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Dao
De Ching –Laozhe 2.500 years ago
Exclusively brought to you by Kerby Kuek
Chapter
One of Dao De Ching (The Book of Dao by Laozhe)
Dao
and The Name
The
Tao that can be told of is not the Absolute Tao
The
names that can be given are not enduring and unchanging names.
As
the origin of heaven and earth, it is nameless
As
the mother of all things, it is nameable.
Therefore,
when one is without passion, he is bale to see things at inner essence.
Therefore,
when one is full if worldly or mundane desire, he can see things at outer
aspects.
These
two denominations bear the same origin but with different names.
Both
of them may be called the Cosmic Mystery.
Reaching
from the mystery and then into deeper mystery, one can find the door to the
secret of life.
Tao-
the way, the path, the indescribable abstruse source of cosmic energy.
Chapter
Two
The
Theory of Opposites
When
the people know beauty as beauty,
Ugliness
may arise
When
the people know the good deeds as good,
Evil
deed may arise
Therefore:
Being
and non-being interdependent in growth,
Difficult
and easy complement each other,
Long
and short exhibit in contrast.
High
and low, set measure in position.
Voice
and sound are in harmony with each other,
Front
and rear follow each other/
Therefore
the Sage:
Manages
affairs and teach people by following the rules of the nature rather than on the
mood of debate.
When
all things take their rise in growth, he will render effort,
He
gives them life, but does not take possession of them.
He
acts but does not take pride.
Having
accomplishment, he claims no credit.
Because
he does not claim credit, his glory is everlasting.
Chapter
Three
Method
of Non-ado and use of law of nature to govern the people
By
not glorifying the talented, people will not fight for glory and position
By
not valuing rare objects, people will stop from stealing (crime)
By
not seeing things with wanton desire people’s minds will not be disturbed
Therefore
the Sage governs the people by:
Emptying
their minds of evil desires,
Providing
them with enough food
Weakening
their strong ambitions and
Strengthening
their bodies
In
this way the people may maintain peace and harmony without mundane knowledge and
desires
With
such teaching given to the people, even the cunning and ambitious leaders dare
not act recklessly
Thus
by practicing non-ado and law of nature, may all live in peace.
Chapter
4-Tao’s Power and Usage
Tao
(way appears empty and void but its energy so produced for nourishing all things
is inexhaustible.
Fathomless!
It seems to be the origin of all things
Its
sharp edges round off
Its
tangles united
Its
light existed everywhere in harmony
Its
existence found even in dusty places
Tao,
being so pure and abstruse, seems to be present everywhere
I
do not know whose Son it is
An
appearance of what existed before God
Chapter
5-Heaven and the Sage
Nature
is unkind:
It
treats he creation like sacrificial straw-dogs,
The
Sage is not benevolent:
He
regards the people like sacrificial straw-dogs*
How
the universe is like a bellows!
Empty,
but it gives a supply that never ends,
The
more it works out, the more it can bring out.
By
speaking too much our wit may be exhausted.
It
would be better to keep to the core or centre. (The original true self of human
being)
*Nature
and the sage are not benevolent for they have to act according to the doctrine
of naturalism, cause and effect without bias and with justice. If people have
done evil deeds, they have to face resulting consequence.
Chapter
Six
The
Formless True Immortal
The
Spirit of the Valley never dies.
It
is named the Mystic Female.
The
Door of the Mystic Female,
It
is the root of Heaven and Earth. It appears to exist continuously.
The
use of this cosmic energy is inexhaustible.
Valley:
The valley is a symbol of “taoistic’ emptiness from which cosmic energy is
generated.
Mystic
Female: refers to mother of creation-the Tao.
Chapter
Seven
Impartial
Mind
The
Universe is everlasting.
The
reason why the universe is everlasting is that it does not live for self.
Therefore
the Sage cares for other first and puts his own affairs last,
Therefore,
he finds himself in the foremost place.
He
knows his body is not permanent.
Therefore
he keeps is original soul and spirit pure. In this way, his true self exists
forever.
Is
it not because he does not live for self than his true self is realized?
Chapter
Eight
Best
Deeds like Water
The
best of men is like water
Water
gives benefit to all things
And
does not compete with them
It
stays in places hated by all men
Therefore,
it comes close to Tao
In
his residence, the Sage can adjust the situation and live in harmony.
In
his mind, his live is profound,
In
his relation with others, he is benevolent,
In
his words, he keeps faith and sincerity.
In
government, he loves peace and order
In
affairs, he loves to choose able persons.
In
his actions, he likes to choose the right time to fit in the nature.
He
does not strive with others
Therefore,
he is free from blame.
Chapter
9
Wisdom
and Behaviours of a Person
A
for holding anything to fullness or extremity,’ It would be better to stop in
time.
Keep
on sharpening a sword,’ we see that the edge cannot last long.
When
your hall is proud with wealth and honour, you are on the way to get disaster.
Retire
in time when you have done your work with great success.
This
is the Heaven’s way
Chapter
10
Cultivation
of Tao is easy or difficult
In
keeping the spirit and the vital soul together,
Are
you able to maintain their unity?
In
controlling your vital force to achieve gentleness and harmony, can you behave
like a baby?
Can
you purify your mind without defect?
In
loving the people and ruling the country,
Can
you govern according to the “Law of Nature”?
In
opening and closing the Gate of Heaven.
Are
you able to understand the part of the Female?
In
comprehending all knowledge,
Are
you able to keep your purified mind and get rid of emotion and desire?
TO
give birth and to nourish,
TO
give birth and without taking possession,
To
act without arrogance
To
be leader among persons without controlling them,’
This
is called the Mystic or best virtue.
Chapter
Eleven (The Utility of not Being)
Thirty
spokes make one wheel.
The
space in between and the spokes are required for the functioning of a wheel.
Clay
is moulded to make utensils,
The
substance that makes the wall and the space within is both essential for these
utensils.
Making
doors and windows in the house,
From
their non-being (empty space),
Comes
the utility of the house.
Therefore,
by the existence of things we benefit.
In
addition, by the non-existence of things we are served.
Chapter
12
Person
seeking for external self or sensuous world
Colours
can blind our eyes,
Sounds
can deafens our ears,
Flavours
can dull our tastes.
Racing
and hunting can madden our mind,
Lust
for rare valuable goods tempts persons to do wrong.
