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Tao Te Ching

1

The tao that can be describedis not the eternal Tao.

The name that can be spoken

is not the eternal Name.

The nameless is the boundary of Heaven and Earth.

The named is the mother of creation.

Freed from desire, you can see the hidden mystery.

y having desire, you can only see !hat is visibly real.

"et mystery and reality

emerge from the same source.

This source is called darkness.

#arkness born from darkness.

The beginning of all understanding.

$

%hen people see things as beautiful,ugliness is created.

%hen people see things as good,

evil is created.

eing and non&being produce each other.

#ifficult and easy complement each other.

'ong and short define each other.

High and lo! oppose each other.

Fore and aft follo! each other.

Therefore the (aster

can act !ithout doing anything

and teach !ithout saying a !ord.

Things come her !ay and she does not stop them)

things leave and she lets them go.

*he has !ithout possessing,

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and acts !ithout any e+pectations.

%hen her !ork is done, she take no credit.

That is !hy it !ill last forever.

-f you overly esteem talented individuals,

people !ill become overly competitive.

-f you overvalue possessions,

people !ill begin to steal.

#o not display your treasures

or people !ill become envious.

The (aster leads by

emptying peoples minds,

filling their bellies,

!eakening their ambitions,

and making them become strong.

/referring simplicity and freedom from desires,

avoiding the pitfalls of kno!ledge and !rong action.

For those !ho practice not&doing,everything !ill fall into place.

0

The Tao is like an empty container

it can never be emptied and can never be filled.

-nfinitely deep, it is the source of all things.

-t dulls the sharp, unties the knotted,shades the lighted, and unites all of creation !ith dust.

-t is hidden but al!ays present.

- dont kno! !ho gave birth to it .

-t is older than the concept of 2od.

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3

Heaven and Earth are impartial)

they treat all of creation as stra! dogs.

The (aster doesnt take sides)

she treats everyone like a stra! dog.

The space bet!een Heaven and Earth is like a bello!s)

it is empty, yet has not lost its po!er.

The more it is used, the more it produces)

the more you talk of it, the less you comprehend.

-t is better not to speak of things you do not understand.

4

The spirit of emptiness is immortal.

-t is called the 2reat (other

because it gives birth to Heaven and Earth.

-t is like a vapor,

barely seen but al!ays present.

5se it effortlessly.

6

The Tao of Heaven is eternal,

and the earth is long enduring.%hy are they long enduring7

They do not live for themselves)

thus they are present for all beings.

The (aster puts herself last)

8nd finds herself in the place of authority.

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*he detaches herself from all things)

Therefore she is united !ith all things.

*he gives no thought to self.

*he is perfectly fulfilled.

9

The supreme good is like !ater,

!hich benefits all of creation

!ithout trying to compete !ith it.

-t gathers in unpopular places.

Thus it is like the Tao.

The location makes the d!elling good.

#epth of understanding makes the mind good.

8 kind heart makes the giving good.

-ntegrity makes the government good.

8ccomplishments makes your labors good.

/roper timing makes a decision good.

:nly !hen there is no competition

!ill !e all live in peace.

;

-t is easier to carry an empty cup

than one that is filled to the brim.

The sharper the knife

the easier it is to dull.

The more !ealth you possessthe harder it is to protect.

/ride brings its o!n trouble.

%hen you have accomplished your goal

simply !alk a!ay.

This is the path !ay to Heaven.

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1eceiving favor and loosing it both cause alarm.

That is !hat is meant by success is as dangerous as failure.

%hat does it mean that !e are often our o!n !orst enemy7

The reason - have an enemy is because - have ?self?.

-f - no longer had a ?self?, - !ould no longer have an enemy.

'ove the !hole !orld as if it !ere your self)

then you !ill truly care for all things.

10

'ook for it, and it cant be seen.

'isten for it, and it cant be heard.

2rasp for it, and it cant be caught.

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These three cannot be further described,

so !e treat them as The :ne.

-ts highest is not bright.

-ts depths are not dark.

5nending, unnameable, it returns to nothingness.

Formless forms, and image less images,

subtle, beyond all understanding.

8pproach it and you !ill not see a beginning)

follo! it and there !ill be no end.

%hen !e grasp the Tao of the ancient ones,

!e can use it to direct our life today.

To kno! the ancient origin of Tao

this is the beginning of !isdom.

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The *ages of old !ere profound

and kne! the !ays of subtlety and discernment.

Their !isdom is beyond our comprehension.

ecause their kno!ledge !as so far superior

- can only give a poor description.

They !ere careful

as someone crossing an fro@en stream in !inter.

8lert as if surrounded on all sides by the enemy.

Courteous as a guest.

Fluid as melting ice.

%hole as an uncarved block of !ood.

>eceptive as a valley.

Turbid as muddied !ater.

%ho can be still

until their mud settles

and the !ater is cleared by itself7

Can you remain tranAuil until right action occurs by itself7

The (aster doesnt seek fulfillment.

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For only those !ho are not full are able to be used

!hich brings the feeling of completeness.

14

-f you can empty your mind of all thoughts

your heart !ill embrace the tranAuility of peace.

