Laozi An abridgment of the Daodejing. Verse refer- ences such as ²·³ indicate the original source of the text, but donʼt imply a full quotation. ¹·¹The Way that can be put into words is not the con- stant Way. — ²·¹As soon as everyone in the world knows beauty as beauty, there is already ugliness. ²As soon as every- one knows good as good, there is bad. ²·³Being and nonbeing produce each other; ⁴difficult and easy complete each other; ⁵long and short shape each other; ⁶high and low fill each other; ⁷note and voice harmonize with each other; ⁸front and back fol- low each other: ⁹these are constant. ²·¹⁰Therefore, the sage dwells in the work of nonforced action, ¹¹and practices wordless teaching. ¹²All things arise, but he doesnʼt start them; ¹³he acts on their behalf, but doesnʼt make them depend- ent; ¹⁴he succeeds, but doesnʼt dwell on it. ¹⁵Itʼs only because he doesnʼt dwell on it, that it doesnʼt leave. — ³·¹By not elevating the worthy, you keep the people from contention. ²By not valuing rare treasures, you keep the people from stealing. ³By not displaying what is desirable, you keep the people from confu- sion. ³·⁴Therefore, the sage governs by clearing the peopleʼs minds, but filling their bellies; weakening their ambitions, but strengthening their bones. ³·⁵He constantly keeps the people without cunning and without desires ⁶so that the intellectuals wonʼt dare to meddle. ⁷Act without forcing, then everything is governed properly. — ⁷·⁵The sage puts himself in the background yet finds himself in the foreground; ⁶puts himself out of mind yet finds himself cared for. ⁷Isnʼt it because heʼs selfless that ⁸heʼs able to achieve his self- interest? — ⁸·¹The highest good is like water. ²Waterʼs goodness is that it benefits all things, ³yet it strives to dwell in the places that the crowd hates, ⁴therefore it comes close to the Way. ⁸·⁶In a dwelling, its goodness is location; ⁷in a mind, depth; ⁸in giving, being like Heaven; ⁹in speak- ing, sincerity; ¹⁰in government, order; ¹¹in han- dling affairs, ability; ¹²in action, timeliness. ⁸·¹³Because there is no contention, there is no blame. — ⁹·¹If you hold and overfill a cup, itʼs not as good as stopping short. ²If you hammer and oversharpen a blade, you canʼt maintain it for long. ³If gold and jade fill your rooms, no one is able to protect it. ⁴If status and wealth lead to arrogance, you bring disaster upon yourself. ⁹·⁵When the work is done, withdraw; this is the Way of Heaven. — ¹¹·¹Thirty spokes come together at one hub, ²but itʼs the emptiness inside the hub that makes it useful to the cart. ³We form clay into a pot, ⁴but itʼs the emp- tiness inside that makes the clay pot useful. ⁵We chisel out doors and windows to make a room, ⁶but itʼs the emptiness inside that makes the room use- ful. ¹¹·⁷Therefore, what is present brings benefit, ⁸but what is absent makes it useful. — ¹⁵·¹In antiquity, those who were good at the Way ²were subtle, wonderful, mysterious, penetrating, and too deep to know. ³Because they canʼt be known, weʼre forced to describe their appearance: ⁴Hesitant, as if crossing a river in winter. ⁵Alert, as if fearing the neighbors on all sides. ⁶Solemn, like a visiting guest. ⁷Yielding, like ice about to melt. ⁸Genuine, like uncarved wood. ⁹Opaque, like muddy water. ¹⁰Vast, like a valley. ¹⁵·¹¹If muddy water is still, it gradually becomes clear. ¹²If something at rest is moved, it gradually comes to life. — ¹⁷·¹With the very best rulers, those below only know that the rulers exist, ²the next best are the rulers they love and praise, ³next are the rulers they fear, ⁴and the worst are the rulers they despise. ¹⁷·⁷When the task is accomplished and the work is done, all the common people say, “We did it our- selves.” — ¹⁸·¹Itʼs when the great Way is abandoned that benevo- lence and righteousness appear. ²Itʼs when learning and cleverness