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me　a　leader　of　men。　But　men　of　the　present　day　abandon　compassion；　yet　aim　at　valiancy；　they　abandon　frugality；　yet　aim　at　being　liberal；　they　abandon　modesty；　yet　aim　at　leadership。　This　is　death　to　them。

　　Now　when　one　is　compassionate　in　battle；　he　will　be　victorious。　When　one　is　compassionate　in　defending；　his　defences　will　be　strong。　When　Heaven　intends　to　deliver　men；　it　employs　compassion　to　protect　them。

　　68

　　Those　eminent　for　scholarly　virtues　are　not　fighting　men。　Those　eminent　in　war　do　not　lose　their　temper。　Those　eminent　for　victory　do　not　struggle。　Those　eminent　for　making　use　of　others　descend　to　their　level。

　　This　may　be　called　the　virtue　which　does　not　contend；　the　power　of　utilising　men；　the　utmost　limit　that　can　be　reached　in　equalling　Heaven　and　the　men　of　old。

　　69

　　There　was　a　saying　among　the　military　commanders　＇of　old＇：？I　do　not　venture　to　act　the　host梣。d。；　to　give　battle；　I　prefer　to　be　the　guest梩o　await　the　attack。　I　do　not　venture　to　advance　an　inch；　I　prefer　to　retire　a　foot。〃　This　may　be　called　operating　negatively；　and　appropriating　＇the　enemy's　possessions＇　without　infringing　propriety。　Were　this　policy　pursued；　there　would　be　no　withstanding　＇of　our　arms＇；　and　capture　might　be　effected　without　striking　a　blow。

　　There　is　no　greater　calamity　than　that　of　despising　an　enemy。　By　underestimating　the　enemy　one　brings　about　the　loss　of　＇the　three　things＇　I　prize。　Wherefore　when　opposing　forces　meet　in　battle；　it　is　the　compassionate　who　conquer。

　　70

　　My　words　are　easy　to　understand；　easy　to　put　in　practice；　＇yet＇　the　world　can　neither　understand　nor　practise　them。

　　My　words　have　an　underlying　intent；　my　actions　have　a　ruling　motive。　It　is　only　ignorance　that　causes　men　not　to　understand　my　doctrine。

　　Those　who　understand　me　are　few；　those　who　copy　me　are　worthy。　Wherefore　the　Sage　dresses　in　coarse　robes　while　hiding　a　jewel　in　his　breast。

　　71

　　Those　who　understand　＇the　TAO＇　are　up　conscious　of　their　upward　progress。　Those　who　count　their　ignorance　as　knowledge；　are　diseased。　It　is　only　those　who　treat　themselves　as　sick　who　are　therefore　free　from　disease。　The　Sage；　who　is　not　diseased；　treats　himself　as　though　he　were；　wherefore　his　disease　becomes　no　disease　at　all。

　　72

　　When　the　people　do　not　stand　in　awe　of　severe　enactments；　great　visitations　will　befal　＇the　State＇。

　　When　＇a　man＇　does　not　behave　indecorously　within　doors；　he　will　not　inspire　disgust　in　others。　It　is　only　when　＇the　prince＇　does　not　inspire　disgust　that　＇his　subjects＇　will　submit　to　him　without　reluctance。

　　Wherefore　is　it　that　the　Sage；　though　possessed　of　intuitive　knowledge；　yet　makes　no　self…display；　respects；　but　does　not　exalt　himself；　thus　adopting　the　one　course　and　avoiding　the　other。

　　73

　　When　bravery　is　pushed　to　rashness；　a　man　will　incur　a　violent　death。　When　courage　is　tempered　by　caution；　he　will　preserve　his　life。

　　These　two　conditions　result；　the　one　in　benefit；　the　other　in　injury。　Who　knows　the　cause　of　Heaven's　animosity　＇to　either＇？　Thus　it　is　that　even　the　Sage　here　sees　a　difficulty。

