64.
First steps
It is easy to hold on to what is calm.
What does not yet show symptoms,
Can still easily be prevented.
What is fragile can easily be broken.
What is small can easily be sown.
Deal with things before it arrives at full force.
Arrange it when it can't be disrupted yet.
The tree, now large enough to embrace,
Grew from a shoot as fine as a hair.
A nine-story building,
At the time also rose from a mere pile of earth.
A journey of a thousand miles,
started with a single step.
Force anything and it is you that will be hurt.
Cling to anything and you will lose it.
Therefore, wise men do nothing,
And are not destroyed.
Without clinging,
nothing is ever lost.
Many people who take up their task,
Falter in the end,
And fail to complete the task.
Be as careful at the end,
As you were in the beginning,
So as not to ruin the whole thing.
The wise desire not to desire,
And don't appreciate exclusivity.
They study the unstudied,
And return to what was left behind.
Supporting spontaneous nature,
All without forcing anything.
其安易持，
其未兆易謀。
其脆易泮，
其微易散。
為之於未有，
治之於未亂。
合抱之木，
生於毫末；
九層之臺，
起於累土；
千里之行，
始於足下。
為者敗之，
執者失之。
是以聖人無為故無敗；
無執故無失。
民之從事，
常於幾成而敗之。
慎終如始，
則無敗事，
是以聖人欲不欲，
不貴難得之貨；
學不學，
復衆人之所過，
以輔萬物之自然，
而不敢為。
☯️
65.
Modest self-reliance
Wonderful how in times gone,
People walked the Dao,
Not for enlightenment,
But to be an example of simplicity.
People are hard to lead,
When drowned in cleverness.
Leading with cleverness,
Will ruin the country.
Leaving cleverness behind,
That is a blessing to the country.
Be aware of these two proven examples.
Of what we call mystical inner strength.
古之善為道者，
非以明民，
將以愚之。
民之難治，
以其智多。
故以智治國，
國之賊；
不以智治國，
國之福。
知此兩者亦𥡴式。
常知𥡴式，
是謂玄德。
玄德深矣，
遠矣，
與物反矣，
然後乃至大順。
☯️
66.
The kings of the hundred
valleys
How is it that the rivers and the seas,
Are alike to all the kings from the hundred
valleys?
Because they flow so beautifully under
everything.
Therefore, they are like the kings of the hundred
valleys.
The sage ascends without being a burden to
others.
The sage’s advantage is at the expense of no one.
That's why the whole world cheers them on,
Without tiring of them,
Because the sage does not compete.
Therefore no one in the world can compete with
them.
江海所以能為百谷王者，
以其善下之，
故能為百谷王。
是以聖人欲上民，
必以言下之；
欲先民，
必以身後之。
是以聖人處上而民不重，
處前而民不害。
是以天下樂推而不厭。
以其不爭，
故天下莫能與之爭。
☯️
67.
Three treasures
All over the world,
Everyone loves my way,
Incomparable it seems,
Vastly stretched out,
Therefore unparalleled,
'Cause if it could be compared,
Wouldn't that be insignificant!
Now it so happens that I have three treasures,
Which I maintain and cherish.
The first is called compassion,
The second is called sobriety,
The third is called restraint.
Through compassion I can be brave,
Through sobriety I can be generous,
By being restrained,
I make room to develop my leadership qualities.
Today compassion is rejected,
As not being brave.
Sobriety is brushed aside,
As not being generous.
Taking a step back isn’t considered,
Part of true leadership.
This is deadly.
Compassion in battle brings victory,
And in its defense, it brings resistance.
Heaven helps.
Compassion is the guard.
天下皆謂我道大，
似不肖。
夫唯大，
故似不肖。
若肖久矣。
其細也夫！
我有三寶，
持而保之。
一曰慈，
二曰儉，
三曰不敢為天下先。
慈故能勇；
儉故能廣；
不敢為天下先，
故能成器長。
今舍慈且勇；
舍儉且廣；
舍後且先；
死矣！
夫慈以戰則勝，
以守則固。
天將救之，
以慈衛之。
☯️
68.
True leadership
Good generals don't fight,
Good fighters don't rage,
Good duelers don't strike first,
Good rulers behave as subordinates.
This is what they call the power of non-conflict.
This is the power of the rulers among the people.
This is a mirror of Heaven.
The very highest in the days of yore.
善為士者，
不武；
善戰者，
不怒；
善勝敵者，
不與；
善用人者，
為之下。
是謂不爭之德，
是謂用人之力，
是謂配天古之極。
☯️
69.
The victory of retreat
It is said about using weapons:
I'd rather be the guest than the host.
I'd rather take a step back than forward.
This is what they call:
To progress without progress,
To roll up sleeves without using hands,
To overthrow without fighting,
To capture without weapons.
During calamities,
There is no greater thing than not taking the
opponent seriously.
By underestimating opponents, I lost almost all
my treasures.
So it is that when warring forces oppose each
other,
They always overcome with compassion.
用兵有言：
吾不敢為主，
而為客；
不敢進寸，
而退尺。
是謂行無行；
攘無臂；
扔無敵；
執無兵。
禍莫大於輕敵，
輕敵幾喪吾寶。
故抗兵相加，
哀者勝矣。
☯️
70.
Easy to understand,
hard to follow
My words are easy to understand.
And easy to follow.
At the same time nobody in the world
understands them,
And no one is able to follow.
Words have an origin,
Like actions have a doer.
Isn’t it so that when there is no understanding,
I cannot be appreciated.
Rare are those who understand me.
Rare are those who appreciate me.
Therefore, while the wise may be picky and
clumsy,
There rests a jewel in their hearts.
吾言甚易知，
甚易行。
天下莫能知，
莫能行。
言有宗，
事有君。
夫唯無知，
是以不我知。
知我者希，
則我者貴。
是以聖人被褐懷玉。
☯️
71.
Wisdom and illusion
Knowing how to not-know,
That is the supreme.
Not knowing how to not-know,
That's a failure.
If one would only fail failure,
No longer a failure,
It would be.
Wise men do not fail here,
Because failing this failure,
Keeps them from failing.
知不知上；
不知知病。
夫唯病病，
是以不病。
聖人不病，
以其病病，
是以不病。
☯️
72.
True authority
As soon as one no longer fears authority,
The greatest authority comes from within.
It no longer suffocates their living space.
Only where there is no oppression can they live.
Only by not suppressing them,
They remain unprinted.
So it is that the wise know themselves,
Without defining themselves.
In self-esteem,
not self-aggrandizement.
Therefore,
Leave the one and choose the other.
民不畏威，
則大威至。
無狎其所居，
無厭其所生。
夫唯不厭，
是以不厭。
是以聖人自知不自見；
自愛不自貴。
故去彼取此。
☯️