Therefore,
the Sage cares for the inner true self and not for the outer look of
appearances.
Chapter
13
Favour
and disgrace
Favour
and disgrace make one feel dismay and surprise.
Only
the sage knowing the true is free from favour and disgrace.
What
does this mean?
“Favour
and disgrace cause dismay and surprise’?
The
people are dismayed and not at ease, whenever they posses or lose of favour.
What
does this mean?
“What
we vale and what we worry are within ourselves”?
We
have worries because we have selfish selves or bodies.
However,
when we are enlightened to know our spirit and soul as our true selves,
What
else we have to worry?
Therefore,
if one values the people on earth as his self, he can be trusted to manage the
world.
In
addition, if one loves world as his self, he can be entrusted with the world.
Chapter
14- Tao is Soundless, Formless and without Appearance
Look
at Tao (way) but you cannot see it
Its
name is ‘without appearance’
Listen
to it but you cannot hear it!
Its
name is Soundless
Grasp
it but you cannot get it!
Its
name if Formless
These
3 attributes are essences inscrutable Tao
Therefore
Tao blends together and become one
Its
upper side is not dim
Moving
on continuously, it cannot be defined
And
again return to the realm of nothingness, despite its effect having the force of
creation
We
call it the formless Form, and the imageless Image
We
call it the indefinable and unimaginable
Meeting
it, you do not see its face
Following
it, you do not see its back
Holding
fast to the ancient Tao, you can manage all your present affairs correctly
Knowing
the ‘Original Beginning’ of TAO, you are able to know the system and
discipline of Tao
Chapter
15- The Wise Taoist of Old
The
ancient best Taoist masters were Subtle, mysterious and acute
Their
deepness could not be known
Since
they were not easily understood
It
would be better to tell roughly how they looked
Like
one crossing an icy river in winter
How
cautious he should be
As
it all around there were danger
How
vigilant he should be
As
if they were guests on every occasion
How
dignified
Like
ice just beginning to melt
Self-effacing
Like
a piece of wood being uncared
How
simple and genuine
Like
a valley awaiting a guest
How
receptive
And
mixing freely, like murky water
Who
can find quiet and peaceful rest in turmoil?
Only
the Sage has a pure mind
Who
can keep his calm for long?
Only
by positive activity, it comes back to life
Those
holding fast to TAO will keep away from insatiable desire
Therefore
they will have constant renewal of life and achieve their goal.
Chapter
16-How to obtain best wisdom
Best
wisdom is obtained by utmost keeping your mind empty, pure, void and peaceful
And
also holding firm your mind to the state of Quietude
I
can observe myriad things taking their cycle of evolution and transmigration.
Myriad
things have their growth but at last they have to return to their original roots
(soil)
To
return quietly to the root is repose
This
is called going back to find one’s true self of life
Going
back to find one’s true self of life is to find the Law of Nature
To
know the Law of Nature is enlightenment
And
not knowing the Law of Nature regarding everlasting spirit and soul will get
close to disaster
Knowing
the Law of Nature, he is tolerant
Being
tolerant, he is impartial
Being
impartial, he is kingly
Being
kingly, he is in accord with nature
Being
in accord with Nature, he is in accord with Tao
Being
in accord with Tao, he is everlasting
After
death, he would be free from reincarnation
Chapter
17
Politics
by Ruler
The
highest and best ruler is one whose meritorious effect is over the entire
nation, yet it appears not to stem from him.
Next
comes to one whom they love and raise.
Next
comes to whom they fear because of punishment and reward.
Next
comes to one they despise and defy because of his trick and rule without
sincerity.
When
ones do not command people with faith.
Some
will lose faith in him.
So,
a ruler must honour his promise.
On
a success of work done people would say this was done naturally without knowing
the effort of the ruler.
Chapter
18
Humanity
and Filial Devotion
When
the great TAO was abandoned,
Teaching
of benevolence and righteousness* would arise.
With
the appearance of knowledge and cleverness, great hypocrites would exist.
When
the family relationship lost their harmony, there was praise of merciful parents
and filial sons.
When
chaos and bad rulers were rampant in a country, there was praise of loyal
ministers.
*With
TAO all persons are acting naturally. There is no need to have a code of ethics.
Chapter
19
Returning
to pure simplicity
Disclaim
being a Sage and abandoning wit,
And
the people will be benefited a hundredfold.
Disclaim
humanity** and justice,
And
the people shall recover their innate qualities of filial devotion and kindness.
Banish
cunning and profiteering,
There
shall be no robbers and thieves.
The
above 3 statements may not suffice to teach the people.
Therefore,
I give the following enlightenment:
Cherishing
simple and plain honesty,
Embracing
one’s original nature and discarding selfishness and wanton desires.
Disclaim:
A true sage disclaims himself to be a sage. He teaches people with priority to
return to Nature by finding their true selves. To abandon wit being plotted to
satisfy one’s wanton desire.
**
Humanity: It should be one’s innate quality and not to be utilized to win
praise and justice hypocrisy.
Chapter
20 (to see things as a whole (body)
TO
cease learning tricks is to free your mind from worries.
What
is the difference between your speeches when in saying affirmative or negative
mood?
How
much differences are between ‘good’ and ‘evil’?
That
which persons fear.
Is
indeed to be feared.
It
is a pity that people do not cultivate their minds free from lust, just like the
waste garden or field full of wild grass.
The
multitudes of people are busy and joyous as if they are celebrating a festival
or going up a terrace in spring.
But
for me, my mind remains quiet and peaceful, just like in innocent new born baby.
Unattached
to worldly desires, I wander about without a home.
People
apply full effort in the pursuit of honour and profit.
But
I am like that of a fool
Being
so childish and muddled
The
vulgar appears so smart
I
alone seem dull
The
vulgar appears bright and clever\I alone seem depressed
My
mind remains calm and peaceful like deep and vast sea
Drifting
with ease like wind without fixed residence
Relying
in their abilities, all people have their aims
I
alone appear stubborn and simple
I
alone differ from other people,
Because
I know the value to obtain endless sustenance from the Mother of Nature* (Unity
with Tao) an image of a sucking baby-referring to getting force of energy from
the nature of Tao.
Chapter
Twenty One-(Manifestation of Tao)
If
you want to know the nature of great virtue
Study
and follow alone with the Tao
So,
what is the body of Tao?
