1. the way the way that can be experienced is not true; the world that can be constructed is not true. the way manifests all that happens and may happen; the world represents all that exists and may exist. to experience without intention is to sense the world; to experience with intention is to anticipate the world. these two experiences are indistinguishable; their construction differs but their effect is the same. beyond the gate of experience flows the way, which is ever greater and more subtle than the world. 道可道，非常道。名可名，非常名。 无名天地之始；有名万物之母。 故常无，欲以观其妙；常有，欲以观其徼。 此两者，同出而异名，同谓之玄。玄之又玄，众妙之门。 2. abstraction when beauty is abstracted then ugliness has been implied; when good is abstracted then evil has been implied. so alive and dead are abstracted from nature, difficult and easy abstracted from progress, long and short abstracted from contrast, high and low abstracted from depth, song and speech abstracted from melody, after and before abstracted from sequence. the sage experiences without abstraction, and accomplishes without action; he accepts the ebb and flow of things, nurtures them, but does not own them, and lives, but does not dwell. 天下皆知美之为美，斯恶已。皆知善之为善，斯不善已。 有无相生，难易相成，长短相形，高下相盈，音声相和，前后相随。恒也。 是以圣人处无为之事，行不言之教；万物作而弗始，生而弗有，为而弗恃，功成而不居。夫唯弗居，是以不去 3. without action not praising the worthy prevents contention, not esteeming the valuable prevents theft, not displaying the beautiful prevents desire. in this manner the sage governs people: emptying their minds, filling their bellies, weakening their ambitions, and strengthening their bones. if people lack knowledge and desire then they can not act; if no action is taken harmony remains. 不尚贤，使民不争；不贵难得之货，使民不为盗；不见可欲，使民心不乱。 是以圣人之治，虚其心，实其腹，弱其志，强其骨。常使民无知无欲。使夫智者不敢为也。为无为，则无不治。 4. limitless the way is a limitless vessel; used by the self, it is not filled by the world; it cannot be cut, knotted, dimmed or stilled; its depths are hidden, ubiquitous and eternal; i don't know where it comes from; it comes before nature. 道冲，而用之或不盈。 渊兮，似万物之宗； 湛兮，似或存。 吾不知谁之子，象帝之先。 5. nature nature is not kind; it treats all things impartially. the sage is not kind, and treats all people impartially. nature is like a bellows, empty, yet never ceasing its supply. the more it moves, the more it yields; so the sage draws upon experience and cannot be exhausted. 天地不仁，以万物为刍狗； 圣人不仁，以百姓为刍狗。 天地之间，其犹橐龠乎？ 虚而不屈，动而愈出。 多言数穷，不如守中。 6. experience experience is a riverbed, its source hidden, forever flowing: its entrance, the root of the world, the way moves within it: draw upon it; it will not run dry. 谷神不死，是谓玄牝。 玄牝之门，是谓天地根。 绵绵若存，用之不勤。 7. complete nature is complete because it does not serve itself. the sage places himself after and finds himself before, ignores his desire and finds himself content. he is complete because he does not serve himself. 天长地久。 天地所以能长且久者，以其不自生，故能长生。 是以圣人后其身而身先；外其身而身存。 非以其无私邪？故能成其私。 8. water the best of man is like water, which benefits all things, and does not contend with them, which flows in places that others disdain, where it is in harmony with the way. so the sage: lives within nature, thinks within the deep, gives within impartiality, speaks within trust, governs within order, crafts within ability, acts within opportunity. he does not contend, and none contend against him. 上善若水。 水善利万物而不争，处众人之所恶，故几于道。 居善地，心善渊，与善仁，言善信，政善治，事善能，动善时。 夫唯不争，故无尤。 9. retire fill a cup to its brim and it is easily spilled; temper a sword to its hardest and it is easily broken; amass the greatest treasure and it is easily stolen; claim credit and honour and you easily fall; retire once your purpose is achieved - this is natural. 持而盈之，不如其已； 揣而锐之，不可长保。 金玉满堂，莫之能守； 富贵而骄，自遗其咎。 功遂身退，天之道也。 10. harmony embracing the way, you become embraced; breathing gently, you become newborn; clearing your mind, you become clear; nurturing your children, you become impartial; opening your heart, you become accepted; accepting the world, you embrace the way. bearing and nurturing, creating but not owning, giving without demanding, this is harmony. 载营魄抱一，能无离乎？ 专气致柔，能如婴儿乎？ 涤除玄鉴，能如疵乎？ 爱国治民，能无为乎？ 天门开阖，能为雌乎？ 明白四达，能无知乎？ 11. tools thirty spokes meet at a nave; because of the hole we may use the wheel. clay is moulded into a vessel; because of the hollow we may use the cup. walls are built around a hearth; because of the doors we may use the house. thus tools come from what exists, but use from what does not. 三十辐，共一毂，当其无，有车之用。 埏埴以为器，当其无，有器之用。 凿户牖以为室，当其无，有室之用。 故有之以为利，无之以为用。 12. substance too much colour blinds the eye, too much music deafens the ear, too much taste dulls the palate, too much play maddens the mind, too much desire tears the heart. in this manner the sage cares for people: he provides for the belly, not for the senses; he ignores abstraction and holds fast to substance. 