Volume Four

老子曰：道至高無上，至深無下，平乎準，直乎繩，圓乎規，方乎矩，包裹天地而無表裡，洞同覆蓋而無所硋，是故體道者，不怒不喜，其坐無慮，寢而不夢，見物而名，事至而應。

Laozi said: The Way is the highest with nothing above it, the deepest with nothing below it, level like a water level, straight like an ink line, round like a compass, square like a carpenter's square, enclosing heaven and earth without inside or outside, open and all-covering without obstruction. So one who embodies the Way is neither angry nor glad; sitting, he has no thoughts; sleeping, he has no dreams; seeing a thing, he gives it a name; when an affair comes, he responds."

老子曰：欲屍名者必生事，事生即舍公而就私，倍道而任己，見譽而為善，立而為賢，即治不順理而事不順時，治不順理則多責，事不順時則無功，妄為要中，功成不足以塞責，事敗足以滅身。

Laozi said: One who wants to be the master of fame will surely bring about troubles, and when troubles arise he abandons the public for the private, turns his back on the Way and lets himself go; seeing praise he does good, and only when he is established is he regarded as worthy; his governing does not accord with principle and his affairs do not accord with the time. When governing does not accord with principle, blame is great; when affairs do not accord with the time, there is no achievement. Acting recklessly while seeking to hit the mark, even when success is achieved it is not enough to stop the blame, and when the affair fails it is enough to destroy one's person."

老子曰：無為名屍，無為謀府，無為事任，無為智主。藏於無形，行於無怠，不為福先，不為禍始，始於無形，動於不得已，欲福先無禍，欲利先遠害。故無為而寧者，失其所寧即危，無為而治者，失其所治即亂，故“不欲碌碌如玉，落落如石。”其文好者皮必剝，其角美者身必殺，甘泉必竭，直木必伐，華榮之言後為愆，石有玉傷其山，黔首之患固在言。

Laozi said: Do not be the master of fame, do not be the storehouse of schemes, do not be the one to shoulder affairs, do not be the master of knowledge. Hide in formlessness, move without slackness, do not be first in fortune, do not be the start of calamity. Begin from formlessness, and move only when you cannot do otherwise. If you want fortune, first make sure there is no calamity; if you want profit, first keep away from harm. So one at peace through non-action will be in danger if he loses what keeps him at peace; one who governs through non-action will fall into disorder if he loses what he governs by. So "do not wish to glitter like fine jade, but would rather be hard and plain like stone." A beautifully patterned hide is sure to be stripped, a creature with beautiful horns is sure to be killed, a sweet spring is sure to run dry, and a straight tree is sure to be cut. Fine words later become faults, jade in stone injures the mountain, and the troubles of the people lie originally in words."

老子曰：時之行動以從，不知道者福為禍。天為蓋，地為軫，善用道者終無盡，地為軫，天為蓋，善用道者終無害。陳彼五行必有勝，天之所覆無不稱，故“知不知，上，不知知，病也。”

Laozi said: When the times move, move and follow them; one who does not know this will find even fortune turned to calamity. Heaven is the canopy and earth is the carriage frame; one who is good at using the Way never comes to an end; earth is the frame and heaven the canopy, and one who is good at using the Way is never harmed. Arrange the Five Phases and there must be mutual overcoming, and what heaven covers is never out of balance. So "to know that one does not know is best; to not know yet think one knows is a sickness.""

老子曰：山生金，石生玉，反相剝，木生蟲，還自食，人生事，還自賊。夫好事者未嘗不中，爭利者未嘗不窮，善遊者溺，善騎者墮，各以所好反自為禍。得在時不在爭，治在道不在聖，土處下不爭高，故安而不危，水流下不爭疾，故去而不遲。“是以聖人無執故無失，無為故無敗。”

Laozi said: Mountains produce metal and rocks produce jade, yet they erode one another; trees produce insects, which come back to eat them; people produce affairs, which come back to harm them. One who likes stirring up affairs has never failed to be hit, and one who contends for profit has never failed to be in want. A good swimmer drowns, a good rider falls from his horse, each bringing calamity on himself through what he likes. Gain lies in timing, not in contending; order lies in the Way, not in sages. Earth sits below and does not contend to be high, so it is safe and not in danger; water flows downward and does not contend to be swift, so it departs and is not slow. "So the sage holds on to nothing and therefore does not lose, does not act and therefore does not fail.""

老子曰：一言不可窮也，二言天下宗也，三言諸侯雄也，四言天下雙也。貞信則不可窮，道德則天下宗，舉賢德，諸侯雄，惡少愛眾天下雙。

Laozi said: One sentence cannot be exhausted; two sentences make the world look up to you; three sentences make you a leader of the feudal lords; four sentences make the world a pair. Steadfast trustworthiness cannot be exhausted; Way and virtue make the world look up to you; promoting the worthy and virtuous makes you a leader of the feudal lords; disliking the few and loving the many makes the world a pair."

老子曰：人有三死非命亡焉：飲食不節，簡賤其身，病共殺之，樂得無已，好求不止，刑共殺之，以寡犯眾，以弱凌強，兵共殺之。

Laozi said: There are three kinds of death that people suffer not by fate: one who eats and drinks without restraint and treats his body lightly, illness kills him together; one who takes pleasure without stopping and seeks without end, punishment kills him together; one who offends the many with the few and bullies the strong with the weak, weapons kill him together."

老子曰：其施厚者其報美，其怨大者其禍深，薄施而厚望，畜怨而無患者，未之有也。察其所以往者，即知其所以來矣。

Laozi said: Where giving is generous, the repayment is fine; where resentment is great, the calamity is deep. To give thinly while expecting much, and to store up resentment without trouble, has never happened. Examine where he has gone, and you will know where he came from."

老子曰：原天命，治心術，理好憎，適情性，即治道通矣。原天命即不惑禍福，治心術即不妄喜怒，理好憎即不貪無用，適情性即欲不過節。不惑禍福即動靜順理，不妄喜怒即賞罰不阿，不貪無用即不以欲害性，欲不過節即養生知足，凡此四者，不求於外，不假於人，反己而得矣。

Laozi said: Trace back to heaven's mandate, govern the art of the mind, sort out likes and dislikes, and harmonize one's nature and feelings, and the way of governing is open. Tracing back to heaven's mandate, one is not confused by calamity and fortune; governing the art of the mind, one does not rejoice or rage recklessly; sorting out likes and dislikes, one does not covet the useless; harmonizing nature and feelings, desires do not exceed the proper measure. Not confused by calamity and fortune, movement and stillness accord with principle; not rejoicing or raging recklessly, rewards and punishments are not partial; not coveting the useless, one does not harm one's nature by desire; desires not exceeding the measure, one nourishes life and knows contentment. These four are not sought outside or borrowed from others; turning back to oneself, one obtains them."

老子曰：不求可非之行，不憎人之非己，修足譽之德，不求人之譽己。不能使禍無至，信己之不智，而不能使福必來，信己之不讓。禍之至非己之所生，故窮而不憂，福之來非己之所成，故通而不矜，是故閑居而心樂，無為而治。

Laozi said: Do not seek conduct that invites criticism, nor hate others for criticizing you; cultivate virtue worthy of praise, nor seek others' praise. You cannot prevent calamity from coming, so be sure you are not wise; nor can you make fortune surely come, so be sure you are not modest. When calamity comes it is not of your making, so you do not worry in poverty; when fortune comes it is not of your doing, so you do not boast in success. Therefore, at leisure your heart is glad, and you govern by non-action."

