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WISDOM OF THE EAST

THE SAYINGSso 7
LAG '2U

TRANSLATED
FROM THE CHINESE, WITH AN INTRODUCTION

BY LIONEL GILES, M.A. (Oxon.)

ASSISTANT AT THE
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atsCONTENTS

INTRODUCTION : : y : ;
I. TAO IN ITs TRANSCENDENTAL ASPECT
AND IN ITS PHysICAL MANIFESTA-
TION : d
tl. Tao AS A’ MORAL PRINCIPLE, OR
 VIRTEE : i : ;
III. Tue DoctTrinE oF INACTION . ;
IV. LowLiINEss AND HUMILITY.
V. GOVERNMENT ; : ‘ :
Vi, OWAR : ; :
Vil. PARADOXES . ; :
VIII. MISCELLANEOUS SAYINGS AND PRE-

IX.

GEPIS: |. s ; : : :
LAo Tzu ON HIMSELF. i : ;

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EDITORIAL NOTE

HE object of the editors of this series is a
very definite one. They desire above all
things that, in their humble way, these books
shall be the ambassadors of good-will and
understanding between East and West, the old
world of Thought, and the new of Action. In
this endeavour, and in their own sphere, they
are but followers of the highest example in the
land. They are confident that a deeper know-
ledge of the great ideals and lofty philosophy
of Oriental thought may help to a revival of
that true spirit of Charity which neither despises
nor fears the nations of another creed and
colour. Finally, in thanking press and public
for the very cordial reception given to the
‘‘Wisdom of the East” series, they wish to state
that no pains have been spared to secure the
best specialists for the treatment of the various
subjects at hand.

L. CRANMER-BYNG.
Ss. A. KAPADIA,

NORTHBROOK Society,
185, PIcoaDILLy, W.

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INTRODUCTION

Ne rare modesty and _ intelligent self-

appreciation, Confucius described himself
as “a transmitter, not a maker, one who loved
and believed in the ancients.” This judicious
estimate fairly sums up the position of China’s
most prominent teacher. Incalculable though his
influence has been over millions of the human
race, it is due rather to his sterling common sense
backed by the moral strength of his character,
than to any striking intellectual power or novelty
in his ideas.

But some fifty years before the time of Confucius
there lived another great Chinaman, who, besides
being a lover of antiquity, takes high rank as a
profound and original thinker. Apart from the
thick crop of legend and myth which soon
gathered round his name, very little is known
about the life and personality of Lao Tzu,
and even the meagre account preserved for us in
the history of Ssti-ma Ch‘ien must be looked upon
with suspicion. All the alleged meetings and
conversations with Confucius may safely be
rejected, not only on account of chronological
difficulties, but because they are exactly the sort
of invention which would be likely to pass current
in an early and uncritical age. We need not,

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however, go so far as those who impugn the very
pwictence of Lao tzu as an inedtvidual, and
regard the book which passes under his name as
a mere collection of scraps of ancient proverbial
philosophy. Some colour, indeed, is lent to this
theory by the uncertainty that attaches to the
proper interpretation of the name Lao Tzt, which
is variously explained as (1) Old Boy, because he
is said to have been born with a white beard (but
we may rather suspect that the story was in-
vented to explain the name); (2) Son of Lao, this
being the surname of the virgin mother who con-
ceived him at the sight of a falling star; or (3)
Old Philosopher, because of the great age at
which he wrote his immortal book, the Tao Té
Ching.

The mention of this classic, or ‘‘ Treatise of
the Way and of Virtue” (as it may be translated
for want of better English equivalents), brings us
naturally to the vexed question as to whether the
text which has come down to us can really be
attributed to the hand of Lao Tzt, or whether it
is not rather a garbled and unauthorised com-
pilation of his sayings, or even the mere forgery
of a later age. The Chinese themselves, it may
be remarked, are almost unanimous in denying
its authenticity. It has been urged that we must
make allowance here for Confucian bias; but the
internal evidence alone should suffice to dispel the
notion, to which many eminent sinologues have
clung, that the Tao Té Ching in its present form
can possibly represent the actual work of Lao
Tzti. On the other hand, it is highly probable
that much of it is substantially what he said or

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wrote, though carelessly collected and pieced to-
gether at random. Ssti-ma Ch‘ien, who published
his history in gt B.c., and was consequently ©
removed from Lao Tzti by a much longer period
than we are from Shakespeare, tells us that the
Sage wrote a book of five thousand and odd
words; and, indeed, by that time the Tao Té
Ching may possibly have existed in something
like its present shape. But anyone who reflects
on the turbulent condition of China during the
intervening centuries, and the chaotic state of
primitive literature before the labours of Con-
fucius, to say nothing of the Burning of the
Books in 213 B.c., will find it hard to convince
himself that Sst-ma Ch‘ien ever had before him
the actual writings of the philosopher.