It
is something elusive, evasive and formless
Evasive
and elusive
But
within it are forms and appearance
Evasive
and Elusive
But
within it is creation of all things
Shadowy
and dim
Yet
within it is the source of life force and essence
The
life force being full of vitality
Within
it is faithful and evident
Its
name has been in existence from the past up to present
This
‘mother of creation’ (Power and force of TAO) is well worth studying to get
the truth.
But
how do I obtain such Truth
It
is through the enlightenment of Tao.
Chapter
Twenty Two-Futility of contention
To
yield with patience is for the preservation of the whole
To
be bent is to become straight
To
be humble is to possess full bright spirit
To
be torn is to be renewed
To
be little in desires is to gain peace of mind
To
have plenty of desires is to gain delusive mind
Therefore
the sage embraces the oneness of Tao (cosmic energy)
He
becomes the model of the people pf the world
He
is free from self-display
And
is therefore clear-sighted
He
is fee from self-assertion
And
therefore is distinguished
He
does not feel a sense of pride
And
therefore he earned merit
He
does not boast of himself
And
has therefore earned long respect
It
is because he is free from striving that no one in the world can strive with him
The
saying of the ancients ‘to yield is to preserve the whole’ was not vainly
spoken
If
he is sincere and able to keep the Law of Nature, all people will follow him
Chapter
23
TO
be in Accord with the Nature of Tao
Less
argument is more in accord with the Nature of Tao
A
violent wind does not last for a whole morning
A
sudden rain does not last for the whole day
Who
can make such phenomena?
It
is Heaven and Earth
Even
Heaven and Earth do not last long in its acting
How
much less can man do?
Therefore,
those who are cultivating TAO are in accord with the Tao and they can study and
discuss together
Those
who follow Character (TAK) are identified with Character
To
face one suffering from loss, we must have compassionate minds to comfort him
He
who is in accord with Tao
Tao
is also happy to welcome him
He
who is identified with Character
Character
is also glad to welcome him
To
comfort one suffering from loss
The
sufferer is happy with you
Tao
being so abstruse, someone is lacking faith in its existence
Therefore
there is no need for you to argue about this subject with these people
Chapter
24
Not
to be greedy and eating too much
He
who stands on tiptoe will not stand firm
He
who walks with long step will not walk well
He
who shows off is not far-sighted
He
who justifies himself is not distinguished
He
who brags himself is not given credit
He
who prides himself is not the leader for long
These
in the eyes of Tao, are called ‘having surplus burden’
When
one has large surplus of food and holding too much high positions
He
invites jealously, disgust and trouble
A
man of Tao will be free from such precautions situation.
Chapter
25
The
Truth of Tao
There
was something undefined
Formless
and inaudible
Coming
into existence before Heaven and Earth
Silent
and boundless
Standing
also without change
Keeping
on revolving ceaselessly
It
is worthy to be the Mother of the world
I
do not know its name
But
I called it ‘Tao’
Making
an effort further I gave it another name called ‘The Great’
TO
be great is to go on
TO
go on is to be remote
TO
be remote us to return
Therefore:
Tao
is great
The
Heaven is great
The
Earth is great
The
King (sage) is also great
In
the world there are four that are great and the King (sage) is one of them
Man
models himself after the Earth
The
Earth models itself after the Heaven
The
heaven models itself after TAO
Tao
models itself according to the Law of Nature
Chapter
26
Heaviness
and Lightness
Gravity
is the root of lightness
Stillness
is the master of movement
Therefore
the Sage travels all day long
He
does not leave behind his provision –cart
In
spite of his glory and dignity
He
has a peaceful mind and remains unmoved to such honourable condition
How
can the ruler of a country
Make
light if his body for pleasure and act rashly?
One
acting lightly is easy to lose his root
The
ruler acting rashly is easy to lose his honourable status.
Chapter
27
Perfect
Person
Perfect
man (sage) doing good deeds for others leaves no trace for he is doing them
according to nature
Good
speech out of one’s purified mind leaves no flaws to censure
A
skilful mathematician uses no tallies
A
good door is well shut without bolts and cannot be opened
A
good knot is tied without rope and cannot be loosened
Therefore
the sage is always good at helping others. Hence he does not cast away anyone
He
is good at savings things
So,
he does not cast away anything
We
call him a sage because he had inherited perfect virtue from the ancient people
Therefore,
the good man is the teacher of the bad
The
bad one’s evil deeds could be utilized as lessons to teach the good
The
perfect man does not value his teaching qualification
Henceforth,
he does not wish to find bad one’s lessons to educate the good
Despite
his best wisdom he still looks like a fool
Hence,
he is the one knowing the important tenet of the TAO
Chapter
28-strong and feeble
He
who knows his manhood’s strength
Keeps
feebleness like a female
Becoming
the ravine of the world
Being
the ravine of the world
He
has kept his constant virtue
And
return again to be pure as an innocent baby
He
who knows what is pure or white
Keeps
his humility
Becomes
the model of the world
He
has constant virtue to do nothing wrong
And
return again to the original emptiness
He
who is acquainted with honour and glory
Is
advisable to keep his obscure position
Becomes
the valley of the world
Being
the valley of the world He has enough constant virtue
And
returns to simplicity of life
Cutting
the uncared wood, it is used as tool or furniture
BY
means of such simplicity and original nature the sage could become ministers
Therefore,
the sage will not cut up
Ravine:
being empty and receptive is a place where water from various sources flows in.
This symbolizes a leader attracting people to follow him
Original
Emptiness: refers to surrounding where force of energy is produced for creation
of the universe
Cut
up: meaning the sage keeps his simple, pure and true self, just like natural
uncared wood.
