the　highest　unity　is　that　which　produces　unity。
  If　heaven　were　not　space　it　might　crack；　if　earth　were　not　solid　it　might　bend。　If　spirits　were　not　unified　into　mind　they　might　vanish；　if　valleys　were　not　adapted　to　rivers　they　would　be　parched。　Everything　if　it　were　not　for　life　would　burn　up。　Even　princes　and　kings　if　they　overestimate　themselves　and　cease　to　be　standards　will　presumably　fall。
  Therefore　nobles　find　their　roots　among　the　commoners；　the　high　is　always　founded　upon　the　low。　The　reason　why　princes　and　kings　speak　of　themselves　as　orphans；　inferiors　and　unworthy；　is　because　they　recognize　that　their　roots　run　down　to　the　common　life；　is　it　not　so？
  If　a　carriage　goes　to　pieces　it　is　no　longer　a　carriage；　its　unity　is　gone。　A　true　self…hood　does　not　desire　to　be　overvalued　as　a　gem；　nor　to　be　undervalued　as　a　mere　stone。
  40
  AVOIDING　ACTIVITY
  Retirement　is　characteristic　of　Tao　just　as　weakness　appears　to　be　a　characteristic　of　its　activity。
  Heaven　and　earth　and　everything　are　produced　from　existence；　but　existence　comes　from　nonexistence。　。　。　。
  41
  THE　UNREALITY　OF　APPEARANCE
  The　superior　scholar　when　he　considers　Tao　earnestly　practices　it；　an　average　scholar　listening　to　Tao　sometimes　follows　it　and　sometimes　loses　it；　an　inferior　scholar　listening　to　Tao　ridicules　it。　Were　it　not　thus　ridiculed　it　could　not　be　regarded　as　Tao。
  Therefore　the　writer　says：　Those　who　are　most　illumined　by　Tao　are　the　most　obscure。　Those　advanced　in　Tao　are　most　retiring。　Those　best　guided　by　Tao　are　the　least　prepossessing。
  The　high　in　virtue　（teh）　resemble　a　lowly　valley；　the　whitest　are　most　likely　to　be　put　to　shame；　the　broadest　in　virtue　resemble　the　inefficient。　The　most　firmly　established　in　virtue　resemble　the　remiss。　The　simplest　chastity　resembles　the　fickle；　the　greatest　square　has　no　corner；　the　largest　vessel　is　never　filled。　The　greatest　sound　is　void　of　speech；　the　greatest　form　has　no　shape。　Tao　is　obscure　and　without　name；　and　yet　it　is　precisely　this　Tao　that　alone　can　give　and　complete。
  42
  THE　TRANSFORMATION　OF　TAO
  Tao　produces　unity；　unity　produces　duality；　duality　produces　trinity；　trinity　produces　all　things。　All　things　bear　the　negative　principle　（yin）　and　embrace　the　positive　principle　（yang）。　Immaterial　vitality；　the　third　principle　（chi）；　makes　them　harmonious。
  Those　things　which　are　detested　by　the　common　people；　namely　to　be　called　orphans；　inferiors；　and　unworthies；　are　the　very　things　kings　and　lords　take　for　titles。　There　are　some　things　which　it　is　a　gain　to　lose；　and　a　loss　to　gain。
  I　am　teaching　the　same　things　which　are　taught　by　others。　But　the　strong　and　aggressive：　ones　do　not　obtain　a　natural　death　（i。e。；　self…confident　teachers　do　not　succeed）。　I　alone　expound　the　basis　of　the　doctrine　of　the　Tao。
  43
  THE　FUNCTION　OF　THE　UNIVERSAL
  The　most　tender　things　of　creation　race　over　the　hardest。
  A　non…material　existence　enters　into　the　most　impenetrable。
  I　therefore　recognize　an　advantage　in　the　doctrine　of　not　doing　（wu　wei）　and　not　speaking。　But　there　are　few　in　the　world　who　obtain　the　advantage　of　non…assertion　（wu　wei）　and　silence。
  44
  PRECEPTS
  Which　is　nearer；　a　name　or　a　person？　Which　is　more；　personality　or　treasure？　Is　it　more　painful　to　gain　or　to　suffer　loss？
  Extreme　indulgence　certainly　greatly　wastes。　Much　hoarding　certainly　invites　severe　loss。
  A　contented　person　is　not　despised。　One　who　knows　when　to　stop　is　not　endangered；　he　will　be　able　therefore　to　continue。
  45
  THE　VIRTUE　（TEH）　OF　GREATNESS
  Extreme　perfection　seems　imperfect；　its　function　is　not　exhausted。　Extreme　fullness　appears　empty；　its　function　is　not　exercised。
  Extreme　straightness　appears　crooked；　great　skill；　clumsy；　great　eloquence；　stammering。　Motion　conquers　cold；　quietude　conquers　heat。　Not　greatness　but　purity　and　clearness　are　the　world's　standard。
  46
  LIMITATION　OF　DESIRE
  When　the　world　yields　to　Tao；　race　horses　will　be　used　to　haul　manure。　When　the　world　ignores　Tao　war　horses　are　pastured　on　the　public　common。
  There　is　no　sin　greater　than　desire。　There　is　no　misfortune　greater　than　discontent。　There　is　no　calamity　greater　than　acquisitiveness。
  Therefore　to　know　extreme　contentment　is　simply　to　be　content。
  47
  SEEING　THE　DISTANT
  Not　going　out　of　the　door　I　have　knowledge　of　the　world。　Not　peeping　through　the　window　I　perceive　heaven's　Tao。　The　more　one　wanders　to　a　distance　the　less　he　knows。