Arbitrary and confused though the arrange-
ment of the Tao Té Ching appears, it is possible
to trace a coherent line of thought throughout
the whole. And although no coiner of paradox
on such an extensive scale as Lao Tzti could hope
to achieve absolute and invariable consistency, it
is easy to see that the Tao Té Ching is something
more than a mere jumble of stray aphorisms—
that it is, in fact, the well-defined though rudi-
mentary outline of a great system of tran-
scendental and ethical philosophy. That this
magnificent scheme of thought never reached its
full expression in Lao Tzt’s treatment is largely
due to the fact that he was perpetually struggling
to convey his ideas through the medium of a
language still imperfectly developed, and forming
an inadequate vehicle for abstruse philosophical
conceptions. This, too, combined with an extra-
LE BF gponni LUT SCO GRAS UREA UR UUERAAS TAA Rane eu IG REE SENN AN SUB MOGI IRD ESRB NIK RRR

ordinary conciseness of diction, is the cause of
the obscurity which hangs over several portions
of the text, and which the labours of innumer-
able commentators have done very little to clear
away. To the wide scope thus afforded for the
imagination we owe the startling discoveries, in
the body of the work, of the Doctrine of the
Trinity, and of the Hebrew word for Jehovah,
thinly disguised in its Chinese dress. Sad to say,
both of these once famous theories are now
totally discredited.

The real value of the Tao Té Ching lies not in
such puerilities, but in its wealth of suggestive
hints and pregnant phrases, each containing a
world of thought in itself and capable of ex-
pansion into volumes. Whether Lao Tzti ever
developed the germs of thought thrown out with
such prodigality, we do not know. At any rate,
no record of the development remains. And if
Lao Tzti failed to work out his own system, the
task was never satisfactorily accomplished by
those who came after him. It is true that an
enormous superstructure of Taoist literature has
been raised upon the slender foundation of the
Tao Té Ching, but these Taoist writers soon
forsook the austerity of Lao Tzti’s way for the
more attractive fields of ritual and magic. Lao
Tzti was a Socrates who never found a Plato or
an Aristotle to reap the goodly harvest he had
sown; even Chuang Tot the greatest of his
followers, whose exquisite literary style contrasts
strangely with the rugged sentences of the Tao
Té Ching, scarcely seems to have caught the
true spirit of his Master, and is apt to lose

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mysticism.

Lao Tztt’s work, however, was able to command
attention on its own merits. It was first
officially recognised as a “canon” or “classic”
under the Emperor Ching Ti (B.c. 156-140) of
the Han Dynasty, after which the study of Tao
survived many vicissitudes, being now under a
cloud, and now again in high favour at Court.
One Emperor was in the habit of holding forth on
the doctrines of Lao Tzt before his assembled
ministers, and would forthwith degrade any one
who stretched, yawned, or spat during his
discourse. Another published an edition of the
Lao Té Ching, which is described in the preface
as “‘the root of all things, the teacher of kings,
and the most precious jewel of the public.” The
first Emperor of the later Chin dynasty asked if
Tao was of any use in government. Chang
Ch‘ien-ming told him that “with Tao a corpse
could govern the Empire.” By successive edicts
the Tao Té Ching was made obligatory at the
examination for graduates of the second degree,
every one was required to possess a copy of the
work, and it was cut on stone at both capitals.
Later on, printed copies were distributed to all
directors of education, and it was translated into
the language of the Nii-chén Tartars. Finally,
Kublai Khan ordered all Taoist books to be
burnt, with the exception of the Tao Té Ching, thus
showing a just appreciation of the gulf separating
Lao Tzt from the later writers on Tao.

In view of the disjointed and _ inartistic
character of the work, and its antagonism to

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many of the principles of orthodox Confucianism,
it is small wonder that native scholars, with true
Chinese subordination of matter to form, seldom
profess to hold it in great esteem ; and, indeed,
its qualities are not such as would strongly
appeal to an essentially hard- headed and
materialistic race, Yet, on reflection, it will
certainly appear that the teaching of Lao Tzt has
not been barren of practical results. The great
political lesson of Jaisser-faive is one that the
Chinese people has well assimilated and perhaps
carried to excess; it may even be said to
impregnate their national life more thoroughly
than any doctrine of Confucius. From two great
evils of modern civilisation—the bane of over-
legislation and the pest of meddlesome and over-
bearing officialdom—China is remarkably free;
and in few other countries does the individual
enjoy such absolute liberty of action. Thus, on
the whole, the Chinese may be said to have
adopted Lao Tzii’s main principles of government,
with no small success. It is hard to believe that
a rigidly despotic Empire, encumbered with an
irksome array of laws and statutes, could have
remained homogeneous and intact throughout
so lengthy a period. Who can doubt that the
enormous bulk of China has managed to defy the
disintegrating action of time by reason of its very
inertness and placidity? It has been suggested
that Lao Tzti may have reached this doctrine of
non-interference by observing that the Supreme
Power, Tao, governs the Universe by fixed laws,
and yet leaves to man an apparently unrestricted
freedom of will. Be this as it may, he was

14undoubtedly the first man to preach the gospel
of peace and intelligent inaction, being in this, as
in many other respects, far in advance of his age.