Chapter
29-Do not act against God’s will
Those
who wish to take the world as their own
Are
impossible in my view
Because
the world is God’s sacred vessel
No
one can keep it as his own
He
who takes it suffers defeat
He
who holds it losses it
Therefore:
Something is going ahead
Something
is following behind
Some
blowing hot
Some
blowing cold
Some
being strong
Some
being weak
Some
may take things up
Some
may take them down
So,
the sage avoids excess, extravagance and arrogance
Chapter
30-Do not Proud of strong military force
Those
who apply the doctrine of Tao to help the ruler will oppose all conquest by
military force
War
being so destructive will as law of cause and effect bring harm to the maker
With
the station of soldiers thorny bushes might grow thus affecting livelihood of
farmers
After
a great war, bad years will surely follow
Therefore
a good general only applies force for the protection of peace for the people
A
good general will not use force carry out invasion
After
the war he does not think it an act of glory
Despite
the effect he does not take pride in it
Because
he considers the force so used is only a regrettable necessity
After
the war he does not love violence
Things
to be over-matured are to quicken decay and become old
Violence
by use of force is against the nature of Tao
Being
not in accord with Tao he must stop such bad ambition
Chapter
31-The way of using weapons
Sharp
weapons are instruments of evil omen
They
are hated by all creatures
Those
who have Tao do not like to use them
The
Superior man likes the left in civilian life
But
on military application likes the right
Weapons
are instruments of evil men
They
are not weapons of the superior omen
On
occasion of compulsory necessity, it should be used with calm restraint
Even
in victory, he does not consider it a glory
And
he who calls it glorious
Is
the one who delights in killing?
He
who delights killing
Will
not be successful in his desire to rule the government
Things
of good omen favour the left
Things
of bad omen favour the right
IN
the army the commander stands on the left
While
the commander in chief stands on the right
It
was said he was in charge if the rite of mourning
The
killing of multitude should be mourned with tears and sorrow
A
victory in battle should be looked upon as funereal rite
(The
ancient Chinese believed the arrangement orientation –left being symbol of
good omen while right being the symbol of bad omen)
(Tao
dislikes war to settle problems as disputes are settled according to law of
nature)
Chapter
32-The Best way to stop in time
Tao
is absolute and nameless
Small
as it is in its primordial simplicity (like a piece of uncared wood)
It
is inferior to nothing in the world
If
a ruler could keep to it
All
people would spontaneously submit themselves to him and live peacefully
The
Heaven and Earth being in accord
The
sweet dew would fall down
According
to nature without the command of men
With
the arising of civilization all names and systems are given by men
Therefore
men must know to stop in time and begin to learn the practice of Tao in order to
avoid danger
Tao
is ever present and surrounding the whole universe, just like streams and rivers
all running into seas and ocean.
Chapter
33
Real
Everlasting Life
He
who knows others is clever
He
who knows himself has reflection or insight
He
who conquer others has force
He
who conquers himself and keeps his benevolent and purified mind is truly
powerful and strong
He
who knows what enough is rich
He
who is determined has strength of will
He
who cultivates TAO may die
But
his spirit lives forever-this is longevity
Chapter
34
The
magnitude of Heaven and Earth
The
great Tao is pervading everywhere
It
goes left or right naturally
All
things depend on it for their production
And
it does not deny them
When
its work is accomplished it does not claim possession
It
loves and feeds all things without claiming lordship
It
is regarded as without desires or passion-therefore it may be called small
Being
the home of all things, it does not claim to be the master thereof
So,
it may be called ‘The Great’
Because
the sage does not claim to be great
His
greatness is fully shown
Chapter
35
Tao
is being abstruse and mysterious
Holding
the great formless Tao
All
people will follow
Following
without meeting harm
All
live in peace, security and happiness
Music
and delicious food can only attract passing guests to stop for a while
But
the words of Tao being mild to the taste posses lasting effect
Looking
at, it cannot be seen
Listening
to, it cannot be heard
Using
it, its supply is inexhaustible
Chapter
36
The
doctrine of reversion
He
who knows withdrawal or retreat
Will
get expansion later
He
who is to be weakened
Must
first be made wrong
He
who is to be dismissed or put in the inferior position
May
first be put in high position
He
who is to be taken away from
Must
first be given
This
is called ‘hiding the light’ being so evident but going on unnoticed
The
soft and weak overcomes the hard and strong
Fishes
must not be taken away from deep water
Sharp
weapons of the country
Should
not be shown to others
Chapter
37
People’s
Natural Transformation
Tao
being non-active
Yet
through it everything is done
If
the ruler can keep the TAO
All
things will grow and transform naturally
Should
such growth and transformation become an object of passion?
I
would restrain it by nameless original simplicity
This
can curb the desires of men
When
the desires or passions are curbed, there will peace and quietude
And
the world will be peaceful and in order
Chapter
38
Tao
and virtue being the best: benevolence and righteousness being the second
A
man if highest virtue, after doing a lot of good things, will not display them
and claim credit
His
virtue is real
A
main of lower virtue, after doing something good, will show off and claim merit
His
virtue is considered not perfect
The
man of highest virtue acts in accord with “doctrine of Nature’ Tao
Without
any ulterior motive
The
man of lower virtue acts with ulterior motive
The
most benevolent person acts, without ant motive for he has a purified mind
The
righteous person sometimes acts without real understanding the nature of Tao
Therefore
his performance is considered on occasion having motive
Those
having highest sense of propriety ac and show its performance but find no
response from others
Then
they would try to do it with force of arm
Therefore
After
Tao is lost them comes to the doctrine of virtue
After
virtue is lost, then comes to the doctrine of benevolence
After
benevolence is lost, then comes to the doctrine of righteousness
After
righteousness is lost, then comes to the doctrine of propriety
Now
propriety is only husk of loyalty and faith
It
is the beginning leading to disorder
Keeping
on argument with mundane knowledge without knowing the true self or the Nature
is just flowering of TAO
This
is the origin of stupidity and blind followers of Taoism
Therefore
the great noble man manages affairs in accord with Tao in top priority
Then
comes next to handle affairs with benevolence and righteousness
Then
he considers what is fundamental
And
disregards what is superficial and flowery
Therefore
he prefers to what is inner (purity of mind) to what is outer
Chapter
39
The
Root of Tao
In
ancient time there were those acquiring the Oneness (Tao)
With
oneness, the Heaven is clear
With
oneness, the Earth is Stable
With
oneness, the deities having spiritual power
With
oneness, the valleys were made full
With
oneness, all creatures and things could live and grow
With
oneness, the rulers can rule the world with justice and peace
All
creatures and things having close relationship with oneness (Tao)
Without
clarity, the heaven will break
Without
stability, the Earth will have disasters like earthquakes and flood
Without
spiritual power, the deities may lose their mythical abilities
Without
being filled, the valleys would dry up
Without
this ceaseless power and energy all things might no longer live
Without
justice and humanity to rule, the ruler may face downfall
Truly
speaking, humility is the root which nobility or greatness grow
And
the nobility or greatness must be built from the foundation of the lower
That
is why the rulers call themselves; the worthless and lonely ones’
Is
it a proof to show that they are in need of the support from ordinary people?