emerge that the great hypocrisy ap- pears. ³Itʼs when family relationships are not harmo- nious that filial piety and parental compassion ap- pear. ⁴Itʼs when the country is confused and chaotic that upright officials appear. — ¹⁹·⁵Demonstrate plainness, embrace simplicity, have little selfishness and few desires. — ²²·¹Bent over then preserved whole; ²crooked then straight; ³hollow then filled; ⁴worn out then renewed; ⁵having little then satisfied; ⁶having much then confused. ⁷Therefore, the sage holds to the one and becomes shepherd to the world. ²²·⁸He doesnʼt promote himself, so heʼs acknowl- edged. ⁹He doesnʼt display himself, so he shines brightly. ¹⁰He doesnʼt brag about himself, so he has merit. ¹¹Heʼs not boastful, so he can endure. ¹²Itʼs only because he doesnʼt contend that no one can con- tend with him. — ²³·¹Itʼs natural to speak rarely. ²A violent wind doesnʼt last all morning. ³A torrential rain doesnʼt last all day. ⁵If heaven and earth canʼt sustain it for long, how much less can man? — ²⁴·¹He who blows hard canʼt stand. ²He who promotes himself isnʼt acknowledged. ³He who displays himself doesnʼt shine brightly. ⁵He who brags about himself has no merit. ⁶He who boasts about himself wonʼt en- dure. ⁸These are so despised that even those who want things donʼt abide them. — ²⁷·¹A skillful traveler leaves no ruts or tracks. ²A skillful speaker makes no slips or gaffes. ³A skill- ful counter needs no tallies or papers. ²⁷·⁶The sage is always skillful at saving people, and never abandons anyone; ⁷with things, he never aban- dons valuable property. ²⁷·⁹Skillful people are the teachers of skillful peo- ple; ¹⁰unskilled people are the raw materials of skillful people. ¹¹He who doesnʼt value his teacher and cherish his raw materials is greatly confused, no matter how clever he is. — ²⁹·¹Those who want to take the world and rule it, ²I see that they wonʼt succeed. ³The world is a sacred vessel, ⁴and it canʼt be ruled. ⁵Those who rule it ru- in it. ⁶Those who hold it lose it. ²⁹·⁷Itʼs the nature of things that some lead and some follow, ⁸some blow hot and some blow cold, ⁹some are strong and some are weak, ¹⁰some cultivate and some deteriorate. ¹¹Therefore the sage avoids extremes, ar- rogance, and extravagance. — ³⁰·¹Those with the Way who assist the ruler donʼt use the force of arms to conquer the world; ²such methods would only backfire. ³Wherever armies camp, brambles and thorns will grow. ³⁰·⁵A skillful leader achieves results then stops, ⁶and doesnʼt use the occasion to sieze power. ⁷He achieves results without arrogance. ⁸He achieves results without praising his deeds. ⁹He achieves results without boasting. ¹⁰He achieves results only as a last resort. — ³¹·¹The military is an ominous instrument. ²Itʼs so despised that even those who want things donʼt abide it. ³¹·⁵The military is an ominous instrument, ⁶so only use it as a last resort; ⁷with calm detachment is best. ⁸Donʼt glorify it; ⁹to glorify it would be to delight in killing people. ¹⁰He who delights in kill- ing people canʼt achieve his ambitions in the world. ¹⁶When many people have been killed, ¹⁷weep for them with sorrow. ¹⁸When the war has been won, treat it like a funeral ceremony. — ³³·¹He who knows others is intelligent; ²he who knows himself is enlightened. ³He who overcomes others is forceful; ⁴he who overcomes himself is powerful. ⁵He who knows contentment is rich. — ³⁴·¹The Way floats and drifts; ²it can go left or right. ⁴When the task is accomplished and the work is done, it claims no credit. ³⁴·⁵All things turn to it ⁶and yet it doesnʼt act as their master, ⁸so it can be called a small thing. ³⁴·⁹All things turn to it ¹⁰and yet it doesnʼt act as their master, ¹¹so it can be called a great thing. ³⁴·¹²Thatʼs why the sage is able to accomplish great things: ¹³he doesnʼt try to do great things, there- fore he accomplishes