1. No words for Tao

#T-L 1 No words for Tao; words are for things. To know Tao, no desire; desires are for things. Both sourced in darkness, doorway to no-thing

2. without doing

#T-L 2 Knowing good creates bad. But natural opposites rely on each other. So the sage does without doing. Things come & go w/o one’s acting

3. clearing thought & will

#T-L 3 Don’t praise people & things; public will confuse. Lead by clearing thought & will, fulfilling needs. Act by not-doing; all in peace.

4. bottomless emptiness

#T-L 4 Tao is bottomless emptiness, seeming source of all things. Harmonizing, it perhaps exists. Its birth is unknown, image older than God

5. isn’t humane

#T-L 5 The cosmos isn’t humane nor is the sage: all beings are sacrificial. The cosmos will always make more. So abide in the silent center.

6. feminine mystery

#T-L 6 The valley spirit never dies; call it the feminine mystery. Its gate is the root of the cosmos. Ethereal: but in use, inexhaustible.

7. being free of self

#T-L 7 The world abides, for it doesn’t exist for itself. So by yielding the body, one is present. And being free of self, one is fulfilled.

8. truth, like water

#T-L 8 As truth, like water, one helps all, vies w/ none, lives low. As Tao. All has its truth. By not resisting, one is free from illusion.

9. Nature’s Way

#T-L 9 A cup filled to the brim will spill; acts done in excess produce the opposite. When work’s complete, the self retreats: Nature’s Way.

10. the seam of opposites

#T-L 10 Can you rest in the seam of opposites? See Spirit and Instinct as One? Give birth w/o claiming, rear w/o ruling. This deepest power.

11. in non-existence, rationale

#T-L 11 Form clay into a cup; thru emptiness comes function. Same for a wheel or home. In being is assistance; in non-existence, rationale.

12. attends to the inner

#T-L 12 Indulgence dulls the senses; excitement maddens the mind; treasure limits action. So the sage attends to the inner & not the outer.

13. knowing the world

#T-L 13 Honor & disgrace bind us to opinion. Suffering is bound to the self. By knowing the world is truly one’s self, we may attend to all.

14. journey here and now

#T-L 14 Not seen, heard, nor felt: one. Rising, not light; falling, not dark: formless form. Hold the Ancient Way to journey here and now.

15. Never fulfilled

#T-L 15 Ancients: alert—crossing winter river; yielding—melting ice; obscure—murky waters. Settle to clarity; stir to life. Never fulfilled.

16. Realizing

#T-L 16 Find emptiness & abide in stillness: see all things rise & return to the root. Not knowing is suffering. Realizing—never loses life.

17. it happens naturally

#T-L 17 Best leaders are almost anonymous. Next—loved. Then—feared. Worst—scorned. No words; just do! People will say it happens naturally.

18. When Tao declines

#T-L 18 When Tao declines, righteousness rises. When knowledge appears, pretense emerges. When the nation is in chaos, loyal ministers show.

19. the essential

#T-L 19 Abandon knowledge, morality; ingenuity & profit. Rely on the essential: see simplicity—hold the innate; lessen self—diminish desire.

20. the frontier before dawn

#T-L 20 People so busy & full! I’m the frontier before dawn, child before first smile. Mind of a fool—sea—the wind! I nurture on the Mother.

21. essence of fact

#T-L 21 Tao’s formless—but creates shapes in the mind’s image. Hidden—it holds essence of fact. It’s always been—how do I know? It tells me.

22. yield to be whole

#T-L 22 Yield & be whole. As hollow—thus filled. So the sage embraces unity. Not self-involved—self-evident. Yes yield to be whole & be all.

23. follow Tao is to be Tao

#T-L 23 Speak little—as nature. Wild wind and rains never last—how long can our works? To follow Tao is to be Tao, as gain, gain—loss, loss.

24. too fast a pace

#T-L 24 On tiptoes—one can’t stand firm. Showing off—one won’t shine. A Taoist says: too much food & too fast a pace. All things avoid this.

25. follow it

#T-L 25 Being before the Cosmos: silent—empty—Mother of All. Call it Tao. Picture it Great—Receding—Distant—Returning. All in turn follow it

26. root of light

#T-L 26 Solid—root of light; quiet—lord of busy. So a sage walks all day w/o supplies far behind. Act lightly, lose basis; wildly, command.

27. Good travelers

#T-L 27 Good travelers leave no tracks. So sages reject no one or thing. Those on this Path of Light teach those who follow w/ mutual love.

28. return to the natural

#T-L 28 Know splendor—abide in obscurity—return to the natural. When the uncut is split, it’s used. But a sage is unhewn & divides nothing.