Hence,
taking down various connected parts of a chariot, there would be no chariot
I
do not wish to be looked upon as valuable as jade and to look down on others as
worthless stones
Chapter
40
Principle
of Reversion and Evolution
Cycle
of reversion is the evolution or action of Tao
Weakness
or gentleness is the operation of Tao
Myriad
things and creatures of the world come from being
And
being comes from non-being (Tao)
Chapter
41
Nobility
of Tao
When
the scholars of the highest class hear the Tao (truth)
They
put in into practice earnestly
When
scholars of the middle class hear of the Tao
They
waver between belief and disbelief
When
the scholars of the lowest class hear about the Tao
They
will give out loud laughter
If
it were not laughed at, it would not be fit to be called the Tao
Therefore
there are the following mottoes:
Who
understands Tao appears to look like a fool
Who
is progressing in Tao seems to walk backward
Who
is in accord with Tao speaks simple and straightforward words
Persons
with highest virtue appear like a receptive valley
A
man with purified mind does not care much about honour and disgrace
A
person of distinct nature and character seems to be incapable and keeps humble
A
virtuous person seems to look like simple and ordinary despite his meritorious
deeds for the people
His
firm virtue appears simple and he acts in accord with the Nature
Great
space (heaven) has no corners
Great
talent takes time to become mature
Great
sound generated during the rotation of heavenly planets is inaudible to men on
earth
Great
Tao is formless
And
Tao is hidden and nameless
However,
it is this Tao that is best to give out power and energy for the successful
creation of creatures and things
Chapter
42
Creation
Made by Tao
The
Tao produces one
One
produces two
Two
produces three
Three
produces all creatures and things
The
created world carries the Yin at its back and the Yang in front
Through
the union of the vital force of Yin and Yang, harmonious nature has been so
produced
TO
be virtue less, the lonely and the worthless is what people dislike is
Yet
the rulers humbly call themselves these names
For
sometimes things are benefited by being diminished and suffer harm by being
increased
Others
have been enlightened by this motto
Which
I shall also teach
‘The
violent and strong persons do not die naturally’
The
above motto will be used by me as the basis of my teaching
Chapter
43-The Soft overcomes the hard and strong
The
softest thing in the world passes through and overcomes the hardest.
That
which is the formless vital power of energy can penetrate into any space without
hindrance.
Hereby
I know the benefit of taking non-action*.
Only
a few in the world could reach the standard of teaching by setting good example
instead of words
The
advantage of non-action (TAO0 is beyond comparison in the world.
*Influence
of TAO reaches everywhere. Mankind relies on it for existence.
Chapter
44-True Self and the Fame
As
for fame and one’s true self, (soul and spirit), which is the dearer?
As
for one’s true self and wealth, which is more worthy?
As
for gain of honour and loss of one’s true self, which is more valuable?
Therefore
excessive passion and desires will cost you to pay a high price in the end.
He
who hoards much loses much
The
contented person will suffer no disgrace.
Who
knows when to stop is free from peril?
Hence,
he will live long
TO
hoard much will invite jealousy and hatred, thus leading to disaster.
Chapter
45-Purity and the Nature
The
highest perfect appears like imperfection, Virtue of humility.
And
its application is never exhausted.
Great
achievements seem empty in the mind of the sage
And
yet its use is endless
What
is most straight appears crooked
The
greatest skill appears clumsy
The
greatest eloquence seems like stammering
Instant
heat overcomes cold for a while
Calm
overcomes heat
Purity,
quietude and calmness indicate the law of Nature to be observed for peace and
order o the world
Chapter
46-Tao and No Tao in the World
When
the world is in accord with TAO
Horses
are sent back to do farming work
When
the world is not in the accord with TAO
War
horses breed themselves in the wilderness
There
is no greater misfortune than the lack of contentment
There
is no greater guilt than the passion for selfish possession
There
he who knows what enough is will have contentment
Chapter
47-The Principle of the Nature
Without
going outside one’s door.
One
can understand what is happening in the world.
Without
looking out from one’s window,
One
can see the TAO of Heaven
The
farther one goes,
The
less one knows
Therefore
sages get their knowledge without travelling far away
Understand
all things and names of Nature without seeing them,
Accomplish
their aims without purpose of achieving them
(One
who has purified mind free from delusion, attachment and worldly desires can
truly understand what happens in the world.
Chapter
48-Te Mysterious Non –Action
In
the pursuit of learning
One
knows more day by day
In
the practice of TAO (way) one aims at losing human desires day by day
Keep
on losing and losing
Until
you reach the state of non-action
By
the doctrine of non-action everything can be done
One
can win the world by doing things according to Law of Nature
If
one have private ends and selfish desires
He
will not win the world
Non-action
means making use of natural force of energy to achieve one’s object.
Chapter
49-The Mind of The Sage
The
sage has no constant mind
He
treats the minds of the people as his mind
He
is kind to the kind
He
is also kind to the unkind
This
is kindness of virtue
He
is faithful to the faithful
He
is also faithful to the unfaithful
This
is the faith of virtue
The
sage is mindful of the people who have gone astray
And
wishes to guide them to follow the truth of Tao
Therefore
the people will follow his enlightenment attentively
And
the sage regards as his own children
Chapter
50-Life and Death
Men
come forth and live
Then
they enter again and die
Of
every ten, three can take care of their life
Three
are ministers of death
There
are also three in every ten, whose purpose is to live but whose movement of
desires lead them to death
How
is it so?
Because
of their intense passions and greedy desires causing them early death
It
has been said that one who is a best preserver of life is truly aware of his
true self.
He
meets no tigers or wild buffaloes on land
He
will not be harmed by weapons in battle-field
The
horns of buffalo are useless to attack him
The
claws of tigers are powerless t to hurt him
Even
the soldier cannot use weapons to carry out attack against him
How
is it so?
Because
he is beyond death and his true self (spirit and soul) is everlasting!
