70
  My　words　are　very　easy　to　understand
  Very　easy　to　practice
  （But）　nobody　in　the　world　can　understand
  Nobody　can　practice
  Expressions　presume　a　lineage
  Endeavors　presume　a　master
  Insofar　as　these　are　unknown
  So　it　is　that　we　are　not　known
  Those　who　know　me　are　few
  Accordingly　I　am　valued
  This　is　why　wise　ones　wear　common　cloth
  Concealing　jade　in　the　heart
  71
  To　know　without　knowledge　is　best
  To　not　understand　knowledge　is　affliction
  Now　（it　is）　because　afflictions　afflict
  That　there　is　a　way　to　avoid　affliction
  Wise　ones　avoid　disease
  Because　they　are　made　ill　by　illness
  This　is　the　way　to　avoid　the　disease
  72
  （When）　the　people　do　not　heed　the　imposing
  Then　great　impositions　come　to　pass
  Do　not　constrict　the　places　where　they　live
  Do　not　overtax　their　means　of　living
  Only　when　there　is　no　oppressing
  Will　there　then　be　no　oppression
  This　is　how　wise　ones　know　themselves
  Without　displaying　themselves
  Love　themselves
  Without　venerating　themselves
  And　so　dismiss　That　to　choose　This
  73
  Courage　atop　presumption　suggests　dying
  Courage　in　avoiding　presumption　suggests　survival
  （Yet）　either　of　these　may　be　sometimes　beneficial；
  other　times　harmful
  That　which　heaven　holds　in　contempt　…
  Who　knows　as　to　the　reasons？
  This　is　why　wise　ones　watch　for　things　to　get　complicated
  Heaven抯　way　does　not　compete；　yet　skillfully　overcomes
  Does　not　speak；　yet　skillfully　replies
  Does　not　summon；　yet　naturally　attracts
  Is　above　all　of　this；　yet　skillfully　arranges
  Heaven抯　net　is　vast　&　encompassing
  Loosely　meshed；　and　yet　nothing　escapes
  74
  （If）　the　people　do　not　fear　death
  Then　why　use　death　to　intimidate　them？
  Suppose　it　were　so　that　the　people　always　feared　death
  And　still　they　behaved　perversely
  （When）　we　seized；　detained　and　executed　them
  Who　would　be　bold？
  There　will　always　be　a　master　executioner　to　do　the　killing
  Now　to　take　the　place　of　the　master　executioner
  &　do　the　killing
  May　be　likened　to　taking　the　place　of　the　master　carpenter
  in　hewing
  Now　（of）　those　who　take　the　place　of　the　master　carpenter
  in　hewing
  Few　indeed　will　not　harm　their　own　hands！
  75
  The　hunger　of　the　people
  Is　from　their　superiors　eating　up　so　much　of　their　tax　grain
  This　is　behind　the　hunger
  The　difficulties　in　governing　the　people
  Are　due　to　their　superiors　having　to　take　action
  This　is　behind　the　difficulties　in　government
  The　people　come　to　take　death　lightly
  Because　they　pursue　life抯　riches
  This　is　behind　their　taking　death　lightly
  Only　when　one　does　not　think　life　a　performance
  Will　there　be　skill　in　valuing　life
  76
  People；　while　they　live；　are　adaptable　&　soft
  When　they　are　dead；　are　hard　&　stiff
  The　myriad　beings；　the　plants　and　the　trees；
  while　they　live；　are　supple　&　delicate
  When　they　are　dead；　are　weathered　&　tough
  And　so　the　hard　&　inflexible　are　companions　to　death
  The　adaptable　&　soft　are　companions　to　life
  This　is　why　the　unbending　military　will　not；
  in　due　course；　be　triumphant
  The　rigid　tree　is　then　struck　down
  The　strong　&　great　belong　underneath
  The　adaptable　&　soft　belong　above
  77
  Heaven　has　its　path
  Compare　it　to　the　drawing　of　a　bow
  What　is　high　comes　to　be　lowered
  What　is　lowly　comes　to　be　raised
  What　has　abundance　will　be　diminished
  What　is　incomplete　will　be　added　to
  Heaven抯　way　decreases　where　there　is　surplus
  And　adds　to　what　is　insufficient
  Humanity抯　path　is　normally　not　like　this；
  Decreasing　what　is　not　enough
  in　order　to　give　to　what　is　excessive
  Who　can　claim　an　abundance
  in　order　to　offer　to　nature？
  Only　those　who　keep　the　way
  This　is　why　wise　ones　develop　but　do　not　expect
  Accomplish　works　but　do　not　linger
  They　have　no　ambition　to　show　merit
  78
  （In　all）　the　world　there　is　nothing
  as　adaptable　&　soft　as　water
  Yet　of　that　which　attacks　the　hard　&　inflexible
  Nothing　can　surpass　it
  Because　there　is　no　way　easier　than　this
  The　gentle　finally　overcomes　the　firm
  The　adaptable　finally　overcomes　the　persistent
  There　is　no　one　under　heaven
  who　cannot　comprehend　（this）
  （But）　no　one　can　practice　（it）
  So　it　is　that　wise　ones　maintain：
  To　accept　the　country抯　soil
  May　in　truth　be　called　mastering　the　altars　of　place　&　grain
