the　victor。
  70
  THE　DIFFICULTY　OF　RIGHT　APPREHENSION
  My　words　are　easy　to　understand　and　to　perform；　but　is　there　anyonein
  the　world　who　can　understand　them　and　perform　them？
  My　words　derive　from　a　creative　and　universal　Principle；　in　accord　with
  the　One　Law。　Men；　not　knowing　these；　understand　me　not。
  Few　are　they　that　understand　me；　therefore　am　I　the　more　to　be　valued。
  The　Wise　Man　weareth　sack…cloth；　but　guardeth　his　jewel　in　his　bosom。
  71
  THE　DISTEMPER　OF　KNOWLEDGE
  To　know；　yet　to　know　nothing；　is　the　highest；　not　to　know；　yet　to　pretend
  to　knowledge；　is　a　distemper。
  Painful　is　this　distemper；　therefore　we　shun　it。　The　wise　man　hath　it
  not。　Knowing　it　to　be　bound　up　with　Sorrow；　he　putteth　it　away　fromhim。
  72
  CONCERNING　LOVE　OF　SELF
  When　men　fear　not　that　which　is　to　be　feared；　that　which　they　fearcometh
  upon　them。
  Let　them　not　live；　without　thought；　the　superficial　life。
  Let　them　not　weary　of　the　Spring　of　Life！
  By　avoiding　the　superficial　life；　this　weariness　cometh　not　upon　them。
  These　things　the　wise　man　knoweth；　not　showeth：　he　loveth　himself；
  without　isolating　his　value。　He　accepteth　the　former　and　rejecteth
  the　latter。
  73
  ESTABLISHING　THE　LAW　OF　FREEDOM
  One　man；　daring；　is　executed；　another；　not　daring；　liveth。　It　wouldseem
  as　if　the　one　course　were　profitable　and　the　other　detrimental。　Yetwhen
  Heaven　smiteth　a　man；　who　shall　assign　the　cause　thereof？　Thereforethe
  sage　is　diffident。
  The　Tao　of　Heaven　contendeth　not；　yet　it　overcometh；　it　is　silent；　yet
  its　need　is　answered；　it　summoneth　none；　but　all　men　come　to　it　oftheir
  free　will。　Its　method　is　quietness；　yet　its　will　is　efficient。　Large
  are　the　meshes　of　Heaven's　Net；　wide　open；　yet　letting　none　escape。
  74
  A　RESTRAINT　OF　MISUNDERSTANDING
  The　people　have　no　fear　of　death；　why　then　seek　to　awe　them　by　thethreat
  of　death？　If　the　people　feared　death　and　I　could　put　to　death　evil…doers；
  who　would　dare　to　offend？
  There　is　one　appointed　to　inflict　death。　He　who　would　usurp　that　position
  resembleth　a　hewer　of　wood　doing　the　work　of　a　carpenter。　Such　an　one；
  presumptuous；　will　be　sure　to　cut　his　own　hands。
  75
  THE　INJURY　OF　GREED
  In　such　a　state　of　insecurity　it　is　better　to　ignore　the　question　ofliving
  than　to　set　store　by　it。
  76
  A　WARNING　AGAINST　RIGIDITY
  At　the　birth　of　man；　he　is　elastic　and　weak；　at　his　death；　rigid　and
  unyielding。　This　is　the　common　law；　trees　also；　in　their　youth；　are
  tender　and　supple；　in　their　decay；　hard　and　dry。
  So　then　rigidity　and　hardness　are　the　stigmata　of　death；　elasticityand
  adaptability；　of　life。
  He　then　who　putteth　forth　strength　is　not　victorious；　even　as　a　strong
  tree　filleth　the　embrace。
  Thus　the　hard　and　rigid　have　the　inferior　place；　the　soft　and　elasticthe
  superior。
  77
  THE　WAY　OF　HEAVEN
  The　Tao　of　Heaven　is　likened　to　the　bending　of　a　bow；　whereby　the　high
  part　is　brought　down；　and　the　low　part　raised　up。　The　extreme　is
  diminished；　and　the　middle　increased。
  This　is　the　Way　of　Heaven；　to　remove　excess；　and　to　supplement
  insufficiency。　Not　so　is　the　way　of　man；　who　taketh　away　from　him　that
  hath　not　to　give　to　him　that　hath　already　excess。
  Who　can　employ　his　own　excess　to　the　weal　of　all　under　Heaven？　Onlyhe
  that　possesseth　the　Tao。
  So　the　Wise　Man　acteth　without　lust　of　result；　achieveth　and　boasteth
  not；　he　willeth　not　to　proclaim　his　greatness。
  78
  A　CREED
  Nothing　in　the　world　is　more　elastic　and　yielding　than　water；　yet　itis
  preeminent　to　dissolve　things　rigid　and　resistant；　there　is　nothingwhich
  can　match　it。
  All　men　know　that　the　soft　overcometh　the　hard；　and　the　weak　conquereth
  the　strong；　but　none　are　able　to　use　this　law　in　action。
  A　Wise　Man　hath　said：　'He　that　taketh　on　the　burden　of　the　state　isa
  demigod　worthy　of　sacrificial　worship；　and　the　true　King　of　a　peopleis
  he　that　undertaketh　the　weight　of　their　sorrows。'
  Truth　appeareth　paradox。
  79
  TRUTH　IN　COVENANT
  When　enemies　are　reconciled；　there　is　always　an　aftermath　of　illwill。
  How　can　this　be　useful？
