There　are　only　three　compasses　to　steer　by；？treasure　them
  Compassion；　frugality；　and　genuineness
  Compassion　leads　to　courage
  But　courage　without　compassion　is　pure　violence
  Frugality　leads　to　affluence
  But　affluence　without　frugality　is　pure　extravagance
  Genuineness　brings　honor　and　respect
  But　honor　and　respect　gained　hypocritically　is　pure　disaster
  Attack　with　these　qualities　and　you'll　never　lose
  Defend　with　them；　and　you'll　never　fall
  Whoever　wraps　himself　in　the　tao
  Finds　in　it　a　shield　and　a　sanctuary　that　will　never　fail
  68
  Therefore　a　good　leader；　like　a　good　soldier
  Sees　no　need　to　flaunt　her　might
  Never　lets　his　passions　sway　him　out　of　balance
  Allows　her　opponents　to　overextend　themselves
  And　in　all　things　places　himself　below　others
  If　you　don't　compete；　then　you're　dealing　with　men　correctly
  And　the　tao；　in　all　its　antiquity；　is　on　your　side
  69
  Consider　the　phrases　'discretion　is　the　better　part　of　valor'
  And　'fall　back　a　foot　rather　than　struggle　for　an　inch'
  Moving　forward　sometimes　means　stepping　backwards
  Strength　sometimes　means　letting　yourself　be　weak
  Hold　to　your　center　or　any　weapon　is　useless
  Be　open　to　all；　and　let　opponents　come　to　you
  It's　arrogance　that　leads　you　to　think　no　one　can　defeat　you
  And　arrogance　can　only　lead　to　tragedy　for　one　or　the　other
  If　you　have　to　fight；　you'll　do　better　to　forget　about　the　victory
  And　strive；　instead；　to　contain　everyone's　loses
  70
  These　words　are　easy　to　remember　and　easy　to　practice
  Yet　few　remember　them　when　they　are　needed；　and　fewer　practice　them
  This　is　because　these　words　are　rooted　in　principles　that　go　beyondwords
  Saying　them　is　not　enough
  For　those　few　who　practice　them；　though；　they　are　of　great　value
  They　may　look　plain；　but　they　lead　to　the　wealth　of　the　heart
  71
  People　are　odd
  They　think　they　know　what　they　don't
  They　think　they　don't　know　what　they　do
  Excellence　does　not　come；　however；　from　knowing　everything　or　knowingnothing
  But　merely　from　knowing　that　you　don't　know
  72
  When　people　don't　fear　your　power；　then　you　have　found　true　power
  You　can　only　constrain　people　by　making　them　fear　you
  Limit　their　actions　and　their　potentials　by　making　them　fear　the　consequences
  But　if　they　fear　like　this　they　will　feel　cheated　and　be　discontent
  Know　where　you　want　to　the　nation　to　go；　but　don't　worry　about　how　toget　there
  Know　your　worth；　but　let　others　find　it　for　themselves
  73
  There　are　two　kinds　of　bravery
  That　which　takes　death　lightly　and　that　which　takes　life　seriously
  Where　one　needs　to　be　brave　either　will　suffice
  But　they　are　not　both　in　line　with　the　tao
  The　tao　honors　what　can　win　without　belligerence
  What　can　respond　without　speaking
  For　such；　everything　needed　comes　on　its　own　without　being　called
  Everything　desired　is　achieved　without　being　planned
  It　pays　to　remember　that　the　tao　casts　its　net　far　and　wide
  Its　cord　may　look　flimsy　and　its　mesh　coarse；　but　nothing　escapes　it
  74
  If　people　were　content　with　their　own　deaths
  You　could　not　use　force　on　them；？they　would　be　immune
  But　this　is　not　the　way　the　world　is
  If　you　threaten　them　with　death　to　make　them　behave
  You　must　assign　someone　to　kill　them；　or　do　it　yourself
  Who；　then；　kills：？you；　or　the　executioner；　or　the　state？
  Someone　must　take　the　responsibility
  Whoever　is　responsible　for　death　has　put　his　way　above　the　tao
  Yet　though　he　can　end　a　life；　the　tao　will　by　its　nature　find　a　wayto　return
  Any　sane　man　would　find　in　that　cause　for　worry
  75
  The　more　the　leader　fills　his　coffers；　the　more　people　go　hungry
  The　more　he　rules　on　this　or　that；　the　more　people　are　discontent
  People　who　avidly　seek　to　experience　life　take　death　lightly
  Those　who　do　not　try　to　live　life　to　its　fullest　are　truly　alive
  76
  When　people　are　born　they　are　supple　and　soft
  When　they　die　they　are　stiff　and　hard
  What　is　full　of　life　is　lithe　and　moist　and　resilient
  What　is　drained　of　it　is　brittle；　withered；　dry
  The　former　are　the　marks　of　life
  While　the　latter　are　the　marks　of　death
  If　a　soldier　is　stiff；　whether　with　fear　or　pride；　he　will　be　defeated
  If　a　tree　is　stiff；　it　will　fall　to　the　next　wind
  If　you　become　stiff　to　raise　yourself　above　others；　you　will　fall
