Truly；　they　would　become　without　desire。　Being　without　desire　they　would　be　quiet；　and　All…under…heaven　would　of　itself　be　settled。
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  Superior　Virtue　never　asserts　its　virtue；　therefore　it　has　virtue。
  Inferior　virtue　never　abandons　it　virtue；　therefore　it　has　no　virtue。
  Superior　Virtue　neither　acts　nor　aims。
  Inferior　Virtue　acts　and　aims
  Superior　humanity　acts　but　aims　not。
  Superior　justice　acts　and　aims。
  （A　man　of）　superior　ritual　conduct　acts；　and　not　finding　response；　he　pulls　up　his　sleeves　and　becomes　aggressive。
  Thus；　once　the　Way　is　abandoned；　thereafter　Virtue　is　asserted；　once　Virtue　is　abandoned；　thereafter　humanity　is　asserted；　once　humanity　is　abandoned；　thereafter　justice　is　asserted；　once　justice　is　abandoned；　thereafter　ritual　conduct　is　asserted。
  Now　ritual　conduct　is　the　thin　shell　of　loyalty　and　good　faith　and　the　beginning　of　disorder。　Foreknowledge　is　but　a　blossom　of　the　Way　and　the　beginning　of　folly。
  Therefore；　〃the　Great　Adult〃　is　concerned　with　what　is　think；　and　keeps　not　to　what　is　thin；　he　is　concerned　with　the　kernel　and　keeps　not　to　the　blossom。
  Therefore　he　rejects　that　and　chooses　this。
  39
  Those　who　of　old　attained　the　Unity　（are　the　following）：
  Heaven　attained　unity　and　became　clear。
  Earth　attained　unity　and　became　tranquil。
  The　spirits　attained　unity　and　became　animated。
  The　valleys　attained　unity　and　became　filled。
  The　ten　thousand　things　attained　unity　and　were　produced。
  The　feudal　kings　attained　unity　and　became　rectifiers　of　All…under…heaven。
  all　this　is　effected　（by　unity）。
  If；　by　this；　heaven　were　not　clear；　it　is　to　be　feared　it　might　burst。
  If；　by　this；　earth　were　not　tranquil；　it　is　to　be　feared　it　might　quake。
  If；　by　this；　the　spirits　were　not　animated；　it　is　to　be　feared　they　might　dissolve。
  If；　by　this；　the　valleys　were　not　filled；　it　is　to　be　feared　they　might　be　exhausted。
  If；　by　this；　the　ten　thousand　things　were　not　produced；　it　is　to　be　feared　they　might　become　extinct。
  If；　by　this；　the　feudal　kings　were　not　noble　and　exalted；　it　is　to　be　feared　they　might　trip。
  For　the　noble　has　the　vile　as　its　root；　the　exalted　has　the　lowly　as　its　base。
  Therefore　feudal　kings　call　themselves　〃the　Orphan〃；　〃the　Lonely　one〃；　〃the　Destitute　one〃。　Surely　this　is　because　they　regard　the　vile　as　their　root！
  For　supreme　honour　attained　is　without　honour。
  Its　desire　is　not　to　be　finely　carved　like　jade；　but　to　be　scattered　like　gravel。
  40
  The　movement　of　the　Way　is：　to　reverse。
  The　method　of　the　Way　is：　to　be　weak。
  Heaven　and　earth　and　the　ten　thousand　things　are　born　out　of　Being；　Being　is　born　out　of　Non…being。
  41
  When　a　gentleman　of　top　grade　hears　about　the　Way；　he　does　his　best　to　put　it　into　practice。
  When　a　gentleman　of　middle　grade　hears　about　the　Way；　he　seems　now　to　keep　it；　now　to　lose　it。
  When　a　gentleman　of　bottom　grade　hears　about　the　Way；　he　will　laugh　loudly　at　it。
  If　it　were　not　laughed　at；　it　would　not　be　worth　regarding　as　the　Way。
  For　there　is　an　established　saying：
  〃The　bright　Way　looks　dark。
  The　progressive　Way　looks　retrograde。
  The　level　Way　looks　rugged。
  The　highest　Virtue　looks　like　a　valley。
  Sheer　white　looks　soiled。
  The　widest　Virtue　looks　inadequate。
  The　firmest　Virtue　looks　feeble。
  The　truest　substance　looks　pitted。
  The　greatest　square　has　no　corners。
  The　greatest　vessel　is　the　last　completed。
  The　greatest　music　has　the　rarest　sound。
  The　greatest　Image　has　no　form。
  The　Way　is　hidden　and　without　names。　Indeed；　just　because　the　Way　is　able　to　lend　it　is　able　to　complete。〃
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  One　produced　two；　two　produced　three；　three　produced　the　ten　thousand　things。
  The　ten　thousand　things　turn　away　from　the　dark　（Yin）　and　embrace　the　light　（Yang）；　the　vapours　of　the　void　blend　them　harmoniously。
  What　people　loathe　is　to　be　〃orphaned〃；　〃lonely〃；　〃destitute〃；　and　yet　kings　and　dukes　call　themselves　thus。
  For　things　are　sometimes　increased　by　decrease；　and　decreased　by　increase。
  What　others　have　taught　I　also　teach；　that　men　of　violence　will　not　reach　their　natural　death；　I　shall　be　the　father　of　that　doctrine。
  43
  The　weakest　thing　in　the　whole　world　dashes　against　the　hardest　in　the　whole　world。　There　is　in　all　the　world　nothing　softer　or　weaker　than　water；　but　in　attacking　the　hard　and　strong；　nothing　surpasses　it。　Without　substance　it　penetrates　where　there　is　no　crevice；　by　what…is…not　this　becomes　easy。
  From　this　I　know　that　non…action　profits。
