But　I　have　heard　that　he　who　is　skilful　in　managing　the　life　entrusted　to　him　for　a　time　travels　on　the　land　without　having　to　shun　rhinoceros　or　tiger；　and　enters　a　host　without　having　to　avoid　buff　coat　or　sharp　weapon。　The　rhinoceros　finds　no　place　in　him　into　which　to　thrust　its　horn；　nor　the　tiger　a　place　in　which　to　fix　its　claws；　nor　the　weapon　a　place　to　admit　its　point。　And　for　what　reason？　Because　there　is　in　him　no　place　of　death。
  51
  All　things　are　produced　by　the　Tao；　and　nourished　by　its　outflowing　operation。　They　receive　their　forms　according　to　the　nature　of　each；　and　are　completed　according　to　the　circumstances　of　their　condition。　Therefore　all　things　without　exception　honour　the　Tao；　and　exalt　its　outflowing　operation。
  This　honouring　of　the　Tao　and　exalting　of　its　operation　is　not　the　result　of　any　ordination；　but　always　a　spontaneous　tribute。
  Thus　it　is　that　the　Tao　produces　（all　things）；　nourishes　them；　brings　them　to　their　full　growth；　nurses　them；　completes　them；　matures　them；　maintains　them；　and　overspreads　them。
  It　produces　them　and　makes　no　claim　to　the　possession　of　them；　it　carries　them　through　their　processes　and　does　not　vaunt　its　ability　in　doing　so；　it　brings　them　to　maturity　and　exercises　no　control　over　them；this　is　called　its　mysterious　operation。
  52
  （The　Tao）　which　originated　all　under　the　sky　is　to　be　considered　as　the　mother　of　them　all。
  When　the　mother　is　found；　we　know　what　her　children　should　be。　When　one　knows　that　he　is　his　mother's　child；　and　proceeds　to　guard　（the　qualities　of）　the　mother　that　belong　to　him；　to　the　end　of　his　life　he　will　be　free　from　all　peril。
  Let　him　keep　his　mouth　closed；　and　shut　up　the　portals　（of　his　nostrils）；　and　all　his　life　he　will　be　exempt　from　laborious　exertion。　Let　him　keep　his　mouth　open；　and　（spend　his　breath）　in　the　promotion　of　his　affairs；　and　all　his　life　there　will　be　no　safety　for　him。
  The　perception　of　what　is　small　is　（the　secret　of　clear…sightedness；　the　guarding　of　what　is　soft　and　tender　is　（the　secret　of）　strength。
  Who　uses　well　his　light；　Reverting　to　its　（source　so）　bright；　Will　from　his　body　ward　all　blight；　And　hides　the　unchanging　from　men's　sight。
  53
  If　I　were　suddenly　to　become　known；　and　（put　into　a　position　to）　conduct　（a　government）　according　to　the　Great　Tao；　what　I　should　be　most　afraid　of　would　be　a　boastful　display。
  The　great　Tao　（or　way）　is　very　level　and　easy；　but　people　love　the　by…ways。
  Their　court（…yards　and　buildings）　shall　be　well　kept；　but　their　fields　shall　be　ill…cultivated；　and　their　granaries　very　empty。　They　shall　wear　elegant　and　ornamented　robes；　carry　a　sharp　sword　at　their　girdle；　pamper　themselves　in　eating　and　drinking；　and　have　a　superabundance　of　property　and　wealth；such　（princes）　may　be　called　robbers　and　boasters。　This　is　contrary　to　the　Tao　surely！
  54
  What　（Tao's）　skilful　planter　plants
  Can　never　be　uptorn；
  What　his　skilful　arms　enfold；
  From　him　can　ne'er　be　borne。
  Sons　shall　bring　in　lengthening　line；
  Sacrifices　to　his　shrine。
  Tao　when　nursed　within　one's　self；
  His　vigour　will　make　true；
  And　where　the　family　it　rules
  What　riches　will　accrue！
  The　neighbourhood　where　it　prevails
  In　thriving　will　abound；
  And　when　'tis　seen　throughout　the　state；
  Good　fortune　will　be　found。
  Employ　it　the　kingdom　o'er；
  And　men　thrive　all　around。
  In　this　way　the　effect　will　be　seen　in　the　person；　by　the　observation　of　different　cases；　in　the　family；　in　the　neighbourhood；　in　the　state；　and　in　the　kingdom。
  How　do　I　know　that　this　effect　is　sure　to　hold　thus　all　under　the　sky？　By　this　（method　of　observation）。
  55
  He　who　has　in　himself　abundantly　the　attributes　（of　the　Tao）　is　like　an　infant。　Poisonous　insects　will　not　sting　him；　fierce　beasts　will　not　seize　him；　birds　of　prey　will　not　strike　him。
  （The　infant's）　bones　are　weak　and　its　sinews　soft；　but　yet　its　grasp　is　firm。　It　knows　not　yet　the　union　of　male　and　female；　and　yet　its　virile　member　may　be　excited；showing　the　perfection　of　its　physical　essence。　All　day　long　it　will　cry　without　its　throat　becoming　hoarse；showing　the　harmony　（in　its　constitution）。
  To　him　by　whom　this　harmony　is　known；　（The　secret　of）　the　unchanging　（Tao）　is　shown；　And　in　the　knowledge　wisdom　finds　its　throne。　All　life…increasing　arts　to　evil　turn；　Where　the　mind　makes　the　vital　breath　to　burn；　（False）　is　the　strength；　（and　o'er　it　we　should　mourn。）
