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TerebessAsiaOnline(TAO)IndexHomeTheTaoTeChingbyLaoTzuEnglishversionbyArthurWaley,1934TheWayanditsPower:AStudyoftheTaoTeChinganditsPlaceinChineseThought,1934=DaodejingMoreEnglishversions1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738394041424344454647484950515253545556575859606162636465666768697071727374757677787980811TheWaythatcanbetoldofisnotanUnvaryingWay;Thenamesthatcanbenamedarenotunvaryingnames.ItwasfromtheNamelessthatHeavenandEarthsprang;Thenamedisbutthemotherthatrearsthetenthousandcreatures,eachafteritskind.Truly,“OnlyhethatridshimselfforeverofdesirecanseetheSecretEssences”;HethathasneverridhimselfofdesirecanseeonlytheOutcomes.Thesetwothingsissuedfromthesamemould,butneverthelessaredifferentinname.This“samemould”wecanbutcalltheMystery,Orratherthe“DarkerthananyMystery”,TheDoorwaywhenceissuedallSecretEssences.up2ItisbecauseeveryoneunderHeavenrecognizesbeautyasbeauty,Thattheideaofuglinessexists.Andequallyifeveryonerecognizedvirtueasvirtue,thiswouldmerelycreatefreshconceptionsofwickedness.Fortruly,BeingandNot-beinggrowoutofoneanother;Difficultandeasycompleteoneanother.Longandshorttestoneanother;Highandlowdetermineoneanother.Pitchandmodegiveharmonytooneanother.Frontandbackgivesequencetooneanother.ThereforetheSagereliesonactionlessactivity,Carriesonwordlessteaching,Butthemyriadcreaturesareworkeduponbyhim;Hedoesnotdisownthem.Herearsthem,butdoesnotlayclaimtothem,Controlsthem,butdoesnotleanuponthem,Achieveshisaim,butdoesnotcallattentiontowhathedoes;AndfortheveryreasonthathedoesnotcallattentiontowhathedoesHeisnotejectedfromfruitionofwhathehasdone.up3Ifwestoplookingfor“personsofsuperiormorality”(hsien)toputinpower,Therewillbenomorejealousiesamongthepeople.Ifweceasetosetstorebyproductsthatarehardtoget,Therewillbenomorethieves.Ifthepeopleneverseesuchthingsasexcitedesire,Theirheartswillremainplacidandundisturbed.ThereforetheSagerulesByemptyingtheirheartsAndfillingtheirhearts?WeakeningtheirintelligenceAndtougheningtheirsinewsEverstrivingtomakethepeopleknowledgelessanddesireless.Indeedheseestoitthatiftherebeanywhohaveknowledge,Theydarenotinterfere.Yetthroughhisactionlessactivityallthingsaredulyregulated.up4TheWayislikeanemptyvesselThatyetmaybedrawnfromWithouteverneedingtobefilled.Itisbottomless;theveryprogenitorofallthingsintheworld.Initallsharpnessisblunted,Alltanglesuntied,Allglaretempered,Alldustsoothed.Itislikeadeeppoolthatneverdries.Wasittoothechildofsomethingelse?Wecannottell.ButasasubstancelessimageitexistedbeforetheAncestor.up5HeavenandEarthareruthless;TothemtheTenThousandthingsarebutasstrawdogs.TheSagetooisruthless;Tohimthepeoplearebutasstrawdogs.YetHeavenandEarthandallthatliesbetweenIslikeabellowsInthatitisempty,butgivesasupplythatneverfails.Workit,andmorecomesout.Whereastheforceofwordsissoonspent.Farbetterisittokeepwhatisintheheart.up6TheValleySpiritneverdies.ItisnamedtheMysteriousFemale.AndthedoorwayoftheMysteriousFemaleIsthebasefromwhichHeavenandEarthsprang.Itistherewithinusallthewhile;Drawuponitasyouwill,itneverrunsdry.up7Heaveniseternal,theEartheverlasting.Howcometheytobeso?Itisbecausetheydonotfostertheirownlives;Thatiswhytheylivesolong.ThereforetheSagePutshimselfinthebackground;butisalwaystothefore.Remainsoutside;butisalwaysthere.IsitnotjustbecausehedoesnotstriveforanypersonalendThatallhispersonalendsarefulfilled?up8Thehighestgoodislikethatofwater.Thegoodnessofisthatitbenefitsthetenthousandcreatures;Yetitselfdoesnotscramble,Butiscontentwiththeplacesthatallmendisdain.ItisthismakeswatersoneartotheWay.Andifmenthinkthegroundthebestplaceforbuildingahouseupon,Ifamongthoughtstheyvaluethosethatareprofound,Ifinfriendshiptheyvaluegentleness,Inwords,truth;ingovernment,goodorder;Indeeds,effectiveness;inactions,timeliness-Ineachcaseitisbecausetheypreferwhatdoesnotleadtostrife,Andthereforedoesnotgoamiss.up9Stretchabowtotheveryfull,Andyouwillwishyouhadstoppedintime;Temperasword-edgetoitsverysharpest,Andyouwillfinditsoongrowsdull.Whenbronzeandjadefillyourhall.Itcannolongerbeguarded.Wealthandplacebreedinsolence.Thatbringsruininitstrain.Whenyourworkisdone,thenwithdraw!SuchisHeaven'sWay.up10Canyoukeeptheunquietphysical-soulfromstraying,HoldfasttotheUnity,andneverquitit?Canyou,whenconcentratingyourbreath,Makeitsoftlikethatofalittlechild?CanyouwipeandcleanseyourvisionoftheMysterytillalliswithoutblur?Canyoulovethepeopleandruletheland,Yetremainunknown?Canyouinopeningandshuttingtheheavenlygatesplayalwaysthefemalepart?Canyourmindpenetrateeverycorneroftheland,Butyouyourselfneverinterfere?Rearthem,then,feedthem,Rearthem,butdonotlayclaimtothem.Controlthem,butneverleanuponthem;Bechiefamongthem,butdonotmanagethem.ThisiscalledtheMysteriousPower.up11Weputthirtyspokestogetherandcallitawheel;ButitisonthespacewherethereisnothingThattheusefulnessofthewheeldepends.Weturnclaytomakeavessel;ButitisonthespacewherethereisnothingThattheusefulnessofthevesseldepends.Wepiercedoorsandwindowstomakeahouse;AnditisonthesespaceswherethereisnothingThattheusefulnessofthehousedepends.Thereforejus