　　The　TAO　of　Heaven　never　strives；　yet　excels　in　victory；　it　speaks　not；　yet　excels　in　responding　＇to　desert＇；　it　beckons　not；　yet　＇things＇　come　to　it　of　their　own　accord；　it　lies　concealed；　yet　excels　in　organising。　The　net　of　Heaven　extends　everywhere。　Its　meshes　are　wide；　but　nothing　ever　escapes　it。

　　74

　　If　people　do　not　fear　death　why　attempt　to　frighten　them　by　capital　punishment？

　　Supposing　the　people　are　made　constantly　afraid　of　death；　so　that　when　they　commit　unlawful　acts　I　arrest　them　and　have　them　killed；　who　will　dare　＇afterwards　to　misbehave＇？　For　then　there　will　always　be　yiu…sze；　or　civil　magistrates；　to　execute　them。　Now　the　execution　of　men　on　behalf　of　the　inflictor　of　the　death…punishment　＇by　those　not　legally　qualified　to　do　so＇　may　be　compared　to　hewing　on　behalf　of　a　master　carpenter；　and　people　who　＇attempt　to＇　hew　instead　of　a　master　carpenter　mostly　cut　their　hands。

　　*　The　expression　###　means；　literally；　〃office…holder；〃　and　is　used　in　the　sense　of　〃one　of　the　executive〃　or　〃an　officer　holding　judicial　functions；〃　as　opposed　to　expectants　and　mere　administrative　officials；　such　as　Censors；　etc。　The　Chou　Li　says；　〃The　###　are　###。〃　According　to　the　Shu　Ching；　〃Wên　Wang　had　no　necessity　to　transact　in　person　the　minor　functions　of　state；　such　as　punishments；　litigation；　and　so　on；　it　was　the　underlings　of　the　###　who　prevented　disobedience　to　the　laws。〃　See　also　the　memorial　of　Chu…ko　Liang　in　the　San　Kuo　Chih；　and　Lun　Yü；　Book　VIII；　chap。　4。　The　Commentator　says；　###。

　　75

　　The　hunger　of　the　people　is　due　to　the　exorbitant　taxation　levied　by　their　rulers。　That　is　why　they　starve。

　　The　difficulty　of　governing　the　people　arises　from　the　policy　of　action　adopted　by　their　rulers。　That　is　why　government　is　difficult。　The　light　esteem　in　which　people　hold　death　is　due　to　the　over…anxiety　with　which　they　struggle　for　life。　That　is　why　they　hold　death　so　cheap。　It　is　only　those　who　do　not　exert　themselves　on　behalf　of　their　life　that　know　how　to　hold　life　in　true　honour；　＇or；　who　are　superior　to　those　who　hold　life　in　too　high　esteem＇。

　　76

　　Men；　when　born；　are　weak　and　soft；　when　dead；　they　are　stiff　and　hard。

　　When　inanimate　objects梥ay；　the　vegetable　creation梐re　first　produced；　they　are　soft　and　tender；　when　dead；　they　are　hard　and　dry。

　　Wherefore　hardness　and　rigidity　are　associated　with　death；　softness　and　weakness　with　life。　So；　when　soldiers　are　violent；　they　gain　no　victories；　when　the　tree　is　strong；　a　combination　of　strength　is　used　＇to　fell　it＇。　Its　big　parts　are　below；　its　soft　and　tender　parts　above。

　　77

　　The　TAO　of　Heaven　resembles　a　drawn　bow。　It　brings　down　the　high　and　exalts　the　lowly；　it　takes　from　those　who　have　superfluity；　and　gives　to　those　who　have　not　enough。　The　TAO　of　Heaven　abstracts　where　there　is　too　much；　and　supplements　where　there　is　deficiency。

　　The　TAO　of　men　does　not　so。　It　takes　away　from　what　is　already　deficient　in　order　to　bestow　on　those　who　have　a　superfluity。　Who　is　able　to　devote　his　surplus　to　the　needs　of　others？桹nly　he　who　is　possessed　of　TAO。

