28
  Whoever　is　manly　and　strong；　yet　gentle　of　deeds；　becomes　the　streamof　the　world；　remains　in　steadfast　virtue　and　returns　to　nature　like　achild。　Whoever　feels　in　himself　the　Light　and　fights　Darkness　becomes　asymbol　for　the　World。　Whoever　becomes　a　symbol　for　the　world；　steadfastin　virtue；　returns　to　the　very　substance　of　Being。　Whoever　feels　his　ownHeight　still　lives　in　humility；　becomes　like　a　fertile　valley。　Whoeverbecomes　a　valley　of　the　world；　is　of　eternal　virtue　and　returns　to　thevery　substance　of　Being。　Man　is　like　uncut　timber；　only　intuitive　insightbrings　about　perfection。　The　Sage　in　his　virtue　is　the　first　in　his　community。A　true　ruler　has　no　need　of　aggression。？br》
  29
  Whoever　wishes　to　rise　by　conquest　will　fail。　The　true　goal　in　lifeis　spiritual　and　can　not　be　conquered　by　force。　The　aggressor　destroysit。　The　conqueror　loses　it。　Mankind　is　forever　in　change；　Some　run　ahead；soon　they　fall　back。　Some　are　powerful；　soon　they　weaken。　Some　are　fiery；soon　they　are　cold。　Some　are　victorious；　soon　defeated。　The　Sage　is　notmoved　by　earthly　ambitions；　he　avoids　self　aggrandizement；　he　avoids　selfelevation。？br》
  30
  Whoever　advises　the　ruler　in　the　spirit　of　Tao　will　avoid　rule　by　forceof　arms：　force　begets　force。　Where　armies　are　arrayed　against　each　other；grow　thistle　and　thorn。　Wars　are　the　parents　of　hunger　and　misery。　TheSage　wants　peace；　nothing　else；　he　aspires　never　for　conquest。　He　is　victoriousin　restraint；　victorious　with　arrogance；　victorious　without　presumption；victorious　without　demonstration　and　offense。　Whoever　seeks　military　adventureswill　perish　in　them。　Such　is　the　fate　of　rapaciousness。　Such　is　the　fateof　materialism。？br》
  31
  Victorious　in　restraint；　victorious　with　arrogance；　victorious　withoutpresumption；　victorious　without　demonstration　and　offense。　Whoever　seeksmilitary　adventures　will　perish　in　them。　Such　is　the　fate　of　rapaciousness。Now　arms；　however　beautiful；　are　instruments　of　evil　omen；　hateful；　itmay　be　said；　to　all　creatures。　Therefore　they　who　have　the　Tao　do　not　liketo　employ　them。　The　superior　man　ordinarily　considers　the　left　hand　themost　honourable　place；　but　in　time　of　war　the　right　hand。　Those　sharp　weaponsare　instruments　of　evil　omen；　and　not　the　instruments　of　the　superior　man；…heuses　them　only　on　the　compulsion　of　necessity。　Calm　and　repose　are　whathe　prizes；　victory　（by　force　of　arms）　is　to　him　undesirable。　To　considerthis　desirable　would　be　to　delight　in　the　slaughter　of　men；　and　he　whodelights　in　the　slaughter　of　men　cannot　get　his　will　in　the　kingdom。　Onoccasions　of　festivity　to　be　on　the　left　hand　is　the　prized　position；　onoccasions　of　mourning；　the　right　hand。　The　second　in　command　of　the　armyhas　his　place　on　the　left；　the　general　commanding　in　chief　has　his　on　theright；…his　place；　that　is；　is　assigned　to　him　as　in　the　rites　of　mourning。He　who　has　killed　multitudes　of　men　should　weep　for　them　with　the　bitterestgrief；　and　the　victor　in　battle　has　his　place　（rightly）　according　to　thoserites。？br》
  32
