By　This
  There　are　more　taboos　&　restrictions　in　the　world
  But　the　people　grow　more　impoverished
  The　people　have　more　productive　implements
  （But）　countries　&　clans　grow　more　disturbed
  （As）　others　get　more　clever　&　artful
  Bizarre　things　happen　more　often
  The　more　that　matters　of　law　are　proclaimed
  The　more　robbers　&　looters　there　will　be
  And　so　the　wise　ones　will　claim：
  We　do　nothing
  And　humanity　evolves　on　its　own
  We　favor　stillness
  And　humanity　governs　itself
  We　do　not　make　an　effort
  And　humanity　enriches　itself
  We　have　no　ambition
  And　humanity　simplifies　itself
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  （Where）　their　government　is　muted　&　dull
  Its　people　are　honest　&　sincere
  （Where）　their　government　is　efficient　&　exacting
  Its　people　are　partial　&　wanting
  Ah；　suffering！　That　happiness　has　such　things　to　rely　on！
  Ah；　happiness！　That　suffering　has　such　places　to　lurk！
  Who　comprehends　their　outcomes？
  Are　there　no　rules？
  The　rules　go　back　to　behaving　strangely
  The　good　return　to　acting　ominously
  Humankind　has　held　its　delusions
  For　such　an　entrenched　length　of　days
  This　is　why　wise　ones
  Are　direct　but　not　divisive
  Exacting　but　not　hurtful
  To　the　point　but　not　tactless
  Bright　but　not　dazzling
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  （In）　governing　people　（or）　serving　heaven
  There　is　nothing　quite　like　economy
  Only　one　who　is　thrifty
  May　be　deemed　ahead　of　the　task
  To　be　ahead　of　the　task　suggests　there　is
  a　great　reserve　of　character
  Given　a　great　reserve　of　character
  then　nothing　is　impossible
  When　nothing　is　impossible
  then　nobody　knows　things　to　be　limited
  Nobody　knowing　things　to　be　limited
  is　fit　to　claim　the　realm
  （Now）　claiming　the　realm抯　mother
  is　fitness　to　endure　a　long　time
  This　describes　deep　roots　&　solid　foundations
  The　path　of　long　life　&　enduring　vision
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  Ruling　a　great　country　is　like　cooking　a　little　fish
  This　is　how　the　way　manages　（all）　under　heaven
  （Whether）　the　ghosts　lack　spirit
  Or　the　ghosts　do　not　lack　spirit
  （Whether）　the　spirits　avoid　harming　people
  Or　the　spirits　do　not　avoid　harming　people
  Wise　ones　still　avoid　harming　people
  Now　as　neither　of　these　haunts　the　other
  So　virtue　interacts　&　comes　back　home　to　them
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  The　great　realm　is　the　one　which　flows　beneath
  A　confluence　to　（all）　under　heaven
  A　woman　to　（all）　under　heaven
  The　feminine；　ever　through　stillness；　overcomes　the　male
  Through　stillness　&　playing　submissive
  And　so　a　great　realm；　by　submitting　to　a　small　realm；
  Will　then　appropriate　the　small　realm
  A　small　realm；　by　submitting　to　a　great　realm；
  Will　then　appropriate　the　great　realm
  And　so　the　one　submits；　intending　to　appropriate
  The　other　submits　and　gets　taken　in
  （Where）　the　great　realm　has　no　greater　ambition
  than　uniting　&　caring　for　others
  （And）　the　small　realm　has　no　greater　ambition
  than　joining　&　serving　others
  Then　both　of　these　each　gets　what　it　wants
  （And）　the　great　one　should　act　to　submit
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  The　way　is　a　sanctum　to　the　myriad　beings
  A　good　person抯　treasure
  A　less　than　good　person抯　place　of　refuge
  Elegant　speeches　may　be　useful　at　market
  Noble　deeds　may　be　useful　for　promoting　someone
  （But　if）　another　has　less　ability
  Why　waste　what　they　are？
  So　（when）　enthroning　the　heir　to　heaven
  （Or）　installing　the　three　high　nobles
  Though　there　be　big　jade　platters　in　tribute
  Drawn　by　teams　of　four　horses
  This　is　not　as　good　as　sitting　still　（and）　offering　this　path
  What　purpose　had　the　ancient　ones　in　honoring　this　way？
  Was　it　not　claimed：
  揟o　seek　is　to　find
  To　claim　error　is　to　be　forgiven？
  So　（this）　becomes　precious　to　（all）　under　heaven
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  Act　without　acting
  Work　without　working
  Savor　without　tasting
  Greatness　is　ordinary；　much　is　little
  Repay　ill　will　with　virtue
  Plan　for　the　complicated　while　it　is　simple
  Develop　the　great　while　it　is　small
  The　difficult　tasks　under　heaven
  Always　begin　in　simplicity
  The　greatest　tasks　under　heaven
  Always　begin　as　minutiae
  This　is　why　wise　ones　never　assume　greatness
  And　so　can　achieve　such　greatness
  Those　who　lightly　promise　will　surely　be　less　trusted
  Much　ease　is　surely　much　difficulty
  This　is　why　wise　ones　look　for　things　to　get　complicated
  And　so　in　the　end　have　no　complications　at　all