老子曰：道者守其所已有，不求其所以未有，求其所未得即所有者亡，脩其所已有即所欲者至。治未固於不亂，而事為治者必危，行者未免於無非，而急求名者必剉，故福莫大於無禍，利莫大於不喪。故“物或益之而損，損之而益”。道不可以勸就利者，而可以安神避害，故嘗無禍不嘗有福，嘗無罪不嘗有功。道曰芒芒昧昧，從天之威，與天同氣無思慮也，無設儲也，來者不迎，去者不將，人雖東西南北，獨立中央。故處眾枉，不失其直，與天下並流，不離其域，不為善，不避醜，遵天之道，不為始，不專己，循天之理，不豫謀，不棄時，與天為期，不求得，不辭福，從天之則，內無奇福，外無奇禍，故禍福不生，焉有人賊。故至德言同略，事同福，上下一心，無歧道旁見者，退章於邪，開道之於善，而民向方矣。

Laozi said: The Way is holding to what one already has and not seeking what one does not yet have. Seeking what is not yet obtained, one loses what one already has; cultivating what one already has, what one wants arrives. One who has not yet made his government secure against disorder but hurries to act in order to seek order will surely be in danger; one who has not yet escaped blame in his conduct but hurries to seek fame will surely be frustrated. So there is no fortune greater than having no calamity, and no profit greater than not losing. So "things are sometimes gained by being diminished, and sometimes lost by being increased." The Way cannot be urged on those who chase after profit, but it can calm the spirit and avoid harm. So having experienced no calamity, one need not have experienced blessing; having experienced no fault, one need not have experienced merit. The Way says: vast and obscure, follow Heaven's majesty and share Heaven's qi. Have no worries and no hoardings, do not welcome what comes or send off what goes. Though a person goes east, west, south or north, he stands alone in the center. So amid many crooked ones, he does not lose his own straightness; flowing along with the world, he does not leave his own domain. Do not do good in order to be praised, do not hide from ugliness, follow Heaven's Way; do not rush to begin, do not cling to yourself, follow Heaven's principle; do not plan ahead, do not abandon the time, keep your appointment with Heaven; do not seek to gain, do not refuse blessing, follow Heaven's rule. With no extraordinary fortune within and no extraordinary calamity outside, calamity and fortune do not arise, so where would anyone come to harm you? So with supreme virtue, words match shared plans and affairs share blessings, those above and below are of one mind, with no divergent opinions branching off, driving evil away and opening the Way toward good, and the people turn toward uprightness."

老子曰：為善即勸，為不善即觀，勸即生責，觀即生患，故道不可以進而求名，可以退而脩身。故聖人不以行求名，不以知見求譽，治隨自然，己無所與，為者有不成，求者有不得，人有窮而道無通，有智而無為與無智同功，有能而無事與無能同德，有智若無智，有能若無能，道理達而人才滅矣。人與道不兩明，人愛名即不用道，道勝人即名息，道息人名章即危亡。

Laozi said: Do good and you are urged on; do not do good and you are watched. Being urged on brings demands; being watched brings trouble. So the Way cannot be used to advance and seek fame, but can be used to retreat and cultivate oneself. So the sage does not seek fame by conduct or praise by knowledge; his governing follows nature, and he himself takes no part. What one acts for sometimes fails, and what one seeks sometimes cannot be had. People come to an end but the Way is never blocked; having knowledge yet not acting has the same merit as having no knowledge; having ability and being free of affairs has the same virtue as having no ability. Having knowledge like having none, having ability like having none, the principle is understood and the sharpness of human talent is extinguished. Man and the Way cannot both shine: if man loves fame, he does not use the Way; when the Way prevails over man, fame ceases; if the Way ceases and man's fame shines, there is danger and ruin."

老子曰：使信士分財，不如定分而探籌，何則？有心者之於平，不如無心者。使廉士守財，不如閉戶而全封，以為有欲者之於廉，不如無欲者也。人舉其疵則怨，鑑見其醜則自喜，人能接物而不與己，則免於累矣。

Laozi said: To have an honest scholar divide the goods is not as good as setting the shares and drawing lots; why? One who has a mind to be fair is not as good as one with no mind. To have an incorruptible scholar guard the goods is not as good as shutting the door and sealing it, because one with desires seeking incorruptibility is not as good as one with no desires. When others point out his flaws he resents it, but when a mirror shows his ugliness he accepts it. If a person can receive things without mixing in himself, he is free from entanglement."

老子曰：凡事人者，非以寶幣，必以卑辭。幣單而欲不厭，卑體免辭，論說而交不結，約束誓盟，約定而反先日，是以君子不外飾仁義，而內脩道術。脩其境內之事，盡其地方，勸民守死，堅其城郭，上下一心，與之守社稷，即為飾者不伐無罪，為利者不攻難得，此必全之道，必利之理。

Laozi said: In serving others, if one does not use treasure and coin, one must use humble words. When the coin is used up and desire is still not satisfied, one lowers oneself and speaks humbly, discusses friendship but cannot form it, binds oneself by oath and covenant, and the pledge is broken sooner than before. Therefore a gentleman does not decorate benevolence and righteousness outside but cultivates the art of the Way within. Cultivate the affairs within the borders, exert the strength of the land, urge the people to hold to death, make the walls and city secure, and with those above and below of one mind, guard the altars together with them; then those who act for show will not attack the innocent, and those who act for profit will not attack what is hard to take. This is the way that is sure to preserve, the principle that is sure to profit."

老子曰：聖人不勝其心，眾人不勝其欲，君子行正氣，小人行邪氣。內便於性，外合於義，循理而動，不繫於物者，正氣也；推於滋味，淫於聲色，發於喜怒，不顧後患者，邪氣也。邪與正相傷，欲與性相害，不可兩立，一起一廢，故聖人捐欲而從性。目好色，耳好聲，鼻好香，口好味，合而說之，不離利害，嗜慾也，耳目鼻口不知所欲，皆心為之制，各得其所，由此觀之，欲不可勝亦明矣。

Laozi said: The sage is not overcome by the mind, and the many are not overcome by desire. The gentleman practices upright qi, and the petty person practices depraved qi. To be convenient to one's nature within and consistent with righteousness without, to move by principle and not be tied by things, is upright qi; to be driven by flavors, indulging in sounds and colors, bursting out in joy and anger, with no regard for later troubles, is depraved qi. Depravity and uprightness harm each other, desire and nature injure each other, and they cannot both stand; when one rises the other is cast aside, so the sage discards desire and follows his nature. The eyes love color, the ears love sound, the nose loves fragrance, the mouth loves flavor; together they are pleased and do not leave profit and harm; this is craving and desire. Ears, eyes, nose and mouth do not themselves know what they want; all are governed by the mind, which lets each have its place. From this it can be understood that desire cannot be overcome."

老子曰：治身養性者，節寢處，適飲食，和喜怒，便動靜，內在己者得，而邪氣無由入。飾其外，傷其內，扶其情者害其神，見其文者蔽其真，無須臾忘為賢者，必困其性，百步之中忘其為容者，必累其形，故羽翼美者傷其骸骨，枝葉茂者害其根荄，能兩美者天下無之。

Laozi said: One who governs his person and nourishes his nature moderates his sleeping place, regulates his food and drink, harmonizes joy and anger, and makes movement and stillness convenient; when what is within oneself is attained, depraved qi has no way to enter. To decorate the outside is to injure the inside; to prop up the feelings is to harm the spirit; to show off ornamental patterns is to hide the truth. One who never forgets for a moment that he wants to be worthy will surely trap his nature; one who forgets his bearing within a hundred steps will surely burden his body. So feathers that are beautiful harm the bones, branches and leaves that are luxuriant harm the roots, and there is no one in the world who can be beautiful in both."

