TAO Chapter21-30

孔德之容，惟道是從。道之為物，惟恍惟惚。惚兮恍兮，其中有象﹔恍兮惚兮，其中有物。窈兮冥兮，其中有精﹔
其精甚真，其中有信。自今及古 ，其名不去，以閱眾甫。吾何以知眾甫之狀哉？以此。

All the innumerable forms of de [teh] correspond to the norm of Dao, but the nature of the Dao’s activity is infinitely abstract and illusive. Illusive and obscure, indeed, but at its heart are forms and types. Vague and illusive, indeed, but at its heart is all being. Unfathomable and obscure, indeed, but at its heart is all spirit, and spirit is reality. At its heart is truth.
From of old its expression is unceasing, it has been present at all beginnings. How do I know that its nature is thus? By this same Dao.

曲則全，枉則直，窪則盈，敝則新，少則多，多則惑。是以聖人抱一為天下式。不自見，故明﹔
不自是，故彰﹔不自伐，故有功﹔不自矜，故長。夫唯不爭，故天下莫能與之爭。
古之所謂「曲則全」者，豈虛言哉！誠全 而歸之。

At that time the deficient will be made perfect; the distorted will be straightened; the empty will be filled; the worn out will be renewed; those having little will obtain and those having much will be overcome.
Therefore the wise man, embracing unity as he does, will become the world’s model. Not pushing himself forward he will become enlightened; not asserting himself he will become distinguished; not boasting of himself he will acquire merit; not approving himself he will endure. Forasmuch as he will not quarrel, the world will not quarrel with him.
Is the old saying, “The crooked shall be made straight,” a false saying? Indeed, no! They will be perfected and return rejoicing.

希言自然。故飄風不終朝，驟雨不終日。孰為此者？天地。天地尚不能久 ，而況于人乎？
故從事于道者，同于道﹔德者，同于德﹔失者，
同于失。 同于道者，道亦樂得之﹔同于德者，德亦樂得之﹔于失者，失亦樂得之。 信不足焉，有不信焉。

Taciturnity is natural to man. A whirlwind never outlasts the morning, nor a violent rain the day. What is the cause? It is heaven and earth. If even heaven and earth are not constant, much less can man be.
Therefore he who pursues his affairs in the spirit of Dao will become Dao-like. He who pursues his affairs with de [teh], will become de [teh]-like. He who pursues his affairs with loss, identifies himself with loss.
He who identifies himself with Dao, Dao rejoices to guide. He who identifies himself with de [teh], de [teh] rejoices to reward. And he who identifies himself with loss, loss rejoices to ruin. If his faith fail, he will receive no reward of faith.

企者不立﹔跨者不行﹔自見者不明﹔自是者不彰﹔自伐者無功﹔自矜者不長。
其在道也，曰：餘食贅形。物或惡之，故有道者不處。

It is not natural to stand on tiptoe, or being astride one does not walk. One who displays himself is not bright, or one who asserts himself cannot shine. A self-approving man has no merit, nor does one who praises himself grow.
The relation of these things (self-display, self-assertion, self-approval) to Dao is the same as offal is to food. They are excrescences from the system; they are detestable; Dao does not dwell in them.

有物混成，先天地生。寂兮寥兮，獨立而不改，
周行而不殆，可以為天地母。吾不知其名，強字之曰道，強為之名曰大。
大曰逝，逝曰遠，遠曰反 。
故道大，天大，地大，人亦大。域中有四大，
而人居其一焉。人法地， 地法天，天法道，道法自然。

There is Being that is all-inclusive and that existed before Heaven and Earth. Calm, indeed, and incorporeal! It is alone and changeless!
Everywhere it functions unhindered. It thereby becomes the world’s mother. I do not know its nature; if I try to characterize it, I will call it Dao.
If forced to give it a name, I will call it the Great. The Great is evasive, the evasive is the distant, the distant is ever coming near.
Tao is Great. So is Heaven great, and so is Earth and so also is the representative of Heaven and Earth.
Man is derived from nature, nature is derived from Heaven, Heaven is derived from Dao. Dao is self-derived.