%atch the !orkings of all of creation,

but contemplate their return to the source.

8ll creatures in the universe

return to the point !here they began.

>eturning to the source is tranAuilitybecause !e submit to Heavens mandate.

>eturning to Heavens mandate is called being constant.

Bno!ing the constant is called enlightenment.

Not kno!ing the constant is the source of evil deeds

because !e have no roots.

y kno!ing the constant !e can accept things as they are.

y accepting things as they are, !e become impartial.

y being impartial, !e become one !ith Heaven.

y being one !ith Heaven, !e become one !ith Tao.eing one !ith Tao, !e are no longer concerned about

loosing our life because !e kno! the Tao is constant

and !e are one !ith Tao.

16

The best leaders are those the people hardly kno! e+ist.

The ne+t best is a leader !ho is loved and praised.Ne+t comes the one !ho is feared.

The !orst one is the leader that is despised.

-f you dont trust the people,

they !ill become untrust!orthy.

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The best leaders value their !ords, and use them sparingly.

%hen she has accomplished her task,

the people say, ?8ma@ing

!e did it, all by ourselves?

19

%hen the great Tao is abandoned,

charity and righteousness appear.

%hen intellectualism arises,

hypocrisy is close behind.

%hen there is strife in the family unit,people talk about brotherly love.

%hen the country falls into chaos,

politicians talk about patriotism.

1;

Forget about kno!ledge and !isdom,and people !ill be a hundred times better off.

Thro! a!ay charity and righteousness,

and people !ill return to brotherly love.

Thro! a!ay profit and greed,

and there !ont be any thieves.

These three are superficial and arent enough

to keep us at the center of the circle, so !e must also

Embrace simplicity./ut others first.

#esire little.

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$enounce kno!ledge and your problems !ill end.

%hat is the difference bet!een yes and no7

%hat is the difference bet!een good and evil7(ust you fear !hat others fear7

Nonsense, look ho! far you have missed the mark

:ther people are =oyous,

as though they !ere at a spring festival.

- alone am unconcerned and e+pressionless,

like an infant before it has learned to smile.

:ther people have more than they need)

- alone seem to possess nothing.- am lost and drift about !ith no place to go.

- am like a fool, my mind is in chaos.

:rdinary people are bright)

- alone am dark.

:rdinary people are clever)

- alone am dull.

:rdinary people seem discriminating)

- alone am muddled and confused.

- drift on the !aves on the ocean,blo!n at the mercy of the !ind.

:ther people have their goals,

- alone am dull and uncouth.

- am different from ordinary people.

- nurse from the 2reat (others breasts.

$1

The greatest virtue you can have

comes from follo!ing only the Tao)

!hich takes a form that is intangible and evasive.

Even though the Tao is intangible and evasive,

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!e are able to kno! it e+ists.

-ntangible and evasive, yet it has a manifestation.

*ecluded and dark, yet there is a vitality !ithin it.

-ts vitality is very genuine.

%ithin it !e can find order.

*ince the beginning of time, the Tao has al!ays e+isted.

-t is beyond existingand not existing.

Ho! do - kno! !here creation comes from7

- look inside myself and see it.

$$

-f you !ant to become !hole,

first let yourself become broken.

-f you !ant to become straight,

first let yourself become t!isted.

-f you !ant to become full,

first let yourself become empty.

-f you !ant to become ne!,

first let yourself become old.

Those !hose desires are fe! gets them,

those !hose desires are great go astray.

For this reason the (aster embraces the Tao,

as an e+ample for the !orld to follo!.

ecause she isnt self centered,

people can see the light in her.

ecause she does not boast of herself,

she becomes a shining e+ample.

ecause she does not glorify herself,

she becomes a person of merit.

ecause she !ants nothing from the !orld,the !orld can not overcome her.

%hen the ancient (asters said,

?-f you !ant to become !hole,

then first let yourself be broken,?

they !erent using empty !ords.

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8ll !ho do this !ill be made complete.

$Nature uses fe! !ords

!hen the gail blo!s, it !ill not last long)

!hen it rains hard, it lasts but a little !hile)

%hat causes these to happen7 Heaven and Earth.

%hy do !e humans go on endlessly about little

!hen nature does much in a little time7

-f you open yourself to the Tao,

you and Tao become one.-f you open yourself to Dirtue,

then you can become virtuous.

-f you open yourself to loss,

then you !ill become lost.

-f you open yourself to the Tao,

the Tao !ill eagerly !elcome you.

-f you open yourself to virtue,

virtue !ill become a part of you.

-f you open yourself to loss,the lost are glad to see you.

?%hen you do not trust people,

people !ill become untrust!orthy.?

$0

Those !ho stands on tiptoesdo not stand firmly.

Those !ho rush ahead

dont get very far.

Those !ho try to out shine others

dim their o!n light.

Those !ho call themselves righteous

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cant kno! ho! !rong they are.

Those !ho boast of their accomplishments

diminishes the things they have done.

Compared to the Tao, these actions are un!orthy.

-f !e are to follo! the Tao,

!e must not do these things.

$3

efore the universe !as born

there !as something in the chaos of the heavens.