　　Thus　it　is　that　the　Sage　acts；　yet　does　not　plume　himself；　achieves　works　of　merit；　yet　does　not　hold　to　them。　He　has　no　wish　to　make　a　display　of　his　worthiness。

　　78

　　There　is　nothing　under　Heaven　that　is　weaker　or　softer　than　water；　yet　those　who　attack　what　is　hard　and　strong　are　not　aware　that　it　is　＇the　soft　and　weak＇　that　can　overcome　it。＇Thus＇　they　do　not　see　that；　their　task　is　an　easy　one。

　　The　fact　that　weakness　overcomes　strength；　that　the　soft　overcomes　the　hard；　is　unknown　to　none；　yet　they　cannot　act　upon　it。

　　Therefore　the　Sage　says：　He　who　bears　the　reproach　of　the　State　may　be　called　lord　of　the　nation's　altars；　he　who　bears　the　calamities　of　the　State　may　be　called　the　King　of　the　world。　These　are　true　words；　though　apparently　at　variance　＇with　reason＇；　i。e。；　paradoxical。

　　79

　　When　peace　is　made　after　a　great　quarrel；　there　is　always　a　feeling　of　resentment　left　behind。　How　can　this　be　regarded　as　right？

　　Wherefore　the　Sage；　unwilling　to　shift　responsibility　upon　others；　keeps；　on　his　left　hand；　an　officer　to　make　record　＇of　his　obligations＇。　The　virtuous　man　keeps　a　record　of　his　compacts；　the　unprincipled　man　repudiates　＇or　destroys＇　them。

　　The　TAO　of　Heaven　has　no　favourites；　its　practice　is　simply　to　reward　the　virtuous。

　　80

　　With　a　small　State；　sparsely　populated；　supposing　that　I　had　weapons　for　a　thousand　men；　I　would　not　use　them。　I　would　rather　teach　my　subjects　to　think　seriously　of　death；　and　not　to　emigrate　to　a　distance。　Then；　though　they　might　have　ships　and　chariots；　nobody　would　mount　them；　though　they　might　have　armour　and　weapons；　nobody　would　set　them　in　array。　I　would　make　them　return　to　the　use　of　the　quipu；　render　their　food　toothsome；　beautify　their　clothes　＇by　cultivating　the　silkworm＇；　live　tranquilly　at　home；　be　happy　in　their　domestic　usages；　keep　watch　with　neighbouring　states　for　their　mutual　safety；　and　let　the　crowing　of　cocks　and　barking　of　dogs　be　heard　by　one　another　＇from　their　numbers　and　proximity＇。　Thus　the　people　would　die　of　old　age　without　ever　coming　into　＇hostile＇　collision　with　each　other。

　　81

　　Faithful　words　are　not　pleasant。　Pleasant；　or　specious；　words　are　not　faithful。

　　The　virtuous　do　not　bandy　arguments。　Those　who　bandy　arguments　are　not　virtuous。　The　wise　do　not　seek　learning　＇from　outside＇。　Those　who　do　so　are　not　wise。

　　The　Sage　does　not　lay　up　hidden　stores　＇of　TAO＇；　The　more　he　employs　it　on　behalf　of　others　the　more　he　has　for　himself。　The　more　he　imparts　to　others；　the　more　his　own　stores　increase。

　　The　TAO　of　Heaven　confers　benefit；　and　injures　not。　The　TAO　of　the　Sage　acts；　and　does　not　strive。　　




　

　　
English_Beck_TTK
　　Das　Tao　Te　King　von　Lao　Tse
　　English　interpolation　by
　　Sanderson　Beck；　1996

　　1

　　The　Way　that　can　be　described　is　not　the　absolute　Way；
　　the　name　that　can　be　given　is　not　the　absolute　name。
　　Na