重為輕根，靜為躁君。
是以君子終日行不離輜重。雖有榮觀，燕處超然。
奈何萬乘之主，而以身輕天下？輕則失根，躁則失君。

The heavy is the root of the light; the quiet is master of motion.
Therefore the wise man in all the experience of the day will not depart from dignity. Though he be surrounded with sights that are magnificent, he will remain calm and unconcerned.
How does it come to pass that the Emperor, master of ten thousand chariots, has lost the mastery of the Empire? Because being flippant himself, he has lost the respect of his subjects; being passionate himself, he has lost the control of the Empire.

善行，無轍跡，善言，無瑕謫﹔善數，不用籌策﹔善閉，無關楗而不可開 ，善結，無繩約而不可解。是以聖人常善救人，故無棄人﹔常善救物，故 無棄物。
是謂襲明。故善人者，不善人之師﹔
不善人者，善人之資。不貴其師，不愛其資，雖智大迷，是謂要妙。

Good walkers leave no tracks, good speakers make no errors, good counters need no abacus, good wardens have no need for bolts and locks for no one can get by them. Good binders can dispense with rope and cord, yet none can unloose their hold.
Therefore the wise man trusting in goodness always saves men, for there is no outcast to him. Trusting in goodness he saves all things for there is nothing valueless to him. This is recognizing concealed values.
Therefore the good man is the instructor of the evil man, and the evil man is the good man’s wealth. He who does not esteem his instructors or value his wealth, though he be otherwise intelligent, becomes confused. Herein lies the significance of spirituality.

知其雄，守其雌，為天下谿。為天下谿，常德不離，復歸于嬰兒。知其白 ，守其黑，為天下式，常德不忒，復歸于無極。
知其榮，守其辱，為天下 谷。
為天下谷，常德乃足，復歸于朴。
為天下式。朴散則為器，聖人用之 ，則為官長，故大制不割。

He who knows his manhood and understands his womanhood becomes useful like the valleys of earth (which bring water). Being like the valleys of earth, eternal vitality (de [teh]) will not depart from him, he will come again to the nature of a little child.
He who knows his innocence and recognizes his sin becomes the world’s model. Being a world’s model, infinite de [teh] will not fail, he will return to the Absolute.
He who knows the glory of his nature and recognizes also his limitations becomes useful like the world’s valleys. Being like the world’svalleys, eternal de [teh] will not fail him, he will revert to simplicity.
Radiating simplicity he will make of men vessels of usefulness. The wise man then will employ them as officials and chiefs. A great administration of such will harm no one.

將欲取天下而為之，吾見其不得已。天下神器，不可為也，不可執也。
為 者敗之，執者失之。
故物或行或隨，或噓或吹，或強或羸，或載或隳，是 以聖人去甚，去奢，去泰。

One who desires to take and remake the Empire will fail. The Empire is a divine thing that cannot be remade. He who attempts it will only mar it.
He who seeks to grasp it, will lose it. People differ, some lead, others follow; some are ardent, others are formal; some are strong, others weak; some succeed, others fail.
Therefore the wise man practices moderation; he abandons pleasure, extravagance and indulgence.

以道佐人主者，不以兵強天下。
其事好還。師之所處，荊棘生焉。大軍之 后，必有凶年。
善者果而已，不敢以取強。果而勿矜，果而勿伐，果而勿 驕。果而不得已，
果而勿強。物壯則老，是謂不道，不道早已。

When the magistrate follows Dao, he has no need to resort to force of arms to strengthen the Empire, because his business methods alone will show good returns.
Briars and thorns grow rank where an army camps. Bad harvests are the sequence of a great war. The good ruler will be resolute and then stop, he dare not take by force.
One should be resolute but not boastful; resolute but not haughty; resolute but not arrogant; resolute but yielding when it cannot be avoided; resolute but he must not resort to violence.
By a resort to force, things flourish for a time but then decay. This is not like the Dao and that which is not Dao-like will soon cease.