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d to compel respect。
Therefore： Whan the Tao is lost； power appears；
When power is lost； loving…kindness appears；
When loving…kindness is lost； justice appears；
When justice is lost； ritual appears。
Ritual is but the sahdow of faith and loyalty； and the beginning of confusion。
Prediction of what is to come is doubtless an offshoot of the Tao； but the beginning of ignorant folly。
Therefore； he who is truly great holds to the substance and not to the shadow；
He holds to the main stem and not to the offshoot。
Thus he disregards That and nurtures This。
39
These things have from the beginning attained Unity：
Earth； through Unity； is firm；
Spirits； through Unity； are active；
The Valley； through Unity； is brimming；
All creatures； through Unity； multiply；
Kings and princes； through Unity； govern the world；
Yes： in all these things works Unity。
If Heaven through Unity were not clear； it would be rent；
If Earth through Unity were not firm； it would topple over；
If Spirits through Unity were not active； they would shrivel away；
If the Valley through Unity were not brimming； it would dry up；
If all creatures through Unity did not multiply； they would die out；
If kings and princes through Unity did not govern the world； they would be overthrown。
For nobility has its roots in humility；
And the high is built on a foundation that is low。
Thus kings and princes speak of themselves as 〃ophans；〃 〃the lonely ones；〃 〃the unworthy〃；
In this way they acknowledge that their might is rooted in the lowly？ Surely this is so？
For without the component parts of a waggon there is no waggon。
The sages of old sought to be neither the isolated single gem； nor yet the common stone among other stones。
40
The movement of the Tao is a returning。
The chief method of the Tao is non…striving。
All manifestations have their source in Being：
Being has its source in Non…Being。
41
When a man of highest wisdom is told about the Tao；
He is eager to follow it。
When a man of middling wisdom is told about the Tao；
At times he follows it； at times he loses touch with it。
When a man of no wisdom is told about the Tao；
He laughs aloud；
If he did not laugh at it； it could not rightly be named the Tao。
For as a maekr of proverbs has truly siad：
〃Enlightenment in the Tao seems like darkness；
Progress in the Tao seems like regress〃；
Evenness in the Tao seems like roughness；
The highest virtue seems like the emptiness of a valley。
The purest white seems murky；
The most exalted virtue seems inadequate；
The strongest virtue seems unstable；
The most steadfast nature seems variable。
For 〃the greatest square of all has no angles；
The largest vessels are late brought to perfection；
The highest note is scarcely heard；
The greatest image has no shape。〃
The Tao； in its secrecy； is nameless；
Yet it is the Tao which is behine everyhting and brings all things to completion。
42
From the Tao was born the One；
From the One was born the Two；
From the Two was born the Three；
And from the Three all things proceeded。
All creatures have the shadow at their backs and embrace the light；
And the everlasting breath of life unites them。
What men hate is to be orphaned； lonely； unworthy；
But do not kings and princes often so describe themselves？
〃For things by being diminished may be increased；
And by being increased； diminished。〃
What others teach； I will teach too。
〃Those who are foolhardy and violent do not come to a natural end。〃
On this maxim I too will base my teaching。
43
The most yielding thing in the world
Masters the hardest thing in the world。
Its nothingness can penetrate even the impenetrable。
That is how I know the value of non…action。
But teaching without the use of words；
And action that is non…action …
How few in the world achieve this！
44
Your fame； or yourself … which is the nearer to you？
Your self； or your possessions … which is the more precious to you？
Acquiring； or losing … which is the worse to you？
He who sets his heart on things will spend wastefully；
He who hoards greatest treasure will risk greatest loss。
Therefore； to be content with enough is to risk no humiliation。
He who knows when to be still escapes harm。
He will endure。
45
The greatest perfection seems inadequate；
But it is unfailing in its usefulness；
What is brimful seems empty；
But it is inexhaustible in its usefulness。
The completely straight seems crooked； the greatest skill seems awkward；
The greatest eloquence seems like stammering。
Activity overcomes cold；
But stillness overcomes heat。
Only by purity and stillness will the world be governed。
46
When the Tao is reigning on the earth；
Racehorses are harnessed to dung…carts；
When the Tao is not reigning on the earth；
War…horses are bred even in the fields outside the city walls。
There is no greater fault than yielding to uncurbed desire；
There is no greater unhappiness than discontent with what one has；
No greater calamity than greed and craving。
For 〃the content that comes from bwing content is an enduring content。〃
47
Without going out of his own door
A man may know the world；
Without looking out of his own window
A man man know the Tao of Heaven。
For the farther one goes
The less one knows。
Thus it is with the Sage：
He does not go forth； and yet he attains his goal；
Although he does no look around him； he is able to give things their names；
Without fuss he brings all to completion by Non…action。
48
He who goes in search of knowledge adds to himself day after day；
He who seeks the Tao sheds something form himself day after day；
Shedding more and more；
Until he attains Non…action。
By Non…acton there is nothing that cannot be done。
The Kingdom can only be achieved by not interfering；
Those who busy themselves interferingly are not capable pf achieveing the Kingdom。
49
The Sage's self is not a self for itself；
He makes the people's self his self。
I am good to the good；
To the bad I am also good。
For how shall Virtue express itself if not in goodness？
I am candid to the candid；
To those who are not frank I am also candid。
How shall Virtue express itseld if not in candour？
The Sage； always absorbing； lives in stillness in the world；
But his heart is open to receive the conflicting impressions of the world。
And the people of the world gaze at him round…eyed and agape；
And he treats them as children。
50
To go out from life is to enter death。
The Knights of Life are thirteen；
The Knights of Death are thirteen。
And most men in living create thirteen vulnerable spots within themselves。
How is that？
Because they are so