  The　doctrine　without　words　and　the　profit　of　non…action；　few　in　the　world　will　attain　to　these。
  Therefore　the　Saint　abides　by　the　practice　of　non…action；　and　professes　the　doctrine　without　words。
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  Name　or　person；　…　which　is　nearest？
  Person　or　goods；　…　which　counts　most？
  Gain　or　loss；　…　which　is　worse？
  For；　the　greater　sparing　the　greater　spending；　the　more　hoarding　the　more　loss。
  He　who　knows　contentment；　will　not　be　ashamed。
  He　who　knows　where　to　abide　will　be　without　peril。
  He　will　last　long。
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  Treat　the　most　flawless　（vase）　as　cracked；　and　it　will　not　wear　out　in　use。
  Treat　the　fullest　（vase）　as　empty；　and　it　will　not　run　dry　in　use。
  Treat　the　straightest　as　crooked；　the　cleverest　as　clumsy；　the　most　eloquent　as　stammering。
  Stamping　may　overcome　cold；　but　stillness　overcomes　heat。
  Purity　and　stillness　are　what　rectifies　All…under…heaven。
  46
  When　the　Empire　has　the　Way；　（even）　coursers　will　be　stabled　for　the　sake　of　their　dung。
  When　the　Empire　is　without　the　Way；　warhorses　will　be　raised　in　the　suburb。
  No　guilt　is　greater　than　to　approve　of　desire。
  No　disaster　is　greater　than　not　to　know　what　is　enough。
  No　fault　is　greater　than　the　desire　to　acquire。
  For；　to　know　that　enough　is　enough　is　to　have　always　enough。
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  To　know　All…under…heaven　without　going　out　of　doors！
  Without　peeping　out　of　the　window；　to　see　the　Way　of　Heaven！
  The　further　one　goes　out；　the　less　one　knows。
  Therefore：　the　Saint　knows　without　travelling；　names　（things）　without　seeing　them；　achieves　without　acting。
  48
  Practice　learning　and　there　is　daily　increase。
  Practice　the　Way　and　there　is　daily　decrease。
  Decrease；　and　again　decrease；　till　it　reaches　non…action。
  By　doing　nothing　there　is　nothing　that　is　not　done。
  49
  The　Saint　has　no　fixed　mind。　He　makes　the　mind　of　the　people　his　own；　（saying）：　〃The　good　I　treat　well；　and　the　not…good　I　also　treat　well；　thus　I　obtain　goodness。　Those　of　good　faith　I　treat　with　good　faith；　and　those　not　of　good　faith　I　also　treat　with　good　faith；　thus　I　obtain　good　faith。〃
  The　Saint　in　Al…under…heaven　makes　no　distinctions；　he　makes　his　heart　impartial　towards　All…under…heaven。　The　people　rivet　their　ears　and　eyes　on　him；　and　the　Saint　treats　them　all　like　infants。
  50
  Coming　forth　（man）　is　born；　entering　he　dies。
  Followers　of　life　there　are　three　in　ten；　followers　of　death　there　are　three　in　ten；　and　men　who；　while　regarding　life　as　life；　in　their　every　act　tend　towards　the　death…spot；　there　are　also　three　in　ten。
  Why　is　that？　Because　of　the　excessive　manner　in　which　they　regard　life　as　life。
  For　indeed；　I　have　heard　that　one　who　has　a　firm　purchase　on　life；　when　travelling　overland；　meets　neither　tiger　no　rhinoceros；　and　when　going　into　battle；　he　wears　no　cuirass　no　does　he　bear　arms。　A　rhinoceros　would　find　nowhere　to　butt　its　horn；　a　tiger　would　find　nowhere　to　fix　its　claws；　weapons　would　find　no　room　to　enter　their　blades。　Why　is　that？　Because　he　has　no　death…spot。
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  The　Way　produces　them；　Virtue　rears　them；　things　lend　their　form；　environment　completes　their　development。
  Therefore　the　ten　thousand　things　there　is　none　but　honours　the　Way　and　values　Virtue。
  Honouring　the　Way　and　valuing　Virtue　is　not　at　somebody's　behest　but　is　always　spontaneous。
  For　the　Way　produces；　Virtue　rears。　They　grow；　feed；　prosper；　lead；　support　and　shelter。
  They　produce　and　rear：　they　produce　but　do　not　appropriate；　they　act　but　do　not　rely　（on　the　result）；　they　grow　but　do　not　control。
  When　a　work　has　been　accomplished　they　do　not　rest　in　it。　Indeed；　just　because　they　do　not　rest　in　it；　they　do　not　withdraw。
  This　is　called　the　mystic　Virtue。
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  All…under…heaven　has　a　beginning　which　may　be　regarded　as　the　mother　of　All…under…heaven。　Having　found　the　mother　one　may　know　the　children。　If；　knowing　the　children；　one　still　keeps　to　the　mother；　until　the　end　of　his　life　one　is　not　in　peril。
  Stop　its　apertures；　close　its　doors；　and　until　the　（natural）　completion　of　the　body　（your　strength）　will　not　fail。
  Open　its　apertures；　promote　its　activities　and　until　the　（natural）　completion　of　the　body　nothing　will　avail。
  To　perceive　what　is　small　is　（clear）　vision；　to　keep　to　what　is　weak　is　strength。
  If　using　the　light；　one　resorts　to　one's　vision；　the　body　will　not　be　exposed　to　any　harm。　This　is　called　〃practicing　what　is　constant〃。