老子曰：天有明不憂民之晦也，地有財不憂民之貧也，至德道者若丘山，嵬然不動，行者以為期，直己而足物，不為人賜，用之者亦不受其德，故安而能久。天地無與也，故無奪也，無德也，無怨也。善怒者必多怨，善與者必善奪，唯隨天地之自然而能勝理。故譽見即毀隨之，善見即惡從之，利為害始，福為禍先，不求利即無害，不求福即無禍，身以全為常，富貴其寄也。

Laozi said: Heaven has brightness and does not worry that people are in the dark; earth has wealth and does not worry that people are poor. One of supreme virtue who accords with the Way is like a hill or mountain, towering and unmoving, and travelers take it as a landmark. He rectifies himself and lets things be abundant, gives not for the sake of people, and those who use his gifts do not receive his virtue for it, so he is at peace and lasts long. Heaven and earth do not give, so they do not take away; they do not bestow virtue, so they are not resented. One who is good at anger surely has many resentments, and one who is good at giving surely is good at taking; only by following the naturalness of heaven and earth can one prevail by principle. So when praise appears, blame follows; when good appears, evil follows. Profit is the beginning of harm, and fortune is the forerunner of calamity. Do not seek profit and there is no harm; do not seek fortune and there is no calamity. For the person, preservation is the constant; wealth and rank are merely lodged in him."

老子曰：聖人無屈奇之服，詭異之行，服不雜，行不觀，通而不華，窮而不懾，榮而不顯，隱而不辱，異而不怪，同用無以名之，是謂大通。

Laozi said: The sage has no unusual clothes or strange conduct; his dress is not mixed or gaudy, his conduct is not showy, he is accomplished but not splendid, in distress but not afraid, honored but not conspicuous, hidden but not disgraced, different but not strange, the same in use yet with no way to name him; this is called Great Penetration."

老子曰：道者直己而待命，時之至不可迎而反也，時之去不可足而援也，故聖人不進而求，不退而讓，隨時三年，時去我走，去時三年，時在我後，無去無就，中立其所。天道無親，唯德是與，福之至非己之所求，故不伐其功，禍之來非己之所生，故不悔其行，中心其恬，不累其德，狗吠不驚，自信其情，誠無非分，故通道者不惑，知命者不憂。帝王之崩藏骸於野，其祭也祀之於明堂，神貴於形也，故神制形則從，形勝神則窮，聰明雖用，必反諸神，謂之大通。

Laozi said: The Way is to rectify oneself and wait for fate. When the time comes, do not go to meet it and make it return; when the time goes, do not lift your foot to drag it back. So the sage does not advance to seek or retreat to yield. Following the time for three years, when the time leaves me I go; leaving the time for three years, the time is behind me. Neither going nor approaching, he stands in the middle where he is. The Way of Heaven has no private favorites and gives only to the virtuous. When fortune comes it is not of one's seeking, so he does not boast of his merit; when calamity comes it is not of one's making, so he does not regret his conduct. His heart is calm and quiet and does not burden his virtue. Even when dogs bark he is not startled, trusting his own feelings, truly with nothing improper, so one who understands the Way is not confused and one who knows fate does not worry. When an emperor or king dies, his bones are buried in the wilds, yet sacrifices to him are made in the Bright Hall, which shows that spirit is nobler than form. So when spirit rules form, form obeys; when form prevails over spirit, it is exhausted. Even when intelligence is used, it must return to spirit; this is called Great Penetration."

老子曰：古之存己者，樂德而忘賤，故名不動志，樂道而忘貧，故利不動心，是以謙而能樂，靜而能澹。以數筭之壽，憂天下之亂，猶憂河水之涸，泣而益之也，故不憂天下之亂，而樂其身治者，可與言道矣。

Laozi said: The ancients who preserved themselves delighted in virtue and forgot lowliness, so fame could not move their will; delighted in the Way and forgot poverty, so profit could not move their hearts. Therefore they were modest and could be glad, still and could be plain. With a lifespan that can be counted out, to worry about the world's disorder is like worrying that the river will run dry and adding to it with tears. So one who does not worry about the disorder of the world, but delights in his own self being well ordered, may be spoken to about the Way."

老子曰：人有三怨：爵高者人妒之，官大者主惡之，祿厚者人怨之。夫爵益高者意益下，官益大者心益小，祿益厚者施益博，脩此三者怨不作，故貴以賤為本，高以下為基。

Laozi said: People have three kinds of resentment: those of high rank are envied, those of high office are disliked by the ruler, and those with generous salaries are resented. The higher the rank, the lower one's intention; the greater the office, the smaller one's heart; the more generous the salary, the wider one's giving. Cultivate these three, and resentment will not arise. So the honorable takes the humble as its root, and the high takes the low as its foundation."

老子曰：言者所以通己於人也，聞者所以通人於所也。既聞其聾，人道不通，故有聞聾之病者，莫知事通，豈獨形骸有闇聾哉！心並有之。塞也，莫知所通，此闇聾之類也。夫道之為宗也，有形者皆生焉，其為親也亦戚矣，饗穀食氣者皆壽焉，其為君也亦惠矣，諸智者學焉，其為師也亦明矣。人皆以無用害有用，故知不博而日不足，以博弈之日問道，聞見深矣，問與不問，猶闇聾之比於人也。

Laozi said: Speech is how one gets oneself through to others, and hearing is how one gets others through to oneself. If one is both blind and deaf, the human way is blocked. So one who has the illness of blindness and deafness does not know how affairs are to be connected; how can it be only the body that is blind and deaf! The mind has it too. When blocked, it does not know where things connect, and this is of the blind-and-deaf kind. The Way as the source: all that has form is born from it, so as a parent it is near enough; all who eat grain and take in qi live long because of it, so as a ruler it is generous enough; all who have knowledge learn from it, so as a teacher it is bright enough. People all use what is useless to harm what is useful, so their knowledge is not broad and their days are not enough. If one took the days spent on games and used them to ask about the Way, what one heard and saw would be deep. Asking or not asking is like a blind and deaf person compared to an ordinary one."

老子曰：人之情心服於德，不服於力，德在與不在來，是以聖人之慾貴於人者，先貴於人，欲尊於人者，先尊於人，欲勝人者，先自勝，欲卑人者，先自卑，故貴賤尊卑，道以制之。夫古之聖王以其言下人，以其身後人，即天下樂推而不猒，戴而不重，此德重有餘而氣順也，故知與之為取，後之為先，即幾於道矣。

Laozi said: As for human feeling, the heart submits to virtue and does not submit to force. Virtue lies in giving, not in taking. Therefore the sage who wishes to be honored by others first honors others; who wishes to be esteemed by others first esteems others; who wishes to surpass others first surpasses himself; who wishes to make others lowly first makes himself lowly. So honor and lowliness, esteem and humility are governed by the Way. The sage kings of old placed themselves below others in their words and behind others in their person, and the world gladly supported them without tiring, bore them on their heads without feeling the weight; this is virtue that is heavy and abundant and qi that is in harmony. So to know that giving is taking and being behind is being ahead is to come close to the Way."