  When　things　have　become　strong；　they　（then）　become　old；　which　may　be　said　to　be　contrary　to　the　Tao。　Whatever　is　contrary　to　the　Tao　soon　ends。
  56
  He　who　knows　（the　Tao）　does　not　（care　to）　speak　（about　it）；　he　who　is　（ever　ready　to）　speak　about　it　does　not　know　it。
  He　（who　knows　it）　will　keep　his　mouth　shut　and　close　the　portals　（of　his　nostrils）。　He　will　blunt　his　sharp　points　and　unravel　the　complications　of　things；　he　will　attemper　his　brightness；　and　bring　himself　into　agreement　with　the　obscurity　（of　others）。　This　is　called　'the　Mysterious　Agreement。'
  （Such　an　one）　cannot　be　treated　familiarly　or　distantly；　he　is　beyond　all　consideration　of　profit　or　injury；　of　nobility　or　meanness：he　is　the　noblest　man　under　heaven。
  57
  A　state　may　be　ruled　by　（measures　of）　correction；　weapons　of　war　may　be　used　with　crafty　dexterity；　（but）　the　kingdom　is　made　one's　own　（only）　by　freedom　from　action　and　purpose。
  How　do　I　know　that　it　is　so？　By　these　facts：In　the　kingdom　the　multiplication　of　prohibitive　enactments　increases　the　poverty　of　the　people；　the　more　implements　to　add　to　their　profit　that　the　people　have；　the　greater　disorder　is　there　in　the　state　and　clan；　the　more　acts　of　crafty　dexterity　that　men　possess；　the　more　do　strange　contrivances　appear；　the　more　display　there　is　of　legislation；　the　more　thieves　and　robbers　there　are。
  Therefore　a　sage　has　said；　'I　will　do　nothing　（of　purpose）；　and　the　people　will　be　transformed　of　themselves；　I　will　be　fond　of　keeping　still；　and　the　people　will　of　themselves　become　correct。　I　will　take　no　trouble　about　it；　and　the　people　will　of　themselves　become　rich；　I　will　manifest　no　ambition；　and　the　people　will　of　themselves　attain　to　the　primitive　simplicity。'
  58
  The　government　that　seems　the　most　unwise；
  Oft　goodness　to　the　people　best　supplies；
  That　which　is　meddling；　touching　everything；
  Will　work　but　ill；　and　disappointment　bring。
  Misery！happiness　is　to　be　found　by　its　side！　Happiness！misery　lurks　beneath　it！　Who　knows　what　either　will　come　to　in　the　end？
  Shall　we　then　dispense　with　correction？　The　（method　of）　correction　shall　by　a　turn　become　distortion；　and　the　good　in　it　shall　by　a　turn　become　evil。　The　delusion　of　the　people　（on　this　point）　has　indeed　subsisted　for　a　long　time。
  Therefore　the　sage　is　（like）　a　square　which　cuts　no　one　（with　its　angles）；　（like）　a　corner　which　injures　no　one　（with　its　sharpness）。　He　is　straightforward；　but　allows　himself　no　license；　he　is　bright；　but　does　not　dazzle。
  59
  For　regulating　the　human　（in　our　constitution）　and　rendering　the　（proper）　service　to　the　heavenly；　there　is　nothing　like　moderation。
  It　is　only　by　this　moderation　that　there　is　effected　an　early　return　（to　man's　normal　state）。　That　early　return　is　what　I　call　the　repeated　accumulation　of　the　attributes　（of　the　Tao）。　With　that　repeated　accumulation　of　those　attributes；　there　comes　the　subjugation　（of　every　obstacle　to　such　return）。　Of　this　subjugation　we　know　not　what　shall　be　the　limit；　and　when　one　knows　not　what　the　limit　shall　be；　he　may　be　the　ruler　of　a　state。
  He　who　possesses　the　mother　of　the　state　may　continue　long。　His　case　is　like　that　（of　the　plant）　of　which　we　say　that　its　roots　are　deep　and　its　flower　stalks　firm：this　is　the　way　to　secure　that　its　enduring　life　shall　long　be　seen。
  60
  Governing　a　great　state　is　like　cooking　small　fish。
  Let　the　kingdom　be　governed　according　to　the　Tao；　and　the　manes　of　the　departed　will　not　manifest　their　spiritual　energy。　It　is　not　that　those　manes　have　not　that　spiritual　energy；　but　it　will　not　be　employed　to　hurt　men。　It　is　not　that　it　could　not　hurt　men；　but　neither　does　the　ruling　sage　hurt　them。
  When　these　two　do　not　injuriously　affect　each　other；　their　good　influences　converge　in　the　virtue　（of　the　Tao）。
  61
  What　makes　a　great　state　is　its　being　（like）　a　low…lying；　down…　flowing　（stream）；it　becomes　the　centre　to　which　tend　（all　the　small　states）　under　heaven。
  （To　illustrate　from）　the　case　of　all　females：the　female　always　overcomes　the　male　by　her　stillness。　Stillness　may　be　considered　（a　sort　of）　abasement。
  Thus　it　is　that　a　great　state；　by　condescending　to　small　states；　gains　them　for　itself；　and　that　small　states；　by　abasing　themselves　to　a　great　state；　win　it　over　to　them。　In　the　one　case　the　abasement　leads　to　gaining　adherents；　in　the　other　case　to　procuring　favour。
  The　great　state　only　wishes　to　unite　men　together　and　nourish　them；　a　small　state　only　wishes　to　be　received　by；　and　to　serve；　the　other。　Each　gets　what　it　desires；　but　the　gre