Tao Te King (Dao h Ching) | Page 8

is skilful
at imparting (to all things what they need) and making them complete.
42. 1. The Tao produced One; One produced Two; Two produced
Three; Three produced All things. All things leave behind them the
Obscurity (out of which they have come), and go forward to embrace
the Brightness (into which they have emerged), while they are
harmonised by the Breath of Vacancy.
2. What men dislike is to be orphans, to have little virtue, to be as
carriages without naves; and yet these are the designations which kings
and princes use for themselves. So it is that some things are increased
by being diminished, and others are diminished by being increased.
3. What other men (thus) teach, I also teach. The violent and strong do
not die their natural death. I will make this the basis of my teaching.
43. 1. The softest thing in the world dashes against and overcomes the
hardest; that which has no (substantial) existence enters where there is

no crevice. I know hereby what advantage belongs to doing nothing
(with a purpose).
2. There are few in the world who attain to the teaching without words,
and the advantage arising from non-action.
44. 1. Or fame or life,
Which do you hold more dear?
Or life or wealth,
To which would you adhere?
Keep life and lose those other things;
Keep them and lose your life:--which brings
Sorrow and pain more near?
2. Thus we may see,
Who cleaves to fame
Rejects what is more great;
Who loves large stores
Gives up the richer state.
3. Who is content
Needs fear no shame.
Who knows to stop
Incurs no blame.
From danger free

Long live shall he.
45. 1. Who thinks his great achievements poor
Shall find his vigour long endure.
Of greatest fulness, deemed a void,
Exhaustion ne'er shall stem the tide.
Do thou what's straight still crooked deem;
Thy greatest art still stupid seem,
And eloquence a stammering scream.
2. Constant action overcomes cold; being still overcomes heat. Purity
and stillness give the correct law to all under heaven.
46. 1. When the Tao prevails in the world, they send back their swift
horses to (draw) the dung-carts. When the Tao is disregarded in the
world, the war-horses breed in the border lands.
2. There is no guilt greater than to sanction ambition; no calamity
greater than to be discontented with one's lot; no fault greater than the
wish to be getting. Therefore the sufficiency of contentment is an
enduring and unchanging sufficiency.
47. 1. Without going outside his door, one understands (all that takes
place) under the sky; without looking out from his window, one sees
the Tao of Heaven. The farther that one goes out (from himself), the
less he knows.
2. Therefore the sages got their knowledge without travelling; gave
their (right) names to things without seeing them; and accomplished
their ends without any purpose of doing so.
48. 1. He who devotes himself to learning (seeks) from day to day to
increase (his knowledge); he who devotes himself to the Tao (seeks)

from day to day to diminish (his doing).
2. He diminishes it and again diminishes it, till he arrives at doing
nothing (on purpose). Having arrived at this point of non-action, there
is nothing which he does not do.
3. He who gets as his own all under heaven does so by giving himself
no trouble (with that end). If one take trouble (with that end), he is not
equal to getting as his own all under heaven.
49. 1. The sage has no invariable mind of his own; he makes the mind
of the people his mind.
2. To those who are good (to me), I am good; and to those who are not
good (to me), I am also good;--and thus (all) get to be good. To those
who are sincere (with me), I am sincere; and to those who are not
sincere (with me), I am also sincere;--and thus (all) get to be sincere.
3. The sage has in the world an appearance of indecision, and keeps his
mind in a state of indifference to all. The people all keep their eyes and
ears directed to him, and he deals with them all as his children.
50. 1. Men come forth and live; they enter (again) and die.
2. Of every ten three are ministers of life (to themselves); and three are
ministers of death.
3. There are also three in every ten whose aim is to live, but whose
movements tend to the land (or place) of death. And for what reason?
Because of their excessive endeavours to perpetuate life.
4. But I have heard that he who is skilful in managing the life entrusted
to him for a time travels on the land