29. can’t improve the world

#T-L 29 One can’t improve the world; it’s perfect spirit. One’s hot—then cold. Strong—weak. On—off. So a sage avoids indulgence in extremes.

30. never favor force

#T-L 30 As armies occupy, thorns arise. The adept are resolute, but never favor force. For things gone overgrown decay; that isn’t the Way.

31. tools of misfortune

#T-L 31 Weapons are tools of misfortune—the sage stays away from them. When many are killed—mourn them. Even in victory—mark with a funeral.

32. none command it

#T-L 32 Tao is ever nameless—none command it. Rain falls w/o an order. Make rules—names rise—stop! Tao in use is a river flowing to the sea.

33. die yet not die

#T-L 33 Know: others—wise; self—enlightened. Overcome: others—strong; self—powerful. Not lost in position—endure; die yet not die—immortal.

34. not acting for oneself

#T-L 34 Tao floods all directions. All rely on it for being, yet it claims no name. So a sage not acting for oneself accomplishes greatness.

35. Way is tasteless

#T-L 35 Who follows the Great Image enjoys peace. Song & cake entice passersby to stop—the Way is tasteless. Not seen, heard, or exhausted.

36. Dark Light

#T-L 36 To weaken—1st brace; take—give. This is Dark Light. Soft breaks hard. Fish can’t be taken in depths; a realm’s weapon is its people.

37. ever not doing

#T-L 37 Tao is ever not doing yet nothing remains undone. Even desire is stilled by the Nameless Pure. Thus there’s peace of its own accord.

38. descent from Tao

#T-L 38 High Te Virtue—no action, no aim; Kindness—action & no aim; Duty—action & aim; Ritual—action & force to chaos: the descent from Tao.

39. the one

#T-L 39 Attaining the one—the world is pure. W/o the one—the world cracks. High is rooted in low. Don’t jingle like jade—clatter like stone.

40. non-being

#T-L 40 The movement of Tao is returning; its function is yielding. All things in the world are born of being. Being is born of non-being.

41. hear of Tao

#T-L 41 The best hear of Tao & strive. The middling half-believe—the lowest laugh. Image has no shape. Thus Tao is hidden but completes all.

42. Tao begets 1

#T-L 42 Tao begets 1—2—3 begets 10,000 things. All carry yin—face yang—blend chi to harmony. Some gain by loss—lose by gain. Strong die 1st.

43. no words nor action

#T-L 43 World’s soft overcomes hard—not-being penetrates being. Thus I know the help of not-doing. Teach w/ no words nor action; few master.

44. knowing to stop

#T-L 44 Are self & wealth worthy? Gain & loss—which is worse? Great desire is costly—knowing to stop avoids fatigue. Thus one lives forever.

45. Pure Calm

#T-L 45 Perfection seems imperfect but its use is endless. Motion outdoes cold—calm outdoes heat. But Pure Calm makes the world our measure.

46. being content

#T-L 46 When all is w/ Tao—horse manure enriches fields; w/o Tao—horse soldiers roam the border. One content being content is truly content.

47. W/o going out

#T-L 47 W/o going out a door—one knows the world. W/o looking out a window—one sees Tao. Thus the sage names w/o seeing; perfects w/o doing.

48. Lessen & lessen

#T-L 48 One seeking knowledge gains—one seeking Tao lessens. Lessen & lessen ‘til one is doing nothing. Do nothing & nothing is left undone.

49. true goodness

#T-L 49 The sage has no ideas—all ideas are his. Treat good as good & bad as good—true goodness. The sage lives one w/ the world as a child.

50. no mortal spot

#T-L 50 Most look after living intensely. But one who truly lives doesn’t even fear tigers—they’ve no mortal spot for it to sink its claws.

51. Tao & Te

#T-L 51 Tao begets—Te rears—things shape—circumstance completes. Tao & Te aren’t honored by decree—but naturally. Again, this deepest power.

52. world’s mother

#T-L 52 Know world’s mother—know child. Know child—abide in mother. Soft vision is strong. Use light—return to light—no harm: doing Eternal.

53. Straight Way

#T-L 53 If I’ve wisdom to walk the Straight Way, there’s but this peril: many like byroads. Such indulgence: Grand Theft! Not the Grand Way.

54. Firmly rooted

#T-L 54 Firmly rooted, it’s not uprooted & where cultivated it’s authentic. So view each thru itself. But how to look at World? By all this.

55. newborn

#T-L 55 A newborn holds power—hawks won’t seize it. Tender but holds firm—cries all day & doesn’t get hoarse. Such harmony is enlightenment.

