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TheTaoTehKing,orTheTaoAndItsCharacteristicsbyLao-TzutranslatedbyJamesLeggePARTIChapter1TheTaothatcanbetroddenisnottheenduringandunchangingTao.Thenamethatcanbenamedisnottheenduringandunchangingname.(Conceivedofas)havingnoname,itistheOriginatorofheavenandearth;(conceivedofas)havinganame,itistheMotherofallthings.Alwayswithoutdesirewemustbefound,Ifitsdeepmysterywewouldsound;Butifdesirealwayswithinusbe,Itsouterfringeisallthatweshallsee.Underthesetwoaspects,itisreallythesame;butasdevelopmenttakesplace,itreceivesthedifferentnames.TogetherwecallthemtheMystery.WheretheMysteryisthedeepestisthegateofallthatissubtleandwonderful.Chapter2Allintheworldknowthebeautyofthebeautiful,andindoingthistheyhave(theideaof)whatuglinessis;theyallknowtheskilloftheskilful,andindoingthistheyhave(theideaof)whatthewantofskillis.Soitisthatexistenceandnon-existencegivebirththeoneto(theideaof)theother;thatdifficultyandeaseproducetheone(theideaof)theother;thatlengthandshortnessfashionouttheonethefigureoftheother;that(theideasof)heightandlownessarisefromthecontrastoftheonewiththeother;thatthemusicalnotesandtonesbecomeharmoniousthroughtherelationofonewithanother;andthatbeingbeforeandbehindgivetheideaofonefollowinganother.Thereforethesagemanagesaffairswithoutdoinganything,andconveyshisinstructionswithouttheuseofspeech.Allthingsspringup,andthereisnotonewhichdeclinestoshowitself;theygrow,andthereisnoclaimmadefortheirownership;theygothroughtheirprocesses,andthereisnoexpectation(ofarewardfortheresults).Theworkisaccomplished,andthereisnorestinginit(asanachievement).Theworkisdone,buthownoonecansee;'Tisthisthatmakesthepowernotceasetobe.Chapter3Nottovalueandemploymenofsuperiorabilityisthewaytokeepthepeoplefromrivalryamongthemselves;nottoprizearticleswhicharedifficulttoprocureisthewaytokeepthemfrombecomingthieves;nottoshowthemwhatislikelytoexcitetheirdesiresisthewaytokeeptheirmindsfromdisorder.Thereforethesage,intheexerciseofhisgovernment,emptiestheirminds,fillstheirbellies,weakenstheirwills,andstrengthenstheirbones.Heconstantly(triesto)keepthemwithoutknowledgeandwithoutdesire,andwheretherearethosewhohaveknowledge,tokeepthemfrompresumingtoact(onit).Whenthereisthisabstinencefromaction,goodorderisuniversal.Chapter4TheTaois(like)theemptinessofavessel;andinouremploymentofitwemustbeonourguardagainstallfulness.Howdeepandunfathomableitis,asifitweretheHonouredAncestorofallthings!Weshouldbluntoursharppoints,andunravelthecomplicationsofthings;weshouldattemperourbrightness,andbringourselvesintoagreementwiththeobscurityofothers.HowpureandstilltheTaois,asifitwouldeversocontinue!Idonotknowwhosesonitis.ItmightappeartohavebeenbeforeGod.Chapter5Heavenandearthdonotactfrom(theimpulseof)anywishtobebenevolent;theydealwithallthingsasthedogsofgrassaredealtwith.Thesagesdonotactfrom(anywishtobe)benevolent;theydealwiththepeopleasthedogsofgrassaredealtwith.Maynotthespacebetweenheavenandearthbecomparedtoabellows?'Tisemptied,yetitlosesnotitspower;'Tismovedagain,andsendsforthairthemore.Muchspeechtoswiftexhaustionleadwesee;Yourinnerbeingguard,andkeepitfree.Chapter6Thevalleyspiritdiesnot,ayethesame;Thefemalemysterythusdowename.Itsgate,fromwhichatfirsttheyissuedforth,Iscalledtherootfromwhichgrewheavenandearth.Longandunbrokendoesitspowerremain,Usedgently,andwithoutthetouchofpain.Chapter7Heavenislong-enduringandearthcontinueslong.Thereasonwhyheavenandearthareabletoendureandcontinuethuslongisbecausetheydonotliveof,orfor,themselves.Thisishowtheyareabletocontinueandendure.Thereforethesageputshisownpersonlast,andyetitisfoundintheforemostplace;hetreatshispersonasifitwereforeigntohim,andyetthatpersonispreserved.Isitnotbecausehehasnopersonalandprivateends,thatthereforesuchendsarerealised?Chapter8Thehighestexcellenceislike(thatof)water.Theexcellenceofwaterappearsinitsbenefitingallthings,andinitsoccupying,withoutstriving(tothecontrary),thelowplacewhichallmendislike.Hence(itsway)isnearto(thatof)theTao.Theexcellenceofaresidenceisin(thesuitabilityof)theplace;thatofthemindisinabysmalstillness;thatofassociationsisintheirbeingwiththevirtuous;thatofgovernmentisinitssecuringgoodorder;thatof(theconductof)affairsisinitsability;andthatof(theinitiationof)anymovementisinitstimeliness.Andwhen(onewiththehighestexcellence)doesnotwrangle(abouthislowposition),noonefindsfaultwithhim.Chapter9Itisbettertoleaveavesselunfilled,thantoattempttocarryitwhenitisfull.Ifyoukeepfeelingapointthathasbeensharpened,thepointcannotlongpreserveitssharpness.Whengoldandjadefillthehall,theirpossessorcannotkeepthemsafe.Whenwealthandhonoursleadtoarrogance,thisbringsitsevilonitself.Whentheworkisdone,andone'snameisbecomingdistinguished,towithdrawintoobscurityisthewayofHeaven.Chapter10Whentheintelligentandanimalsoulsareheldtogetherinoneembrace,theycanbekeptfromseparating.Whenonegivesundividedattentiontothe(vital)breath,andbringsittotheutmostdegreeofpliancy,hecanbecomeasa(tender)babe.Whenhehascleansedawaythemostmysterioussights(ofhisimagination),hecanbecomewithoutaflaw.Inlovingthepeopleandrulingthestate,cannotheproceedwithoutany(purposeof)actio