ch　is　to　kill　and　transform　the　demonic　consciousness　of　acculturation。　To　manage　such　a　war　correctly　requires　an　attitude　of　humility梱ou　put　the　work　into　the　hands　of　those　best　able　to　do　it　right梩he　helping　energies　of　the　hidden　world。　This　is　how　true　greatness　is　achieved。
  69
  The　generals　have　a　saying
  Which　they　apply　to　war；
  And　I　teach　it　too：
  Better　to　be　aggression's　guest；
  Than　its　partisan　host。
  Better　to　draw　back　a　mile
  Than　press　forward　an　inch。
  This　is　called　marching
  Without　moving　your　feet；
  Capturing　without　an　assault；
  Defeating　without　an　enemy。
  For　there　is　no　greater　error
  Than　looking　outward　for　enemies。
  To　look　outward　for　enemies
  Is　to　estrange　your　only　true　self。
  This　is　why　two　sides　opposed
  Will　fight　to　a　bloody　draw；
  Where　sorrow　is　the　only　victor。
  This　poem　contains　a　warning　against　adopting　a　way　of　impulsive　action；　which　will　inevitably　trap　a　person　within　a　self…perpetuating　cycle　of　opposition；　where　conflict　is　unceasing；　battle　lines　always　drawn　and　redrawn；　where　truce　is　tenuous　and　temporary；　and　where　only　sorrow　wins。　As　elsewhere　in　the　Tao　Te　Ching；　the　metaphor　of　〃moving　the　feet〃　is　symbolic　of　impulsive　action梥ee　also　Chapters　31　and　64。　Again；　Lao　Tzu　points　out　that　aggression　tends　to　perpetuate　itself：　the　search　for　outer　enemies　is　the　first　and　final　act　of　self…destruction。
  70
  My　words　can　transform　understanding；
  And　are　very　easy　to　live　with：
  So　why　doesn抰　the　world　understand　them？
  And　why　doesn抰　it　live　by　them？
  My　words　have　a　primal　Origin；
  My　action　also　has　its　natural　Guide。
  If　you　don抰　know　these；
  Then　you　can抰　know　me。
  Thus；　there　are　but　few
  Who　can　understand　my　words。
  To　these；　the　words　point　the　way
  To　their　own　inner　treasure。
  Such　awareness　is　often　couched
  In　coarse　appearance；
  Nurturing　the　jewel　within。
  In　this　poem；　Lao　Tzu　asks　the　Tao　itself　to　speak　in　the　first　person；　describing　its　nature；　action；　and　the　correct　means　of　approaching　it。　In　the　very　first　line；　the　essence　of　the　Tao　in　action　is　revealed：　transformation。　The　Pinyin　Chinese　word　for　transformation　is　〃yi；〃　the　very　same　character　in　the　title　of　the　oracle；　〃Yi　Jing〃　（which　is　the　same　as　I　Ching　in　the　Wade…Giles　system　of　transliteration）。　As　in　Chapter　1　and　throughout　the　Tao　Te　Ching；　Lao　Tzu　describes　the　natural　use　of　language　as　the　path　of　Te；　or　Modesty：　the　Tao　in　action　within　the　human　realm　of　being。　Words　cannot　tell　us　what　Tao　is；　but　they　can　tell　us　what　it　does梙ow　it　functions　through　our　unique　consciousness。　Language　arises　from　inner　clarity；　and　it　expresses　this　clarity；　then；　it　returns　to　the　Origin；　which　is　silence。　This　is　the　transformative　path　of　natural　language梐　path　that　is　described　here　and　in　Hexagram　1　of　the　I　Ching。
  71
  Awareness　of　the　poverty　of　knowledge
  Is　all　the　knowledge　you　need。
  Repression　of　the　awareness
  Is　the　seed　of　disease。
  You　can　remove　the　disease
  By　watching　the　symptoms；
  And　sickening　their　origin。
  Thus　the　follower　of　the　Sage：
  He　guards　his　health
  By　being　aware　of　disease。
  Thus　he　never　seems　sickened；
  Since　he　feels　his　own　pain。
  Negative　emotions；　such　as　hatred；　envy；　pity；　and　contempt　are　the　symptoms　of　the　metaphorical　disease　described　in　this　poem。　The　symptoms　of　the　disease　must　be　watched；　because　they　lead　one　to　the　〃seed　of　disease；〃　which　is　the　arrogance　of　knowledge；　exemplified　in　the　false　and　superficial　ideas　that　comprise　the　one…sided　vision　of　scholarly　accumulation　（see　also　Chapter　81）。　True　awareness　is　the　consciousness　of　the　poverty　of　knowledge　in　isolation　from　the　totality　of　being；　to　fully　sense　this　poverty　is　to　〃feel　one's　own　pain；〃　without　the　empty　and　officious　compassion　of　a　politician；　a　guru；　or　some　other　authority。　This　is　the　〃awareness　of　disease〃　that　Lao　Tzu　reminds　us　to　nurture　within　ourselves：　the　deep　self…knowledge　that　comes　when　you　are　acutely　aware　of　not…knowing。　This　is　the　path　of　true　independence。
  72
  Let　the　fear　of　God　die　among　the　people；
  And　they　will　find　their　own　true　guide　within。
  Do　not　constrict　them　in　their　homes；
  Or　oppress　them　at　their　work；
  For　if　the　people　lack　a　sense　of　burden；
  Then　they　will　not　feel　oppressed。
  Thus；　the　teaching　heart　of　the　Cosmos：
  It　is　a　living；　dynamic　consciousness…
