beholders.org

21
The greatest virtue you can have 
comes from following only the Tao; 
which takes a form that is intangible and evasive. 

Even though the Tao is intangible and evasive, 
we are able to know it exists. 
Intangible and evasive, yet it has a manifestation. 
Secluded and dark, yet there is a vitality within it. 
It's vitality is very genuine. 
Within it we can find order. 

Since the beginning of time, the Tao has always existed. 
It is beyond existing and not existing . 
How do I know where creation comes from? 
I look inside myself and see it. 

22
If you want to become whole, 
first let yourself become broken. 
If you want to become straight, 
first let yourself become twisted. 
If you want to become full, 
first let yourself become empty. 
If you want to become new, 
first let yourself become old. 
Those whose desires are few gets them, 
those whose desires are great go astray. 

For this reason the Master embraces the Tao, 
as an example for the world to follow. 
Because she isn't self centered, 
people can see the light in her. 
Because she does not boast of herself, 
she becomes a shining example. 
Because she does not glorify herself, 
she becomes a person of merit. 
Because she wants nothing from the world, 
the world can not overcome her. 

When the ancient Masters said, 
"If you want to become whole, 
then first let yourself be broken," 
they weren't using empty words. 
All who do this will be made complete. 

23
Nature uses few words: 
when the gail blows, it will not last long; 
when it rains hard, it lasts but a little while; 
What causes these to happen? Heaven and Earth. 

Why do we humans go on endlessly about little 
when nature does much in a little time? 
If you open yourself to the Tao, 
you and Tao become one. 
If you open yourself to Virtue, 
then you can become virtuous. 
If you open yourself to loss, 
then you will become lost. 

If you open yourself to the Tao, 
the Tao will eagerly welcome you. 
If you open yourself to virtue, 
virtue will become a part of you. 
If you open yourself to loss, 
the lost are glad to see you. 

"When you do not trust people, 
people will become untrustworthy." 

24
Those who stands on tiptoes 
do not stand firmly. 
Those who rush ahead 
don't get very far. 
Those who try to out shine others 
dim their own light. 
Those who call themselves righteous 
can't know how wrong they are. 
Those who boast of their accomplishments 
diminishes the things they have done. 

Compared to the Tao, these actions are unworthy. 
If we are to follow the Tao, 
we must not do these things. 

25
Before the universe was born 
there was something in the chaos of the heavens. 
It stands alone and empty, 
solitary and unchanging. 
It is ever present and secure. 
It may be regarded as the Mother of the universe. 
Because I do not know it's name, 
I call it the Tao. 
If forced to give it a name, 
I would call it 'Great'. 

Because it is Great means it is everywhere. 
Being everywhere means it is eternal. 
Being eternal means everything returns to it. 

Tao is great. 
Heaven is great. 
Earth is great. 
Humanity is great. 
Within the universe, these are the four great things. 

Humanity follows the earth. 
Earth follows Heaven. 
Heaven follows the Tao. 
The Tao follows only itself. 

26
Heaviness is the basis of lightness. 
Stillness is the standard of activity. 

Thus the Master travels all day 
without ever leaving her wagon. 
Even though she has much to see,
is she at peace in her indifference. 

Why should the lord of a thousand chariots 
be amused at the foolishness of the world? 
If you abandon yourself to foolishness, 
you lose touch with your beginnings. 
If you let yourself become distracted, 
you will lose the basis of your power. 

27
A good traveler leaves no tracks, 
and a skillful speaker is well rehearsed. 
A good bookkeeper has an excellent memory, 
and a well made door is easy to open and needs no locks. 
A good knot needs no rope and it can not come undone. 

Thus the Master is willing to help everyone, 
and doesn't know the meaning of rejection. 
She is there to help all of creation, 
and doesn't abandon even the smallest creature. 
This is called embracing the light. 

What is a good person but a bad person's teacher? 
What is a bad person but raw materiel for his teacher? 
If you fail to honor your teacher or fail to enjoy your student, 
you will become deluded no matter how smart you are. 
It is the secret of prime importance. 

28
Know the masculine, 
but keep to the feminine: 
and become a watershed to the world. 
If you embrace the world, 
the Tao will never leave you 
and you become as a little child. 

Know the white, 
yet keep to the black: 
be a model for the world. 
If you are a model for the world, 
the Tao inside you will strengthen 
and you will return whole to your eternal beginning. 

Know the honorable, 
but do not shun the disgraced: 
embracing the world as it is. 
If you embrace the world with compassion, 
then your virtue will return you to the uncarved block. 

The block of wood is carved into utensils 
by carving void into the wood. 
The Master uses the utensils, yet prefers to keep to the block 
because of its limitless possibilities. 
Great works do not involve discarding substance. 

29
Do you want to rule the world and control it? 
I don't think it can ever be done. 

The world is sacred vessel 
and it can not be controlled. 
You will only it make it worse if you try. 
It may slip through your fingers and disappear. 

Some are meant to lead, 
and others are meant to follow; 
Some must always strain, 
and others have an easy time; 
Some are naturally big and strong, 
and others will always be small; 
Some will be protected and nurtured, 
and others will meet with destruction. 

The Master accepts things as they are, 
and out of compassion avoids extravagance, 
excess and the extremes. 

30
Those who lead people by following the Tao 
don't use weapons to enforce their will. 
Using force always leads to unseen troubles. 

In the places where armies march, 
thorns and briars bloom and grow. 
After armies take to war, 
bad years must always follow. 
The skillful commander 
strikes a decisive blow then stops. 
When victory is won over the enemy through war 
it is not a thing of great pride. 
When the battle is over, 
arrogance is the new enemy. 
War can result when no other alternative is given, 
so the one who overcomes an enemy should not dominate them. 
The strong always weakened with time. 

