The　sage　does　not　have　this　sickness；　he　realizes　that　he　does　not　know；　therefore　his　sickness　has　vanished。
  72
  When　the　people　have　no　more　fear　of　oppression；　that　is　when　oppressive　forces　will　overtake　them。
  Do　not　restrict　the　people　in　their　dwellings。
  Do　not　oppress　the　people　with　heavy　taxes　and　burdens。
  If　you　do　not　wear　the　people　out；　they　will　not　weary　of　you。
  Therefore　it　is　that　sages　know　themselves　well；　but　this　self…knowledge　is　not　displayed　for　all　to　see。
  The　sage　respects　himself；　but　does　not　try　to　become　admired。
  He　will　choose　self…knowledge　and　love；　and　set　conceit　and　opinion　aside。
  73
  The　brave　who　value　daring　and　killing　will　kill。
  The　brave　who　value　life　and　virtue　will　let　live。
  Of　these　two　kinds　of　bravery；　Heaven　sees　one　as　good；　and　the　other　as　bad；　but　why？
  Even　the　sage　has　difficulty　with　such　a　question。
  Who　can　understand　the　ways　of　Heaven？
  The　Way　of　heaven　does　not　strive　and　yet　it　skillfully　achieves　victory。
  It　says　nothing　yet　responds　fully。
  It　does　not　summon；　but　all　things　come　to　it　of　their　own　accord。
  It　does　not　make　a　plan；　but　accomplishes　all　things　perfectly。
  The　net　of　Heaven　is　wide　and　covers　all。　The　mesh　is　widely　woven；　yet　nothing　slips　through。
  74
  When　the　people　are　no　longer　afraid　of　death；　why　threaten　them　with　the　executioner？
  If　the　people　feared　death；　and　execution　was　imposed　as　a　penalty；　who　would　dare　transgress　The　Law？
  Heaven　is　the　Master　Executioner。
  Whoever　tries　to　take　Heavens　place　is　like　an　amateur　trying　to　use　the　master　carpenters'　tools　to　hew　wood；
  if　he　tries　to　use　the　tools　he　will　likely　hew　himself。
  75
  When　the　nation　is　in　want　of　food；　it　can　be　seen　that　the　government　officials　are　eating　too　much　of　the　grain　in　excessive　taxes。
  And　why　are　the　people　restive　and　hard　to　govern？
  They　are　in　a　state　of　near　rebellion　due　to　the　intrusive　machinations　of　the　government。
  The　people　learn　to　make　light　of　death　when　they　strive　to　obtain　goods　and　extravagant　items。
  They　are　relentlessly　working　to　acquire　more；　and　look　to　death　as　a　release　from　pursuit　of　material　gain。
  In　this　wise　it　is　easy　to　not　place　too　high　a　price　on　life。
  76
  At　birth　a　person　is　soft　and　supple；　at　their　deaths　they　are　firm　and　strong。
  All　creatures；　plants　and　trees　are　born　tender　and　flexible；
  when　they　are　dead　they　become　brittle　and　dried。
  Thus　it　is　that　people　who　are　stiff　and　hard　are　companions　of　death。
  The　soft　and　yielding　are　the　followers　of　life。
  It　can　be　seen　that　a　great　inflexible　army　will　fall　under　it's　own　weight；
  just　as　a　stiff　unyielding　tree　will　break　in　the　wind。
  Dwelling　in　an　inflexible　unyielding　manner　will　bring　downfall。
  The　pliant　and　supple　will　survive。
  77
  The　way　of　nature　is　much　like　the　drawing　of　a　bow。
  That　which　is　high　is　lowered；　and　that　which　is　low　is　brought　up。
  The　excess　is　removed；　and　where　there　is　deficiency　more　is　added。
  The　way　of　nature　is　to　reduce　the　excesses　and　spread　them　to　where　there　is　deficiency。
  The　way　of　the　world　is　otherwise；　Mans　way　is　to　take　from　those　who　have　little；　and　give　to　those　who　have　much。
  Who　is　it　that　can　offer　more　to　the　world；　and　have　still　more　to　offer？　Only　the　person　of　the　Tao。
  Therefore　the　sage　acts　without　laying　claim　to　the　act。
  He　can　accomplish　without　boasting。
  He　has　no　wish　to　appear　superior。
  78
  There　is　nothing　more　flexible　and　yielding　than　water。
  And　yet　there　is　nothing　better　for　attacking　the　hard　and　rigid；　there　is　nothing　that　can　do　what　it　can　do。
  So　it　is　that　the　rigid　can　be　overcome　by　the　flexible；　and　the　haughty　by　the　humble。
  Yet　even　knowing　this；　still　no　one　will　put　this　into　adequate　practice。
  For　this　reason　it　is　said　that　the　ones　who　accept　the　humiliation　of　the　country　are　fit　to　be　its　rulers。
  Those　who　take　the　sins　of　the　people　onto　themselves　are　able　to　act　as　King。
  This　is　the　paradox　of　truth！
  79
  When　conflicts　and　disputes　are　reconciled；　there　is　certain　to　be　some　lingering　ill…will　and　resentments。
  How　can　this　be　rectified？
  Consider　this：　The　wise　man　will　keep　his　part　of　the　bargain；　and　not　insist　on　fulfillment　by　the　other　party。
  Thus　it　is　that　the　good　fulfill　their　end　of　obligations；　while　the　ungood　work　hard　to　avoid　payment。