56. Deep union!

#T-L 56 One who knows doesn’t lecture, lectures doesn’t know. Seal the mouth—close the senses—join w/dust. Deep union! Highest of the world.

57. non-involvement

#T-L 57 Use justice to govern, cunning to war—but non-involvement captures the cosmos. Thus a sage does nothing—people transform themselves.

58. not dazzling

#T-L 58 When rule is passive—people are pure. When rigorous—restless. Normal is abnormal—all’s confused. Thus a sage is bright—not dazzling.

59. moderation

#Tao 59 To lead others & serve heaven, nothing compares w/moderation. No limit! Deep roots—firm stalk—the Tao of long life & lasting vision.

60. delicate

#Tao 60 Rule a state like frying a delicate fish. Using Tao to lead the land, demons lose power & holy men do no harm—Integrity is restored.

61. humble

#Tao 61 A great state is like one downriver—the world’s confluence. Large unites to nurture—small joins to serve. Great ones all are humble.

62. treasure

#Tao 62 Tao—source of being. The good’s treasure—treasures bad. No gift equals sitting still w/Tao. It’s said: seek & find, offend & escape.

63. no problems

#Tao 63 Act w/o doing. Deal w/problems early—they begin in simplicity. A sage treats all in complexity. So in the end—there are no problems.

64a. footstep

#Tao 64a That which has not appeared is easily arranged. Act on things while they do not exist. A 1000 mile journey begins with a footstep.

64b. not interfere

#Tao 64b Do not act & you will not ruin. Care @ the end as @ the start averts failure. Thus a sage helps all become but dares not interfere.

65. natural-minded

#Tao 65 Ancient masters didn’t illumine but helped people stay natural-minded. Guide thru not-knowing is deep power leading to great accord.

66. Rivers & seas

#Tao 66 Rivers & seas: lords of the valleys by being below—a sage speaks w/ humility—leads by following—she doesn’t resist, none resist her.

67. riches

#Tao 67 Tao is vast—like nothing! 3 riches: love, simplicity, and reserve. With these—courage, generosity, guidance! Without—nothing, death.

68. Te, sway

#Tao 68 A captain isn’t warlike; a warrior isn’t wrathful; a champion unites; a manager serves. This is harmony, Te, sway, heaven’s highest!

69. defenseless

#Tao 69 Retreat a foot rather than press an inch—fight w/o facing an enemy. When 2 sides confront each other, the defenseless one shall win.

70. unseen a gem

#Tao 70 My words—so easy to know—none realize them. My sayings have a source—as this isn’t grasped, a sage in homespun carries unseen a gem.

71. sickness

#Tao 71 Knowing not-knowing—best. Not knowing this knowing—sick. Being sick of sickness—one’s not sick. Thus a sage is free of all sickness.

72. this

#Tao 72 When one fears no power—great power comes. A sage knows & loves herself but doesn’t regard & exalt herself—leaves that—accepts this.

73. Its net

#Tao 73 Bold in risk—death; in not—life. Who knows what Heaven favors—it doesn’t speak but replies. Its net—vast&open yet naught slips thru.

74. dares replace

#Tao 74 Who dares replace Heaven’s Executioner? To substitute is to be an amateur replacing a Master Artisan—bound to injure one’s own hand.

75. seizes life

#Tao 75 People consider death lightly because their exemplars indulge in the diversions of living—one only seizes life when not pursuing it.

76. surrendered

#Tao 76 At birth, one is pliant; at death, rigid. Living things yield; the unyielding die. So it is, strong trees fall—the surrendered rise.

77a. a longbow

#Tao 77a Tao is like holding a longbow. The top is lowered—bottom, raised. The way of man isn’t so—takes from the poor & gives to the rich!

77b. w/o expectation

#Tao 77b Who offers abundance to all the world? Only one holding Tao. So the sage acts w/o expectation. Great skill has no need for display.

78. upside down

#Tao 78 Nothing’s weaker than water—yet nothing stops it overcoming the strong. Nobody doesn’t know but none abide. Truth seems upside down.

79. balance

#Tao 79 Resolving enmity still leaves injury—how to balance? Te pays, but doesn’t exact payment. Tao doesn’t keep tabs—stays with principle.

80. enjoy

#Tao 80 Let there be small states w/few people, tools w/no use. Let people enjoy food, clothes & home—hear the next village but never visit.

81. Tao renders w/o harm

#Tao 81 The wise—not learned; the learned—not wise. The more a sage shares—more she receives. Tao renders w/o harm—its sage acts w/o effort.