t　is　sure　to　hold　thusall　under　the　sky？　By　this　（method　of　observation）。？br》
  55
  He　who　has　in　himself　abundantly　the　attributes　（of　the　Tao）　is　likean　infant。　Poisonous　insects　will　not　sting　him；　fierce　beasts　will　notseize　him；　birds　of　prey　will　not　strike　him。　（The　infant's）　bones　areweak　and　its　sinews　soft；　ut　yet　its　grasp　is　firm。　It　knows　not　yet　theunion　of　male　and　female；　and　yet　its　virile　member　may　be　excited；…showingthe　perfection　of　its　physical　essence。　All　day　long　it　will　cry　withoutits　throat　becoming　hoarse；…showing　the　harmony　（in　its　constitution）。
  To　him　by　whom　this　harmony　is　known；　（The　secret　of）　the　unchanging（Tao）　is　shown；　And　in　the　knowledge　wisdom　finds　its　throne。　All　life…increasingarts　to　evil　turn；　Where　the　mind　makes　the　vital　breath　to　burn；　（False）is　the　strength；　（and　o'er　it　we　should　mourn。）
  When　things　have　become　strong；　they　（then）　become　old；　which　may　besaid　to　be　contrary　to　the　Tao。　Whatever　is　contrary　to　the　Tao　soon　ends。？br》
  56
  He　who　knows　（the　Tao）　does　not　（care　to）　speak　（about　it）；　he　whois　（ever　ready　to）　speak　about　it　does　not　know　it。　He　（who　knows　it）　willkeep　his　mouth　shut　and　close　the　portals　（of　his　nostrils）。　He　will　blunthis　sharp　points　and　unravel　the　complications　of　things；　he　will　temperhis　brightness；　and　bring　himself　into　agreement　with　the　obscurity　（ofothers）。　This　is　called　'the　Mysterious　Agreement。'　（Such　an　one）　cannotbe　treated　familiarly　of　distantly；　he　is　beyond　all　consideration　of　profitor　injury；　of　nobility　or　meanness：…he　is　the　noblest　man　under　heaven。？br》
  57
  A　state　may　be　ruled　by　（measures　of）　correction；　weapons　of　war　maybe　used　with　crafty　dexterity；　（but）　the　kingdom　is　made　one's　own　（only）by　freedom　from　action　and　purpose。　How　do　I　know　that　it　is　so？　By　thesefacts：…In　the　kingdom　the　multiplication　of　prohibitive　enactments　increasesthe　poverty　of　the　people；　the　more　implements　to　add　to　their　profit　thatthe　people　have；　the　greater　disorder　is　there　in　the　state　and　clan；　themore　acts　of　crafty　dexterity　that　men　possess；　the　more　do　strange　contrivancesappear；　the　more　display　there　is　of　legislation；　the　more　thieves　androbbers　there　are。　Therefore　a　sage　has　said；　'I　will　do　nothing　（of　purpose）；and　the　people　will　be　transformed　of　themselves；　I　will　be　fond　of　keepingstill；　and　the　people　will　of　themselves　become　correct。　I　will　take　notrouble　about　it；　and　the　people　will　of　themselves　become　rich；　I　willmanifest　no　ambition；　and　the　people　will　of　themselves　attain　to　the　primitivesimplicity。'？br》
  58
  The　government　that　seems　the　most　unwise；　Oft　goodness　to　the　peoplebest　supplies；　That　which　is　meddling；　touching　everything；　Will　work　butill；　and　disappointment　bring。
  Misery！　…happiness　is　to　be　found　by　its　side！　Happiness！　…　miserylurks　beneath　it！　Who　knows　what　either　will　come　in　the　end？　Shall　wethen　dispense　with　correction？　The　（method　of）　correction　shall　by　a　turnbecome　distortion；　and　the　good　in　it　shall　by　a　turn　become　evil。　Thedelusion　of　the　people　（on　this　point）　has　indeed　subsisted　for　a　longtime。　Therefore　the　sage　is　（like）　a　square　which　cuts　no　one　（with　itsangles）：　（like）　a　corner　which　injures　no　one　（with　its　sharpness）。　Heis　straightforward；　but　allows　himself　no　license；　he　is　bright；　but　doesnot　dazzle。？br》
  59
  For　regulating　the　human　（in　our　constitution）　and　rendering　the　（proper）service　to　the　heavenly；　there　is　nothing　like　moderation。　It　is　only　bythis　moderation　that　there　is　effected　and　early　return　（to　man's　normalstate）。　That　early　return　is　what　I　call　the　repeated　accumulation　of　theattributes　（of　the　Tao）。　With　that　repeated　accumulation　of　those　attributes；there　comes　the　subjugation　we　know　not　what　shall　be　the　limit；　and　whenone　knows　not　what　the　limit　shall　be；　he　may　be　the　ruler　of　a　state。He　who　possesses　the　mother　of　the　state　may　continue　long。　His　case　islike　that　（of　the　plant）　of　which　we　say　that　its　roots　are　deep　and　itsflower　stalks　firm；　…this　is　the　way　to　secure　that　its　enduring　life　shalllong　be　seen。
  60
  Governing　a　great　state　is　like　cooking　small　fish。　Let　the　kingdombe　governed　according　to　the　Tao；　and　the　manes　of　the　departed　will　notmanifest　their　spiritual　energy。　It　is　not　that　those　manes　have　not　thatspiritual　energy；　but　it　will　not　be　employed　to　hurt　men。　It　is　not　thatit　could　not　hurt　men；　but　neither　does　the　ruling　sage　hurt　them。　Whenthese　two　do　not　injuriously　affect　each　other；　their　good　influences　convergein　the　virtue　（of　the　Tao）。？br》
  61