老子曰：德少而寵多者譏，才下而位高者危，無大功而有厚祿者微，故物或益之而損，或損之而益。眾人皆知利利，而不知病病，唯聖人知病之為利，利之為病。故再實之木其根必傷，掘藏之家其後必殃，夫大利者反為害，天之道也。

Laozi said: One whose virtue is little but whose favor is great is mocked; one whose talent is low but whose position is high is in danger; one who has no great merit but a generous salary will decline. So things are sometimes gained by being increased and sometimes lost by being diminished. Everyone knows the profit of profit but does not know the sickness of sickness. Only the sage knows that sickness can be profit and profit can be sickness. So a tree that bears fruit twice a year will certainly have its roots injured; those who dig up and loot others' burial places will surely have calamity for their descendants. Great profit turning into harm is the Way of Heaven."

老子曰：小人從事曰苟得，君子曰苟義。為善者，非求名者也，而名從之，名不與利期，而利歸之，所求者同，所極者異，故動有益則損隨之。言無常是，行無常宜者，小人也；察於一事，通於一能，中人也；兼覆而並有之，技能而才使之者，聖人也。

Laozi said: The petty person in acting says: only seek to gain; the gentleman says: only seek to accord with righteousness. One who does good does not seek fame, yet fame follows; fame does not make an appointment with profit, yet profit comes to it. What is sought is the same, but what is reached differs. So when movement brings benefit, loss follows. One whose words are never always right and whose conduct is never always fitting is a petty person; one who examines one matter and masters one skill is a middling person; one who covers all and holds them all together, using each according to skill and talent, is a sage."

老子曰：生所假也，死所歸也，故世治即以義衛身，世亂即以身衛義，死之日，行之終也，故君子慎一用之而已矣。故生受於天也，命所遭於時也，有其才不遇其世，天也，求之有道，得之在命。君子能為善不能必得其福，不忍而為非而未必免於禍，故君子逢時即進，得之以義，何幸之有！不時即退，讓之以禮，何不幸之有！故雖處貧賤而猶不悔者，得其所貴也。

Laozi said: Life is what is borrowed, and death is where one returns. So when the age is well ordered one protects one's person with righteousness; when the age is in disorder one protects righteousness with one's person. The day of one's death is the end of conduct, so the gentleman is careful only about this one use. Life is received from Heaven, and fate is the time one meets. To have such talent and not meet such an age is Heaven's doing; seeking it has a way, but obtaining it lies in fate. The gentleman can do good, but cannot be sure of obtaining fortune; he cannot bear to do wrong, but is not necessarily spared calamity. So when the gentleman meets his time he advances, obtaining by righteousness; what luck is that! When he does not meet his time he withdraws, declining by ritual; what misfortune is that! So that one who, though in poverty and lowliness, still does not regret it, has obtained what he values."

老子曰：人有順逆之氣生於心，心治則氣順，心亂則氣逆，心之治亂在於道德，得道則心治，失道則心亂，心治則交讓，心亂則交爭，讓則有德，爭則生賊，有德則氣順，賊生則氣逆，氣順則自損以奉人，氣逆則損人以自奉，二氣者可道已而制也。天之道其猶響之報聲也，德積則福生，禍積則怨生，官敗於官茂，孝衰於妻子，患生於憂解，病甚於且瘉，故“慎終如始，無敗事也。”

Laozi said: People have qi that is compliant or contrary, arising from the heart; when the heart is ordered the qi is compliant, and when the heart is disordered the qi is contrary. Whether the heart is ordered or disordered depends on the Way and virtue: with the Way, the heart is ordered; without it, the heart is disordered. When the heart is ordered, people yield to one another; when it is disordered, they seize from one another; yielding brings virtue, and contending brings harm; virtue makes qi compliant, and harm makes qi contrary. Compliant qi diminishes oneself to serve others; contrary qi diminishes others to serve oneself. These two kinds of qi can be governed by the Way. The Way of Heaven is like an echo answering a sound: when virtue accumulates, fortune is born; when calamity accumulates, resentment is born. An official's career is spoiled when he has succeeded (the base text has "guan mao" here, which, paired with the next phrase "filial piety declines because of wife and children," should be read as "huan cheng"), filial piety declines because of wife and children, trouble arises when worry is resolved, and illness is worst when it is about to be cured. So "if one remains as careful at the end as at the beginning, there will be no failures.""

老子曰：舉枉與直，如何不得，舉直與枉，勿與遂往，所謂同汙而異泥者。

Laozi said: When you promote the crooked and set them together with the straight, how could you fail; when you promote the straight and set them together with the crooked, do not follow along in going straight. This is what is meant by the same mud but different quality of mud."

老子曰：聖人同死生，愚人亦同死生，聖人同生死，明於分理，愚人同生死，不知利害之所在。道懸天，物布地，和在人，人主不和即天氣不下，地氣不上，陰陽不調，風雨不時，人民疾飢。

Laozi said: The sage regards death and life as the same, and the fool also regards death and life as the same. The sage treats death and life as the same because he is clear about distinctions and principle; the fool treats death and life as the same because he does not know where profit and harm lie. The Way hangs in heaven, things are spread out on earth, and harmony is in humans. When the ruler is not in harmony, heaven's qi does not descend and earth's qi does not rise, yin and yang are out of balance, wind and rain are untimely, and the people suffer illness and hunger."

老子曰：得萬人之兵，不如聞一言之當，得隋侯之珠，不如得事之所由，得和氏之璧，不如得事之所適。天下雖大，好用兵者亡，國雖安，好戰者危，故“小國寡民，使有阡陌之器而勿用。”

Laozi said: To obtain an army of ten thousand is not as good as hearing one apt word; to obtain the pearl of the Marquis of Sui is not as good as obtaining the reason behind an affair; to obtain the jade disc of He is not as good as obtaining what is fitting in an affair. Though the world is large, those who love the use of arms perish; though a state is at peace, those who love war are in danger. So "let the state be small and the people few, so that even if there are tools of tenfold and hundredfold efficiency they are not used." (The base text reads "qian mo zhi qi"; the Laozi has "shi bai zhi qi.")"

老子曰：能成霸王者，必勝者也，能勝敵者，必強者也，能強者，必用人力者也，能用人力者，必得人心者也，能得人心者，必自得者也，自得者，必柔弱者已。能勝不如己者，至於若己者而挌，柔勝出於若己者，其事不可度，故能眾不勝，成大勝者也。

Laozi said: One who can become a hegemon or king must be one who can win; one who can defeat enemies must be strong; one who can be strong must be one who uses the strength of others; one who can use the strength of others must be one who wins people's hearts; one who can win people's hearts must be self-possessed; and the self-possessed must be soft and weak. He can defeat those inferior to himself, and when he meets those equal to himself he fights them; softness and weakness prevail over those equal to oneself, and that affair cannot be fathomed, so he is able to refrain from forcing a victory over the many and accomplishes a great victory."

