The　summit　of　character　is　as　good　as　a　valley
  The　greatest　whiteness　is　as　good　as　soiled
  Abundant　character　seems　inadequate
  Established　character　seems　furtive
  The　evident　truth　seems　spurious
  The　greatest　square　has　no　corner
  The　greatest　capacity　is　last　to　be　realized
  The　greatest　note　is　the　rarest　sound
  The　greatest　image　has　no　form
  The　way　is　hidden　&　nameless
  （But）　because　way　is　good　at　acceptance
  （it　is）　also　fulfilling
  42
  The　way　begets　the　one
  The　one　begets　the　two
  The　two　beget　the　three
  The　three　beget　the　myriad　beings
  The　myriad　beings　carry　the　shadow　and　embrace　the　light
  Mixing　the　breaths　with　harmonious　action
  People　have　their　reasons　to　truly　dislike　being
  揙rphaned　&　friendless；　without　worth？br》　Yet　sovereign　&　duke　take　（these）　as　titles
  Since　beings　may　sometimes　lose　something；　and　yet　benefit
  May　sometimes　gain　something；　and　yet　be　diminished
  What　someone　else　has　taught
  I　too　come　to　teach：
  Those　who　are　forceful　&　hostile
  do　not　meet　their　（natural）　ends
  I　will　regard　（this）　as　a　premise　of　the　teaching
  43
  Nature　at　its　most　yielding
  Quickly　overcomes　nature　at　its　most　firm
  Non…being　enters　（where）　there　is　no　gap
  This　is　how　we　know　（that）　inaction
  comes　to　have　such　advantages
  The　doctrine　which　has　no　words
  The　benefits　of　taking　no　action　…
  Few　in　the　world　attain　these
  44
  Reputation　compared　to　life；　which　is　dearer？
  Life　compared　to　property；　which　is　（worth）　more？
  Gain　compared　to　loss；　which　is　（more）　distressing？
  It　is　a　given　that　extreme　affection
  Entails　great　cost
  Much　stored　up　entails　heavy　loss
  To　understand　sufficiency　is　no　disgrace
  To　understand　restraint　avoids　limits　…
  （This　is）　the　right　way　to　live　long
  45
  A　great　achievement　（may）　seem　deficient
  But　its　function　is　not　impaired
  A　great　fulfillment　（may）　seem　empty
  But　its　function　is　not　diminished
  Great　straightforwardness　（might）　seem　compromised
  Great　artfulness　（might）　seem　clumsy
  Great　eloquence　（might）　seem　to　stammer
  Restlessness　overcomes　cold
  Stillness　overcomes　heat
  Clarity　&　stillness　act　as　measures　to　the　world
  46
  When　the　world　holds　to　the　way
  Retired　racehorses　are　useful　for　manure
  When　the　world　loses　the　way
  War　horses　breed　throughout　the　frontier
  There　is　no　vice　greater　than　submitting　to　greed
  No　suffering　greater　than　never　knowing　sufficiency
  No　error　greater　than　the　hunger　for　gain
  So　to　know　that　sufficiency　is　in　itself　sufficient
  Is　a　truly　durable　sufficiency
  47
  Without　going　out　the　door
  Comprehend　（all）　under　heaven
  Without　peering　out　the　window
  Observe　the　way　of　heaven
  The　farther　beyond　one　goes
  One抯　comprehension　is　by　that　much　diminished
  This　is　why　wise　ones　（might）　not　move　about；　but　still　know
  （Might）　not　witness；　but　still　describe
  （Might）　not　act；　but　still　accomplish
  48
  The　pursuit　of　learning　（means）　increasing　daily
  The　pursuit　of　the　way　（means）　decreasing　daily
  Decreasing　things　and　then　subtracting
  In　order　to　arrive　at　not　doing
  （When）　nothing　is　done；　then　nothing　remains　undone
  To　capture　the　world；　always　apply　the　least　effort
  As　soon　as　one　has　to　make　effort
  （One　is）　no　longer　adequate　to　the　purpose
  of　capturing　the　world
  49
  Wise　ones　have　no　set　mind
  Regarding　the　hundred　families？minds　as　搈ind？br》　To　those　who　are　good　we　have　good　to　extend
  To　those　who　are　less　than　good　we　also　have　good　to　extend
  To　merit　goodness
  To　those　who　are　true　we　have　truth　to　extend
  To　those　who　are　less　than　true　we　also　have　truth　to　extend
  To　merit　truth
  Wise　ones　are　in　the　world
  Uniting；　connecting；　adopting　the　world
  Merging　with　their　hearts
  The　hundred　families；　as　one；　pay　heed；
  with　their　揾earkening？&　揵eholding？br》　The　wise　ones；　as　one；　come　to　laugh　like　children
  50
  Emerging　in　life　（or）　entering　death
  The　companions　of　life　will　be　three　（in）　ten
  The　companions　of　death　will　be　three　（in）　ten
  And　others　whose　lives　&　actions　approach　the　domain　of　death
  Will　also　be　three　（in）　ten
  Now　why　is　this　so？
  Because　these　live　life　for　its　substance
  Now　hear　of　the　one　adept　at　sustaining　life
