69
  THE　FUNCTION　OF　THE　MYSTERIOUS
  A　military　expert　has　said：　I　do　not　dare　put　myself　forward　as　a　host；　but　always　act　as　a　guest。　I　hesitate　to　advance　an　inch；　but　am　willing　to　withdraw　a　foot。
  This　is　advancing　by　not　advancing；　it　is　winning　without　arms；　it　is　charging　without　hostility；　it　is　seizing　without　weapons。　There　is　no　mistake　greater　than　making　light　of　an　enemy。　By　making　light　of　an　enemy　we　lose　our　treasure。
  Therefore　when　well…matched　armies　come　to　conflict；　the　one　who　is　conscious　of　his　weakness　conquers。
  70
  THE　DIFFICULTY　OF　UNDERSTANDING
  My　words　are　very　easy　to　understand　and　very　easy　to　put　into　practice；　yet　in　all　the　world　no　one　appears　to　understand　them　or　to　practice　them。
  Words　have　an　ancestor　（a　preceding　idea）；　deeds　have　a　master　（a　preceding　purpose）；　and　just　as　these　are　often　not　understood；　so　I　am　not　understood。
  They　who　understand　me　are　very　few；　and　on　that　account　I　am　worthy　of　honor。　The　wise　man　wears　wool　（rather　than　silk）　and　keeps　his　gems　out　of　sight。
  71
  THE　DISEASE　OF　KNOWLEDGE
  To　recognize　one's　ignorance　of　unknowable　things　is　mental　health；　and　to　be　ignorant　of　knowable　things　is　sickness。　Only　by　grieving　over　ignorance　of　knowable　things　are　we　in　mental　health。　The　wise　man　is　wise　because　he　understands　his　ignorance　and　is　grieved　over　it。
  72
  TO　CHERISH　ONE'S　SELF
  When　people　are　too　ignorant　to　fear　the　fearsome　thing；　then　it　will　surely　come。　Do　not　make　the　place　where　they　dwell　confining；　the　life　they　live　wearisome。　If　they　are　let　alone；　they　will　not　become　restless。　Therefore　the　wise　man　while　not　understanding　himself　regards　himself；　while　cherishing　he　does　not　overvalue　himself。　Therefore　he　discards　flattery　and　prefers　regard。
  73
  ACTION　IS　DANGEROUS
  Courage　carried　to　daring　leads　to　death。　Courage　restrained　by　caution　leads　to　life。　These　two　things；　courage　and　caution；　are　sometimes　beneficial　and　sometimes　harmful。　Some　things　are　rejected　by　heaven；　who　can　tell　the　reason？　Therefore　the　wise　man　deems　all　acting　difficult。
  The　Tao　of　heaven　does　not　quarrel；　yet　it　conquers。　It　speaks　not；　yet　its　response　is　good。　It　issues　no　summons　but　things　come　to　it　naturally　because　its　devices　are　good。　Heaven's　net　is　vast；　indeed！　its　meshes　are　wide　but　it　loses　nothing。
  74
  OVERCOMING　DELUSIONS
  If　the　people　do　not　fear　death；　how　can　one　frighten　them　with　death？　If　we　teach　people　to　fear　death；　then　when　one　rebels　he　can　be　seized　and　executed；　after　that　who　will　dare　to　rebel？
  There　is　always　an　officer　to　execute　a　murderer；　but　if　one　takes　the　place　of　the　executioner；　it　is　like　taking　the　place　of　a　skilled　carpenter　at　his　hewing。　If　one　takes　the　place　of　the　skilled　carpenter　he　is　liable　to　cut　himself。　（Therefore　do　not　interfere　with　Tao。）
  75
  LOSS　BY　GREEDINESS
  Starvation　of　a　people　comes　when　an　official　appropriates　to　himself　too　much　of　the　taxes。　The　reason　a　people　are　difficult　to　govern　is　because　the　officials　are　too　meddlesome；　the　people　make　light　of　death　because　they　are　so　absorbed　in　life's　interests。　The　one　who　is　not　absorbed　in　life　is　more　moral　than　he　who　esteems　life。
  76
  BEWARE　OF　STRENGTH
  When　a　man　is　living　he　is　tender　and　fragile。　When　he　dies　he　is　hard　and　stiff。　It　is　the　same　with　everything；　the　grass　and　trees；　in　life；　are　tender　and　delicate；　but　when　they　die　they　become　rigid　and　dry。
  Therefore　those　who　are　hard　and　stiff　belong　to　death's　domain；　while　the　tender　and　weak　belong　to　the　realm　of　life。
  Therefore　soldiers　are　most　invincible　when　they　will　not　conquer。　When　a　tree　is　grown　to　its　greatest　strength　it　is　doomed。　The　strong　and　the　great　stay　below；　the　tender　and　weak　rise　above。
  77
  TAO　OF　HEAVEN
  Tao　of　heaven　resembles　the　stretching　of　a　bow。　The　mighty　it　humbles；　the　lowly　it　exalts。　They　who　have　abundance　it　diminishes　and　gives　to　them　who　have　need。
  That　is　Tao　of　heaven；　it　depletes　those　who　abound；　and　completes　those　who　lack。
  The　human　way　is　not　so。　Men　take　from　those　who　lack　to　give　to　those　who　already　abound。　Where　is　the　man　who　by　his　abundance　can　best　serve　the　world？
  The　wise　man　makes　but　claims　not；　he　accomplishes　merit；　yet　is　not　attached　to　it；　neither　does　he　display　his　excellence。　Is　it　not　so？
  78
  TRUST　AND　FAITH
