Silence　and　inaction　…　few　men　come　to　understand　their　effectiveness。
  44
  Is　not　the　body　more　important　that　reputation？　Is　life　not　of　more　consideration　that　wealth？　Is　it　wise　to　risk　a　great　loss　for　a　small　advantage？
  He　who　is　a　great　lover；　wears　out　（his　heart）。　He　who　amasses　great　wealth；　heads　toward　ruin　（by　theft　or　confiscation）。
  Whereas　he　who　is　modest　courts　no　disgrace；　he　who　is　moderate　does　not　perish；　but　endures。
  45
  Accomplished；　beneath　an　imperfect　exterior。　Giving；　（of　himself）　without　becoming　worn　out。　Filled　up；　without　appearing　to　be　so；　And　pouring　out　without　being　emptied。　Very　straight；　beneath　a　bent　air；
  most　able；　behind　an　awkward　appearance；　highly　perspicacious；　with　an　embarrassed　exterior。　This　is　the　Sage。
  Movement　beats　the　cold　（warms　one　up）；　rest　overcomes　heat　（refreshes）。　The　withdrawn　life　of　the　Sage　rectifies　all　the　empire　（strikes　at　the　root　of　its　depravation。
  46
  When　the　Principle　reigns　（in　perfect　peace）；　war　horses　work　in　the　fields。　When　the　Principle　is　forgotten；　（war　horses　are　the　order　of　the　day）　And　they　are　raised　even　in　the　suburbs　of　the　towns。
  To　give　in　to　one's　covetousness　（And　this　includes　the　mania　for　waging　war）；　is　the　worst　of　crimes。　Not　to　know　how　to　control　oneself；　is　the　worst　of　nasty　things。　The　worst　of　faults　is　to　want　more；　always。
  Those　who　know　how　to　say　'enough　is　enough'；　are　always　content。
  47
  Without　going　out　by　the　door；　one　can　know　the　whole　world；　without　looking　through　the　window；　one　can　become　aware　of　the　way　of　heaven　（principles　which　rule　all　things）。　…　The　further　one　goes；　the　less　one　learns。
  The　Sage　gets　there　without　having　taken　a　step　to　reach　it。　He　knows　before　having　seen；　through　superior　principles。　He　achieves；　without　having　acted；　through　his　transcendent　action。
  48
  By　studying；　every　day　one　increases　（useless　and　injurious　particular　notions；　in　one's　memory）；　by　concentrating　on　the　Principle；　they　are　diminished　every　day。
  Pushed　to　the　limit；　this　diminution　ends　in　non…action；　（the　consequence　of　the　absence　of　particular　ideas）。　Now　there　is　nothing　that　non…action　（letting　things　go）　cannot　sort　out。　It　is　through　non…action　that　one　wins　the　empire。
  To　act；　in　order　to　win　it；　results　in　failure。
  49
  The　Sage　has　no　definite　will　of　his　own；　he　accommodates　himself　to　the　will　of　the　people。
  He　treats　the　good　and　the　bad　equally　well；　which　is　the　true　practice　of　goodness。
  He　trusts　the　sincere　and　insincere　alike；　which　is　the　true　practice　of　trust。
  In　this　mixed…up　world；　the　Sage　is　without　any　emotion；　and　has　the　same　feelings　for　all。　All　men　fix　their　eyes　and　ears　on　him。　He　treats　them　like　children；　（Daoism　kindliness；　sightly　disdainful）。
  50
  Men　go　forth　into　life；　And　return　in　death。
  Out　of　ten　men；　three　prolong　their　life　（through　cleanliness）；　three　hasten　their　death　（through　their　excesses）；　three　compromise　their　life　by　the　attachment　they　have　to　it；　（And　only　one　stays　alive　until　his　term；　because　he　is　not　attached　to　it）。
  He　who　is　not　attached　to　his　life；　does　not　turn　aside　to　avoid　an　encounter　with　a　rhinoceros　or　a　tiger；　he　throws　himself　into　the　fray　without　armour　or　weapons；
  And　he　comes　to　no　harm　because　he　is　proof　against　the　rhinoceros　horn；　the　tiger's　claws；　And　weapons　of　combat。　Why　is　this？　。。。　Because；　exteriorized　through　his　indifference；　death　cannot　take　a　hold　on　him。
  51
  The　Principle　gives　life　to　beings；　then　its　Virtue　nourishes　them；　until　the　completion　of　their　nature；　until　the　perfection　of　their　faculties。　Therefore　all　beings　venerate　the　Principle　and　its　Virtue。
  No　one　has　the　eminence　of　the　Principle　and　its　Virtue　conferred　on　them；　they　have　it　always；　naturally。　The　Principle　gives　life；　its　Virtue　gives　growth；　protects；　perfects；　matures；　maintains；　And　covers　（all　beings）。
  When　they　are　born；　it　does　not　monopolize　them；　it　lets　them　act　freely；　without　exploiting　them；　it　lets　them　grow；　without　tyrannizing　them。　This　is　the　action　of　transcendent　Virtue。
  52
  That　which　was；　before　the　beginning　of　the　world；　became　the　mother　of　the　world。
  He　who　has　reached　knowledge　of　the　mother　（matter；　the　body）；　knows　through　that　her　son　（the　vital　spirit　which　is　enclosed　in　it）。　He　who　knows　the　son　（his　vital　spirit）　And　conserves　the　mother　（his　body）；　will　reach　the　end　of　his　days　without　accident。