  To　accept　the　realm抯　misfortunes
  Is　in　truth　to　serve　as　sovereign　to　the　world
  Straightforward　words　may　seem　turned　around
  79
  （When）　reconciling　a　great　grievance
  There　will　surely　be　lingering　resentments
  （And）　how　can　this　be　regarded　as　good？
  This　is　why　wise　ones　will　post　the　greater　bond
  And　will　not　press　upon　others
  To　have　character　is　to　look　after　obligations
  To　lack　character　is　to　look　for　entitlements
  Heaven抯　way　has　no　favorites
  But　usually　sides　with　the　right　person
  80
  Shrink　the　domain；　spread　out　the　people
  Let　there　be　tens　&　hundreds　of　people　with　specialties
  But　unemployed
  Let　the　people　feel　the　weight　of　death
  And　not　wander　far
  Though　there　be　boats　&　wagons
  No　place　to　ride　them
  Though　there　be　armor　&　weapons
  No　reason　to　show　them
  Let　the　people　return　to　knotting　cords
  And　counting　on　these
  （To）　sweetening　their　own　food
  Embroidering　their　own　clothing
  Secure　in　their　own　homes
  Rejoicing　in　their　own　customs
  Neighboring　realms　overlook　one　another
  The　sounds　of　each　other抯　roosters　and　dogs　are　heard
  （Yet）　the　people　grow　old　&　die
  Without　goings　&　comings　between　them
  81
  True　words　are　not　embellished
  Embellished　words　are　not　truthful
  To　be　right　is　not　to　be　argumentative
  To　be　argumentative　is　not　to　be　right
  To　be　knowing　is　not　to　be　sophisticated
  To　be　sophisticated　is　not　to　be　knowing
  Wise　ones　do　not　accumulate
  Though　intending　to　act　on　behalf　of　another
  The　more　they　themselves　have　gained
  Though　intending　to　give　to　another
  The　more　they　themselves　are　increased
  Heaven抯　way　is　to　benefit；　but　without　doing　harm
  The　wise　ones？way　is　to　work；　but　without　competition
  English_Heider_TTK
  Das　Tao　Te　King　von　Lao　Tse
  English　by
  John　Heider；　1985
  1
  Tao　means　how：　how　things　happen；　how　things　work。　Tao　is　the　single　principle　underlying　all　creation。　Tao　is　God。
  Tao　cannot　be　defined；　because　it　applies　to　everything。　You　cannot　define　something　in　terms　of　itself。
  If　you　can　define　a　principle；　it　is　not　Tao。
  Tao　is　a　principle。　Creation；　on　the　other　hand；　is　a　process。　That　is　all　there　is：　principle　and　process；　how　and　what。
  All　creation　unfolds　according　to　Tao。　There　is　no　other　way。
  Tao　cannot　be　defined；　but　Tao　can　be　known。　The　method　is　meditation；　or　being　aware　of　what　is　happening。　Being　aware　of　what　is　happening；　I　begin　to　see　how　it　is　happening。　I　begin　to　sense　Tao。
  To　become　aware　of　what　is　happening；　I　must　pay　attention　with　an　open　mind。　I　must　set　aside　my　personal　prejudices　of　bias。　Prejudiced　people　see　only　what　fits　those　prejudices。
  The　method　of　meditation　works；　because　principle　and　process　are　inseparable。　All　process　reveals　the　underlying　principle。　This　means　that　I　can　know　Tao。　I　can　know　God。
  By　knowing　Tao；　I　know　how　things　happen。
  2
  All　behaviour　consists　of　opposites　or　polarities。　If　I　do　anything　more　and　more；　over　and　over；　its　polarity　will　appear。　For　example；　striving　to　be　beautiful　makes　a　person　ugly；　and　trying　too　hard　to　be　kind　is　a　form　of　selfishness。
  Any　over…determined　behaviour　produces　its　opposite：
  …　An　obsession　with　living　suggests　worry　about　dying。
  …　True　simplicity　is　not　easy。
  …　Is　it　a　long　time　or　a　short　time　since　we　last　met？
  …　The　braggart　probably　feels　small　and　insecure。
  …　Who　would　be　first　ends　up　last。
  Knowing　how　polarities　work；　the　wise　leader　does　not　push　to　make　things　happen；　but　allows　process　to　unfold　on　its　own。
  The　leader　teaches　by　example　rather　than　by　lecturing　others　on　how　they　ought　to　be。
  The　leader　knows　that　constant　interventions　will　block　the　group's　process。　The　leader　does　not　insist　that　things　come　out　a　certain　way。
  The　wise　leader　does　not　seek　a　lot　of　money　or　a　lot　of　praise。　Nevertheless；　there　is　plenty　of　both。
  3
  The　wise　leader　does　not　make　a　show　of　holiness　or　pass　out　grades　for　good　performance。　That　would　create　a　climate　of　success　and　failure。　Competition　and　jealousy　follow。
  Emphasizing　material　success　is　the　same：　those　who　have　a　lot　become　greedy；　and　those　who　have　little　become　thieves。
  When　you　reinforce　appearances；　people　scramble　to　please。
  The　wise　leader　pays　respectful　attention　to　all　behaviour。　Thus　the　grou