This is not the way of the Tao. 
That which is not of the Tao will soon end. 

31
Weapons are the bearers of bad news; 
all people should detest them. 

The wise man values the left side, 
and in time of war he values the right. 
Weapons are meant for destruction, 
and thus are avoided by the wise. 
Only as a last resort 
will a wise person use a deadly weapon. 
If peace is her true objective 
how can she rejoice in the victory of war? 
Those who rejoice in victory 
delight in the slaughter of humanity. 
Those who resort to violence 
will never bring peace to the world. 
The left side is a place of honor on happy occasions. 
The right side is reserved for mourning at a funeral. 
When the lieutenants take the left side to prepare for war, 
the general should be on the right side, 
because he knows the outcome will be death. 
The death of many should be greeted with great sorrow, 
and the victory celebration should honor those who have died. 

32
The Tao is nameless and unchanging. 
Although it appears insignificant, 
nothing in the world can contain it. 

If a ruler abides by its principles, 
then her people will willingly follow. 
Heaven would then reign on earth, 
like sweet rain falling on paradise. 
People would have no need for laws, 
because the law would be written on their hearts. 

Naming is a necessity for order, 
but naming can not order all things. 
Naming often makes things impersonal, 
so we should know when naming should end. 
Knowing when to stop naming, 
you can avoid the pitfall it brings. 

All things end in the Tao 
just as the small streams and the largest rivers 
flow through valleys to the sea. 

33
Those who know others are intelligent; 
those who know themselves are truly wise. 
Those who master others are strong; 
those who master themselves have true power. 

Those who know they have enough are truly wealthy. 

Those who persist will reach their goal. 

Those who keep their course have a strong will. 
Those who embrace death will not perish, 
but have life everlasting. 

34
The great Tao flows unobstructed in every direction. 
All things rely on it to conceive and be born, 
and it does not deny even the smallest of creation. 
When it has accomplishes great wonders, 
it does not claim them for itself. 
It nourishes infinite worlds, 
yet it doesn't seek to master the smallest creature. 
Since it is without wants and desires, 
it can be considered humble. 
All of creation seeks it for refuge 
yet it does not seek to master or control. 
Because it does not seek greatness; 
it is able to accomplish truly great things. 

35
She who follows the way of the Tao 
will draw the world to her steps. 
She can go without fear of being injured, 
because she has found peace and tranquility in her heart. 

Where there is music and good food, 
people will stop to enjoy it. 
But words spoken of the Tao 
seem to them boring and stale. 
When looked at, there is nothing for them to see. 
When listen for, there is nothing for them to hear. 
Yet if they put it to use, it would never be exhausted. 

36
If you want something to return to the source, 
you must first allow it to spread out. 
If you want something to weaken, 
you must first allow it to become strong. 
If you want something to be removed, 
you must first allow it to flourish. 
If you want to possess something, 
you must first give it away. 

This is called the subtle understanding 
of how things are meant to be. 

The soft and pliable overcomes the hard and inflexible. 

Just as fish remain hidden in deep waters, 
it is best to keep weapons out of sight. 

37
The Tao never acts with force, 
yet there is nothing that it can not do. 

If rulers could follow the way of the Tao, 
then all of creation would willingly follow their example. 
If selfish desires were to arise after their transformation, 
I would erase them with the power of the Uncarved Block. 

By the power of the Uncarved Block, 
future generations would loose their selfish desires. 
By loosing their selfish desires, 
the world would naturally settle into peace. 

38
The highest good is not to seek to do good, 
but to allow yourself to become it. 
The ordinary person seeks to do good things, 
and finds that they can not do them continually. 

The Master does not force virtue on others, 
thus she is able to accomplish her task. 
The ordinary person who uses force, 
will find that they accomplish nothing. 

The kind person acts from the heart, 
and accomplishes a multitude of things. 
The righteous person acts out of pity, 
yet leaves many things undone. 
The moral person will act out of duty, 
and when no one will respond 
will roll up his sleeves and uses force. 

When the Tao is forgotten, there is righteousness. 
When righteousness is forgotten, there is morality. 
When morality is forgotten, there is the law. 
The law is the husk of faith, 
and trust is the beginning of chaos. 

Our basic understandings are not from the Tao 
because they come from the depths of our misunderstanding. 
The master abides in the fruit and not in the husk. 
She dwells in the Tao, 
and not with the things that hide it. 
This is how she increases in wisdom. 

39
The masters of old attained unity with the Tao. 
Heaven attained unity and become pure. 
The earth attained unity and found peace. 
The spirits attained unity so they could minister. 
The valleys attained unity that they might be full. 
Humanity attained unity that they might flourish. 
Their leaders attained unity that they might set the example. 
This is the power of unity. 

Without unity, the sky becomes filthy. 
Without unity, the earth becomes unstable. 
Without unity, the spirits become unresponsive and disappear. 
Without unity, the valleys become dry as a desert. 
Without unity, human kind can't reproduce and becomes extinct. 
Without unity, our leaders become corrupt and fall. 

The great view the small as their source, 
and the high takes the low as their foundation. 
Their greatest asset becomes their humility. 
They speak of themselves as orphans and widows, 
thus they truly seek humility. 
Do not shine like the precious gem, 
but be as dull as a common stone. 

40
All movement returns to the Tao. 
Weakness is how the Tao works. 

All of creation is born from substance. 
Substance is born of nothing-ness.