10.
Pure and modest
Carry spirit and soul together as one,
Can you split the two?
So aware of life’s breath in susceptibility,
Can you find the inner child?
Wash away the dark thoughts,
Do you still need the stains?
When love governs a country,
Can one let go of cunning?
When the gateways of Heaven open,
How surrendered can one be?
Once the four directions have been explored,
Can one forget them again?
Create,
Nourish,
Without possessing it.
Do,
Without claiming it.
Develop,
Without controlling it.
Such is deep inner power.
載營魄抱一，
能無離乎？
專氣致柔，
能嬰兒乎？
滌除玄覽，
能無疵乎？
愛民治國，
能無知乎？
天門開闔，
能為雌乎？
明白四達，
能無知乎？
生之、
畜之，
生而不有，
為而不恃，
長而不宰，
是謂玄德。
☯️
11.
Creative emptiness
Thirty spokes come together,
On a single hub.
It is the emptiness in between,
That allows the car its use.
Take water and clay,
To make a pot.
It’s the emptiness inside,
That allows the pot its use.
Carve out a space for a door and a window,
In order to create a living space.
Even here only what isn’t,
Is what allows the room to be used.
Enjoy what is,
By using what is not.
三十輻，
共一轂，
當其無，
有車之用。
埏埴以為器，
當其無，
有器之用。
鑿戶牖以為室，
當其無，
有室之用。
故有之以為利，
無之以為用。
☯️
12.
Self-esteem without addiction
Five colors blind the eyes,
Five notes deafen the ears,
Five tastes numb the tongue.
To gallop and to hunt,
Sickens the heart.
To collect what is collectable,
Blocks the path.
Therefore the wise,
Make not of desire necessity,
Leave the one to grab the other.
五色令人目盲；
五音令人耳聾；
五味令人口爽；
馳騁田獵，
令人心發狂；
難得之貨，
令人行妨。
是以聖人為腹不為目，
故去彼取此。
☯️
13.
Independent self-esteem
Favors and envy are equally terrible.
Great prizes bring great worries,
As large as our own self-image.
What does this mean?
Favors are denigrating.
The stress of receiving it is horrifying.
The stress of losing it is horrifying.
Favors and envy both equally terrible,
That is the meaning.
Honors bring great worries,
As large as our own self-image.
What does this mean?
I have many worries,
By acting for and by myself,
Because I am identified with my body.
Suppose I reach selflessness,
What worries would remain?
So those who act,
From their own self,
May deserve the whole world.
Those who love,
from their own self,
May be trusted with the whole world.
寵辱若驚，
貴大患若身。
何謂寵辱若驚？
寵為下，
得之若驚，
失之若驚，
是謂寵辱若驚。
何謂貴大患若身？
吾所以有大患者，
為吾有身，
及吾無身，
吾有何患？
故貴以身為天下，
若可寄天下；
愛以身為天下，
若可託天下。
☯️
14.
Beyond understanding
Look at it without seeing,
It is called the invisible.
Listen to it, without hearing,
It is called the emptiness.
Grab it without taking,
It is called the hidden.
These three cannot be further understood.
Bring them together as one.
Not shining at the top,
Not dark at the root.
Limitless, without category,
Connected to nothingness.
This is what we call:
The shapeless as form.
The nothingness as an image.
This is what we call:
The obscure unfiltered.
Going deeper into this,
Would be losing that totality.
Chasing it,
Would pass by what lies behind.
Hold on to the good old way,
To grasp what is today.
Understanding the origin of antiquity,
Is simply the golden thread of Dao.
視之不見，
名曰夷；
聽之不聞，
名曰希；
搏之不得，
名曰微。
此三者不可致詰，
故混而為一。
其上不皦，
其下不昧。
繩繩不可名，
復歸於無物。
是謂無狀之狀，
無物之象，
是謂惚恍。
迎之不見其首，
隨之不見其後。
執古之道，
以御今之有。
能知古始，
是謂道紀。
☯️
15.
Unfathomable wisdom
In ancient times the best were called masters.
Barely present, so subtle,
Yet mysteriously deep and profound.
The depth, unfathomable.
So incredible were they,
Only to be recognized by these qualities:
Fully cautious, as winter passing over a river.
Fully careful, as if aware of the neighbor’s gaze.
Fully polite, as an honored guest.
Fully surrendered, as melting ice.
Fully authentic, as a piece of raw wood.
Fully open, as the valley.
Fully absorbed, as mud.
Who can filter what has become turbid,
By the wariness of silence?
Who can create peace,
By bearing infinite movement?
Whosoever can endure these,
Do not crave satisfactions,
Least of all overabundances.
This is the way to become totally separated from
Endless routine.
古之善為士者，
微妙玄通，
深不可識。
夫唯不可識，
故強為之容。
豫兮若冬涉川；
猶兮若畏四鄰；
儼兮其若容；
渙兮若冰之將釋；
敦兮其若樸；
曠兮其若谷；
混兮其若濁；
孰能濁以靜之徐清？
孰能安以久動之徐生？
保此道者，
不欲盈。
夫唯不盈，
故能蔽不新成。
☯️
16.
Return to constancy
To reach the deepest emptiness,
Maintain a connection to inner silence.
All physicality arose mutually,
I observe their cycles.
The whole world is diverse and varied.
All returns to their origin.
Returning to the source is called serenity,
Serenity is returning to destiny.
Returning to destiny is called the constant.
Being aware of the constant is known as
Enlightenment.
Remaining unaware of the constant,
Recklessly causes misery.
Know the face of the constant.
This knowing leads to impartiality.
Impartiality leads to solemnity.
Solemnity leads to the heavenly.
The heavenly leads to the Dao.
Dao leads to eternity.
There is no danger,
In letting go of the body.
致虛極，
守靜篤。
萬物並作，
吾以觀復。
夫物芸芸，
各復歸其根。
歸根曰靜，
是謂復命。
復命曰常，
知常曰明。
不知常，
妄作凶。
知常容，
容乃公，
公乃王，
王乃天，
天乃道，
道乃久，
沒身不殆。
☯️
17.
Thoughtful leadership
What do we know of the highest,
Except that they are there?
The next to highest are intimately adored.
Next in rank are those only feared.
And the following of the followers aren’t even
taken seriously.
Without any confidence, isn’t it hard to inspire
confidence?
So matured and thought-out are their precious
words.
All tasks accomplished and all cases handled.
Others would say: “We did it ourselves.”
太上，
下知有之；
其次，
親而譽之；
其次，
畏之；
其次，
侮之。
信不足，
焉有不信焉。
悠兮，
其貴言。
功成事遂，
百姓皆謂我自然。
☯️
18.
Signs of decay
When leaving the great Dao,
Still there is still compassion and justice.
But wherever cunning and cleverness flourish,
Great falseness rules.
When six of the closest family members no
longer agree with one another,
Still there remains family duty and love for the
parents.
But wherever confusion and chaos flourishes
among the people,
The law and its ministers rule.
大道廢，
有仁義；
智慧出，
有大偽；
六親不和，
有孝慈；
國家昏亂，
有忠臣。
☯️