老子曰：清虛者，天之明也，無為者，治之常也，去恩惠，舍聖智，外賢能，廢仁義，滅事故，棄佞辯，禁姦偽，則賢不肖者齊於道矣。靜則同，虛則通，至德無為，萬物皆容，虛靜之道，天長地久，神微周盈，於物無宰。十二月運行，周而復始，金木水火土，其勢相害，其道相待。故至寒傷物，無寒不可，至暑傷物，無暑不可，故可與不可皆可，是以大道無所不可，可在其理，見可不趨，見不可不去，可與不可，相為左右，相為表裡。凡事之要，必從一始，時為之紀，自古及今，未嘗變易，謂之天理。上執大明，下用其光，道生萬物，理於陰陽，化為四時，分為五行，各得其所，與時往來，法度有常，下及無能，上道不傾，群臣一意，天地之道無為而備，無求而得，“是以知其無為而有益也。”

Laozi said: Purity and emptiness are Heaven's brightness; non-action is the constant of government. Remove favors, discard sagely wisdom, put worthiness aside, abolish benevolence and righteousness, extinguish affairs and incidents, cast off glib argument and forbid deceit and falsehood, and the worthy and the unworthy are all equal in the Way. Stillness brings sameness, emptiness brings penetration, supreme virtue is non-action, and the myriad things can all be contained. The Way of emptiness and stillness lasts as long as heaven and earth; spirit is subtle and all-pervading, with no mastery over things. The twelve months turn and begin again; of metal, wood, water, fire and earth, their forces harm one another and their ways wait on one another. So extreme cold harms things, yet one cannot do without cold; extreme heat harms things, yet one cannot do without heat. Therefore both what is permissible and what is not are permissible; the Great Way has nothing that is not permissible, and permissibility lies in that principle: when one sees what is permissible, one does not rush toward it; when one sees what is not permissible, one does not leave it, and what is permissible and what is not act as left and right, as outside and inside for each other. The essential in all matters must begin from the One, taking time as the thread; from ancient times till now it has never changed, and this is called Heaven's principle. Above, hold to the great light, and below, use its radiance; the Way gives birth to the myriad things, governs yin and yang, transforms into the four seasons, divides into the Five Phases, each in its place, coming and going with the times, with laws constant, reaching down to the incapable, with the Way above never tilting and all ministers of one mind. The Way of heaven and earth is non-action yet complete, seeking nothing yet obtaining, "and from this I know the benefit of non-action.""

老子曰：樸，至大者無形狀，道，至大者無度量，故天員不中規，地方不中矩。往古來今謂之宙，四方上下謂之宇，道在中而莫知其所，故見不遠者，不可與言大，知不博者，不可與論至。夫岙道與物通者，無以相非，故三皇五帝法籍殊方，其得民心一也。若夫規矩勾繩，巧之具也，而非所以巧也，故無絃雖師文不能成其曲，徒絃則不能獨悲，故絃，悲之具也，非所以為悲也。至於神和，遊於心手之間，放意寫神，論愛而形於絃者，父不能以教子，子亦不能受之於父，此不傳之道也。故肅者形之君也，而寂寞者音之主也。

Laozi said: The uncarved block, at its greatest, has no shape; the Way, at its greatest, has no measure. So heaven's roundness does not match a compass, and earth's squareness does not match a square. The past and the present are called zhou (time), the four directions and up and down are called yu (space), and the Way is within them, yet no one knows where it is. So one who does not see far cannot be spoken to of the great; one who does not know widely cannot be discussed the utmost. The Way that interpenetrates with things has no way for them to blame one another (the base text reads "ao dao," which should be read "fu dao"). So the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors had different directions in their laws and records, but they were the same in winning the people's hearts. As for compass, square, hook and ink line, they are tools of skill, but not skill itself. So without strings, even Shi Wen could not complete a tune; with strings alone, there is no sadness by itself. So strings are the instrument of sadness, but not sadness itself. As for the harmony of spirit, roaming between heart and hand, giving free rein to the mind and drawing out the spirit, expressing love and shaping it on the strings, a father cannot use it to teach his son, nor can a son receive it from his father; this is the Way that cannot be transmitted. So solemnity is the ruler of form, and silence is the master of sound."

老子曰：天地之道，以德為主，道為之命，物以自正。至微甚內，不以事貴，故不待功而立，不以位為尊，不待名而顯，不須禮而莊，不用兵而強。故道立而不教，明照而不察，道立而不教者，不奪人能也，明照而不察者，不害其事也。夫教道者，逆於德，害於物，故陰陽四時，金木水火土，同道而異理，萬物同情而異形。智者不相教，能者不相受，故聖人立法，以導民之心，各使自然，故生者無德，死者無怨。天地不仁，以萬物為芻狗，聖人不仁，以百姓為芻狗。夫慈愛仁義者，近狹之道也，狹者入大而迷，近者行遠而惑，聖人之道，入大不迷，行遠不惑，常虛自守，可以為極，是謂天德。

Laozi said: The Way of heaven and earth takes virtue as its master; the Way gives it its mandate, and things thereby rectify themselves. The utmost subtlety lies deep within, and is not made noble by affairs, so it stands without waiting for achievement, is not honored by rank, is manifest without waiting for fame, is dignified without needing ritual, and is strong without using arms. So the Way stands and does not teach, shines and does not scrutinize. The Way stands and does not teach, not depriving people of their abilities; it shines and does not scrutinize, not harming the matter. Those who teach the Way go against virtue and harm things. So yin and yang, the four seasons, metal, wood, water, fire and earth share the Way but differ in principle, and the myriad things share their nature but differ in form. The wise do not teach one another, and the capable do not receive from one another. So the sage establishes laws to guide the people's minds, letting each follow its own nature, so that the living have no virtue to be grateful for, and the dead have no resentment. Heaven and earth have no favorites, treating the myriad things as straw dogs for sacrifice, letting them live and die of themselves; the sage too has no favorites, treating the hundred families as straw dogs, letting them live and flourish naturally. Compassion, benevolence and righteousness are the way of the near and narrow. The narrow is lost when it enters the great; the near is confused when it goes far. The Way of the sage enters the great without being lost and goes far without being confused, always empty and holding itself, able to serve as the utmost; this is called Heavenly Virtue."

老子曰：聖人天覆地載，日月照臨，陰陽和，四時化，懷萬物而不同，無故無新，無疏無親，故能法天者，天不一時，地不一材，人不一事，故緒業多端，趨行多方。故用兵者，或輕或重，或貪或廉，四者相反，不可一也，輕者欲發，重者欲止，貪者欲取，廉者不利非其有也。故勇者可令進鬥，不可令持堅，重者可令固守，不可令凌敵，貪者可令攻取，不可令分財，廉者可令守分，不可令進取，信者可令持約，不可令應變，五者，聖人兼用而材使之。夫天地不懷一物，陰陽不產一類，故海不讓水潦以成其大，山林不讓枉橈以成其崇，聖不辭其負薪之言以廣其名。夫守一隅而遺萬方，取一物而棄其餘，則所得者寡，而所治者淺矣。

Laozi said: The sage is covered by heaven and borne by earth, and sun and moon shine upon him; yin and yang are harmonized, the four seasons transform, he embraces the myriad things without treating them alike, with nothing old and nothing new, nothing distant and nothing near. So one who can model himself on heaven: heaven is not one season, earth is not one kind of material, humans are not one kind of task, so undertakings are of many kinds and conduct goes in many directions. So those who use arms, some are light, some heavy, some greedy, some honest, the four being opposed, so they cannot be treated uniformly. The light want to launch, the heavy want to stop, the greedy want to take, and the honest do not count what is not theirs as profit. So the brave may be ordered to advance and fight, but not to hold a strong fortress; the steady may be ordered to hold firmly, but not to overrun the enemy; the greedy may be ordered to attack and seize, but not to divide the goods; the honest may be ordered to keep their share, but not to press forward; the trustworthy may be ordered to hold to an agreement, but not to respond to changes. These five the sage uses together and employs according to talent. Heaven and earth do not embrace one kind of thing, and yin and yang do not produce one kind; so the sea does not refuse the floods in order to complete its greatness, mountains and forests do not refuse the crooked and bent in order to complete their height, and the sage does not refuse the words of a firewood carrier in order to widen his fame. One who holds to one corner and neglects the ten thousand quarters, takes one thing and discards the rest, gains little and governs shallowly."