Chapter
51-The Mystic Virtue of Tao
Tao
gives birth to all things and creatures
Tao
Virtue nourishes them
They
receive their forms according to nature
And
they are completed in accord with circumstances
Therefore
all things in the universe honour TAO and highly value Tao
Without
the command from anyone but only follow the Law of Nature
Therefore
Tao produces them
Tao
nourishes them, let them grow nurses them
Completes
them, matures them
Feeds
them and shelters them
It
produces them but does not claim possession of them
It
acts without claiming merit and ability
It
is superior but exercises no control over them
This
is called “the mystic virtue”
Chapter
5
There
was origin of the universe
This
may be considered as the Mother of Creation (TAO)
From
the Mother, we may know her sons
After
knowing her sons, we must follow the way of Mother of Creation, Thus our life is
free from any peril
To
maintain vitality, energy and spirit one who cultivates TAO must keep closed the
six doors of sensation.
In
so doing he will have great success in the practice of TAO without rendering
much effort
Relying
on ability to handle affairs without closing the ‘Six Doors of Sensation’
one’s whole life is beyond redemption
He
who keeps softness is strong
Using
the light of enlightenment, one can return to clear-sightedness
Thus
he is free from disaster
In
such a way he is in accord with TAO
Six
doors are eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind; with purification of mind
these 6 doors will be shut: therefore, one will be free from delusion, passion
and attachment. This is important for practice of TAO
Chapter
53- Action of Tao
If
I possess some wisdom to walk on the main oath (Tao)
I
shall be careful and avoid the devious by-paths
The
main path being smooth and straight is easy to walk on
But
people love the small by-paths
The
following are few examples:
The
official courts are corruptible and lacking justice and humanity.
The
farming fields are weedy and not well attended to
People’s
granaries are empty
Yet
these corruptible officers still wearing beautiful and elegant clothes to show
off their nobility
And
carrying sharp swords
Furthermore,
they are in hot pursuit of delicious food and wine
They
possess super –abundance of property and wealth
Such
rulers and officers may be called robbers
Surely,
this is contrary to the Tao
By-paths-meaning
people walking the devious side way leading to greedy desires
Chapter
54-The importance of Virtue
What
is well planted is not uprooted
What
is firmly embraced is not easy to let go
From
generation to generation his offspring can carry out ancestral sacrifices
continuously
Cultivate
the way (TAO) yourself; your virtue will be genuine
Cultivate
the way in the family; your virtue is so sincere and abundant that your family
members will be prosperous because of enlightened by your virtuous deeds
Cultivate
the way in the state; people having virtue would enjoy prosperity
Cultivate
the way in the world; people would become virtuous throughout the universe
Therefore,
after understanding the truth of TAO, I can use it to judge and observe myself,
other families, other villages, other states and the future development of the
world
How
do I know about the world?
It
is though the study of TAO
Chapter
55- A Person with Highest Virtue
One
who has highest virtue?
Is
like a child
Poisonous
insects will not sting him
Wild
beats will not attack him
And
birds of prey would not maul him
His
bones are soft, his tendon tender but his grip of the first is tight and strong
He
does not know the sexual union of male and female, but his organ has vital force
This
is because he is full of vitality and unspoiled vigour
Crying
the whole day, he could maintain his voice not being hoarse
This
shows that he has obtained perfect harmony of the nature
To
know such harmony is in accord with the everlasting TAO
And
to know the everlasting TAO is the one who has obtained enlightenment and
understands what the true self is.
Making
use of harmony to improve one’s life is a good omen
To
act rashly without harmonious mind appears strong but in effect it is wrong
Things
to be over-matured are to quicken decay and become old
Violence
by use of force is against the Nature of TAO
And
he who is against perishes young
Chapter
56-Understanding of Tao
He
who knows does not speak
He
who speaks does not know
A
man of TAO will keep his mouth shut to avoid useless debate
Shut
all sensual doors
TO
blunt one’s sharp points
To
untie all tangles
To
have harmony with brightness and lights
To
mix up with people in the mundane world but keeping his true self and simplicity
This
is called mystic unity
Therefore
intimacy and hatred cannot touch him
Gain
and loss cannot move him
Honour
and disgrace cannot affect him
Therefore
he is the noblest man in the world
The
formless TAO cannot be truly expressed by words and knowledge. Only by
purification of mind and keeping away from passion one can enter the State of
TAO
Every
person has six sensual doors (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind)
generating seven emotions of happiness rage, sadness, joyousness, love, hatred
and lust. Six desires and seven emotions, if not properly controlled, are far
away from TAO.
Chapter
57-How the State Be Ruled
A
state must be ruled by justice and righteousness
To
win the battle by means of surprising tactics
To
win the world by freedom of action and purpose
How
do I know such truth?
From
the following, I am enlightened:
The
more prohibitive enactments issued by the Government, the poorer, the people
will become
The
more sharp weapons possessed by the people
The
greater the chaos in the state
The
more skills of technique
The
more strange evil things would appear
The
greater the number of laws
The
greater the number of thieves and robbers
Therefore
the sage says:
I
do according to the nature; the people are reformed of themselves
I
am fond of quietude and the people would be influenced to become correct and
righteous
I
apply the principle of non-intervention: the people would become rich
I
have no passion and the people are simple and pure by themselves.
Chapter
58-Ways to Govern the State
When
the government is liberal and broad-minded
The
people will be simple and honest
When
the Government is too attentive and strict and its officers are full of selfish
desires
The
people will be cunning and have too much worry
What
one considers disaster may often give rise to felicity
What
one considers felicity may often end with disaster
Who
would be able to know its final result and the cycle reversion?
Nowadays
most people are abnormal
What
is normal and correct truth is regarded as strange and worthless
What
is good teaching is regarded as sinister?
It
is a pity that mankind has been under delusion and gone astray for long
Therefore
the sage maintains his principle of teaching without the intention of harming
others
The
Sage has integrity and does not hurt others
He
is straightforward and keeps away from extremity
He
is bright but not dazzling
Chapter
59-To manage Human affairs and serve the heaven
In
managing human affairs and serving the Heaven there is no better way than
keeping one’s vitality and spirit.