  What　makes　a　great　state　is　its　being　（like）　a　low…　lying；　down…flowing（stream）；…it　becomes　the　centre　to　which　tend　（all　the　small　states）　underheaven。　（To　illustrate　from）　the　case　of　all　females：…the　female　alwaysovercomes　the　male　by　her　stillness。　Stillness　may　be　considered　（a　sortof）　abasement。　Thus　it　is　that　a　great　state；　by　condescending　to　smallstates；　gains　them　for　itself；　and　that　small　states；　by　abasing　themselvesto　a　great　state；　win　it　over　to　them。　In　the　one　case　the　abasement　leadsto　gaining　adherents；　in　the　other　case　to　procuring　favour。　The　greatstate　only　wishes　to　unite　men　together　and　nourish　them；　a　small　stateonly　wishes　to　be　received　by；　and　to　serve；　the　other。　Each　gets　whatis　desires；　but　the　great　state　must　learn　to　abase　itself。？br》
  62
  Tao　has　of　all　things　the　most　honoured　place。　No　treasures　give　goodmen　so　rich　a　grace；　Bad　men　it　guards；　and　doth　their　ill　efface。
  （Its）　admirable　words　can　purchase　honour；　（its）　admirable　deeds　canraise　their　performer　above　others。　Even　men　who　are　not　good　are　not　abandonedby　it。　Therefore　when　the　sovereign　occupies　his　place　as　the　Son　of　Heaven；and　he　has　appointed　his　three　ducal　ministers　though　（a　prince）　were　tosend　in　a　round　symbol…of…rank　large　enough　to　fill　both　the　hands；　andthat　as　the　precursor　of　the　team　of　horses　（in　the　court…yard）；　such　anoffering　would　not　be　equal　to　（a　lesson　of）　this　Tao；　which　one　mightpresent　on　his　knees。　Why　was　it　that　the　ancients　prized　this　Tao　so　much？Was　it　not　because　it　could　be　got　by　seeking　for　it；　and　the　guilty　couldescape　（from　the　stain　of　their　guilt）　by　it？　This　is　the　reason　why　allunder　heaven　consider　it　the　most　valuable　thing。？br》
  63
  （It　is　the　way　of　the　Tao）　to　act　without　（thinking　of）　acting；　toconduct　affairs　without　（feeling　the）　trouble　of　them；　to　taste　withoutdiscerning　any　flavour；　to　consider　what　is　small　as　great；　and　a　few　asmany；　and　to　recompense　injury　with　kindness。　（The　master　of　it）　anticipatesthings　that　are　difficult　while　they　are　easy；　and　does　things　that　wouldbecome　great　while　they　are　small。　All　difficult　things　in　the　world　aresure　to　arise　from　a　previous　state　in　which　they　were　easy；　and　all　greatthings　from　one　in　which　they　were　small。　Therefore　the　sage；　while　henever　does　what　is　great；　is　able　on　that　account　to　accomplish　the　greatestthings。　He　who　lightly　promises　is　sure　to　keep　but　little　faith；　he　whois　continually　thinking　things　easy　is　sure　to　find　them　difficult。　Thereforethe　sage　sees　difficulty　even　in　what　seems　easy；　and　so　never　has　anydifficulties。？br》
  64
  That　which　is　at　rest　is　easily　kept　hold　of；　before　a　thing　has　givenindications　of　its　presence；　it　is　easy　to　take　measures　against　it；　thatwhich　is　brittle　is　easily　broken；　that　which　is　very　small　is　easily　dispersed。Action　should　be　taken　before　a　thing　has　made　its　appearance；　order　shouldbe　secured　before　disorder　has　begun。　The　tree　which　fills　the　arms　grewfrom　the　tiniest　sprout；　the　tower　of　nine　storeys　rose　from　a　（small）heap　of　earth；　the　journey　of　a　thousand　li　commenced　with　a　single　step。He　who　acts　（with　an　ulterior　purpose）　does　harm；　he　who　takes　hold　ofa　thing　（in　the　same　way）　loses　his　hold。　（But）　people　in　their　conductof　affairs　are　constantly　ruining　them　when　they　are　on　the　eve　of　success。If　they　were　careful　at　the　end；　as　（they　should　be）　at　the　beginning；they　would　not　so　ruin　them。　Therefore　the　sage　desires　what　（other　men）do　not　desire；　and　does　not　prize　things　difficult　to　get；　he　learns　what（other　men）　do　not　learn；　and　turns　back　to　what　the　multitude　of　men　havepassed　by。　Thus　he　helps　the　natural　development　of　all　things；　and　doesnot　dare　to　act　（with　an　ulterior　purpose　of　his　own）。？br》
  65
  The　ancients　who　showed　their　skill　in　practising　the　Tao　did　so；　notto　enlighten　the　people；　but　rather　to　make　them　simple　and　ignorant。　Thedifficulty　in　governing　the　people　arises　from　their　having　much　knowledge。He　who　（tries　to）　govern　a　state　by　his　wisdom　is　a　scourge　to　it；　whilehe　who　does　not　（try　to）　do　so　is　a　blessing。　He　who　knows　these　two　thingsfinds　in　them　also　his　model　and　rule。　Ability　to　know　this　model　and　ruleconstitutes　what　we　call　the　mysterious　excellence　（of　a　governor）。　Deepand　far　reaching　is　such　mysterious　excellence；　showing　indeed　its　possessoras　opposite　to　others；　but　leading　them　to　a　great　conformity　to　him。？br》
  66
  That　whereby　the　rivers　and　seas　are　able　to　receive　the　homage　andtribute　of　all　the　valley　streams；　is　their　skill　in　being　lower　than　they；…itis　thus　that　they　are　the　kings　of　them　all。　So　it　is　th