  Therefore　the　wise　man　does　not　wander　about　but　he　understands；　he　does　not　see　things　but　he　defines　them；　he　does　not　labor　yet　he　completes。
  48
  TO　FORGET　KNOWLEDGE
  He　who　attends　daily　to　learning　increases　in　learning。　He　who　practices　Tao　daily　diminishes。　Again　and　again　he　humbles　himself。　Thus　he　attains　to　non…doing　（wu　wei）。　He　practices　non…doing　and　yet　there　is　nothing　left　undone。
  To　command　the　empire　one　must　not　employ　craft。　If　one　uses　craft　he　is　not　fit　to　command　the　empire。
  49
  THE　VIRTUE　（TEH）　OF　TRUST
  The　wise　man　has　no　fixed　heart；　in　the　hearts　of　the　people　he　finds　his　own。　The　good　he　treats　with　goodness；　the　not…good　he　also　treats　with　goodness；　for　teh　is　goodness。　The　faithful　ones　he　treats　with　good　faith；　the　unfaithful　he　also　treats　with　good　faith；　for　teh　is　good　faith。
  The　wise　man　lives　in　the　world　but　he　lives　cautiously；　dealing　with　the　world　cautiously。　He　universalizes　his　heart；　the　people　give　him　their　eyes　and　ears；　but　he　treats　them　as　his　children。
  50
  ESTEEM　LIFE
  Life　is　a　going　forth；　death　is　a　returning　home。　Of　ten；　three　are　seeking　life；　three　are　seeking　death；　and　three　are　dying。　What　is　the　reason？　Because　they　live　in　life's　experience。　（Only　one　is　immortal。）
  I　hear　it　said　that　the　sage　when　he　travels　is　never　attacked　by　rhinoceros　or　tiger；　and　when　coming　among　soldiers　does　not　fear　their　weapons。　The　rhinoceros　would　find　no　place　to　horn　him；　nor　the　tiger　a　place　for　his　claws；　nor　could　soldiers　wound　him。　What　is　the　reason？　Because　he　is　invulnerable。
  51
  TEH　AS　A　NURSE
  Tao　gives　life　to　all　creatures；　teh　feeds　them；　materiality　shapes　them；　energy　completes　them。　p。　37　Therefore　among　all　things　there　is　none　that　does　not　honor　Tao　and　esteem　teh。　Honor　for　Tao　and　esteem　for　teh　is　never　compelled；　it　is　always　spontaneous。　Therefore　Tao　gives　life　to　them；　but　teh　nurses　them；　raises　them；　nurtures；　completes；　matures；　rears；　protects　them。
  Tao　gives　life　to　them　but　makes　no　claim　of　ownership；　teh　forms　them　but　makes　no　claim　upon　them；　raises　them　but　does　not　rule　them。　This　is　profound　vitality　（teh）。
  52
  RETURN　TO　ORIGIN
  When　creation　began；　Tao　became　the　world's　mother。　When　one　knows　one's　mother　he　will　m　turn　know　that　he　is　her　son。　When　he　recognizes　his　sonship；　he　will　in　turn　keep　to　his　mother　and　to　the　end　of　life　will　be　free　from　danger。
  He　who　closes　his　mouth　and　shuts　his　sense　gates　will　be　free　from　trouble　to　the　end　of　life。　He　who　opens　his　mouth　and　meddles　with　affairs　cannot　be　free　from　trouble　even　to　the　end　of　life。
  To　recognize　one's　insignificance　is　called　enlightenment。　To　keep　one's　sympathy　is　called　strength。　He　who　uses　Tao's　light　returns　to　Tao's　enlightenment　and　does　not　surrender　his　person　to　perdition。　This　is　called　practicing　the　eternal。
  53
  GAIN　BY　INSIGHT
  Even　if　one　has　but　a　little　knowledge　he　can　walk　in　the　ways　of　the　great　Tao；　it　is　only　self…assertion　that　one　need　fear。
  The　great　Tao　（Way）　is　very　plain；　but　people　prefer　the　bypaths。　When　the　palace　is　very　splendid；　the　fields　are　likely　to　be　very　weedy；　and　the　granaries　empty。　To　wear　ornaments　and　gay　colors；　to　carry　sharp　swords；　to　be　excessive　in　eating　and　drinking；　and　to　have　wealth　and　treasure　in　abundance　is　to　know　the　pride　of　robbers。　This　is　contrary　to　Tao。
  54
  TO　CULTIVATE　INTUITION
  The　thing　that　is　well　planted　is　not　easily　uprooted。　The　thing　that　is　well　guarded　is　not　easily　taken　away。　If　one　has　sons　and　grandsons；　the　offering　of　ancestral　worship　will　not　soon　cease。
  He　who　practices　Tao　in　his　person　shows　that　his　teh　is　real。　The　family　that　practices　it　shows　that　their　teh　is　abounding。　The　township　that　practices　it　shows　that　their　teh　is　enduring。　The　state　that　practices　it　shows　that　their　teh　is　prolific。　The　empire　that　practices　it　reveals　that　teh　is　universal。　Thereby　one　person　becomes　a　test　of　other　persons；　one　family　of　other　families；　one　town　of　other　towns；　one　county　of　other　counties；　and　one　empire　of　all　empires。
  How　do　I　know　that　this　test　is　universal？　By　this　same　Tao。
  55
  TO　VERIFY　THE　MYSTERIOUS
  The　essence　of　teh　is　comparable　to　the　state　of　a　young　boy。　Poisonous　insects　will　not　sting　him；　wild　beasts　will　not　seize　him；　birds　of　prey　will　not　attack　him。　The　bones　are　weak；　the　muscles　are　tender；　it　is　true；　but　his　grasp　is　firm。
  He　does　not　yet　know　the　relation　of　th