Constantly　spoil　things　when　within　an　ace　of　completing　them。
  揌eed　the　end　no　less　than　the　beginning；？br》　And　your　work　will　not　be　spoiled。
  Therefore　the　Sage　wants　only　things　that　are　unwanted；
  Sets　no　store　by　products　difficult　to　get；
  And　so　teaches　things　untaught；
  Turning　all　men　back　to　the　things　they　have　left　behind；
  That　the　ten　thousand　creatures　may　be　restored　to　their　Self…so。
  This　he　does；　but　dare　not　act。
  65
  In　the　days　of　old　those　who　practiced　Tao　with　success　did　not；
  By　means　of　it；
  Enlighten　the　people；　but　on　the　contrary　sought　to　make　them　ignorant。
  The　more　knowledge　people　have；　the　harder　they　are　to　rule。
  Those　who　seek　to　rule　by　giving　knowledge
  Are　like　bandits　preying　on　the　land。
  Those　who　rule　without　giving　knowledge
  Bring　a　stock　of　good　fortune　to　the　land。
  To　have　understood　the　difference　between　these　who　things
  Is　to　have　a　test　and　standard
  To　be　always　able　to　apply　this　test　and　standard
  Is　called　the　mysterious　損ower？　so　deep…penetrating；
  So　far…reaching；
  That　can　follow　things　back　？br》　All　the　way　back　to　the　Great　Concordance。
  66
  How　did　the　great　rivers　and　seas　get　their　kingship
  Over　the　hundred　lesser　streams？
  Through　the　merit　of　being　lower　than　they；
  That　was　how　they　got　their　kingship。
  Therefore　the　Sage
  In　order　to　be　above　the　people
  Must　speak　as　though　he　were　lower　than　the　people。
  In　order　to　guide　them
  He　must　put　himself　behind　them。
  Only　thus　can　the　Sage　be　on　top　and　the　people　not　be　crushed　by　his　weight。
  Only　thus　can　he　guide；　and　the　people　not　be　led　into　harm
  Indeed　in　this　way　everything　under　heaven　will　into　harm　be　pushed　by　him
  And　will　not　find　his　guidance　irk…some。
  This　he　does　by　not　striving；
  And　because　he　does　not　strive；　none　can　contend　with　him。
  67
  Every　one　under　heaven　says　that　our　Way　is　greatly　like　folly。
  But　it　is　just　because　it　is　great；　that　it　seems　like　folly。
  As　for　things　that　do　not　seem　like　folly　？well；
  There　can　be　no　question　about　their　smallness！
  Here　are　my　three　treasures。
  Guard　and　keep　them！
  The　first　is　pity；
  The　second；　frugality；
  The　third；　refusal　to　be　揻oremost　of　all　things　under　heaven。？br》　For　only　he　that　pities　is　truly　able　to　be　brave；
  Only　he　that　is　frugal　is　able　to　be　profuse。
  Only　he　that　refuse　to　be　foremost　of　all　things
  Is　truly　able　to　become　chief　of　all　Ministers。
  At　present　your　bravery　is　not　based　on　pity；
  Nor　your　profusion　on　frugality；
  Nor　your　vanguard　on　your　rear；　and　this　is　death。
  But　pity　cannot　fight　without　conquering　or　guard　without。
  But　pity　cannot　fight　without　conquering　or　guard　without　saving。
  Heaven　arms　with　pity　those　whom　it　would　not　see　destroyed。
  68
  The　best　charioteers　do　not　rush　ahead；
  The　best　fighters　do　not　make　displays　of　wrath。
  The　greatest　conqueror　wins　without　joining　issue；
  The　best　user　of　men　acts　as　though　he　were　their　inferior。
  This　is　called　the　power　that　comes　of　not　contending；
  Is　called　the　capacity　to　use　men；
  The　secret　of　being　mated　to　heaven；　to　what　was　of　old。
  69
  The　strategists　have　the　sayings：
  揥hen　you　doubt　your　ability　to　meet　the　enemy's　attack；
  Take　the　offensive　yourself？br》　And　揑f　you　doubt　your　ability　to　advance　an　inch；　then　retreat　a　foot？
  This　latter　is　what　we　call　to　march　without　moving；
  To　roll　the　sleeve；　but　present　no　bare　arm；
  The　hand　that　seems　to　hold；　yet　had　no　weapon　in　it；
  A　host　that　can　confront；　yet　presents　no　battle…front。
  Now　the　greatest　of　all　calamities　is　to　attack　and　find　no　enemy。
  I　can　have　no　enemy　only　at　the　price　of　losing　my　treasure。
  Therefore　when　armies　are　raised
  And　issues　joined　it　is　he　who　does　not　delight　in　war　that　wins。
  70
  My　words　are　very　easy　to　understand
  And　very　easy　to　put　into　practice。
  Yet　no　one　under　heaven　understands　them；
  No　one　puts　them　into　practice。
  But　my　words　have　an　ancestry；　my　deeds　have　a　lord；
  And　it　is　precisely　because　men　do　not　understand　this
  That　they　are　unable　to　understand　me。
  Few　then　understand　me；　but　it　is　upon　this　very　fact　my　value　depends。
  It　is　indeed　in　this　sense　that　搕he　Sage　wears　hair…cloth　on　top；
  But　carries　jade　under　neath　his　dress。？br》
  71
  揟o　know　when　one　does　not　know　is　best。