  Traveling　the　countryside；　not　meeting　buffalo　or　tiger
  Entering　a　battle；　not　carrying　armor　or　weapons　…
  The　buffalo　finds　no　place　to　thrust　its　horns
  The　tiger　finds　no　place　to　sink　its　claws
  The　weapon　finds　no　place　to　admit　its　blade
  Now　why　is　this　so？
  Because　in　this　one　there　is　no　place　for　death
  51
  The　way　gives　things　life
  Character　raises　them
  Existence　shapes　them
  Conditions　complete　them
  So　it　is　that　the　myriad　beings；　without　exception；
  Ennoble　the　way　and　honor　character
  The　way　will　be　ennobled
  Character　will　be　honored
  But　nobody　has　to　command　this
  as　it　always　proceeds　out　of　nature
  In　this　way　the　way　gives　things　life
  Character　raises　them
  Sustains　them；　brings　them　up
  Shelters　them；　heals　them
  Nurtures　them；　protects　them
  Creates　but　does　not　possess
  Acts　but　does　not　expect
  Leads　but　does　not　rule
  These　may　be　called　搈ystic　powers？br》
  52
  The　world　had　a　beginning
  Regarded　as　mother　to　the　world
  Having　found　this　mother
  Through　this　comprehend　her　children
  Having　comprehended　her　children
  Return　&　attend　to　the　mother
  The　death　of　self　is　nothing　to　fear
  Close　the　passages
  Secure　the　gates
  （And）　the　rest　of　life　is　no　trouble
  Open　the　passages
  Conclude　the　affairs
  （And）　the　rest　of　life　finds　no　salvation
  To　perceive　in　detail　tells　of　clarity
  To　maintain　flexibility　tells　of　strength
  Make　use　of　what　is　illuminated
  To　return　home　again　to　the　light
  Do　not　abandon　yourself　to　misfortune
  This　may　be　called　搒ustainable　practice？br》
  53
  Let　our　resolve　here　be　this：　to　be　understanding
  To　travel　upon　the　great　way
  （With）　only　distractions　to　fear
  The　great　way　is　so　very　ordinary
  And　the　people　love　the　detours
  The　courts　are　so　very　well　kept
  The　fields；　so　very　weedy
  The　granaries；　so　very　empty
  The　clothes；　refined　&　elaborate
  Sharp　swords　worn　at　the　waist
  A　glut　of　drinking　&　feasting
  Wealth　&　goods　kept　in　heaps
  This　describes　robbery　&　bombast
  Surely　not　the　way　at　all
  54
  What　is　well　established　is　not　uprooted
  What　is　well　embraced　is　not　taken　away
  Children　&　grandchildren；　accordingly；
  make　offerings　&　sacrifice　without　fail
  Cultivate　this　in　the　person
  Its　character　grows　true
  Cultivate　this　in　the　family
  Its　character　grows　ample
  Cultivate　this　in　the　community
  Its　character　grows　enduring
  Cultivate　this　in　the　country
  Its　character　grows　bountiful
  Cultivate　this　in　the　world
  Its　character　grows　universal
  And　so；　use　person　to　examine　the　person
  With　family；　examine　the　family
  With　community；　examine　the　community
  With　country；　examine　the　country
  With　the　world；　examine　the　world
  So　how　are　we　to　know　that　the　world
  is　really　like　this？
  Through　This
  55
  To　embody　virtue抯　substance
  Compares　to　the　naked　infant
  Wasps　&　scorpions；　vipers　&　serpents　do　not　bite
  Wild　beasts　do　not　seize
  Birds　of　prey　do　not　strike
  The　bones　are　flexible；　the　muscles　are　soft；
  but　the　grip　is　sure
  Not　yet　knowing　the　union　of　woman　&　man
  But　the　penis　is　aroused
  Essence　is　at　its　prime　here！
  Howling　all　day；　but　not　getting　hoarse
  Harmony　is　at　its　prime　here！
  To　comprehend　harmony　speaks　of　the　continuous
  To　comprehend　the　continuous　speaks　of　clarity
  The　enrichment　of　life　may　be　called　a　揾appy　omen？br》　The　mind　directing　the　breath　may　be　called　a　損ower？br》　（But）　beings　grown　mighty　will　then　grow　frail
  This　may　be　called　搊ff　the　path？br》　Off　the　path　is　soon　finished
  56
  To　know　does　not　mean　to　speak
  To　speak　does　not　mean　to　know
  Close　the　passages
  Secure　the　gates
  Blunt　the　sharpness
  Resolve　the　tangles
  Shade　the　glare
  Be　one　with　the　world
  This　may　be　called　搈ystic　union？br》　Such　as　may　not　be　gained　by　affection
  May　not　be　gained　by　detachment
  May　not　be　gained　by　favor
  May　not　be　gained　by　suffering
  May　not　be　gained　by　esteem
  May　not　be　gained　by　humility
  And　so　becomes　precious　to　（all）　under　heaven
  57
  Use　principle　to　govern　a　country
  Use　tricks　to　wage　a　war
  Use　the　least　effort　to　capture　the　world
  By　what　means　do　we　know　that　things　are　really　like　this？
  By　This
  There　are　more　taboos　&　restrictions　in　the　world
  But　the　people　grow　more　imp