五色令人目盲； 五音令人耳聋； 五味令人口爽； 驰骋畋猎，令人心发狂； 难得之货，令人行妨。 是以圣人为腹不为目，故去彼取此。 13. self both praise and blame cause concern, for they bring people hope and fear. the object of hope and fear is the self - for, without self, to whom may fortune and disaster occur? therefore, who distinguishes himself from the world may be given the world, but who regards himself as the world may accept the world. 宠辱若惊，贵大患若身。 何谓宠辱若惊？宠为下，得之若惊，失之若惊，是谓宠辱若惊。 何谓贵大患若身？吾所以有大患者，为吾有身，及吾无身，吾有何患？ 故贵以身为天下，若可寄天下；爱以身为天下，若可托天下。 14. mystery looked at but cannot be seen - it is beneath form; listened to but cannot be heard - it is beneath sound; held but cannot be touched - it is beneath feeling; these depthless things evade definition, and blend into a single mystery. in its rising there is no light, in its falling there is no darkness, a continuous thread beyond description, lining what can not occur; its form formless, its image nothing, its name silence; follow it, it has no back, meet it, it has no face. attend the present to deal with the past; thus you grasp the continuity of the way, which is its essence. 视之不见，名曰夷； 听之不闻，名曰希； 搏之不得，名曰微。 此三者不可致诘，故混而为一。 其上不□，其下不昧。绳绳兮不可名，复归于物。 是谓无状之状，无物之象，是谓惚恍。 迎之不见其首，随之不见其后。 执古之道，以御今之有。 能知古始，是谓道纪。 15. enlightenment the enlightened possess understanding so profound they can not be understood. because they cannot be understood i can only describe their appearance: cautious as one crossing thin ice, undecided as one surrounded by danger, modest as one who is a guest, unbounded as melting ice, genuine as unshaped wood, broad as a valley, seamless as muddy water. who stills the water that the mud may settle, who seeks to stop that he may travel on, who desires less than may transpire, decays, but will not renew. 古之善为道者，微妙玄通，深不可识。夫唯不可识，故强为之容： 豫兮若冬涉川； 犹兮若畏四邻； 俨兮其若客； 涣兮其若凌释； 敦兮其若朴； 旷兮其若谷； 混兮其若浊； 澹兮其若海； □兮若无止。 孰能浊以静之徐清？孰能安以动之徐生？ 保此道者，不欲盈。夫唯不盈，故能蔽而新成。 16. decay and renewal empty the self completely; embrace perfect peace. the world will rise and move; watch it return to rest. all the flourishing things will return to their source. this return is peaceful; it is the flow of nature, an eternal decay and renewal. accepting this brings enlightenment, ignoring this brings misery. who accepts nature's flow becomes all-cherishing; being all-cherishing he becomes impartial; being impartial he becomes magnanimous; being magnanimous he becomes natural; being natural he becomes one with the way; being one with the way he becomes immortal: though his body will decay, the way will not. 致虚极，守静笃。 万物并作，吾以观复。 夫物芸芸，各复归其根。 归根曰静，静曰复命。 复命曰常，知常曰明。不知常，妄作凶。 知常容，容乃公，公乃全，全乃天，天乃道，道乃久，没身不殆。 17. rulers the best rulers are scarcely known by their subjects; the next best are loved and praised; the next are feared; the next despised: they have no faith in their people, and their people become unfaithful to them. when the best rulers achieve their purpose their subjects claim the achievement as their own. 太上，不知有之；其次，亲而誉之；其次，畏之；其次，侮之。信不足焉，有不信焉。 悠兮其贵言。功成事遂，百姓皆谓：「我自然」。 18. hypocrisy when the way is forgotten duty and justice appear; then knowledge and wisdom are born along with hypocrisy. when harmonious relationships dissolve then respect and devotion arise; when a nation falls to chaos then loyalty and patriotism are born. 大道废，有仁义； 智慧出，有大伪； 六亲不和，有孝慈； 国家昏乱，有忠臣。 19. simplify if we could abolish knowledge and wisdom then people would profit a hundredfold; if we could abolish duty and justice then harmonious relationships would form; if we could abolish artifice and profit then waste and theft would disappear. yet such remedies treat only symptoms and so they are inadequate. people need personal remedies: reveal your naked self and embrace your original nature; bind your self-interest and control your ambition; forget your habits and simplify your affairs. 绝圣弃智，民利百倍； 绝仁弃义，民复孝慈； 绝巧弃利，盗贼无有。 此三者以为文，不足。 故令有所属：见素抱朴，少思寡欲，绝学无忧。 20. wandering what is the difference between assent and denial? what is the difference between beautiful and ugly? what is the difference between fearsome and afraid? the people are merry as if at a magnificent party or playing in the park at springtime, but i am tranquil and wandering, like a newborn before it learns to smile, alone, with no true home. the people have enough and to spare, where i have nothing, and my heart is foolish, muddled and cloudy. the people are bright and certain, where i am dim and confused; the people are clever and wise, where i am dull and ignorant; aimless as a wave drifting over the sea, attached to nothing. the people are busy with purpose, where i am impractical and rough; i do not share the peoples' cares but i am fed at nature's breast. 唯之与阿，相去几何？ 美之与恶，相去若何？ 人之所畏，不可不畏。 荒兮，其未央哉！ 众人熙熙，如享太牢，如春登台。 我独泊兮，其未兆； 沌沌兮，如婴儿之未孩； 累累兮，若无所归。 众人皆有馀，而我独若遗。我愚人之心也哉！ 俗人昭昭，我独昏昏。 俗人察察，我独闷闷。 众人皆有以，而我独顽且鄙。 我独异于人，而贵食母。