  While　even　though　the　way　of　Heaven　is　impartial；　it　smiles　with　favor　on　the　good。
  80
  I　see　a　small　country　of　small　population。
  A　simple　folk；　who　even　if　highly　skilled　work　simply　and　easily。
  Tools　are　seldom　used。　They　do　not　bother　to　invent　time…saving　appliances。
  They　would　dearly　love　life；　and　would　take　care　to　avoid　death。
  Since　they　would　love　their　homes　and　land；　they　would　not　care　to　wander。
  Even　with　their　horses；　boats　and　carts；　they　do　not　wish　to　travel　about。
  Though　they　may　have　armor　and　weapons；　these　are　kept　out　of　sight。
  These　people　would　return　to　simple　techniques　for　record　keeping。
  Their　food　would　be　tasty　but　simple；　their　clothing　would　be　unpretentious。
  They　would　be　content　with　their　simple　homes；　and　the　simple　pleasures　and　customs　of　a　simple　people。
  And　even　though　there　might　be　a　neighboring　land　within　sight；
  so　that　the　crowing　of　roosters　and　the　barking　of　dogs　can　be　heard　from　it；
  these　people　will　have　lived　their　entire　life　without　ever　having　gone　to　that　country。
  81
  Truth　is　not　spoken　with　rhetoric；
  rhetoric　does　not　embrace　truth。
  The　good　do　not　quarrel；　those　who　quarrel　are　not　good。
  Those　who　know　are　not　widely　learned；　those　who　are　widely　learned　do　not　know。
  The　sage　does　not　hoard　for　himself。　The　more　he　does　to　help　others；　the　more　he　can　do。
  The　more　he　gives　to　others　the　more　his　own　treasures　increase。
  The　way　of　Heaven　is　to　cause　benefit；　not　harm。
  Therefore　the　sage　observes　this　and　imitates　it。
  He　acts；　serves；　and　does　without　relentless　striving。
  English_Donohue_TTK
  Das　Tao　Te　King　von　Lao　Tse
  English　interpretation　by
  Brian　Donohue；　2005
  Vorwort/Foreword
  There　are　many　translations；　renderings；　variations；　and　adaptations　of　Lao　Tzu's　classic；　the　Tao　Te　Ching；　extant　in　the　literary　world。　This　one　makes　no　claim　to　scholastic　erudition；　sinological　authority；　or　any　global　artistic　merit。　It　arose　from　a　personal　experience　with　the　Tao　Te　Ching；　helped　by　an　ancient　Chinese　oracle　text　known　as　the　I　Ching　（which　was　certainly　well　known　to　Lao　Tzu　himself）；　combined　with　my　own　love　of　Lao　Tzu's　poetry　and　the　fresh　energy　given　to　it　by　a　new　verbatim　translation　by　Jonathan　Star　（see　my　Introduction　and　Bibliography　for　a　more　detailed　reference　to　Star抯　work）。　Since　this　version　began　as　a　purely　personal　learning　experience；　it　is　offered　here　as　a　catalyst　for　each　reader's　unique　experiencing　of　Lao　Tzu's　poetic　voice。　Therefore；　I　have　written　commentary　only　to　those　verses　that　seemed　to　call　for　background　discussion；　either　because　of　their　content　or　the　presentation　that　they　received　here。　An　Introduction　is　also　offered；　particularly　for　those　who　are　relatively　unacquainted　with　the　historical　and　philosophical　legends　that　have　grown　around　the　Tao　Te　Ching；　as　well　as　to　present　some　of　the　peculiar　characteristics　of　this　version。
  The　commentaries　and　the　Introduction　were；　like　the　translations　of　the　poems　themselves；　written　to　inspire　each　reader's　independent　exploration　of　Lao　Tzu's　work。　Still；　I　would　encourage　readers　to　skip　the　Introduction　and　Commentaries　in　their　first　encounter　with　this　book；　and　simply　experience　the　poems　for　themselves；　hearing　and　feeling　them　uniquely　through　at　least　one　reading。　Then　it　will　be　possible　to　read　the　prose　at　either　end　of　the　poems　and　consider　what　additional　reflection　or　personal　insight　it　may　inspire。　After　all；　the　insight　of　great　poetry　is　not　the　product　or　property　of　any　person　or　group；　but　comes　directly　from　a　direct　encounter　between　the　voice　of　the　poet　and　the　heart　of　the　reader；　mediated　by　the　teaching　energy　of　the　universe　that　Lao　Tzu　called　揟he　Sage？　and　which　resides　equally　within　each　of　us。
  1
  The　Cosmic　Consciousness　described
  Is　not　quite　the　timeless　Origin。
  The　Name　that　one　puts　into　words
  Fails　to　hold　the　Essence。
  Beyond　the　empty　division　of　heaven　and　earth；
  The　Nameless　is…
  The　living　ground　of　being。
  The　Nameless　bears　the　Essence；
  The　names　reveal　the　functions
  Of　all　the　numberless　compressions　of　Being；
  Born　of　the　vast　and　silent　Mother。
  Release　your　attachment　to　appearances；
  And　the　Tao　will　be　there。
  The　manifest　and　the　immanent
  Are　of　the　same　Cosmic　Origin…
  The　living；　teeming　darkness。
  Eternal；　shimmering　darkness；
  Reflecting　itself　in　transformation；
  Beyond　all　form　and　name…
  Through