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  What　is　secure　is　easy　to　hold
  What　has　yet　to　begin　is　easy　to　plan　for
  What　is　thin　is　easy　to　break　up
  What　is　minute　is　easy　to　scatter
  Attend　to　things　before　they　come　to　be
  Arrange　things　before　they　entangle
  A　tree　which　fills　the　joined　embrace
  Has　grown　from　a　slender　shoot
  A　tower　which　reaches　nine　stories
  Begins　as　a　basket　of　earth
  A　journey　of　a　thousand　li
  Begins　from　beneath　the　feet
  Those　who　interfere　spoil　things
  Those　who　grab　lose　things
  This　is　why　wise　ones　do　not　interfere　and　so　do　not　spoil
  Do　not　grab　and　so　do　not　lose
  People　in　their　pursuits　&　affairs
  （are）　ever　on　the　verge　of　achieving　and　still　ruin　things
  Take　care　at　the　end　as　well　as　at　the　beginning
  And　then　there　will　be　no　ruined　affairs
  This　is　why　wise　ones　desire　to　have　no　desires
  Do　not　prize　goods　which　are　hard　to　obtain
  Learn　to　unlearn
  And　return　to　what　everyone　else　has　passed　by
  Thus　helping　the　myriad　beings　to　realize　themselves
  While　not　presuming　to　interfere
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  Those　ancients　skilled　at　practicing　the　way
  Did　not　try　to　enlighten　the　people
  （But）　would　have　tried　to　simplify　them
  The　difficulties　of　governing　the　people
  Are　due　to　their　great　cleverness
  And　so　to　use　cleverness　in　governing　a　realm
  Is　an　injury　to　the　realm
  To　avoid　using　cleverness　in　governing　a　realm
  Is　a　favor　to　the　realm
  Those　who　comprehend　both　of　these
  Also　examine　for　patterns
  Always　to　know　to　look　for　patterns
  May　be　called　a　mystic　power
  A　mystic　power　so　deep　&　so　far　reaching
  （As）　to　help　creation　to　turn　itself　around
  Natural　succession　then　reaches　perfect　harmony
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  What　is　the　reason　why　the　rivers　and　ocean
  can　serve　as　sovereign　to　the　hundred　valleys？
  Because　they　are　so　well　below　them
  In　this　way　（they）　can　act　as　sovereign
  to　the　hundred　valleys
  Applying　this；　in　desiring　to　rise　above　the　people；
  Always　in　expression　be　subordinate　to　them
  In　desiring　to　go　ahead　of　the　people
  Always　regard　yourself　as　behind　them
  This　is　how　wise　ones　remain　above
  And　yet　the　people　are　not　burdened
  Remain　ahead
  And　yet　the　people　are　not　obstructed
  So　it　is　that　（all）　under　heaven　readily　come　forward
  and　never　weary
  Because　such　as　these　will　never　contend
  So　none　under　heaven　can　contend　against　them
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  Everyone　in　the　world　admits　our　way　is　great
  （And）　resembles　no　likeness
  It　is　insofar　as　it　is　great
  That　it　resembles　no　likeness
  Had　it　a　likeness
  Surely　after　so　long
  It　might　have　diminished　a　little
  Here　I　have　three　treasures
  Take　and　keep　them　safe：
  The　first；　call　compassion
  The　second；　call　economy
  The　third；　call　never　presuming　to　act　as　the　world抯　leader
  Compassion　confers　a　capacity　for　courage
  Economy　confers　a　capacity　for　breadth
  Never　presuming　to　act　as　the　world抯　leader
  confers　a　capacity　to　develop　enduring　talents
  To　right　away　set　aside　compassion
  in　order　to　be　more　courageous
  To　set　aside　economy　in　order　to　be　more　expansive
  To　set　aside　following　in　order　to　be　more　advanced
  Is　truly　deadly
  Now　compassion　used　in　combat　means　triumph
  Used　in　defense　means　security
  Those　whom　heaven　would　redeem
  With　compassion　it　protects　them
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  The　student　skilled　at　action　is　not　aggressive
  The　one　skilled　at　combat　is　not　angry
  The　one　at　besting　opponents　does　not　participate
  The　one　skilled　at　employing　others　behaves　as　their　subordinate
  This　may　be　styled　the　搗irtue　of　not　contending？br》　It　may　be　styled　揳pplying　another抯　power？br》　It　may　be　styled　搒iding　with　heaven；？br》　The　consummation　of　antiquity
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  Military　strategists　have　a　saying：
  揑　will　not　dare　to　act　as　host；
  But　rather；　act　as　guest；
  Will　not　presume　to　advance　an　inch；
  But　rather；　retreat　a　foot？br》　This　may　be　called　搕o　move　without　movement；
  To　roll　up　sleeves　without　baring　arms；
  To　depose　without　a　fight
  To　capture　without　force？br》　There　is　no　danger　greater　than　underestimating　a　foe
  Underestimate　a　foe　will　risk　losing　what　we　value
  And　so　when　opposing　forces　meet　each　other
  The　one　sympathetic　will　truly　succeed
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  My　words　are　very　easy　to　understand
  Very　easy　to　practice
  （But）　nobody　in　the　world　can