True　words　are　not　pleasant；　pleasant　words　are　not　true。　The　good　are　not　contentious；　the　contentious　are　not　good。　The　wise　are　not　learned；　the　learned　are　not　wise。
  The　holy　man　hoards　not。　The　more　he　does　for　others；　the　more　he　owns　himself。　The　more　he　gives　to　others；　the　more　will　he　himself　lay　up　an　abundance。
  Heaven's　Reason　is　to　benefit　but　not　to　injure；　the　holy　man's　Reason　is　to　accomplish　but　not　to　strive。
  English_TaKao_TTK
  Das　Tao　Te　King　von　Lao　Tse
  Chinese　…　English　by
  Ch'u　Ta…Kao；　1904
  1
  The　Tao　that　can　be　expressed　is　not　the　eternal　Tao；　The　name　that　can　be　defined　is　not　the　unchanging　name。
  Non…existence　is　called　the　antecedent　of　heaven　and　earth；　Existence　is　the　mother　of　all　things。
  From　eternal　non…existence；　therefore；　we　serenely　observe　the　mysterious　beginning　of　the　Universe；　From　eternal　existence　we　clearly　see　the　apparent　distinctions。
  These　two　are　the　same　in　source　and　become　different　when　manifested。
  This　sameness　is　called　profundity。　Infinite　profundity　is　the　gate　whence　comes　the　beginning　of　all　parts　of　the　Universe。
  2
  When　all　in　the　world　understand　beauty　to　be　beautiful；　then　ugliness　exists。
  When　all　understand　goodness　to　be　good；　then　evil　exists。
  Thus　existence　suggests　non…existence；　Easy　gives　rise　to　difficult；　Short　is　derived　from　long　by　comparison；
  Low　is　distinguished　from　high　by　position；　Resonance　harmonizes　sound；　After　follows　before。
  Therefore；　the　Sage　carries　on　his　business　without　action；　and　gives　his　teaching　without　words。
  3
  Not　exalting　the　worthy　keeps　the　people　from　emulation。
  Not　valuing　rare　things　keeps　them　from　theft。
  Not　showing　what　is　desirable　keeps　their　hearts　from　confusion。
  Therefore　the　Sage　rules　By　emptying　their　hearts；　Filling　their　stomachs；　Weakening　their　ambitions　And　strengthening　their　bones。
  He　always　keeps　them　from　knowing　what　is　evil　and　desiring　what　is　good；　thus　he　gives　the　crafty　ones　no　chance　to　act。
  He　governs　by　non…action；　consequently　there　is　nothing　un…governed。
  4
  Tao；　when　put　in　use　for　its　hollowness；　is　not　likely　to　be　filled。
  In　its　profundity　it　seems　to　be　the　origin　of　all　things。
  In　its　depth　it　seems　ever　to　remain。
  I　do　not　know　whose　offspring　it　is；　But　it　looks　like　the　predecessor　of　Nature。
  5
  Heaven　and　earth　do　not　own　their　benevolence；　To　them　all　things　are　straw　dogs
  The　Sage　does　not　own　his　benevolence；　To　him　the　people　are　straw　dogs。
  The　space　between　heaven　and　earth　is　like　a　（blacksmith's）　bellows。　Hollow　as　it　seems；　nothing　is　lacking。　If　it　is　moved；　more　will　it　bring　forth。
  He　who　talks　more　is　sooner　exhausted：　It　is　better　to　keep　what　is　within　himself。
  6
  'The　Valley　and　the　Spirit　never　die。'　They　form　what　is　called　the　Mystic　Mother；。
  From　whose　gate　comes　the　origin　of　heaven　and　earth。
  'The　Valley　and　the　Spirit　never　die。'　They　form　what　is　called　the　Mystic　Mother；　From　whose　gate　comes　the　origin　of　heaven　and　earth。　This　（the　origin）　seems　ever　to　endure。　In　use　it　can　never　be　exhausted。
  7
  Heaven　is　lasting　and　earth　enduring。
  The　reason　why　they　are　lasting　and　enduring　is　that　they　do　not　live　for　themselves；　Therefore　they　live　long。
  In　the　same　way　the　Sage　keeps　himself　behind　and　he　is　in　the　front；
  He　forgets　himself　and　he　is　preserved。
  Is　it　not　because　he　is　not　self…interested　That　his　self…interest　is　established？
  8
  The　highest　goodness　is　like　water。　Water　is　beneficent　to　all　things　but　does　not　contend。　It　stays　in　places　which　others　despise。　Therefore　it　is　near　Tao。
  In　dwelling；　think　it　a　good　place　to　live；　In　feeling；　make　the　heart　deep；　In　friendship；　keep　on　good　terms　with　men；　In　words；　have　confidence；
  In　ruling；　abide　by　good　order；　In　business；　take　things　easy；　In　motion；　make　use　of　the　opportunity。
  Since　there　is　no　contention；　there　is　no　blame。
  9
  Holding　and　keeping　a　thing　to　the　very　full　…　it　is　better　to　leave　it　alone；
  Handling　and　sharpening　a　blade　…　it　cannot　be　long　sustained；
  When　gold　and　jade　fill　the　hall；　no　one　can　protect　them；
  Wealth　and　honour　with　pride　bring　with　them　destruction；
  To　have　accomplished　merit　and　acquired　fame；　then　to　retire　…　This　is　the　Tao　of　heaven。
  10
  Can　you　keep　the　soul　always　concentrated　from　straying？
  Can　you　regulate　the　breath　and　become　soft　and　pliant　like　an　infant？