  It　draws　close　to　sincerity；
  And　retreats　from　exaltation。
  The　former　it　receives；
  The　latter　it　discards。
  The　fear　of　God　is　of　a　distant　and　threatening　Being；　which　can　only　inflict　pain　and　guilt；　while　repressing　one's　inner　truth　（the　〃true　Guide〃　mentioned）。　Societies　and　governments　behave　like　such　a　daunting　God…force　when　they　dictate　and　limit　the　acceptable　norms　of　living　and　working；　even　to　the　point　of　defining　what　a　proper　home　and　job　must　be。　When　these　strictures　are　lifted；　then　there　is　the　deepest　liberation。　Just　be　sincere；　and　you　will　be　helped。
  73
  The　wooden　impetuosity　of　the　hero
  Is　the　path　of　inner　death。
  Courage　that　retreats　from　daring
  Is　the　path　of　inner　life。
  Yet　one　who　walks　on　either　road
  Will　sometimes　suffer；　sometimes　prosper…
  As　if　God　indeed　played　dice；
  While　humans　fought　to　find　His　Reason。
  The　Cosmic　Consciousness　does　not　compete；
  And　thus　it　simply　finds　its　way。
  It　doesn抰　have　to　talk　or　make　its　point；
  And　thus　it　can　communicate。
  It　does　not　send　an　invitation；
  It　so　naturally　attracts　all　being。
  It　does　not　micromanage；
  And　all　its　parts　harmonize。
  The　Cosmic　Whole　is　like　a　net…
  So　perfectly　cast；　its　open　meshes　are　capable
  Of　catching　everything。
  74
  People　don't　truly　fear　death；
  But　they　do　fear　being　threatened　with　it。
  When　people's　fears　are　thus　enlivened；
  It　is　a　crime　of　intimidation…inner　murder。
  But　it　is　the　criminal　thought；　and　not　the　man；
  Who　must　be　caught　and　killed。
  There　may　always　be　those　who　use　death　to　further　power；
  But　they　are　not　to　be　opposed。
  For　they　would　usurp　the　place　of　the　Cosmic　Artisan；
  And　try　to　do　the　work　of　Nature
  Without　the　ability　to　use　its　tools。
  Thus；　the　pretenders　will　but　seldom　fail
  To　shed　the　blood　of　their　own　incompetence。
  75
  People　go　hungry　because　taxes　eat　their　food。
  Therefore；　the　people　go　hungry。
  People　are　hard　to　manage　because　they　are　oppressed。
  Therefore；　they　are　hard　to　manage。
  People　laugh　at　death　because　their　lives　are　cheapened
  With　the　weight　of　expectation。
  This　is　why　they　laugh　at　death。
  Who　could　value　life
  When　food　is　scarce；　and　freedom　repressed？
  The　peculiar　structure　of　this　verse；　with　its　apparently　clumsy　redundancy；　has　been　a　matter　of　comment　and　rationalization　by　scholars　and　translators。　Perhaps　this　poem's　structure　is　best　explained　as　a　matter　of　emphasis：　Lao　Tzu　is　underscoring　the　inexorable　and　appalling　connection　between　taxation　and　hunger；　oppression　and　rebellion；　despair　and　the　cheapening　of　life。　The　expression　〃the　people〃　is　not　a　mere　empty　ideological　abstraction；　to　be　written　into　constitutions　and　political　speeches；　while　each　unique　individual　within　the　nation　is　forgotten　or　suppressed。　Lao　Tzu　uses　the　alliterative　language　of　verse　to　make　a　subtle　but　crucial　point：　〃the　people〃　are　real　beings；　not　a　collective　abstraction；　and　so　when　a　government　represses　their　natural　freedom　or　robs　them　of　their　livelihood；　then　it　has　stolen　from　the　treasure　of　each　individual's　life　and　its　potential。
  76
  When　we　are　born；
  We　are　soft　and　tender。
  After　we　die；
  We　become　rigid　and　brittle。
  A　living　tree　can　sway；
  A　living　blade　of　grass　can　bend；
  For　suppleness　is　the　strength　of　life。
  Only　in　death　is　flexibility　stilled。
  Tough　and　taut　is　the　body　of　death；
  Gently　moving　is　the　way　of　life。
  Powerful　forces　crush　themselves
  Because　they　cannot　move　or　yield。
  A　stiff　and　heavy　tree　will　soon　be　broken
  By　wind　or　by　axe。
  Thus　does　rigid　power　always　crumble；
  While　the　supple　and　the　humble
  Gently　endure。
  77
  The　Tao　of　life　is　like　the　drawing　of　a　bow；
  Yet　without　the　arrow：
  Higher　and　lower　are　mutually　attracted；
  Until　they　seem　to　change　places。
  The　long　and　the　short　complement
  And　support　the　function　of　the　whole。
  The　Tao　of　life　draws　off　excess；
  And　provides　for　what　is　depleted。
  The　way　of　man　departs　from　this：
  It　devours　the　dwindling　resources
  To　serve　contrived；　compulsive　needs。
  How　can　we　learn　to　use　the　gifts　of　Nature；
  Amid　this　grasping　world？
  Let　the　Tao　guide　you：
  Your　true　self　gives；　and　claims　no　credit。
  Its　work　furthers　all；　without　attaching　to　the　results。
  It　conceals　its　worth；
  Which　is　therefore　felt　by　all。
  This　is　the　w