18
  When　the　great　Tao　is　lost；　spring　forth　benevolence　and　righteousness。
  When　wisdom　and　sagacity　arise；　there　are　great　hypocrites。
  When　family　relations　are　no　longer　harmonious；　we　have　filial　children　and　devoted　parents。
  When　a　nation　is　in　confusion　and　disorder；　patriots　are　recognized。　Where　Tao　is；　equilibrium　is。　When　Tao　is　lost；　out　come　all　the　differences　of　things。
  19
  Do　away　with　sageness　and　eject　wisdom；　and　the　people　will　be　more　benefited　a　hundred　times。
  Do　away　with　learning；　and　grief　will　not　be　known。　Do　away　with　benevolence　and　eject　righteousness；　and　the　people　will　return　to　filial　duty　and　parental　love。
  Do　away　with　artifice　and　eject　gains；　and　there　will　be　no　robbers　and　thieves。
  These　four；　if　we　consider　them　as　culture；　are　not　sufficient。
  Therefore　let　there　be　what　the　people　can　resort　to：　Appear　in　plainness　and　hold　to　simplicity；　Restrain　selfishness　and　curtail　desires。
  20
  Between　yea　and　nay；　how　much　difference　is　there？　Between　good　and　evil；　how　much　difference　is　there？
  What　are　feared　by　others　we　must　fear；　Vastly　are　they　unlimited！
  The　people　in　general　are　as　happy　as　if　enjoying　a　great　feast。　Or；　as　going　up　a　tower　in　spring。　I　alone　am　tranquil；　and　have　made　no　signs；　Like　a　baby　who　is　yet　unable　to　smile；　Forlorn　as　if　I　had　no　home　to　go　to。
  Others　all　have　more　than　enough；　And　I　alone　seem　to　be　in　want。　Possibly　mine　is　the　mind　of　a　fool；　Which　is　so　ignorant！
  The　vulgar　are　bright；　And　I　alone　seem　to　be　dull。　The　vulgar　are　discriminative；　and　I　alone　seem　blunt。　I　am　negligent　as　if　being　obscure；　Drifting；　as　if　being　attached　to　nothing。
  The　people　in　general　all　have　something　to　do；　And　I　alone　seem　to　be　impractical　and　awkward。　I　alone　am　different　from　others。　But　I　value　seeking　sustenance　from　the　Mother。　To　know　the　eternal　is　to　be　enlightened。　Not　to　know　the　eternal　is　to　act　blindly　and　court　disaster。
  21
  The　great　virtue　as　manifested　is　but　following　Tao。
  Tao　is　a　thing　that　is　both　invisible　and　intangible。　Intangible　and　invisible；　yet　there　are　forms　in　it；　Invisible　and　intangible；　yet　there　is　substance　in　it；　Subtle　and　obscure；　there　is　essence　in　it；　This　essence　being　invariably　true；　there　is　faith　in　it。
  From　of　old　till　now；　it　has　never　lost　its　（nameless）　name；　Through　which　the　origin　of　all　things　has　passed。
  How　do　I　know　that　it　is　so　with　the　origin　of　all　things？　By　this　（Tao）。
  22
  'Be　humble；　and　you　will　remain　entire。'　Be　bent；　and　you　will　remain　straight。　Be　vacant；　and　you　will　remain　full。　Be　worn；　and　you　will　remain　new。　He　who　has　little　will　receive。　He　who　has　much　will　be　embarrassed。
  Therefore　the　Sage　keeps　to　One　and　becomes　the　standard　for　the　world。
  He　does　not　display　himself；　therefore　he　shines。　He　does　not　approve　himself；　therefore　he　is　noted。　He　does　not　praise　himself；　therefore　he　has　merit。　He　does　not　glory　in　himself；　therefore　he　excels。
  And　because　he　does　not　compete；　therefore　no　one　in　the　world　can　compete　with　him。
  The　ancient　saying　'Be　humble　and　you　will　remain　entire'…　Can　this　be　regarded　as　mere　empty　words？　Indeed　he　shall　return　home　entire。
  23
  To　be　sparing　of　words　is　natural。　A　violent　wind　cannot　last　a　whole　morning；　pelting　rain　cannot　last　a　whole　day。
  Who　have　made　these　things　but　heaven　and　earth？　Inasmuch　as　heaven　and　earth　cannot　last　forever；　how　can　man？
  He　who　engages　himself　in　Tao　is　identified　with　Tao。　He　who　engages　himself　in　virtue　is　identified　with　virtue。　He　who　engages　himself　in　abandonment　is　identified　with　abandonment。
  Identified　with　Tao　he　will　be　well　received　by　Tao。　Identified　with　virtue　he　will　be　well　received　by　virtue。　Identified　with　abandonment　he　will　be　well　received　by　abandonment。
  24
  A　man　on　tiptoe　cannot　stand　firm；　A　man　astride　cannot　walk　on；
  A　man　who　displays　himself　cannot　shine；　A　man　who　approves　himself　cannot　be　noted；
  A　man　who　praises　himself　cannot　have　merit；　A　man　who　glories　in　himself　cannot　excel：
  These；　when　compared　with　Tao；　are…called；　'Excess　in　food　and　overdoing　action。'　Even　in　other　things；　mostly；　they　are　rejected；　Therefore　the　man　of　Tao　does　not　stay　with　them。
  25
  There　is　a　thing　inherent　and　natural；　Which　existed　before　heaven　and　earth。　Motionless　and　fathomless；　It　stands　alone　…　and　never　changes；　It　pervades　everywhere　and　never　becomes　exhausted。　It　may　be　regarded　as　the　Mother　of　the　Universe。
