If　princes　and　emperors　were　to　conform　themselves　to　it；　all　beings　would　collaborate　with　them　spontaneously；
  heaven　and　earth　would　act　in　perfect　harmony；　sprinkling　a　sweet　dew　（the　best　possible　omen）；　the　people　would　be　governable　without　the　need　for　constraint。
  The　Principle　is；　with　reference　to　the　diversity　of　beings　in　the　world；　like　the　mass　of　great　rivers　and　oceans　with　reference　to　trickles　and　rivulets　of　water。
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  Knowing　others　is　wisdom；　but　knowing　oneself　is　superior　wisdom；　（one's　own　nature　being　most　hidden　and　profound）。
  Imposing　one's　will　on　others　is　strength；　but　imposing　it　on　oneself　is　superior　strength　（one's　own　passions　being　the　most　difficult　to　subdue）。
  Being　satisfied　（content　with　what　destiny　has　given）；　is　true　wealth；　being　master　of　oneself　（bending　oneself　to　the　dispositions　of　destiny）　is　true　character。
  Staying　in　one's　（natural）　place　（that　which　destiny　has　given）；　makes　for　a　long　lifer。　After　death；　not　ceasing　to　be；　is　true　longevity；　（which　is　the　lot　of　those　who　have　lived　in　conformity　with　nature　and　destiny）。
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  The　great　Principle　extends　itself　in　all　directions。
  It　lends　itself　willingly　to　the　genesis　of　all　beings　（its　participants）。　When　a　work　is　accomplished；　it　does　not　attribute　it　to　itself。　It　nourishes　all　beings　with　kindness；　without　imposing　itself　on　them　as　a　master　（for　having　nourished　them；　leaving　them　free；　not　exacting　any　degrading　return　from　them）。
  Because　of　its　constant　disinterestedness；　one　might　think　it　would　become　diminished。　This　is　not　so。
  All　beings　to　who　it　is　so　liberal；　run　towards　it。　It　therefore　finds　itself　magnified　（through　this　universal　trust）。
  The　Sage　imitates　this　conduct。　He；　also；　makes　himself　small　（through　his　disinterestedness　and　his　delicate　reserve）；　and　acquires　thereby　true　greatness。
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  Because　he　resembles　the　great　prototype　（the　Principle；　through　his　disinterested　devotion）；　all　come　to　the　Sage。　He　welcomes　them　all；　does　them　good；　and　gives　them　rest；　peace；　and　happiness。
  Music　and　good　cheer　may　hold　up　a　passer…by　for　but　a　night；　（since　sensual　pleasures　are　fleeting　and　leave　nothing　behind）。
  Whereas　the　exposition　of　the　great　principle　of　disinterested　devotion；　simple　and　gentle；　which　charms　neither　the　eyes　nor　the　ears；　pleases；　engraves　itself；　and　is　of　an　inexhaustible　fecundity　in　matters　of　practical　application。
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  The　beginning　of　contraction　necessarily　follows　the　maximum　of　expansion。　Weakness　follows　strength；　decadence　follows　prosperity；　depravation　follows　opulence。
  This　is　a　subtle　insight　（that　many　do　not　wish　to　see）。　All　preceding　strength　and　superiority　is　expiated　by　subsequent　debility　and　inferiority。　More　calls　for　less；　excess　calls　for　deficit。
  A　fish　should　not　leave　the　depths　（where　it　lives　ignored　but　in　security；　in　order　to　show　itself　at　the　surface　where　it　could　be　harpooned）。　A　state　should　not　show　its　resources　（if　it　does　not　wish　the　others　to　turn　against　it　in　order　to　crush　it）。
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  The　Principle　is　always　non…acting　（not　acting　actively）；　and　yet　it　does　everything　（without　seeming　to　participate）。
  If　the　prince　and　the　lords　could　govern　like　that　（without　poking　their　fingers　in　it）；　all　beings　would　become　spontaneously　perfect　（by　returning　to　nature）。　It　would　only　remain　to　call　them　back　to　unnamed　nature　（to　the　primordial　simplicity　of　the　Principle）　each　time　they　showed　any　tendency　to　come　out　of　this　state　（by　acting）。　In　this　state　of　unnamed　nature　there　are　no　desires。
  When　there　are　no　desires　all　is　peaceful；　and　the　state　is　governed　by　itself。
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  That　which　is　superior　to　the　Virtue　of　the　Principle　（the　Principle　itself；　considered　in　its　essence）；　does　not　act；　but　holds　Virtue　in　a　state　of　immanence　within　itself。　All　those　which　are　inferior　to　the　Virtue　of　the　Principle　（artificial　rules　of　conduct）；　are　only　a　palliative　for　the　loss　of　that　Virtue；　palliative　with　which　it　has　nothing　in　common。
  That　which　is　superior　to　the　Virtue　（the　Principle）；　does　not　act　in　detail。　（The　artificial　rules）　which　are　inferior　to　the　Virtue　（of　the　Principle）　only　exist　for　action　in　detail。
  When　nature；　with　its　good　instincts；　has　been　forgotten；　artificial　principles　come　as　palliatives　for　this　deficit。　These　are；　in　descending　order；　goodness；　fairness；　rites　and　laws。　（Artificial　Confucian　goodness　is　superior　to　artificial　fairness　which；　in　struggling　to　cope　with　the　diverse　inclinations　of　men；　has　produced　rites　and　laws）。