  If　he　keeps　his　mouth　and　nostril　closed　（to　prevent　evaporation　of　the　vital　spirit）；　he　will　reach　the　end　of　his　days　without　having　suffered　decadence。
  Whereas；　if　he　talks　a　lot　and　causes　himself　much　worry；　he　will　use　up　and　shorten　his　life。
  Restricting　one's　considerations　to　small　things；　And　one's　cares　to　affairs　of　little　importance；　makes　the　mind　clear　and　the　body　strong。
  Concentrating　one's　intellectual　rays　in　one's　intelligence；　And　not　letting　mental　applications　harm　one's　body；　is　to　protect　（the　mind）　And　make　for　long　（life）。
  53
  He　who　has　little　wisdom；　should　conform　himself　to　the　great　Principle。　He　should　take　care　to　avoid　any　irksome　boasting。
  But　to　this　wide　road　many　prefer　the　narrow　sidetracks。　（Few　men　walk　along　the　way　of　obscure　disinterestedness。　They　prefer　the　narrow　tracks　of　their　vanity；　their　own　advantage。　This　is　how　the　princes　of　these　times　act）。
  When　the　palaces　are　too　well　kept　up；　the　fields　go　uncultivated　and　the　granaries　empty；　（because　the　farm　workers　are　requisitioned　for　forced　labour）。
  Dressing　magnificently；　wearing　a　sharp　sword；　stuffing　oneself　with　food　and　drink；　amassing　wealth　to　the　extent　of　not　knowing　what　to　do　with　it　（as　do　the　princes　of　these　times）；　is　being　like　a　brigand　（who　ostentatiously　plays　with　his　loot）。　Such　conduct　is　opposed　to　the　Principle。
  54
  He　who　builds　on　disinterestedness　will　not　find　his　work　destroyed。　He　who　keeps　himself　disinterested　will　not　lose　what　he　has。　His　sons　and　his　grandsons　will　make　offerings　to　him　without　interruption　（that　is　to　say；　they　will　succeed　him　and　enjoy　the　fruit　of　his　works）。
  First　of　all　one　should　conform　oneself　to　the　Principle；　afterwards；　this　conformity　will　spread　spontaneously；　by　itself；　to　one's　family；　district；　principality；　And　to　the　empire；　（like　radiant　heat　coming　from　a　central　hearth）。
  Through　one's　own　nature；　one　understands　those　of　other　individuals；　And　of　all　individual　collectivities　such　as　families；　districts；　principalities；　And　the　empire。
  How　can　one　know　the　nature　of　an　entire　empire？　。。。　By　this　（through　one's　own　nature）。
  55
  He　who　holds　himself　in　perfect　Virtue　（without　lust　or　anger）　is　like　the　new…born　child　whom　the　scorpion　does　not　bite；　the　tiger　does　not　devour；　the　vulture　does　not　seize；　whom　all　respect。　A　child's　bones　are　weak；　its　tendons　are　feeble；　but　it　grasps　objects　strongly　（just　as　its　soul　and　body　are　held　together　by　force）。
  He　has　not　yet　any　notion　of　the　act　of　generation；　And；　in　consequence；　keeps　his　seminal　virtue　intact。
  He　cries　softly　all　day　long　without　becoming　hoarse；　so　perfect　is　his　peace。　Peace　makes　for　durability；　he　who　understands　this　is　enlightened。
  Whereas　any　violent　excitement；　above　all　lust　and　anger；　wears　one　out。
  From　this　it　follows　that　virility　（which　man　abuses）　is　succeeded　by　decrepitude。　Intense　life　is　contrary　to　the　Principle；　And　in　consequence　prematurely　mortal。
  56
  He　who　knows　（the　Principle）；　does　not　speak。
  He　keeps　his　mouth　closed；　controls　his　breathing；　blunts　his　activity；　rescues　himself　from　any　complication；　tempers　his　light；　And　mingles　with　people。　This　is　mysterious　union　（with　the　Principle）。
  No　one　can　attach　himself　（by　doing　favours）　to　such　a　man；　nor　repulse　him　（by　treating　him　badly）。　He　is　indifferent　to　gain　or　loss；　exaltation　or　humiliation。　Being　thus；　he　is　the　most　noble　in　the　world。
  57
  One　can　govern　with　rectitude；　one　can　wage　war　with　competence；　but　it　takes　non…action　to　win　and　hold　the　empire。　How　do　I　know　that　this　is　so？　From　what　I　am　going　to　say：
  The　more　rules　there　are；　the　less　people　enrich　themselves。　The　more　taxes　there　are；　the　less　order　there　is。
  The　more　ingenious　inventions　there　are；　the　fewer　serious　and　useful　objects　there　are。　The　more　detailed　the　penal　code；　the　more　thieves　abound。　Multiplication　ruins　everything。
  Therefore　the　programme　of　the　Sage　is　quite　the　contrary。　Not　acting；　And　the　people　amend　themselves。　Staying　peaceful；　And　the　people　rectify　themselves。
  Doing　nothing；　And　the　people　enrich　themselves。　Wishing　for　nothing；　And　the　people　come　back　to　natural　spontaneity。
  58
  When　the　government　is　simple；　the　people　abound　in　virtue。　When　the　government　is　political；　the　people　lack　virtue。
  Good　and　bad　succeed　one　anther；　alternately。
  Who　will　discern　the　heights？　（of　this　circular　movement；　of　good　and　evil。　It　is　very　delicate；　an　excess　or　a　default　changing　the　moral　entity）。　In　many　the　right　measure