-t stands alone and empty,solitary and unchanging.

-t is ever present and secure.

-t may be regarded as the (other of the universe.

ecause - do not kno! its name,

- call it the Tao.

-f forced to give it a name,

- !ould call it 2reat.

ecause it is 2reat means it is every!here.

eing every!here means it is eternal.eing eternal means everything returns to it.

Tao is great.

Heaven is great.

Earth is great.

Humanity is great.

%ithin the universe, these are the four great things.

Humanity follo!s the earth.

Earth follo!s Heaven.Heaven follo!s the Tao.

The Tao follo!s only itself.

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Heaviness is the basis of lightness.

*tillness is the standard of activity.

Thus the (aster travels all day

!ithout ever leaving her !agon.

Even though she has much to see,

is she at peace in her indifference.

%hy should the lord of a thousand chariots

be amused at the foolishness of the !orld7

-f you abandon yourself to foolishness,

you lose touch !ith your beginnings.

-f you let yourself become distracted,

you !ill lose the basis of your po!er.

$6

8 good traveler leaves no tracks,

and a skillful speaker is !ell rehearsed.

8 good bookkeeper has an e+cellent memory,

and a !ell made door is easy to open and needs no locks.

8 good knot needs no rope and it can not come undone.

Thus the (aster is !illing to help everyone,

and doesnt kno! the meaning of re=ection.

*he is there to help all of creation,

and doesnt abandon even the smallest creature.

This is called embracing the light.

%hat is a good person but a bad persons teacher7

%hat is a bad person but ra! materiel for his teacher7

-f you fail to honor your teacher or fail to en=oy your student,

you !ill become deluded no matter ho! smart you are.-t is the secret of prime importance.

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Bno! the masculine,

but keep to the feminine

and become a !atershed to the !orld.

-f you embrace the !orld,

the Tao !ill never leave you

and you become as a little child.

Bno! the !hite,

yet keep to the black

be a model for the !orld.

-f you are a model for the !orld,

the Tao inside you !ill strengthen

and you !ill return !hole to your eternal beginning.

Bno! the honorable,

but do not shun the disgraced

embracing the !orld as it is.

-f you embrace the !orld !ith compassion,

then your virtue !ill return you to the uncarved block.

The block of !ood is carved into utensils

by carving void into the !ood.

The (aster uses the utensils, yet prefers to keep to the block

because of its limitless possibilities.

2reat !orks do not involve discarding substance.

$;

#o you !ant to rule the !orld and control it7

- dont think it can ever be done.

The !orld is sacred vessel

and it can not be controlled."ou !ill only it make it !orse if you try.

-t may slip through your fingers and disappear.

*ome are meant to lead,

and others are meant to follo!)

*ome must al!ays strain,

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and others have an easy time)

*ome are naturally big and strong,

and others !ill al!ays be small)

*ome !ill be protected and nurtured,

and others !ill meet !ith destruction.

The (aster accepts things as they are,

and out of compassion avoids e+travagance,

e+cess and the e+tremes.

emaining a!are of the pattern is a virtue.

This dark and mysterious virtue is profound.

-t is opposite our natural inclination,

but leads to harmony !ith the heavens.

44

>ivers and seas are rulers

of the streams of hundreds of valleys

because of the po!er of their lo! position.

-f you !ant to be the ruler of people,

you must speak to them like you are their servant.

-f you !ant to lead other people,

you must put their interest ahead of your o!n.

The people !ill not feel burdened,

if a !ise person is in a position of po!er.

The people !ill not feel like they are being manipulated,

if a !ise person is in front as their leader.

The !hole !orld !ill ask for her guidance,and !ill never get tired of her.

ecause she does not like to compete,

no one can compete !ith the things she accomplishes.

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46

The !orld talks about honoring the Tao,

but you cant tell it from their actions.

ecause it is thought of as great,the !orld makes light of it.

-t seems too easy for anyone to use.

There are three =e!els that - cherish

compassion, moderation, and humility.

%ith compassion, you !ill be able to be brave,

%ith moderation, you !ill be able to give to others,

%ith humility, you !ill be able to become a great leader.

To abandon compassion !hile seeking to be brave,

or abandoning moderation !hile being benevolent,or abandoning humility !hile seeking to lead

!ill only lead to greater trouble.

The compassionate !arrior !ill be the !inner,

and if compassion is your defense you !ill be secure.

Compassion is the protector of Heavens salvation.

49

The best !arriors

do not use violence.

The best generals

do not destroy indiscriminately.

The best tacticians

try to avoid confrontation.

The best leaders

becomes servants of their people.

This is called the virtue of non&competition.This is called the po!er to manage others.

This is called attaining harmony !ith the heavens.

4;

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There is an old saying

?-t is better to become the passive

in order to see !hat !ill happen.

-t is better to retreat a foot

than to advance only an inch.?

This is called

being fle+ible !hile advancing,

pushing back !ithout using force,

and destroying the enemy !ithout engaging him.

There is no greater disaster

than underestimating your enemy.

5nderestimating your enemy

means loosing your greatest assets.

%hen eAual forces meet in battle,

victory !ill go to the one

that enters !ith the greatest sorro!.

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