老子曰：天之所覆，地之所載，日月之所照，形殊性異，各有所安，樂所以為樂者，乃所以為悲也，安所以為安者，乃所以為危也。故聖人之牧民也，使各便其性，安其居，處為其所能，周其所適，施其所宜，如此即萬物一齊，無由相過。天下之物，無貴無賤，因其所貴而貴之，物無不貴，因其所賤而賤之，物無不賤，故不尚賢者，言不放魚於木，不沈鳥於淵。昔堯之治天下也，舜為司徒，契為司馬，禹為司空，后稷為田疇，奚仲為工師，其導民也，水處者漁，林處者採，谷處者牧，陵處者田，地宜事，事宜其械，械宜其材，皋澤織網，陵坡耕田，如是外民得以所有易所無，以所工易所拙。是以離叛者寡，聽從者眾，若風之過蕭，忽然而感之，各以清濁應，物莫不就其所利，避其所害。是以鄰國相望，雞狗之音相聞，而足跡不接於諸侯之境，車軌不結於千里之外，皆安其居也。故亂國若盛，治國若虛，亡國若不足，存國若有餘。虛者，非無人也，各守其職也，盛者，非多人也，皆徼於未也，有餘者，非多財也，欲節事寡也，不足者，非無貨也，民鮮而費多也，故先王之法，非所作也，所因也，其禁誅，非所為也，所守也，上德之道也。

Laozi said: What heaven covers, earth bears, and sun and moon shine on differ in form and vary in nature, and each has its own peace. To delight in what is delighted in is in fact to grieve; to be at peace in what is peaceful is in fact to be in danger. So the sage in shepherding the people lets each be at ease in his nature, peaceful in his dwelling, placed in what he can do, covering what suits him, carrying out what is fitting, so that the myriad things are all equal and none can overstep the other. Among the things of the world, there is neither noble nor base; if one honors what a thing finds honorable, nothing is not honored; if one despises what a thing finds despicable, nothing is not despised. So not exalting the worthy and able means not placing fish in trees or sinking birds in the depths. In the past, when Yao governed the world, Shun was Minister of Education, Qi was Minister of War, Yu was Minister of Works, Houji managed the fields, and Xizhong was master craftsman. He guided the people: those living by water fished, those in forests gathered, those in valleys herded, those on hills farmed; the land was suited to the task, the task was suited to the tools, and the tools were suited to the materials; in marshes they wove nets, and on slopes they plowed fields, so that people beyond the pale could exchange what they had for what they lacked, and what they were skilled at for what they were poor at. Therefore few rebelled and many obeyed, like wind passing through a pipe: when suddenly stirred, each responds in its own pitch, clear or low, and there is no thing that does not go toward what benefits it and avoid what harms it. Therefore neighboring states could see each other and hear each other's crowing of cocks and barking of dogs, yet footprints did not reach the borders of the feudal lords and cart tracks did not link up a thousand li away, all being content in their dwellings. So a disordered state seems full, a well-governed state seems empty, a state facing ruin seems lacking, and a state that endures seems to have surplus. Empty does not mean without people, but that each keeps his post; full does not mean many people, but that all seek the branches; surplus does not mean much wealth, but that desires are moderate and affairs few; lacking does not mean no goods, but that the people are few and expenses many. So the laws of the former kings were not created but followed; their prohibitions and punishments were not their own doing but what they kept to. This is the Way of highest virtue."

老子曰：以道治天下，非易人性也，因其所有而循暢之，故因即大，作即小。古之瀆水者，因水之流也，生稼者，因地之宜也，征伐者，因民之慾也，能因則無敵於天下矣。物必有自然而人事有治也，故先王之製法，因民之性而為之節文，無其性，不可使順教，無其資，不可使遵道。人之性有仁義之資，其非聖人為之法度，不可使向方，因其所惡以禁姦，故刑罰不用，威行如神，因其性即天下聽從，怫其性即法度張而不用。道德者，則功名之本也，民之所懷也，懷之則功名立。古之善為君者法江海，江海無為以成其大，窪下以成其廣，故能長久，為天下谿谷，其德乃足，無為能取百川，不求故能得，不行故能至，是以取天下而無事。不自奉故富，不自見故明，不自矜故長，處不肖之地，故為天下王，不爭故莫能與之爭，終不為大故能成其大，江海近於道，故能長久，與天地相保。公正脩道，即功成不有，不有即強固，強固而不以暴人，道深即德深，德深即功名遂成，此謂玄德深矣！遠矣！其與物反矣！天下有始，莫知其理，唯聖人能知所以，非雄非雌，非牝非牡，生而不死，天地以成，陰陽以形，萬物以生。故陰與陽，有員有方，有短有長，有存有亡，道為之命，幽沉而光事，於心甚微，於道甚當，死生同理，萬物變化，合於一道。簡生忘死，何往不壽，去事與言，慎無為也。守道周密，於物不宰，至微無形，天地之始，萬物同於道而殊形，至微無物，故能周恤，至大無外，故為萬物蓋，至細無內，故為萬物貴。道之存生，德之安形，至道之度，去好去惡，無有知故，易意和心，無以道迕。夫天地專而為一，分而為二，交而合之，上下不失，專而為一，分而為五，反而合之，必中規矩。夫道至親不可疏，至近不可遠，求之近者，往而復反。

Laozi said: Governing the world by the Way does not change people's nature, but follows what they inherently have and lets it flow freely. So following is great, and contriving is small. In ancient times, those who opened waterways followed the flow of the water; those who grew crops followed what the land was suited for; those who waged war followed the people's desires. One who can follow is without rival in the world. Things certainly have their naturalness, and human affairs have their ordering. So the former kings made laws that followed the people's nature and regulated and refined it; without that nature, they could not be made to follow teaching; without that endowment, they could not be made to follow the Way. Human nature has the endowment of benevolence and righteousness, but unless a sage sets up laws for it, it cannot be made to turn toward uprightness. Prohibiting wickedness according to what people hate means punishments are unused and authority works like a spirit; following their nature makes the world obey, while going against their nature means laws are set up but not used. Way and virtue are the root of merit and fame, and what the people turn toward; turn toward them and merit and fame are established. In ancient times, those who were good rulers modeled themselves on rivers and seas. The rivers and seas achieved their greatness through non-action and their breadth through lowness, so they can last long and be valleys of the world, and their virtue is then sufficient. Non-action can take in the hundred streams; not seeking is how one can gain; not moving is how one can arrive; so one takes the world and has nothing to do. Not nourishing himself, he is rich; not displaying himself, he is bright; not exalting himself, he lasts long; dwelling in the place of the unworthy, he is king of the world. Precisely because he does not contend with others, no one in the world can contend with him; because in the end he does not try to be great, he is able to complete his greatness. The rivers and seas are close to the Way, so they last long and keep company with heaven and earth. Upright and cultivating the Way, one achieves success without possessing it; not possessing, one is firm; firm, and not using it to do violence to others. When the Way is deep, virtue is deep; when virtue is deep, merit and fame are completed. This is called Mysterious Virtue; how deep, how far-reaching, how it runs contrary to things! All things in the world have a beginning, yet no one knows its principle; only the sage can know its reason. Neither male nor female, neither bull nor cow, living and not dying, by it heaven and earth were completed, by it yin and yang took form, by it the myriad things were born. So yin and yang, round and square, short and long, existing and perishing, are given their mandate by the Way, hidden and sunk yet illuminating affairs; in the heart it is very subtle, in the Way it is very apt, death and life share the same principle, the myriad things change, and all accord with one Way. Simplify life and forget death, and where would one go that is not long-lived; remove affairs and words, and be careful in non-action. Hold to the Way with closeness and do not rule over things. The utmost subtlety has no form and is the beginning of heaven and earth; the myriad things share the Way but differ in form. The utmost subtlety has no thing, so it can provide universal relief; the utmost great has no outside, so it serves as the canopy of the myriad things; the utmost fine has no inside, so it is valued by the myriad things. The Way is used to preserve life, and virtue is used to settle the form. The measure of the supreme Way is to remove liking and remove disliking, because there is no cleverness; make your intention level and easy, harmonize your heart, and do not oppose it with the Way. Heaven and earth, concentrated, are one body; divided, they are two; crossed and joined, above and below are not lost; concentrated, they are one; divided, they are five; turned back and joined, they surely accord with the compass and square. The Way is closest and cannot be distanced, nearest and cannot be made far; one who seeks in what is near goes off and returns again."