In
keeping vitality and spirit his purity of mind and virtue is complete
With
accumulated virtuous deeds he is ever-victorious
To
be ever-victorious is to have infinite source of power and energy
He
who has infinite source of power and energy is fit to carry out the burden of
dulling the country
He
could be ‘mother of the country ‘Hence the country can long secure
This
is deeply rooted with strength
Therefore
this is the way to immortality and correct vision of TAO
Chapter
60- The Simple, pure and Harmonious World
To rule a large country is
like frying a small fish
Who rules the world in
accord with TAO would discover that the evil ghosts lose their spiritual power
to do people harm
Even the powerful spirits
are not harmful
Not only are the spirits not
harmful
The Sage is also not harmful
When both do not do any
harmful things, one’s original true self is restored. Thus harmony and peace
prevail
The
art of frying a small fish is not to stir it but cook it with care as to keep it
away breaking up into pieces. This is a metaphor indicating that to rule the
people with care to prevent chaos
Chapter
61-Big and Small Countries
A great nation is like the
big sea in the lowland towards which all streams and rivers flow in. It is the
concourse of the world
The females always overcome
the males by their stillness
Stillness may be regarded as
abasement
Therefore a great nation by
condescending o small countries can win over them
If a small country can lower
itself in front of a big nation it will gain the support of the big nation
The one wins by humility
The other by keeping in low
position
The ultimate aim of the big
nation is to protect all the people and lead then live a peaceful and simple
life
And what a small country
wants is to be treated equally
In such a way both may get
what the want
Therefore a big nation, as a
mode, should learn to place itself in the low position
Chapter
62- The Mysterious Essence of The Tao
Tao is the mysterious
essence of the world
It is the treasure of the
good men
And also the bad men always
use it for protection
Beautiful sayings with
‘truth’ can win admiration from others
A noble person with
cultivation of TAO is fit to be chosen as a teacher
If one has done something
wrong and intends to repent his crime
Why reject him?
Therefore it is better to
cultivate TAO than to be an emperor or powerful noble ministers. It is even
better than possession of precious jade and riding best horses
Why did the ancients highly
value this TAO?
The reason was that if they
were contrary to TAO they would commit sins
Once committing sins, how
could they avoid punishment resulting from cause and effect?
Therefore, TAO is the
treasure of the World
Chapter
63-Managing Affairs by The Sage
The Sage manages affairs in
accord with the NATURE
Attend to affairs with
purity of mind
The sage tastes the
flavorless not caring for taste of desires
No matter it is big or
small, many or few
He requites hatred with
virtue
He handles difficult matters
while they are easy
Handling big matters while
they are small
Difficult problems in the
universe must be handled while they are easy
Great problems in the
universe must be handles while they are small
The Sage will not deal with
great problems in a hurry but rather handle them step by step
One, who lightly makes a
promise, will often find hard to keep it
One who takes light of
problems will meet with difficulties
Therefore even the Sage
takes into consideration things as difficult
And for this reason he never
encounters difficulties
Chapter 64-Method of Cultivation and
Management
What is at rest is easy to
hold
What has not yet happened is
easy to plan ahead
What is fragile is easily
broken
What is small is easily
dispersed
Action is taken before a
thing has made its appearance
To establish order and peace
before disorder has begun
A tree as big as tow men’s
embrace grew up from tiny sprout
The tower of nine storey was
first built with a small heal of earth
A journey of one thousand
miles begins with the first step
He who acts without heeding
to the above points will suffer defeat
He who takes hold of a thing
in the same manner also loses his hold
Therefore, the Sage who acts
in accord with the nature does not suffer defeat
Because the Sage is free
from attachment and keeps his true self, he will not be affected by any sense of
suffering loss
In managing affairs people
often ruin them just at the point of success
By being careful at the end
as at the beginning
Failure could be avoided
Therefore the sage desires
what other people do not desire
And do not pray for precious
goods
The Sage learns what other
men do not learn
The sage keeps on reminding
people to find theory own essence of mind and not to do any sinful deeds
Thus he may help the
development of myriads of things according to Nature
And does not dare to act
with any selfish ulterior motive
The Sage learns philosophy
of life while other men mostly learn how to get wealth and fame
Chapter
65- Return to purity and simplicity
The ancients who understand
TAO well knew how to govern a state
They aimed not at
enlightening people with wits and cunning tactics
But to keep them in the
state of simplicity and honestly
Why are the people hard to
govern?
It is because they have too
much wits and cunning tactics
IF a rule uses wits and
cunning tactics to govern the state
It would lead to chaotic
condition
The ruler who does not seek
to rule the state with wits and cunning tactics is the state’s blessing
Those who know these two
principles possess the excellent standard of ruling
And to know always such
excellent standard is called the ‘mystic virtue’
Such ‘Mystic Virtue’ is
far-reaching, so deep in its rationale. It may seem contrary to materialistic
consideration
But then it is the way
leading to purity, simplicity and Grand harmony
Chapter
66- Lowness and Humility
How did the seas and rivers
become the master of all streams?
By being good to keeping low
position
Hence they are the masters
of all streams
Therefore, in order to be a
leader among people
One must be humble in his
speech
TO lead the people, one must
respect and walk behind them
In spite if taking high
position the Sage keeps and acts with humility
The people do not feel his
weight and pressure
He walks in front, the
people will not do him harm
Hence the people pf the
world are happy to elect hum as leader without hesitation
Because he does not strive
No one in the world is able
to strive with him.
Chapter
67-Caompassionate Mind
People in the world say that
my TAO is great but it does not appear to be
TAO is great because it is
like nothing in the world
If it were like anything in
the world how small it would be from the very beginning
I have ‘three treasures’
Possess them and keep them
constantly
The first is compassion
The second is frugality
The third is never to be
first in the world (humility)
Because of compassion, there
is courage
Because of frugality he has
obtained the essence of TAO to help others in all respect
Because of humility one can
develop one’s talent leading to mature success
Nowadays people prefer
courage first and yet abandon compassion
Prefer extravagance and
extremity and yet abandon frugality
They are on the way to
death!