  The　Tao；　considered　as　unchanging；　has　no　name。　Though　in　its　primordialsimplicity　it　may　be　small；　the　whole　world　dares　not　deal　with　（one　embodying）it　as　a　minister。　If　a　feudal　prince　or　the　king　could　guard　and　hold　it；all　would　spontaneously　submit　themselves　to　him。　Heaven　and　Earth　（underits　guidance）　unite　together　and　send　down　the　sweet　dew；　which；　withoutthe　directions　of　men；　reaches　equally　everywhere　as　of　its　own　accord。As　soon　as　it　proceeds　to　action；　it　has　a　name。　When　it　once　has　thatname；　（men）　can　know　to　rest　in　it。　When　they　know　to　rest　in　it；　theycan　be　free　from　all　risk　of　failure　and　error。　The　relation　of　the　Taoto　all　the　world　is　like　that　of　the　great　rivers　and　seas　to　the　streamsfrom　the　valleys。？br》
  33
  He　who　knows　other　men　is　discerning；　he　who　knows　himself　is　intelligent。He　who　overcomes　others　is　strong；　he　who　overcomes　himself　is　mighty。He　who　is　satisfied　with　his　lot　is　rich；　he　who　goes　on　acting　with　energyhas　a　（firm）　will。
  He　who　does　not　fail　in　the　requirements　of　his　position；　continueslong；　he　who　dies　and　yet　does　not　perish；　has　longevity。？br》
  34
  All…pervading　is　the　Great　Tao！　It　may　be　found　on　the　left　hand　andon　the　right。　All　things　depend　on　it　for　their　production；　which　it　givesto　them；　not　one　refusing　obedience　to　it。　When　it　gives　to　them；　not　onerefusing　obedience　to　it。　When　its　work　is　accomplished；　it　does　not　claimthe　name　of　having　done　it。　It　clothes　all　things　as　with　a　garment；　andmakes　no　assumption　of　being　their　lord；…it　may　be　named　in　the　smallestthings。　All　things　return　（to　their　root　and　disappear）；　and　do　not　knowthat　it　is　it　which　presides　over　their　doing　so；…it　may　be　named　in　thegreatest　things。　Hence　the　sage　is　able　（in　the　same　way）　to　accomplishhis　great　achievements。　It　is　through　his　not　making　himself　great　thathe　can　accomplish　them。？br》
  35
  To　him　who　holds　in　his　hands　the　Great　Image　（of　the　invisible　Tao）；the　whole　world　repairs。　Men　resort　to　him；　and　receive　no　hurt；　but　（find）rest；　peace；　and　the　feeling　of　ease。
  Music　and　dainties　will　make　the　passing　guest　stop　（for　a　time）。
  But　though　the　Tao　as　it　comes　from　the　mouth；　seems　insipid　and　hasno　flavour；　though　it　seems　not　worth　being　looked　at　or　listened　to；　theuse　of　it　is　inexhaustible。？br》
  36
  When　one　is　about　to　take　an　inspiration；　he　is　sure　to　make　a　（previous）expiration；　when　he　is　going　to　weaken　another；　he　will　first　strengthenhim；　when　he　is　going　to　overthrow　another；　he　will　first　have　raised　himup；　when　he　is　going　to　despoil　another；　he　will　first　have　made　giftsto　him：…this　is　called　'hiding　the　light　（of　his　procedure）。'　The　softovercomes　the　hard；　and　the　weak　the　strong。　Fishes　should　not　be　takenfrom　the　deep；　instruments　for　the　profit　of　a　state　should　not　be　shownto　the　people。
  37
  The　tao　in　its　regular　course　does　nothing　（for　the　sake　of　doing　it）；　and　so　there　is　nothing　which　it　does　not　do。　If　princes　and　kings　were　able　to　maintain　it；　all　things　would　of　themselves　be　transformed　by　them。　If　this　transformation　became　to　me　an　object　of　desire；　I　would　express　the　desire　by　the　nameless　simplicity。
