【正文】
to be aloof like stone. 40 Turning back is how the way moves。 Weakness is the means the way employs. The myriad creatures in the world are born from Something, and Something from Nothing. 41 When the best student hears about the way He practises it assiduously。 When the average student hears about the way It seems to him there one moment and gone the next。 When the worst student hears about the way He laughs out loud. If he did not laugh It would be unworthy of being the way. Hence the Chien yen has it: The way that is bright seems dull。 The way that is forward seems to lead backward。 The way that is even seems rough. The highest virtue is like the valley。 The sheerest whiteness seems sullied。 Ample virtue seems defective。 Vigorous virtue seems indolent。 Plain virtue seems soiled。 The great square has no corners. The great vessel takes long to plete。 The great note is rarefied in sound。 The great image has no shape. The way conceals itself in being nameless. It is the way alone that excels in bestowing and in acplishing. 42 The way begets one。 One begets two。 Two begets three。 Three begets the myriad creatures. The myriad creatures carry on their backs the yin and embrace in theirarms the yang and are the blending of the generative forces of the two. There are no words which men detest more than 39。solitary39。, 39。desolate39。,and 39。hapless39。, yet lords and princes use these to refer to themselves. Thus a thing is sometimes added to by being diminished and diminishedby being added to. What others teach I also teach. 39。The violent shall not e to a natural end.39。 I shall take this as my precept. 43 Exterminate learning, and there will no longer be worries. The most submissive thing in the world can ride roughshod over the hardestin the world。 That which is without substance entering that which has no crevices. That is why I know the benefit of resorting to no action. The teaching that uses no words, the benefit of resorting to no action,these are beyond the understanding of all but a very few in the world. 44 Your name or your person, Which is dearer? Your person or your goods, Which is worth more? Gain or loss, Which is a greater bane? That is why excessive meanness Is sure to lead to great expense。 Too much store Is sure to end in immense loss. Know contentment And you will suffer no disgrace。 Know when to stop And you will meet with no danger. You can then endure. 45 Great perfection seems chipped, Yet use will not wear it out。 Great fullness seems empty, Yet use will not drain it。 Great straightness seems bent。 Great skill seems awkward。 Great eloquence seems tonguetied. Restlessness overes cold。 Stillness overes heat. Limpid and still, One can be a leader in the empire. 46 When the way prevails in the empire, fleetfooted horses are relegatedto ploughing in the fields。 When the way does not prevail in the empire, warhorses breed on theborder. There is no crime greater than having too many desires。 There is no disaster greater than not being content。 There is no misfortune greater than being covetous. Hence in being content, one will always have enough. 47 Without stirring abroad One can know the whole world。 Without looking out the window One can see the way of heaven. The further one goes The less one knows. Therefore the sage knows without having to stir, Identifies without having to see, Acplishes without having to act. 48 In the pursuit of learning one knows more every day。 In the pursuit of the way one does less every day. One does less and less until one does nothing at all, and when onedoes nothing at all there is nothing that is undone. It is always through not meddling that the empire is won. Should you meddle, then you are not equal to the task of winning theempire. 49 The sage has no mind of his own. He takes as his own the mind of the people. Those who are good I treat as good. Those who are not good I also treat as good. In so doing I gain in goodness. Those who are of good faith I have faith in. Those who are lacking in good faith I also have faith in. In so doing I gain in good faith. The sage in his attempt to distract the mind of the empire seeks urgentlyto muddle it. The people all have something to occupy their eyes and ears, and thesage treats them all like children. 50 When going one way means life and going the other means death, threein ten will be rades in life, three in ten will be rades in death,and there are those who value life and as a result move into the realmof death, and these also number three in ten. Why is this so? Because they set too much store by life. I have heard it said that one who excels in safeguarding his own lifedoes not meet with rhinoceros or tiger when travelling on land nor is hetouched by weapons when charging into an army. There is nowhere for the rhinoceros to pitch its horn。 There is nowhere for the tiger to place its claws。 There is nowhere for the weapon to lodge its blade. Why is this so? Because for him there is no realm of death. 51 The way gives them life。 Virtue rears them。 Things give them shape。 Circumstances bring them to maturity. Therefore the myriad creatures all revere the way and honor virtue. Yet the way is revered and virtue honored not because this is decreedby any authority but because it is natural for them to be treated so. Thus the way gives them life and rears them。