  Therefore；　the　Wise　Man；　while　he　keepeth　his　part　of　the　record　ofa
  transaction；　doth　not　insist　on　its　prompt　execution。　He　who　hath　the
  Teh　considereth　the　situation　from　all　sides；　while　he　who　hath　itnot
  seeketh　only　to　benefit　himself。
  In　the　Tao　of　Heaven；　there　is　no　distinction　of　persons　in　its　love；but
  it　is　for　the　True　Man　to　claim　it。
  80
  ISOLATION
  In　a　little　kingdom　of　few　people　it　should　be　the　order　that　though
  there　were　men　able　to　do　the　work　of　ten　men　or　five　score；　they　should
  not　be　employed。　Though　the　people　regarded　death　as　sorrowful；　yetthey
  should　not　wish　to　go　elsewhere。
  They　should　have　boats　and　wagons；　yet　no　necessity　to　travel；　corslets
  and　weapons；　yet　no　occasion　to　fight。
  For　communication　they　should　use　knotted　cords。
  They　should　deem　their　food　sweet；　their　clothes　beautiful；　their　houses
  homes；　their　customs　delightful。
  There　should　be　another　state　within　view；　so　that　its　fowls　and　dogs
  should　be　heard；　yet　to　old　age；　even　to　death；　the　people　should　holdno
  traffic　with　it。
  81
  THE　SHEWING…FORTH　OF　SIMPLICITY
  True　speech　is　not　elegant；　elaborate　speech　is　not　truth。　Those　who
  know　do　not　argue；　the　argumentative　are　without　knowledge。　Those　who
  have　assimilated　are　not　learned；　those　who　are　gross　with　learninghave
  not　assimilated。
  The　Wise　Man　doth　not　hoard。　The　more　he　giveth；　the　more　he　hath；　the
  more　he　watereth；　the　more　is　he　watered　himself。
  The　Tao　of　Heaven　is　like　an　Arrow；　yet　it　woundeth　not；　and　the　Wise
  Man；　in　all　his　Works；　maketh　no　contention。
  English_Dicus_TTK
  Das　Tao　Te　King　von　Lao　Tse
  English　interpolation　by
  John　Dicus；　2002
  1
  The　Tao　that　is　spoken　of；　cannot　be　truly　explained。
  The　grandest　eloquence　cannot　define　it。
  It　has　no　name；　and　is　the　creator　of　Heaven　and　Earth。
  Forced　to　name　it；　we　can　call　it　the　Tao　（the　Way）；　and　accept　that　it　is　great。
  When　we　are　lost　in　desire　we　can　see　only　the　outer　manifestations　of　this　greatness。
  If　we　free　ourselves　from　desire　we　can　experience　the　unfathomable　depths；
  and　know　the　mystery　of　the　great　Tao。
  The　Mystery　and　the　Manifestations　are　separate；　yet　they　arise　from　the　same　source。
  This　source　is　deep；　so　deep　its　depths　cannot　be　plumbed。
  Within　its　depths　is　darkness。　The　Great　Mystery　within　the　darkness；
  it　is　the　gateway　to　all　understanding。
  2
  It　is　the　world　of　man　that　defines　ugly　by　comparing　it　with　that　which　man　calls　beautiful。
  Skillful　is　considered　such　by　comparison　to　that　which　is　called　'without　skill'。
  Alive　and　non…alive　are　delineated　by　nature。
  Difficult　and　easy　are　abstracted　by　our　perception。
  Long　and　short　are　defined　by　the　one　against　the　other。
  High　and　low　are　reckoned　so　by　the　contrast　of　the　one　with　the　other。
  Music　is　seen　as　pleasing　if　the　notes　and　tones　are　recognized　as　being　harmonious　with　each　other。
  One　in　front；　and　one　behind　are　recognized　as　one　following　the　other。
  It　is　for　this　reason　that　the　sage　lives　in　the　condition　of　wu…wei　（unattached　action；　or；　doing…not　doing）；
  And　teaches　without　words。
  He　knows　that　names　and　images　are　fleeting；　and　all　things　will　transform。
  One　who　seems　to　follow　tonight　might　lead　another　time。
  He　sees　all　that　is　done　as　neither　large　nor　small。
  All　things　are　neither　grand　nor　miniscule。
  Actions　are　neither　difficult；　nor　done　with　ease。　He　acts　without　expectation。
  Things　spring　up　around　him；　and　he　accepts　them；　but　does　not　possess　them。
  Things　go　away；　and　he　recognizes　their　departure　without　grief　or　joy。
  When　the　work　is　done　he　leaves　it　be。
  Because　he　does　not　dwell　in　it；　it　will　last。
  3
  If　you　glorify　the　worthy；　you　will　bring　forth　strife。
  Overvaluing　possessions　induces　thievery。
  If　you　desire　the　expensive；　your　heart　will　never　loosen。
  The　master　leads　by　clearing　people's　minds；
  He　fills　their　inner　being；　weakens　their　ambitions；　and　strengthens　their　bones。
  He　helps　people　lose　all　that　they　know。
  If　people　lack　cleverness　and　desire；　then　they　will　not　presume　to　act；　and　harmony　will　reign。
  By