老子曰：帝者有名，莫知其情，帝者貴其德，王者尚其義，霸者迫於理。聖人之道，於物無有，道挾然後任智，德薄然後任形，明淺然後任察。任智者中心亂，任刑者上下怨，任察者下求善以事上即弊。是以聖人因天地以變化，其德乃天覆而地載，道之以時，其養乃厚，厚養即治，雖有神聖，人何以易之。去心智，故省刑罰，反清靜，物將自正。道之為君如屍，儼然玄默，而天下受其福，一人被之不褒，萬人被之不褊。是故重為惠，重為暴，即道迕矣。為惠者佈施也，無功而厚賞，無勞而高爵，即守職懈於官，而遊居者亟於進矣。夫暴者妄誅也，無罪而死亡，行道者而被刑，即脩身不勸善，而為邪行者輕犯上矣。故為惠者即生姦，為暴者即生亂，姦亂之俗，亡國之風也。故國有誅者而主無怒也，朝有賞者而君無與也，誅者不怨君，罪之當也，賞者不德上，功之致也，民知誅賞之來，皆生於身，故務功脩業，不受賜於人，是以朝廷蕪而無跡，田野闢而無穢，故太上下知而有之。王道者，處無為之事，行不言之教，清靜而不動，一度而不搖，因循任下，責成不勞，謀無失策，舉無過事，言無文章，行無儀表，進退應時，動靜循理，美醜不好憎，賞罰不喜怒。名各自命，類各自以，事由自然，莫出於己，若欲狹之，乃是離之，若欲飾之，乃是賊之。天氣為魂，地氣為魄，反之玄妙，各處其宅，守之勿失，上通太一，太一之精，通合於天。天道嘿嘿，無容無則，大不可極，深不可測，常與人化，智不能得，輪轉無端，化逐如神，虛無因循，常後而不先。其聽治也，虛心弱志，清明不闇，是故群臣輻湊並進，無愚智賢不肖，莫不盡其能，君得所以制臣，臣得所以事君，即治國之所以明矣。

Laozi said: Emperors have a name, but no one knows their true substance. Emperors value their virtue, kings esteem their righteousness, and hegemons are pressed by principle. The Way of the sage has no possession in things. When the Way is narrow, then cleverness is employed; when virtue is thin, then punishment is employed (the base text writes "form" here; paired with "employing scrutiny" below, it should be read as "punishment"); when clarity is shallow, then scrutiny is employed. Where cleverness is employed the heart is disordered; where punishment is employed those above and below resent each other; where scrutiny is employed those below seek the good in order to serve those above, and then abuses arise. Therefore the sage changes along with heaven and earth, and his virtue is then covered by heaven and borne by earth; he guides according to the seasons, and his nurture is then generous, and generous nurture brings order; even if there were a divine sage, what could people use to change it. Remove the mind's cleverness, so punishments are reduced, return to purity and stillness, and things will rectify themselves. The Way as ruler is like the impersonator of the dead at a sacrifice, solemn and darkly silent, yet the world receives his blessing; one person covered by it does not feel it is too generous, and ten thousand people covered by it do not feel it is too narrow. Therefore valuing the bestowing of favors and valuing the use of violence are both contrary to the Way. Bestowing favors is giving out; to reward generously without merit and give high rank without toil means those who keep their posts grow lax toward their offices while idle wanderers hurry to advance. Violence is wrongly punishing and killing; to put the innocent to death and punish those who follow the Way means those who cultivate themselves are not encouraged toward good and those who do evil readily offend their superiors. So bestowing favors breeds wickedness and using violence breeds disorder, and a custom of wickedness and disorder is the wind of a ruined state. So the state has punishments yet the ruler has no anger, the court has rewards yet the lord has no private favoritism: those punished do not resent the lord, for the punishment fits the crime; those rewarded do not feel grateful for the lord's virtue, for the merit was brought about by themselves. The people know that punishments and rewards come from themselves, so they devote themselves to achievement and cultivate their work, and do not receive gifts from others. So the court is overgrown and without traces, and the fields are opened up and without weeds. So of the best rulers, the people only know that he exists. The kingly way handles affairs entirely by non-action and carries out teaching without words, still and unmoving, with a single standard unwavering, relying on and employing those below, assigning responsibility without toil, with no mistake in plans, no error in undertakings, no ornament in speech and no show in conduct, advancing and withdrawing in response to the times, moving and resting according to principle, with no liking or disliking of beauty and ugliness, and no joy or anger in reward and punishment. Names name themselves, kinds take themselves for what they are, affairs proceed from nature, and none comes from oneself. If one tries to narrow it, one departs from it; if one tries to adorn it, one harms it. Heaven's qi is the hun soul and earth's qi is the po soul; return to that mystery, each dwelling in its house, holding fast without losing it, and communicating above with the Great One. The essence of the Great One unites with Heaven. The Way of Heaven is silent, without form or rule, too great to reach the limit of and too deep to fathom, constantly transforming with people, unattainable by cleverness, turning without beginning, transforming like a spirit, empty, and following, always behind and never ahead. In his hearing and governing, his mind is empty and his will soft, clear and not dark. So his ministers converge like spokes to a hub, advancing together, and whether foolish or wise, worthy or unworthy, there are none who do not exhaust their abilities. The ruler obtains the means of controlling ministers, and ministers obtain the means of serving the ruler, and this is why the state is well governed."

老子曰：知而好問者聖，勇而好問者勝，乘眾人之智者即無不任也，用眾人之力者即無不勝也，用眾人之力者，烏獲不足恃也，乘眾人之勢者，天下不足用也。無權不可為之勢，而不循道理之數，雖神聖人不能以成名。故聖人舉事，未嘗不因其資而用之也，有一形者處一位，有一能者服一事，力勝其任，即舉者不重也，能勝其事，即為者不難也。聖人兼而用之，故人無棄人物無棄材。

Laozi said: One who knows and likes to ask is a sage; one who is brave and likes to ask can prevail. By availing oneself of the wisdom of the many, nothing is beyond one's use; by using the strength of the many, there is nothing one cannot overcome. Using the strength of the many, Wu Huo is not worth relying on; availing oneself of the force of the many, the world is not enough to use. Without the force that no expedient can do without, yet not following the course of reason, even a divine sage could not make a name. So when the sage undertakes things, he has never failed to rely on that resource and use it. Those with one kind of form occupy one position, and those with one kind of ability serve one task. When strength is equal to the task, what is lifted is not heavy; when ability is equal to the affair, what is done is not hard. The sage uses all of them together, so there are no persons cast aside and no materials cast aside."