great things. — ³⁵·³Coming to you, the world suffers no harm, but finds safety and peace. ³⁵·⁴Passing travelers will stop for music and food. ⁵But if the Way were described, ⁶it would seem insip- id and without flavor. ⁷When you look at it, itʼs not sufficient to be seen; ⁸when you listen to it, itʼs not sufficient to be heard; ⁹yet when you use it, it canʼt be exhausted. — ³⁶·¹If you want to shrink something, ²it must first be expanded; ³if you want to weaken something, ⁴it must first be strengthened; ⁵if you want to leave something, ⁶it must first be joined; ⁷if you want to take something away, ⁸it must first be given. — ³⁸·¹A man of superior virtue doesnʼt cling to vir- tue, ²therefore he has true virtue. ⁵A man of superi- or virtue acts without force, ⁶and without an agen- da. ³⁸·¹⁶After losing the Way there is virtue; ¹⁷after losing virtue there is benevolence; ¹⁸after losing be- nevolence there is righteousness; ¹⁹after losing righteousness there is propriety. ³⁸·²⁰As for propriety, itʼs a thin veneer of loyalty and sincerity, ²¹and the beginning of disorder. ³⁸·²⁴Therefore, a truly great man dwells in the thick substance, ²⁵not in the thin veneer; ²⁶in the fruit, not in the flower. — ⁴³·¹The softest, most pliable thing in the world ²runs roughshod over the hardest, most solid thing in the world. ³That which has no substance enters into that which has no openings. ⁴Thatʼs how I know the benefits of nonforced action. ⁴³·⁵Teachings that use no words, ⁶and the benefits of nonforced action: ⁷few in the world can understand them. — ⁴⁴·⁴Excessive attachment comes at great cost, ⁵and great accumulation leads to heavy loss. ⁶Therefore, knowing contentment avoids disgrace, ⁷and knowing when to stop avoids danger; ⁸thus you can endure for a long time. — ⁴⁶·¹When the world has the Way, ²fine horses are rel- egated to fertilizing the fields. ³When the world lacks the Way, ⁴warhorses are bred just outside the city walls. ⁴⁶·⁵There is no greater crime than desire; ⁶no greater disaster than being discontent; ⁷no greater fault than wanting more. ⁸Therefore, the satisfac- tion that comes from being content is lasting satis- faction. — ⁴⁷·¹You donʼt have to go out the door to know the world. ²You donʼt have to peek out the window to know the Way of Heaven. ³The farther you go, the less you know. ⁴⁷·⁴Therefore the sage doesnʼt travel but knows; ⁵doesnʼt look, but discerns; ⁶and doesnʼt do, but succeeds. — ⁴⁸·¹He who pursues learning gains something each day. ²He who hears the Way loses something each day. ³He loses, and loses again, until he acts without force. ⁴He acts without force and yet nothing is left un- done. ⁴⁸·⁵If you want to rule the world, constantly avoid interfering with it. ⁶If you interfere, youʼre unfit to rule the world. — ⁴⁹·¹The sage constantly has no mind of his own. ²He takes the mind of the people as his mind. ⁴⁹·³Heʼs good to good people ⁴and also good to bad people, ⁵thus he gains in goodness. ⁶He trusts trust- worthy people ⁷and also trusts untrustworthy people, ⁸thus he gains in trust. — ⁵³·¹If I had the least bit of knowledge, ²I would walk on the great Way ³and my only fear would be straying from it. ⁴The great Way is very much level, ⁵but people very much prefer mountain trails. ⁵³·⁶The court is full of splendor, ⁷but the fields are full of weeds, ⁸and the granaries are full of nothing; ⁹their clothes are embroidered and color- ful, ¹⁰their belts have sharp swords, ¹¹theyʼre stuffed with food, ¹²and have money and possessions in excess: ¹³this is called robbery, ¹⁴and robbery is certainly not the Way. — ⁵⁶·¹Those who know it, donʼt talk about it; ²those who talk about it, donʼt know it. — ⁵⁷·¹Govern the state with justice, ²deploy the mili- tary with surprise, ³and take the world without in- terference. ⁴How do I know this? From the following: ⁵⁷·⁵The world has many prohibitions