For Comparison is victorious
in fighting against the evil
And strong in defense
Heaven is on the side of a
person with compassionate mind
Chapter
68 –The Best Fighter
The skillful soldier is not
violent
An able fighter always keeps
his temper and does not express anger easily
The great conqueror will not
declare war rashly
His fighting tactics are
only for protection of order and peace after the war
The good users of manpower
place themselves below others
This is the virtue of
non-contention
And the ability to employ
persons
Such is called the virtuous
compliance with the ancient heavenly way (TAO)
Chapter
69-The real Victory
The military strategies have
a saying ‘If I cannot take the offensive, then I could refer to take the
defensive. If I cannot advance an inch, then I would retreat a foot. If is
called movement of soldiers without being easily detected
To carry out attack without
gesture of committing brutalities
To fight only for justice
and peace by holding up weapons
There is no greater disaster
than to underestimate the strength of your enemy
TO do so may lose your life
and the treasures of compassion, frugality and humility
Thus in war, the army with
TAO in mind will win at last
Chapter
70-The Truth of my Words
My teachings are very easy
to understand and easy to put them into practice
But the world cannot
understand them nor practice them
My words have principles
In managing affairs I have
given out implied direction
The people have no knowledge
of these
Therefore they have no
knowledge of me
Since there are only a few
who know me
Therefore the TAO that I
teach is highly precious
Hence the Sage is like an
ordinary person wearing coarse clothing inside which here is a piece of
priceless jade.
People have no real
knowledge of TAO because their minds are polluted by mundane greedy desire
Chapter
71
Knowing and Not Knowing
A person understands TAO but does not claim such real
understanding
He is a person of high class in the knowledge of TAO
A person who is ignorant of Tao claims such
understanding
He is suffering from the illness of exaggeration
The awakened and enlightened person realizes such
illness
Therefore he will not get such illness
The Sage is free from such illness because he knows the
painful effect
Chapter 72
Love and my own self
When people have done evil deeds and have no fear of
force
Great disaster may come
We must widen our mind so that everywhere is our
residence
We must find our true self, which is eternal
Because he values his true self, nothing in the world
could reject him
The Sage knows himself but does not show off himself
The sage cares his true self and disregards fame and
wealth
Therefore he cares for his true self rather than his
physical body
Chapter
73 Cause and Effect
When one is over daring and loves violence he may be
killed
When one is daring but careful he can protect his life
Both of these are courageous
One is useful while the outer is harmful
Heaven dislikes violent and brutal persons
Who can know the reason?
Even the Sage regards it as a difficult question
It is Heaven’s Way to conquer without striving
Through Heaven does not speak, yet it can give out good
response
Showing its appearance without arrangement of
invitation
Acting in justice according to the mechanism of cause
and effect
The meshes of the net of Heaven are large but letting
nothing escape
Chapter 74
Under Tyrannical Rule
Under tyrannical rule, the people are not afraid of
death
Why threaten them with death?
If the people are afraid of death
I could lawfully arrest the wrong doer and sentence him
to death
Who else would dare to do wrong?
There is appointed executioner whose duty is to kill
To do the killing in behalf of the executioner is like
cutting wood for the master carpenter
In so doing it seldom avoids hurting his own hands
Chapter
75
Under Tyrannical Rule
Why the people are hungry?
It is because they are heavily taxed
Why are the people difficult to govern?
It is because of excessive interference from their
rulers who have selfish desires and aims
Why are the people not afraid of death and begin to
revolt?
It is because their rulers are indulgent and enjoying
luxurious lives
One who loves simplicity and purity of life truly
values his own life
Chapter 76
Hard and Soft
When man is born he is supple and soft
At death he is firm and stiff
So it is with all things, Plants and trees are soft and
brittle in their early growth
At their death they become fry and withered
From the above points one who keeps hard and strong
forever is on the way to death
On the contrary one who keeps soft and supple is on way
to everlasting life
A country relying on the strength of military forces
does not conquer
When a tree is hard and strong it will be cut down
The humble and weak will be placed above
Chapter 77
Tao is mysterious and abstruse
The Tao of Heaven may be likened to bending of a bow
The supper part comes down while the lower part goes up
Of the bowstring is too long it is cut short
If it is too short, it is added to
It is the way of Heaven to diminish where there is
great abundance and to supplement where deficiency is
This is not so with men’s way
He takes away from those who have not enough to serve
the powerful and the rich
Who could use one’s superabundance to help the poor
in the world?
Only the man in possession of TAO
Therefore the sage acts but does not take possession
He accomplishes without claiming credit
He does not want his meritorious deeds to be seen
Chapter 78
The benefit of softness and weakness
In the world there is nothing softer and weaker than
water
But nothing is superior to it in overcoming the hard
Nothing can take its place
The weak overcomes the strong and the soft overcomes
the hard
This fact is known by all bits no one can put it into
practice
Therefore the Sage says:
He who could accept calumny and humiliation for the
sake of the nation is fit to be called master of the nation
He who could suffer and bear himself sins and disasters of the world is
qualified to be king of the world
My words that are really true seem to be paradoxical
Chapter
79
The Virtue of Heaven
When reconciliation is arranged after a great hatred
It is sure to leave some hatred behind
How could it be regarded as good and satisfactory?
Therefore the sage could be regarded as keeping the
left-tally*
Contract and would not press for speedy fulfillment of
the contractual obligation by the other party
The virtue less is not only pressing for return in
respect of money or things given to others.
But the way of heaven is impartial
It is always on the side of the good man
“Left-tally contract-ancient contract was made by
lines cut on bamboo tally slips which were split into twp, the lender kept the
left-hand portion, while the borrower kept the right portion.
Chapter 80
The simple and pure small country dream of utopia
Let there be a small country with a small population
Though there were tenfold or hundredfold very able
persons
Yet their abilities should not be fully used
Let the people value their lives and stop migrating to
distant places
Though they had boats and carriages they should have no
occasion to ride in them
Though they had weapons and armor
They had no occasion to display them
The people were taught to tie ropes for reckoning
Then people would enjoy their food
Despite coarse clothing they felt it beautiful
They found comfort in their homes
They were happy in their customs
The neighboring country was within sight
And the people could hear the barking of dogs and
crowing of cocks from their neighborhood
And the people till the end of their life
Would never think of migration because they enjoyed
simple and pure living
Chapter 81
The Mission of the Sage
Sincere words are not fine
Fine words are not sincere
A good man does not argue
Who argues is not a good man
Wise man may not be very ‘learned’
Learned man mat not be wise
The Sage does not accumulate wealth and property but
only keeps his essence of pure mind
He works for other people
And become richer himself
He gives to other people
And has greater abundance
The Way of Heaven
Is to benefit and bless people and does no harm
The way of the Sage is to carry out the mission of the Tao and does not strive with anyone
E-mail address of Mr. Kerby Kuek : [email protected]