  Let　yourself　fall；　be　supple　and　responsive；　and　you　will　be　lifted
  77
  The　way　is　like　the　bending　of　a　bow
  To　achieve　its　ends　the　top　must　bend　down　and　the　bottom　rise　up
  It　takes　from　that　which　has　much；　adds　to　that　which　has　little
  And　keeps　a　still；　quiet　center
  Men；　however；　always　seek　to　add　more；　regardless　of　their　place
  How　can　anything　be　accomplished　that　way？
  The　taoist　way　is　to　pull　the　bowstring　and　let　it　go
  Accomplish　the　task　and　move　on　to　the　next
  Doing　is　profit　enough
  78
  There　is　nothing　softer　and　more　yielding　than　water
  Yet　nothing　hard　and　rigid　can　withstand　it
  Everyone　knows　this
  That　water　can　defeat　the　unyielding；　that　the　weak　can　overcome　thestrong
  Yet　no　one　is　willing　to　put　it　into　practice
  If　you　would　be　a　leader；　you　must　claim　every　disgrace　of　the　state
  Take　all　the　offenses　of　the　state　as　your　own　burden
  How　can　you　be　honored　if　you　run　from　dishonor？
  79
  If　you　have　to　make　things　bitter　to　get　them　settled；the　bitternesswill　remain
  The　taoist；　then；　holds　the　debt　but　doesn't　demand　repayment
  Thus；　when　he　is　repaid；　the　debt　is　forgotten
  Fail　that；　and　you　will　be　treated　like　a　tax　collector
  And　known　as　such　even　by　those　who　owe　you　nothing
  The　tao　plays　no　favorites
  It　supplies　all　who　act　with　virtue
  80
  If　the　tao　held　sway；　nations　would　be　small　and　people　few
  There　might　be　weapons　enough；　but　no　one　would　use　them　or　displaythem
  All　would　regard　fighting　as　a　serious；　unpleasant　affair
  They　might　have　boats　and　carriages　enough；　but　no　one　would　ride　them
  All　would　be　content　with　what　they　see　and　know
  There　might　be　laws　and　contracts；　but　no　one　would　write　them
  All　would　pay　their　debts　as　they　could；　because　no　one　would　careif　they　didn't
  Such　a　land　would　delight　in　their　food；　their　clothing；　their　traditions
  And　feel　safe　and　secure　in　their　homes
  Though　neighboring　lands　might　be　close　enough　that　their　songs　areheard
  One　could　grow　old　without　ever　having　the　urge　to　visit　them
  81
  It　is　one　thing　to　speak　elegantly　and　another　to　speak　sincerely
  Knowledge　and　insight　are　different　things
  The　first　accumulates　fine　distinctions；　precise　statements
  And　the　other；　well；　it　sees　all　as　essentially　the　same
  Whoever　follows　the　way　hoards　nothing
  Life　is　too　long　a　journey　to　carry　excess　weight
  He　uses　what　he　has　for　others
  And　finds　his　spirit　lighter　and　his　heart　enriched
  The　tao　sustains　all　without　fear　of　exhaustion
  And　virtue　lies　in　letting　it。
  English_Wu_TTK
  Das　Tao　Te　King　von　Lao　Tse
  Chinese　…　English　by
  John　C。　H。　Wu
  1
  TAO　can　be　talked　about；　but　not　the　Eternal　Tao。
  Names　can　be　named；　but　not　the　Eternal　Name。
  As　the　origin　of　heaven…and…earth；　it　is　nameless：
  As　〃the　Mother〃　of　all　things；　it　is　nameable。
  So；　as　ever　hidden；　we　should　look　at　its　inner　essence：
  As　always　manifest；　we　should　look　at　its　outer　aspects。
  These　two　flow　from　the　same　source；　though　differently　named；
  And　both　are　called　mysteries。
  The　Mystery　of　mysteries　is　the　Door　of　all　essence。
  2
  WHEN　all　the　world　recognises　beauty　as　beauty；　this　in　itself　is　ugliness。
  When　all　the　world　recognises　good　as　good；　this　in　itself　is　evil。
  Indeed；　the　hidden　and　the　manifest　give　birth　to　each　other。
  Difficult　and　easy　complement　each　other。
  Long　and　short　exhibit　each　other。
  High　and　low　set　measure　to　each　other。
  Voice　and　sound　harmonize　each　other。
  Back　and　front　follow　each　other。
  Therefore；　the　Sage　manages　his　affairs　without　ado；
  And　spreads　his　teaching　without　talking。
  He　denies　nothing　to　the　teeming　things。
  He　rears　them；　but　lays　no　claim　to　them。
  He　does　his　work；　but　sets　no　store　by　it。
  He　accomplishes　his　task；　but　does　not　dwell　upon　it。
  And　yet　it　is　just　because　he　does　not　dwell　on　it
  That　nobody　can　ever　take　it　away　from　him。
  3
  BY　not　exalting　the　talented　you　will　cause　the　people　to　cease　from　rivalry　and　contention。
  By　not　prizing　goods　hard　to　get；　you　will　cause　the　people　to　cease　from　robbing　and　stealing。
  By　not　displaying　what　is　desirable；　you　will　cause　the　people's　hearts　to　remain　undisturbed。
  Therefore；　the　Sage's　way　of　governing　begins　by
  Emptying　the　heart　of　desires；
  Filling　the　bel