  Simplicity　without　a　name。　Is　free　from　all　external　aim。　With　no　desire；　at　rest　and　still；　All　things　go　right　as　of　their　will。
  38
  （Those　who）　possessed　in　highest　degree　the　attributes　（of　the　Tao）did　not　（seek）　to　show　them；　and　therefore　they　possessed　them　（in　fullestmeasure）。　（Those　who）　possessed　in　a　lower　degree　those　attributes　（soughthow）　not　to　lose　them；　and　therefore　they　did　not　possess　them　（in　fullestmeasure）。　（Those　who）　possessed　in　the　highest　degree　those　attributesdid　nothing　（with　a　purpose）；　and　had　no　need　to　do　anything。　（Those　who）possessed　them　in　a　lower　degree　were　（always）　doing；　and　had　need　to　beso　doing。　（Those　who）　possessed　the　highest　benevolence　were　（always　seeking）to　carry　it　out；　and　had　no　need　to　be　doing　so。　（Those　who）　possessedthe　highest　righteousness　were　（always　seeking）　to　carry　it　out；　and　hadneed　to　be　so　doing。　（Those　who）　possessed　the　highest　（sense　of）　proprietywere　（always　seeking）　to　carry　it　out；　and　had　need　to　be　so　doing。　（Thosewho）　possessed　the　highest　（sense　of）　propriety　were　（always　seeking）　toshow　it；　and　when　men　did　not　respond　to　it；　they　bared　the　arm　and　marchedup　to　them。　Thus　it　was　that　when　the　Tao　was　lost；　its　attributes　appeared；when　its　attributes　were　lost；　benevolence　appeared；　when　benevolence　waslost；　the　proprieties　appeared。　Now　propriety　is　the　attenuated　form　ofleal…heartedness　and　good　faith；　and　is　also　the　commencement　of　disorder；swift　apprehension　is　（only）　a　flower　of　the　Tao；　and　is　the　beginningof　stupidity。　Thus　it　is　that　the　Great　man　abides　by　what　is　solid　andeschews　what　is　flimsy；　dwells　with　the　fruit　and　not　with　the　flower。It　is　thus　that　he　puts　away　the　one　and　makes　choice　of　the　other。
  ＇*Note：　'leal…heartedness'　=　loyal…heartedness。＇？br》
  39
  The　things　which　from　of　old　have　got　the　One　（the　Tao）　are
  Heaven　which　by　it　is　bright　and　pure；　Earth　rendered　thereby　firmand　sure；　Spirits　with　powers　by　it　supplied；　Valleys　kept　full　throughtheir　void；　All　creatures　which　through　it　do　live；　Princes　and　kings　whofrom　it　get　The　model　which　to　all　they　give。
  All　these　are　the　results　of　the　one　（Tao）。
  If　heaven　were　not　thus　pure；　it　soon　would　rend；　If　earth　were　notthus　sure；　'twould　break　and　bend；　Without　these　powers；　the　spirits　soonwould　fail；　If　not　so　filled；　the　drought　would　parch　each　vale；　Withoutthat　life；　creatures　would　pass　away；　Princes　and　kings；　without　that　moralsway；　However　grand　and　high；　would　all　decay。
  Thus　it　is　that　dignity　finds　its　（firm）　root　in　its　（previous）　meanness；and　what　is　lofty　finds　its　stability　in　the　lowness　（from　which　it　rises）。Hence　princes　and　kings　call　themselves　'Orphans；'　'Men　of　small　virtue；'and　as　'Carriages　without　a　nave。'　Is　not　this　an　acknowledgment　that　intheir　considering　themselves　mean　they　see　the　foundation　of　their　dignity？So　it　is　that　in　the　enumeration　of　the　different　parts　of　a　carriage　wedo　not　come　on　hat　makes　it　answer　the　ends　of　a　carriage。　T