  Can　you　clear　and　get　rid　of　the　unforeseen　and　be　free　from　fault？
  Can　you　love　the　people　and　govern　the　state　by　non…action？
  Can　you　open　and　shut　the　gates　of　nature　like　a　female？
  Can　you　become　enlightened　and　penetrate　everywhere　without　knowledge？
  11
  Thirty　spokes　unite　in　one　nave；　And　because　of　the　part　where　nothing　exists　we　have　the　use　of　a　carriage　wheel。
  Clay　is　moulded　into　vessels；　And　because　of　the　space　where　nothing　exists　we　are　able　to　use　them　as　vessels。
  Doors　and　windows　are　cut　out　in　the　walls　of　a　house；　And　because　they　are　empty　spaces；　we　are　able　to　use　them。
  Therefore；　on　the　one　hand　we　have　the　benefit　of　existence；　and　on　the　other；　we　make　use　of　non…existence。
  12
  The　five　colours　will　blind　a　man's　sight。　The　five　sounds　will　deaden　a　man's　hearing。　The　five　tastes　will　spoil　a　man's　palate。
  Chasing　and　hunting　will　drive　a　man　wild　Things　hard　to　get　will　do　harm　to　a　man's　conduct。
  Therefore　the　Sage　makes　provision　for　the　stomach　and　not　for　the　eye。　He　rejects　the　latter　and　chooses　the　former。
  13
  'Favour　and　disgrace　are　like　fear；　fortune　and　disaster　are　like　our　body。'
  What　does　it　mean　by　'Favour　and　disgrace　are　like　fear'？　Favour　is　in　a　higher　place；　and　disgrace　in　a　lower　place。　When　you　win　them　you　are　like　being　in　fear；　and　when　you　lose　them　you　are　also　like　being　in　fear。　So　favour　and　disgrace　are　like　fear。
  What　does　it　mean　by　'Fortune　and　disaster　are　like　our　body'？　We　have　fortune　and　disaster　because　we　have　a　body。　When　we　have　no　body；　how　can　fortune　or　disaster　befall　us？
  Therefore　he　who　regards　the　world　as　he　does　the　fortune　of　his　own　body　can　govern　the　world。　He　who　loves　the　world　as　be　does　his　own　body　can　be　entrusted　with　the　world。
  14
  That　which　we　look　at　and　cannot　see　is　called　plainness。　That　which　we　listen　to　and　cannot　hear　is　called　rareness。　That　which　we　grope　for　and　cannot　get　is　called　minuteness。
  These　three　cannot　be　closely　examined；　So　they　blend　into　One。
  Revealed；　it　is　not　dazzling；　Hidden；　it　is　not　dark。　Infinite；　it　cannot　be　defined。　It　goes　back　to　non…existence。
  It　is　called　the　form　of　the　formless；　And　the　image　of　non~existence。　it　is　called　mystery。　Meet　it；　you　cannot　see　its　face；　Follow　it；　you　cannot　see　its　back。
  By　adhering　to　the　Tao　of　the　past　You　will　master　the　existence　of　the　present　And　be　able　to　know　the　origin　of　the　past。　This　is　called　the　clue　of　Tao。
  15
  In　old　times　the　perfect　man　of　Tao　was　subtle；　penetrating　and　so　profound　that　he　can　hardly　be　understood。
  Because　he　cannot　be　understood；　I　shall　endeavour　to　picture　him：　He　is　cautious；　like　one　who　crosses　a　stream　in　winter；　He　is　hesitating；　like　one　who　fears　his　neighbours；　He　is　modest；　like　one　who　is　a　guest；
  He　is　yielding；　like　ice　that　is　going　to　melt；　He　is　simple；　like　wood　that　is　not　yet　wrought；　He　is　vacant；　like　valleys　that　are　hollow；　He　is　dim；　like　water　that　is　turbid。
  Who　is　able　to　purify　the　dark　till　it　becomes　slowly　light？　Who　is　able　to　calm　the　turbid　till　it　slowly　clears？　Who　is　able　to　quicken　the　stagnant　till　it　slowly　makes　progress？
  He　who　follows　these　principles　does　not　desire　fullness。　Because　he　is　not　full；　therefore　when　he　becomes　decayed　he　can　renew。
  16
  Attain　to　the　goal　of　absolute　vacuity；　Keep　to　the　state　of　perfect　peace。
  All　things　come　into　existence；　And　thence　we　see　them　return。　Look　at　the　things　that　have　been　flourishing；　Each　goes　back　to　its　origin。
  Going　back　to　the　origin　is　called　peace；　It　means　reversion　to　destiny。　Reversion　to　destiny　is　called　eternity。　He　who　knows　eternity　is　called　enlightened。　He　who　does　not　know　eternity　is　running　blindly　into　miseries。
  Knowing　eternity　he　is　all…embracing。　Being　all~embracing　he　can　attain　magnanimity。　Being　magnanimous　he　can　attain　omnipresence。　Being　omnipresent　he　can　attain　supremacy。　Being　supreme　he　can　attain　Tao。
  He　who　attains　Tao　is　everlasting。　Though　his　body　may　decay　he　never　perishes。
  17
  The　great　rulers　…　the　people　do　not　notice　their　existence；　The　lesser　ones　…　they　attach　to　and　praise　them；　The　still　lesser　ones　…　they　fear　them；　The　still　lesser　ones　…　they　despise　them。
  For　where　faith　is　lacking；　It　cannot　be　met　by　faith。
  Now　how　much　importance　must　be　attributed　to　words！
  18
  When　the　great　Tao　is　lost；　spring　forth　benevolence　and　righteousness。
  When　wisdom　and　sagacity　arise；　ther