老子曰：所謂無為者，非謂其引之不來，推之不去，迫而不應，感而不動，堅滯而不流，捲握而不散，謂其私志不入公道，嗜慾不枉正術，循理而舉事，因資而立功，推自然之勢，曲故不得容，事成而身不伐，功立而名不有，若夫水用舟，涉用䦊，泥用輴，山用樏，夏瀆冬陂，因高為山，因下為池，非吾所為也。聖人不恥身之賤，惡道之不行也，不憂命之短，憂百姓之窮也，故常虛而無為，抱素見樸，不與物雜。

Laozi said: What is called non-action does not mean that if you pull it, it does not come, or if you push it, it does not go, that when pressed it does not respond, when stirred it does not move, solid and stagnant and not flowing, rolled up and clenched and not dispersing; it means that private will does not enter the public Way, craving and desire do not bend the right art, one undertakes affairs by following principle, accomplishes merit by relying on resources, pushes the force of naturalness, does not allow crooked cleverness to be admitted, and when affairs are done does not boast, when merit is established does not claim the name. As for using boats on water, sledges on sand (the base text has an unusual character here), mud-sledges on mud, mountain-climbing gear on mountains, digging ditches in summer and making embankments in winter, making hills from the height and pools from the low, none of this is done by me. The sage is not ashamed of his own lowly status, but hates that the Way is not practiced; he does not worry about his short life, but worries about the people's poverty. So he is always empty and without action, embraces plainness and shows simplicity, and does not mix with things."

老子曰：古之立帝王者，非以奉養其欲也，聖人踐位者，非以逸樂其身也，為天下之民，強陵弱，眾暴寡，詐者欺愚，勇者侵怯，又為其懷智不以相教，積財不以相分，故立天子以齊一之。一人之明，不能遍照海內，故立三公九卿以輔翼之。為絕國殊俗，不得被澤，故立諸侯以教誨之。是以天地四時無不應也，官無隱事，國無遺利，所以衣寒食飢，養老弱，息勞倦，無不以也。神農形悴，堯瘦虞，舜黧黑，禹胼胝，伊尹負鼎而幹湯，呂望鼓刀而入周，百里奚傳賣，管仲束縛，孔子無黔突，墨子無煖席，非以貪祿慕位，將欲事起於天下之利，除萬民之害也。自天子至於庶人，四體不勤，思慮不困，於事求贍者，未之聞也。

Laozi said: In ancient times, emperors and kings were set up not to nourish their desires; sages took the throne not to enjoy ease for themselves. This was because among the people of the world, the strong bullied the weak, the many oppressed the few, the cunning deceived the foolish, the brave encroached on the timid, and also because those with knowledge did not teach one another and those who accumulated wealth did not share it, so a Son of Heaven was set up to unify them. One person's sight cannot illuminate everything within the seas, so the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers were set up to assist him. Because distant countries and different customs could not receive his grace, feudal lords were set up to instruct them. So heaven, earth and the four seasons were all answered, officials had no hidden affairs, the state had no overlooked benefits, and all was used to clothe the cold, feed the hungry, nourish the old and weak, and give rest to the weary. Shennong's form was worn and thin, Yao was gaunt, Shun was dark, Yu had calluses on his hands and feet, Yi Yin carried a cauldron on his back to seek Tang, Lu Wang beat his butcher's knife and entered Zhou, Baili Xi was sold from one master to another, Guan Zhong was bound, Confucius had no chimney blackened by smoke, and Mozi had no warm mat; it was not that they coveted salary or longed for position, but that they wished to devote themselves to promoting the benefit of the world and removing the harm to the ten thousand people. From the Son of Heaven to the common people, I have not heard of anyone whose four limbs were not diligent and whose thoughts were not troubled who yet sought sufficiency in his work."

老子曰：所謂天子者，有天道以立天下也。立天下之道，執一以為保，反本無為，虛靜無有，忽恍無際，遠無所止，視之無形，聽之無聲，是謂大道之經。

Laozi said: The so-called Son of Heaven is one who has the Way of Heaven and thereby establishes the world. The way of establishing the world is to hold to the One as one's safeguard, return to the root and act without action, be empty and still with nothing possessed, vague and hazy without boundary, far without a place to stop; look at it and it has no form, listen to it and it has no sound; this is called the constant of the Great Way."

老子曰：夫道者，體員而法方，背陰而抱陽，左柔而右剛，履幽而戴明，變化無常，得一之原，以應無方，是謂神明。天員而無端，故不得觀，地方而無涯，故莫窺其門，天化遂無形狀，地生長無計量。夫物有勝，唯道無勝，所以無勝者，以其無常形勢也，輪轉無形，象日月之運行，若春秋之代謝，日月之晝夜，終而復始，明而復晦，制形而無形，故功可成，物物而不物，故勝而不屈。廟戰者帝，神化者王，廟戰者法天道，神化者明四時，修正於境內，而遠方懷德，制勝於未戰，而諸侯賓服也。古之得道者，靜而法天地，動而順日月，喜怒合四時。號令比雷霆，音氣不戾八風，詘伸不獲五度。因民之慾，乘民之力，為之去殘除害，夫同利者相死，同情者相成，同行者相助，循己而動，天下為鬥。故善用兵者，用其自為用，不能用兵者，用其為己用，用其自為用，天下莫不可用，用其為己用，無一人之可用也。

Laozi said: The Way is round in body and square in rule; it turns its back on yin and embraces yang, is soft on the left and hard on the right, treads on the dark and wears the bright. Its changes are without constancy; grasping the root of the One, it responds to what has no direction. This is called divine illumination. Heaven is round and has no end, so one cannot see its whole; earth is square and has no edge, so no one has glimpsed its gate. Heaven transforms and completes without form, and earth gives growth without measure. Among things there are some that can be overcome, but only the Way cannot be overcome. The reason it cannot be overcome is that it has no constant posture and turns without form, like the movement of the sun and moon, like the turning of spring and autumn; day and night of sun and moon end and begin again, bright and then dark. It shapes forms while having no form itself, and so its work can be completed; it makes things things while not being a thing itself, and so it prevails without being bent. One who wins by temple strategy becomes an emperor, and one who wins by divine transformation becomes a king. Temple strategy models itself on the Way of Heaven, and divine transformation illuminates the four seasons. He sets things right within his borders, and distant lands cherish his virtue; he wins before the battle, and the lords submit as guests. The ancients who attained the Way were still and modeled themselves on heaven and earth, moved and followed the sun and moon, joined joy and anger to the four seasons, made orders like thunder, and their voice and breath did not clash with the eight winds, their bending and stretching did not go against the five measures. They followed the people's desires, used the people's strength, and removed cruelty and harm for them. Those who share the same interests die for one another, those who share the same feelings complete one another, those who share the same conduct help one another; moving by their own accord, the world fights for him. So one who is good at using soldiers makes them serve themselves; one who cannot use soldiers makes them serve him. When he makes them serve themselves, there is no one in the world he cannot use; when he makes them serve him, there is not one person who can be used.