  In　the　world　nothing　is　more　fragile　than　water；　and　yet　of　all　the　agencies　that　attack　hard　substances　nothing　can　surpass　it。
  Of　all　things　there　is　nothing　that　can　take　the　place　of　Tao。　By　it　the　weak　are　conquerors　of　the　strong；　the　pliable　are　conquerors　of　the　rigid。　In　the　world　every　one　knows　this；　but　none　practice　it。
  Therefore　the　wise　man　declares：　he　who　is　guilty　of　the　country's　sin　may　be　the　priest　at　the　altar。　He　who　is　to　blame　for　the　country's　misfortunes；　is　often　the　Empire's　Sovereign。　True　words　are　often　paradoxical。
  79
  ENFORCING　CONTRACTS
  When　reconciling　great　hatred　there　will　some　remain。　How　can　it　be　made　good？
  Therefore　the　wise　man　accepts　the　debit　side　of　the　account　and　does　not　have　to　enforce　payment　from　others。　They　who　have　virtue　（teh）　keep　their　obligations；　they　who　have　no　virtue　insist　on　their　rights。　Tao　of　heaven　has　no　favorites　but　always　helps　the　good　man。
  80
  CONTENTMENT
  In　a　small　country　with　few　people　let　there　be　officers　over　tens　and　hundreds　but　not　to　exercise　power。　Let　the　people　be　not　afraid　of　death；　nor　desire　to　move　to　a　distance。　Then　though　there　be　ships　and　carriages；　they　will　have　no　occasion　to　use　them。　Though　there　be　armor　and　weapons　there　will　be　no　occasion　for　donning　them。　The　people　can　return　to　p。　52　knotted　cords　for　their　records；　they　can　delight　in　their　food；　be　proud　of　their　clothes；　be　content　with　their　dwellings；　rejoice　in　their　customs。
  Other　states　may　be　close　neighbors；　their　cocks　and　dogs　may　be　mutually　heard；　people　will　come　to　old　age　and　die　but　will　have　no　desire　to　go　or　come。
  81
  THE　NATURE　OF　THE　ESSENTIAL
  Faithful　words　are　often　not　pleasant；　pleasant　words　are　often　not　faithful。　Good　men　do　not　dispute；　the　ones　who　dispute　are　not　good。　The　learned　men　are　often　not　the　wise　men；　nor　the　wise　men；　the　learned。　The　wise　man　does　not　hoard；　but　ever　working　for　others；　he　will　the　more　exceedingly　acquire。　Having　given　to　others　freely；　he　himself　will　have　in　plenty。　Tao　of　heaven　benefits　but　does　not　injure。　The　wise　man's　Tao　leads　him　to　act　but　not　to　quarrel。
  English_Gong_TTK
  Das　Tao　Te　King　von　Lao　Tse
  Chinese　…　English　by
  Tienzen　（Jeh…Tween）　Gong
  1
  Tao　that　can　be　spoke　of；　not　the　eternal　Tao。
  Name　that　can　be　named；　not　the　eternal　name。
  Nameless；　the　beginning　of　heaven　and　earth。
  Named；　mother　of　everything。
  Desireless；　sees　the　mystery。
  Desiring；　sees　the　manifestations。
  These　two；　from　the　same　source；　differ　in　name；　both　are　original。
  Original　of　original；　gate　of　all　mystery。
  2
  Everyone　loves　beauty；　because　there　is　ugliness。
  Everyone　loves　goodness；　because　there　is　evil。
  Existence；　non…existence　beget　each　other。
  Difficult　and　easy　complement　each　other。
  Long　and　short　contrast　each　other。
  High　and　low　rest　upon　each　other。
  Voice　and　sound　harmonize　each　other。
  Front　and　back　follow　each　other。
  Therefore；　sages　doing　without　effort；　teaching　without　words。
  Everything　rise　and　fall　without　end。
  Creating；　yet　not　possessing；
  Working；　yet　not　taking　credit。
  Successful；　gives　credits　to　others　and　moves　on；
  Thus；　receives　respect　forever　more。
  3
  Not　respect　sages；　no　argument。
  Not　value　treasures；　no　stealing。
  Not　seeing　desirable　things；　no　confusion　of　the　heart。
  Thus；　sages　rule　by　emptying　people's　hearts　（keep　them　ignorant）；
  filling　their　bellies；　weakening　their　ambitions；　and　strengtheningtheir　bones。
  Let　people　ignorant　and　lack　desire；
  Then；　smart　ones；　afraid　of　doing　（smart　things）；
  But　doing　Wu…Wei；　and　nothing　will　not　be　done。
  4
  Tao　floods；　never　over　flow；　we　use　it；
  As　a　stream；　as　the　source　of　everything。
  Blunt　the　sharp；
  Untangle　the　knotted；
  Soften　the　glare；
  Merge　with　dust。
  Hidden；　yet　seemingly　present！
  I　do　not　know　from　whence　it　comes。
  Forefather　of　gods。
  5
  Heaven　and　earth　have　no　Jen；　use　everything　as　guinea　pigs。
  Sages　have　no　Jen；　use　people　as　guinea　pigs。
  The　Universe；　as　a　bellows；
  Empty　it；　yet　not　bend。
  Move　it；　yet　more　yield。
  Say　too　much；　less　is　understood。
  Better　hold　fast　to　the　center。
  6
  The　valley　spirit　（god　of　agriculture）；　never　dies；　the　primal　mother。
  Her　gateway；　the　root　of　heaven　and　earth；　seemingly　presents。
  Use　it；　never　exhaust。
  7
  Heaven；　earth；　last　forever。
  Why？　They　are　selfless；　so　forever　more。
  Thu