  I　do　not　know　its　name。　If　I　am　forced　to　give　it　a　name；　I　call　it　Tao；　and　I　name　it　as　supreme。
  Supreme　means　going　on；　Going　on　means　going　far；　Going　far　means　returning。
  Therefore　Tao　is　supreme；　heaven　is　supreme；　earth　is　supreme；　and　man　is　also　supreme；　There　are　in　the　universe　four　things　supreme；　and　man　is　one　of　them。
  Man　follows　the　laws　of　earth；　Earth　follows　the　laws　of　heaven；　Heaven　follows　the　laws　of　Tao；　Tao　follows　the　laws　of　its　intrinsic　nature。
  26
  Heaviness　is　the　basis　of　lightness；　Calmness　is　the　controlling　power　of　hastiness。
  Therefore　the　Sage；　though　traveling　all　day　long；　Never　separates　from　his　baggage…wagon；　Though　surrounded　with　magnificent　sights；　He　lives　in　tranquillity。
  How　is　it；　then；　that　a　king　of　ten　thousand　chariots　Should　conduct　himself　so　lightly　in　the　empire？
  To　be　light　is　to　lose　the　basis；　To　be　hasty　is　to　lose　the　controlling　power。
  27
  A　good　traveler　leaves　no　track；　A　good　speaker　leaves　no　error；　A　good　reckoner　needs　no　counter；
  A　good　closer　needs　no　bars　or　bolts；　And　yet　it　is　impossible　to　open　after　him。　A　good　fastener　needs　no　cords　or　knots；　And　yet　it　is　impossible　to　untie　after　him。
  Even　if　men　be　bad；　why　should　they　be　rejected？　Therefore　the　Sage　is　always　a　good　saviour　of　men；　And　no　man　is　rejected；　He　is　a　good　saviour　of　things；　And　nothing　is　rejected：　This　is　called　double　enlightenment。
  Therefore　good　men　are　had　men's　instructors；　And　bad　men　are　good　men's　materials。
  Those　who　do　not　esteem　their　instructors；　And　those　who　do　not　love　their　materials；　Though　expedient；　are　in　fact　greatly　confused。　This　is　essential　subtlety。
  28
  He　who　knows　the　masculine　and　yet　keeps　to　the　feminine　Will　become　a　channel　drawing　all　the　world　towards　it；　Being　a　channel　of　the　world；　he　will　not　be　severed　from　the　eternal　virtue；　And　then　he　can　return　again　to　the　state　of　infancy。
  He　who　knows　the　white　and　yet　keeps　to　the　black　Will　become　the　standard　of　the　world；　Being　the　standard　of　the　world；　with　him　eternal　virtue　will　never　falter；　And　then　he　can　return　again　to　the　absolute。
  He　who　knows　honour　and　yet　keeps　to　humility　Will　become　a　valley　that　receives　all　the　world　into　it；　Being　a　valley　of　the　world；　with　him　eternal　virtue　Will　be　complete；　And　then　he　can　return　again　to　wholeness。
  Wholeness；　when　divided；　will　make　vessels　of　utility；　These　when　employed　by　the　Sage　will　become　officials　and　chiefs。　However；　for　a　great　function　no　discrimination　is　needed。
  29
  When　a　man　is　to　take　the　world　over　and　shape　it；　I　see　that　he　must　be　obliged　to　do　it。
  For　the　world　is　a　divine　vessel：　It　cannot　be　shaped；　Nor　can　it　be　insisted　upon。　He　who　shapes　it　damages　it；　He　who　insists　upon　it　loses　it。
  Therefore　the　Sage　does　not　shape　it；　so　he　does　not　damage　it；　'He　does　not　insist　upon　it；　so　be　does　not　lose　it。　'For；　among　all　things；　some　go　ahead；　while　others　lag　behind；　Some　keep　their　mouth　shut；　while　others　give　forth　puffs；　Some　are　strong；　while　others　are　weak；　Some　are　on　the　cart；　while　others　fall　off。
  Therefore　the　Sage　avoids　excess；　extravagance　and　indulgence。
  30
  He　who　assists　a　ruler　of　men　with　Tao　does　not　force　the　world　with　arms。
  For　the　actions　of　arms　will　be　well　requited；　where　armies　have　been　quartered　brambles　and　thorns　grow。　Great　wars　are　for　certain　followed　by　years　of　scarcity。
  He　aims　only　at　carrying　out　relief；　and　does　not　venture　to　force　his　power　upon　others。
  When　relief　is　done；　he　will　not　be　assuming；　He　will　not　be　boastful；　he　will　not　be　proud；　And　he　will　think　that　he　was　obliged　to　do　it。　So　it　comes　that　relief　is　done　without　resorting　to　force。
  When　things　come　to　the　summit　of　their　vigour；　they　begin　to　grow　old。　This　is　against　Tao。　What　is　against　Tao　will　soon　come　to　an　end。
  31
  So　far　as　arms　are　concerned；　they　are　implements　of　ill…omen。　They　are　not　implements　for　the　man　of　Tao。
  The　man　of　Tao　when　dwelling　at　home　makes　the　left　as　the　place　of　honour；　and　when　using　arms　makes　the　right　as　the　place　of　honour。
  He　uses　them　only　when　he　cannot　avoid　it。
  In　his　conquests　he　takes　no　delight。　If　he　take　delight　in　them；　it　would　mean　that　he　enjoys　in　the　slaughter　of　men。　He　who　takes　delight　in　the　slaughter　of　men　cannot　have　his　will　done　in　the　world。
  32
  When　for　the　first　time　applied　to　function；　it　was　named。　In　as　much　as　names　are　given；　one　should　also　know　where　to　stop。　Knowing　where　to　stop　on