23
To talk little is natural.
High winds do not last all morning.
Heavy rain does not last all day.
Why is this? Heaven and Earth!
If heaven and Earth cannot make things eternal,
How is it possible for man?
He who follows the Tao
Is at one with the Tao.
He who is virtuous
Experiences Virtue.
He who loses the way
Is lost.
When you are at one with the Tao,
The Tao welcomes you.
When you are at one with Virtue,
The Virtue is always there.
When you are at one with loss,
The loss is experienced willingly.
He who does not trust enough
Will not be trusted.
Trying too hard, always asserting your superiority or defending against slights to your ego, trying to take credit, and promoting yourself are all ways we attempt to be something more than what we are. These things deal with the branches of our being rather than the root of who we are. A wise gardener knows that the root, not the branches, must be watered in order for the tree to thrive. A wise follower of the Tao attracts the power of the Tao to her root by simply being her natural self and letting go of frivolous desires.
24
He who stands on tiptoe is not steady.
He who strides cannot maintain the pace.
He who makes a show is not enlightened.
He who is self-righteous is not respected.
He who boasts achieves nothing.
He who brags will not endure.
According to followers of the Tao, "These are extra food and unnecessary luggage."
They do not bring happiness.
therefore followers of the Tao avoid them.
Trying too hard, always asserting your superiority or defending against slights to your ego, trying to take credit, and promoting yourself are all ways we attempt to be something more than what we are. These things deal with the branches of our being rather than the root of who we are. A wise gardener knows that the root, not the branches, must be watered in order for the tree to thrive. A wise follower of the Tao attracts the power of the Tao to her root by simply being her natural self and letting go of frivolous desires.
25
Something mysteriously formed,
Born before heaven and Earth.
In the silence and the void,
Standing alone and unchanging,
Ever present and in motion.
Perhaps it is the mother of ten thousand things.
I do not know its name
Call it Tao.
For lack of a better word, I call it great.
Being great, it flows
It flows far away.
Having gone far, it returns.
Therefore, "Tao is great;
Heaven is great;
Earth is great;
The king is also great."
These are the four great powers of the universe,
And the king is one of them.
Man follows Earth.
Earth follows heaven.
Heaven follows the Tao.
Tao follows what is natural.
Trying too hard, always asserting your superiority or defending against slights to your ego, trying to take credit, and promoting yourself are all ways we attempt to be something more than what we are. These things deal with the branches of our being rather than the root of who we are. A wise gardener knows that the root, not the branches, must be watered in order for the tree to thrive. A wise follower of the Tao attracts the power of the Tao to her root by simply being her natural self and letting go of frivolous desires.
26
The heavy is the root of the light.
The still is the master of unrest.
Therefore the sage, traveling all day,
Does not lose sight of his baggage.
Though there are beautiful things to be seen,
He remains unattached and calm.
Why should the lord of ten thousand chariots act lightly in public?
To be light is to lose one's root.
To be restless is to lose one's control.
Trying too hard, always asserting your superiority or defending against slights to your ego, trying to take credit, and promoting yourself are all ways we attempt to be something more than what we are. These things deal with the branches of our being rather than the root of who we are. A wise gardener knows that the root, not the branches, must be watered in order for the tree to thrive. A wise follower of the Tao attracts the power of the Tao to her root by simply being her natural self and letting go of frivolous desires.
27
A good walker leaves no tracks;
A good speaker makes no slips;
A good reckoner needs no tally.
A good door needs no lock,
Yet no one can open it.
Good binding requires no knots,
Yet no one can loosen it.
Therefore the sage takes care of all men
And abandons no one.
He takes care of all things
And abandons nothing.
This is called "following the light."
What is a good man?
A teacher of a bad man.
What is a bad man?
A good man's charge.
If the teacher is not respected,
And the student not cared for,
Confusion will arise, however clever one is.
This is the crux of mystery.
If we do things correctly the first time, we don't have to take extra steps to ensure the first thing was done correctly. If we always deal with the root of things, we don't have to waste energy tending the leaves in life. Goodness and badness are the leaves of our root relationships with each other. If our relationships are founded in respect, responsibility and compassion, our societies will grow strong naturally. If they lack respect, responsibility and compassion, peace and order will never flourish no matter what rules or laws we embrace.
28
Know the strength of man,
But keep a woman's care!
Be the stream of the universe!
Being the stream of the universe,
Ever true and unswerving,
Become as a little child once more.
Know the white,
But keep the black!
Be an example to the world!
Being an example to the world,
Ever true and unwavering,
Return to the infinite.
Know honor,
Yet keep humility.
Be the valley of the universe!
Being the valley of the universe,
Ever true and resourceful,
Return to the state of the uncarved block.
When the block is carved, it becomes useful.
When the sage uses it, he becomes the ruler.
Thus, "A great tailor cuts little."
Comments to come
29
Do you think you can take over the universe and improve it?
I do not believe it can be done.
The universe is sacred.
You cannot improve it.
If you try to change it, you will ruin it.
If you try to hold it, you will lose it.
So sometimes things are ahead and sometimes they are behind;
Sometimes breathing is hard, sometimes it comes easily;
Sometimes there is strength and sometimes weakness;
Sometimes one is up and sometimes down.
Therefore the sage avoids extremes, excesses, and complacency.
Comments to come
30
Whenever you advise a ruler in the way of Tao,
Counsel him not to use force to conquer the universe.
For this would only cause resistance.
Thorn bushes spring up wherever the army has passed.
Lean years follow in the wake of a great war.
Just do what needs to be done.
Never take advantage of power.
Achieve results,
But never glory in them.
Achieve results,
But never boast.
Achieve results,
But never be proud.
Achieve results,
Because this is the natural way.
Achieve results,
But not through violence.
Force is followed by loss of strength.
This is not the way of Tao.
That which goes against the Tao comes to an early end.