and taboos, ⁶and yet the people are full of poverty. ⁷The people have many beneficial tools, ⁸and yet the state and family are increasingly faint. ⁹People have many clever tricks, ¹⁰and yet strange things increasingly hap- pen. ¹¹The laws are increasingly publicized, ¹²and yet there are many thieves and robbers. ⁵⁷·¹³Therefore, in the words of the sage: ¹⁴“I act without force, and the people transform themselves. ¹⁵I enjoy quiet, and the people correct themselves. ¹⁶I donʼt intefere, and the people prosper them- selves. ¹⁷I have no desires, and the people simplify themselves.” — ⁵⁸·⁵Good fortune perches on misfortune; ⁶misfortune lurks beneath good fortune. ⁷Who knows where it will end? ⁵⁸·⁸Nothing is obvious. ⁹Obvious again becomes sur- prising; ¹⁰good again becomes monstrous. ¹¹The peo- ple have been confused for a long time. — ⁵⁹·¹In governing the people and serving Heaven, ²there is nothing like frugality. ³Only with frugali- ty can you submit early. ⁴Submitting early is called repeatedly accumulating virtue. ⁵If you repeatedly ac- cumulate virtue, then there is nothing you canʼt over- come. — ⁶²·²The Way is the treasure of a good man, ³and the shelter of a bad man. ⁶²·⁶Even if a man is bad, how can you abandon him? ⁶²·⁷At the emperorʼs coronation, ⁹offering jade discs brought in by a team of horses ¹⁰is not as good as sitting still and offering this Way. ⁶²·¹¹Why was this Way so valuable to the ancients? ¹²Isnʼt it said, “Those who seek, with this will ob- tain, ¹³and those who have guilt, with this will es- cape”? ¹⁴Therefore itʼs the most valuable thing in the world. — ⁶³·¹Act without forcing, ²serve without interfering, ³savor the flavorless, ⁴consider the small as great and the few as many, ⁵respond to resentment with vir- tue. ⁶³·⁶Plan for something difficult while itʼs still easy. ⁷Deal with something great while itʼs still small. ⁸The difficult things of the world start off easy. ⁹The great things of the world start off small. ¹⁰Therefore, the sage never does great things, ¹¹and thus he is able to accomplish great things. ⁶³·¹²He who makes promises lightly is sure to have little trust, ¹³and he who treats many things as easy is sure to have many difficulties. ¹⁴Therefore, the sage treats things as difficult, ¹⁵and thus, in the end, nothing is difficult. — ⁶⁴·¹Itʼs easy to hold whatʼs at rest. ²Itʼs easy to plan for what hasnʼt begun. ³Itʼs easy to break what is brittle. ⁴Itʼs easy to scatter what is tiny. ⁵Deal with it before it happens; ⁶manage it before itʼs cha- otic. ⁶⁴·⁷A tree thatʼs thick enough to embrace rises from a tiny shoot. ⁸A terrace thatʼs nine stories tall rises from a heap of earth. ⁹A wall thatʼs three hun- dred yards high begins at the ground beneath your feet. ⁶⁴·¹⁰Those who rule it ruin it. ¹¹Those who hold it lose it. ¹²Therefore, the sage rules nothing and thus ruins nothing. ¹³He holds on to nothing and thus loses nothing. ⁶⁴·¹⁴People usually fail in their endeavors on the verge of success. ¹⁵Therefore we say, “If youʼre as careful at the end as you are at the beginning, ¹⁶youʼll have no failure.” ⁶⁴·¹⁷The sage desires not to desire, ¹⁸and doesnʼt value goods that are hard to obtain; ¹⁹he learns not to study, ²⁰and returns to what the multitude has passed over. ²¹He could help all things to be natu- ral, ²²but dares not do it. — ⁶⁶·¹The rivers and lakes are able to be the kings of the valleys ²because of their skill at being low. ⁴Therefore, wanting to be above the people, the sage must speak to them humbly from below; ⁵wanting to be before the people, he must put himself behind them. ⁶Therefore, he dwells above them yet the people donʼt feel that heʼs a burden. ⁷He dwells before them yet the people donʼt feel that heʼs an obstruction. ⁸Eve- ryone in the world delights in promoting him and nev- er tires of him. ⁶⁶·⁹Itʼs because he doesnʼt contend ¹⁰that no