  To　think　one　knows　when　one　does　not　know　is　a　dire　disease。
  Only　he　who　recognizes　this　disease　as　a　disease
  Can　cure　himself　of　the　disease。
  The　Sage's　way　of　curing　disease
  Also　consists　in　making　people　recognize　their　diseases　as　diseases
  And　thus　ceasing　to　be　diseased。
  72
  Never　mind　if　the　people　are　not　intimidated　by　your　authority。
  A　Mightier　Authority　will　deal　with　them　in　the　end。
  Do　not　narrow　their　dwelling　or　harass　their　lives；
  And　for　the　very　reason　that　you　do　not　harass　them；
  They　will　cease　to　turn　from　you。
  Therefore　the　Sage　knows　himself　but　does　not　show　himself。
  Knows　his　own　value；　but　does　not　put　himself　on　high。
  Truly；　he　rejects　that　but　takes　this？
  73
  He　whose　braveness　lies　in　daring；　slays。
  He　whose　braveness　lies　in　not　daring　；　gives　life。
  Of　these　two；　either　may　be　profitable　or　unprofitable。
  But　揌eaven　hates　what　it　hates；
  None　can　know　the　reason　why？
  Wherefore　the　Sage；　too；　disallows　it。
  For　it　is　the　way　of　Heaven　not　to　strive　but　none　the　less　to　conquer；
  Not　to　speak；　but　none　the　less　to　get　an　answer；
  Not　to　beckon；　yet　things　come　to　it　of　themselves。
  Heaven　is　like　one　who　says　little；　yet　none　the　less　has　laid　his　plans。
  Heaven's　net　is　wide；
  Coarse　are　the　meshes；　yet　nothing　slips　through。
  74
  The　people　are　not　frightened　of　death。
  What　then　is　the　use　of　trying　to　intimidate　them　with　the　death…penalty？
  And　even　supposing　people　were　generally　frightened　of　death
  And　did　not　regard　it　as　an　everyday　thing；
  Which　of　us　would　dare　to　seize　them　and　slay　them？
  There　is　the　Lord　of　Slaughter　always　ready　for　this　task；
  And　to　do　it　in　his　stead　is　like　thrusting　oneself　into　the　master…carpenter's　place
  And　doing　his　chipping　for　him。
  Now　揾e　who　tries　to　do　the　master…carpenter's　chipping　for　him　is　lucky　if　he　does　not　cut　his　hand。？br》
  75
  The　people　starve　because　those　above　them　eat　too　much　tax…grain。
  That　is　the　only　reason　why　they　starve。
  The　people　are　difficult　to　keep　in　order　because　those　above　them　interfere。
  That　is　the　only　reason　why　they　are　so　difficult　to　keep　in　order。
  The　people　attach　no　importance　to　death；
  Because　those　above　them　are　too　grossly　absorbed　in　the　pursuit　of　life。
  That　is　why　they　attach　no　importance　to　death。
  And　indeed；　in　that　their　hearts　are　so　little　set　on　life
  They　are　superior　to　these　who　set　store　by　life。
  76
  When　he　is　born；　man　is　soft　and　weak；
  In　death　he　becomes　stiff　and　hard。
  The　ten　thousand　creatures　and　all　plants
  And　trees　while　they　are　alive　are　supple　and　soft；
  But　when　and　dead　they　become　brittle　and　dry。
  Truly；　what　is　stiff　and　hard　is　a　揷ompanion　of　death？
  What　is　soft　and　weak　is　a　揷ompanion　of　life？
  Therefore　搕he　weapon　that　is　too　hard　will　be　broken；
  The　tree　that　has　the　hardest　wood　will　be　cut　down？
  Truly；　the　hard　and　mighty　are　cast　down；
  The　soft　and　weak　set　on　high。
  77
  Heaven's　way　is　like　the　bending　of　a　bow。
  When　a　bow　is　bent　the　top　comes　down　and　the　bottom…end　comes　up。
  So　too　does　Heaven　take　away　from　those　who　have　too　much；
  And　give　to　those　that　have　not　enough。
  But　if　it　is　Heaven's　way　to　take　from　those　who　have　too　much
  And　give　to　those　who　have　not　enough；　this　is　far　from　being　man's　way。
  He　takes　away　from　those　that　have　not…enough　in　order
  To　make　offering　to　those　who　already　have　too　much。
  One　there　is　and　one　only；　so　rich　that　he　the　possessor　of　Tao。
  （If；　then；　the　Sage　搕hough　he　controls　does　not　lean；
  And　when　he　has　achieved　his　aim　does　not　linger？
  It　is　because　he　does　not　wish　to　reveal　himself　as　better　than　others。）
  78
  Nothing　under　heaven　is　softer　or　more　yielding　than　water；
  But　when　it　attacks　things　hard　and　resistant　there　is　not　one　of　them　that　can　prevail。
  For　they　can　find　no　way　of　altering　it。
  That　the　yielding　conquers　the　resistant
  And　the　soft　conquers　the　hard　is　a　fact　known　by　all　men；
  Yet　utilized　by　none。
  Yet　it　is　in　reference　to　this　that　the　Sage　said
  揙nly　he　who　has　accepted　the　dirt　of　the　country　can　be　lord　of　its　soil　shrines；
  Only　he　who　takes　upon　himself　the　evils　of　the　country
  Can　become　a　king　among　those　what　dwell　under　heaven。？br》　Straight　words　seem　crooked。
  79
  （To　requite　injuries　with　good　deeds。）