  Rites　are　but　a　poor　expedient　to　cover　up　the　loss　of　original　uprightness　and　frankness。　They　are　more　a　source　of　trouble　（in　etiquette　and　rubric）　then　they　are　of　order。　The　last　term　of　this　descending　evolution；　political　wisdom　（making　laws）；　was　the　beginning　of　all　abuses。
  He　who　is　truly　a　man；　holds　himself　to　uprightness　and　natural　good　sense。　He　is　contemptuous　of　artificial　principles。　Using　discernment；　he　rejects　this　（the　false）；　in　order　to　embrace　that　（the　true）。
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  The　following　participate　in　primitive　simplicity：　Heaven；　which　owes　its　luminosity　to　its　simplicity。　Earth；　which　owes　its　stability　to　it。　The　universal　generative　action；　which　owes　its　activity　to　it。
  The　median　space；　which　owes　its　fecundity　to　it。　The　life　common　to　all　beings。　The　power　of　the　emperor　and　the　princes。　（Life　and　power　being　emanations　of　the　Principle）。　What　makes　them　such　as　they　are；　is　the　（primitive）　simplicity　（in　which　they　participate）。
  If　heaven　came　to　lose　it；　it　would　fall。　If　the　earth　came　to　lose　it；　it　would　lose　its　stability。　If　the　generative　action　lost　it；　it　should　cease　to　act；
  If　the　median　space　lost　it；　all　beings　would　disappear。　If　the　emperor　and　the　princes　should　lose　it；　they　would　have　no　more　dignity。
  All　elevation；　all　nobility；　is　based　on　abasement　and　simplicity　（characteristics　proper　to　the　Principle）。
  Therefore　it　is　right　that　the　emperor　and　the　princes；　the　most　exalted　of　men；　should　be　designated　by　the　terms　sole；　unique；　incapable；　without　them　being　thereby　degraded。
  （Applying　the　same　principle　of　simplicity　in　their　government）；　they　should　reduce　the　multitude　of　their　subjects　to　unity；　considering　them　with　the　same　serene　impartiality　as　an　undivided　mass；
  not　regarding　some　as　precious　jade　and　others　like　base　stones。
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  Going　back　（towards　the　Principle）　is　the　type　of　movement　characteristic　of　those　who　conform　themselves　to　the　Principle。　Attenuation　is　the　result　of　their　being　conformed　to　the　Principle。
  Considering　all　that　exists　is　born　of　simple　being；　and　that　being　is　born　of　formless　non…being；　they　tend；　in　diminishing　themselves　without　cease；　to　go　back　to　primordial　simplicity。
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  When　a　well…read　person　of　high　caliber　hears　about　the　return　to　the　Principle；　he　applies　himself　to　it　with　zeal。　A　person　of　medium　caliber　applies　himself　to　it　indecisively。
  An　inferior　person　ridicules　it。　That　such　a　person　should　ridicule　it；　is　a　mark　of　the　truth　of　this　doctrine。　The　fact　that　they　do　not　understand　it；　shows　its　transcendence。
  They　say　in　the　proverb：　Those　who　have　understood　the　Principle　are　as　if　blind；　those　who　tend　towards　it　are　as　if　disoriented；　those　who　have　reached　it　seem　like　common　people。　This　is　because　great　virtue　hollows　itself　like　a　valley；　the　great　light　voluntarily　dims　itself；　vast　virtue　seems　defective；　solid　virtue　seems　incapable。
  Therefore　the　Sage　hides　his　qualities　beneath　a　somewhat　repulsive　exterior。　He　who　goes　by　these　appearances　will　be　quite　misled。　Like　a　square　so　big　that　its　corners　are　invisible；　like　an　enormous　vase　that　is　never　finished；　like　a　great　meaning　hidden　in　a　feeble　sound；　like　a　great　shape　that　cannot　be　grasped；
  the　Sage　resembles　the　Principle。　…　Now　the　Principle　is　latent　and　has　no　name；　but　through　its　gentle　communication；　everything　is　produced。　It　is　the　same；　in　proportion；　for　the　Sage。
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  When　the　Principle　has　emitted　its　virtue；　the　latter　begins　to　evolve　according　to　two　alternating　modalities。　This　evolution　produces　（or　condenses）　the　median　air　（tenuous　matter）。　From　tenuous　matter；　under　the　influence　of　the　two　modalities　yin　and　yang；　all　sentient　beings　are　produced。
  Coming　out　from　the　yin　（from　strength）　they　pass　to　the　yang　（to　the　act）；　through　the　influence　of　the　two　modalities　on　matter。
  What　men　dislike　is　being　alone；　unique；　incapable；　（in　obscurity　and　abasement）；　and　yet　emperors　and　princes　are　designated　by　these　terms；　（which　imply　humility　without　debasement）。
  Beings　diminish　themselves　by　wanting　to　augment　themselves；　and　they　are　augmented　through　diminishing　themselves。
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  Always　and　everywhere　it　is　the　soft　that　wears　the　hard　（as　water　wears　stone）。　Non…being　penetrates　even　where　there　are　no　cracks　（as　in　the　most　homogeneous　bodies　such　as　metal　and　stone）。　From　that　I　conclude　the　supreme　effectiveness　of　non…action。
  Silence　and　inaction　…　few　men　come　to　understand　their　eff