one in the world can contend with him. — ⁶⁷·⁴I constantly have three treasures which I hold and treasure: ⁵the first is compassion, ⁶the second is frugality, ⁷the third is not daring to be preemi- nent in the world. ⁸Itʼs because of compassion that I can be courageous; ⁹itʼs because of frugality that I can be generous; ¹⁰itʼs because of not daring to be preeminent in the world that I can be head of all things. ⁶⁷·¹¹Now, abandoning compassion to be courageous, ¹²abandoning frugality to be generous, ¹³abandoning the rear to be in front: ¹⁴this is courting death. — ⁶⁸·¹A skillful warrior doesnʼt show his might. ²A skillful fighter doesnʼt get angry. ³A skillful vic- tor doesnʼt engage his enemy. ⁴A skillful employer places himself below others. — ⁷³·¹Those who are brave in daring will die; ²those who are brave in caution will live. ³In these two cases, one is beneficial and the other is harmful. ⁴Who understands why Heaven hates what it does? ⁷³·⁶The Way of Heaven doesnʼt fight yet wins skill- fully, ⁷doesnʼt speak yet responds skillfully, ⁸is- nʼt summoned yet comes on its own, ⁹is at ease yet plans skillfully. ⁷³·¹⁰The net of Heaven is vast; it has a coarse mesh yet nothing slips through. — ⁷⁵·¹The people starve because those above consume too much in taxes. ²The people rebel because those above interfere. ³The people scoff at death because those above demand so much from life. — ⁷⁶·¹While living, a man is supple and soft, ²but once dead, he is hard and rigid. ³While living, all things, grasses, and trees are supple and crisp, ⁴but once dead, they are withered and dry. ⁷⁶·⁵Therefore it is said: those who are hard and rig- id are the followers of death; ⁶those who are supple and soft are the followers of life. ⁷Therefore, a rig- id army wonʼt win, ⁸and a rigid tree will snap. — ⁷⁷·¹The Way of Heaven is like an archer drawing his bow. ²If itʼs too high, he presses down; if itʼs too low, he lifts up; ³if there is excess, he reduces it; ⁴if there is not enough, he adds to it. ⁵The Way of Heaven is also to reduce what has excess and add to what doesnʼt have enough. ⁷⁷·⁶The Way of man is different: ⁷he reduces what doesnʼt have enough and offers it to that which has excess. ⁷⁷·⁸Who can have excess and offer it to Heaven? ⁹On- ly he who has the Way. ⁷⁷·¹⁰Therefore, the sage takes actions without claiming the results; ¹¹he succeeds without dwelling on it; ¹²similarly, he doesnʼt desire to make a dis- play of his worthiness. — ⁷⁹·¹When harmony is made after great resentment, ²there is always some resentment remaining. ³How can this be considered good? ⁴Therefore, the sage keeps his part of the contract, but makes no demands on the other party. ⁷⁹·⁷The Way of Heaven has no favorites, ⁸itʼs con- stantly on the side of the good man. — ⁸⁰·¹Let there be a small state with few people. ²Let them have powerful tools and not use them. ³Let the people take death seriously and not migrate far a- way. ⁴There are boats and vehicles but no reason to ride them. ⁵There are armor and weapons but no rea- son to parade them. ⁶Let the people keep their records with knotted string again. ⁷Their food is sweet, ⁸their clothes are beautiful, ⁹their homes are secure, ¹⁰and their customs are enjoyable. ⁸⁰·¹¹Neighboring states can see each other, ¹²they can hear each otherʼs dogs and roosters, ¹³yet the people grow old and die ¹⁴without any dealings be- tween each other. — ⁸¹·¹Credible words arenʼt eloquent; ²eloquent words arenʼt credible. ³The skillful arenʼt polymaths; ⁴those who are polymaths arenʼt skillful. ⁵Those who know arenʼt learned; ⁶the learned donʼt know. ⁸¹·⁷The sage accumulates nothing. ⁸The more he does for others, the greater his possessions. ⁹The more he gives to others, the greater his abundance. ⁸¹·¹⁰Therefore, the Way of Heaven is to benefit with- out harming. ¹¹The Way of the sage is to act without contending.