In those troublous times, when the land was
torn by internecine feuds, and the spirit of
militarism was rife, it is not a little remarkable
to find him expressing unqualified abhorrence of
war, though, to be sure, this was but the logical
outcome of his system of quietism. Few can
help being struck by the similarity of tone
between the sayings of Lao Tzti and the Gospel
enunciated six centuries later by the Prince of
Peace. There are two famous utterances in
particular which secure to Lao Tzu the glory of
having anticipated the lofty morality of the
Sermon on the Mount. The cavillers who would
rank the Golden Rule of Confucius below that of
Christ will find it hard to get over the fact that
Lao Tztt said, “‘ Requite injury with kindness,”
and “To the not-good I would be good in order
to make them good.” It was a hundred and
fifty years later that Plato reached the same
conclusion in the first book of the Republic.

It is interesting to observe certain points of
contact between Lao Tzt and the early Greek
philosophers. He may be compared both with
Parmenides, who disparaged sense-knowledge and
taught the existence of the One as opposed to the
Many, and with Heraclitus, whose theory of the
identity of contraries recalls some of our Sage’s
paradoxes. But it is when we come to Plato
that the most striking parallels occur. It has
not escaped notice that something like the
Platonic doctrine of ideas is discoverable in theERS SOCAN GEs IORLB RSE

F gpoosneiuts 5

“forms” which Lao Tzif conceives as residing in
Tao. But, so far as I know, no one has yet
pointed out what a close likeness Tao itself bears
to that curious abstraction which Plato calls the
Idea of the Good. The function and attributes
of this grandiose conception are not set forth
quite so fully or clearly as those of Tao, but it
certainly covers a great deal more than the
ordinary moral connotation of our word “ good.’’*
It is at once the creative and sustaining Cause of
the Universe, the condition of all knowledge, and
the Summum Bonum or supreme object of man’s
desire. Being a metaphysical entity, it cannot be
perceived by the eye or ear of sense, and is
therefore ridiculed by the inferior man of little
intelligence, while only the few can enter into
close communion with it. Now, all of this might
stand equally well as a description of Tao. On
the other hand, the inactivity and repose which
are so insisted on by the Chinese thinker as the
primary characteristics of Tao, would have been
less intelligible to the Greek, and seem to bring
us nearer to Buddhism.

The lack of reliable information about Lao Tztf
is very disappointing. One cannot help wishing that
some of the less important details touching the life
of Confucius could be exchanged for an authentic
personal account, however brief, of his older
contemporary. All that we know for certain is
that, after having spent most of his life in the
State of Chou, he set out at an advanced age

* Lao Tzi, like Plato, recognizes very little distinction between
Knowledge and Virtue, the rational and moral sides of man’s
nature. Virtue with him is simply the knowledge of Tao, just as
with Piato it is the knowledge of ‘‘the Good.”

16

Paes rete reste ey Se ele eo Tes ee reeoer

   
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
    
 
 
  
 
 

towards the West, passed the frontier, and was
never heard of again. Thus Lao Tzil’s gigantic
figure looms but indistinctly through the mist of
ages, and to gather some idea of his personality
we must be content to fall back on his own
rough-hewn sentences. There is one striking
passage in which he describes himself, half
sarcastically and half in earnest, as a dullard and
a clown compared with ordinary men, and this,
he seems to indicate, is the result of his adherence
to Tao. These words, evidently written in great
bitterness of spirit, may have been wrung from
him by a sense of his failure to convert the
careless generation which would have none of
the Tao he venerated as the most precious thing
under heaven. In showing himself, the man of
Tao, in such a disadvantageous light, his meaning
was probably much the same as that of Plato in
the allegory of the Cave, where he depicts the
blindness and bewilderment of those who descend
once more into the darkness of their prison after
having contemplated the dazzling brilliance of
the sun.

Lao Tzti’s despondency would have been greater
still, could he have foreseen how his pure and
idealistic teaching was destined to be dragged in
the mire of degrading superstition, which for
centuries has et Taoism a byword of reproach.
Though frequently described as one of the “‘ three
religions of China,” this cult is really little more
than an inextricable mass of jugglery and fraud,
absorbed from various popular beliefs and other
sources, including even the rival creed of Buddhism,
and conducted by a body of priests recruited from

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the very dregs of the Empire. Such a fate, how-
ever, is less to be wondered at than deplored, seeing
that the great Founder himself took no pains tc
establish a practicable system. He propounded
lofty sentiments, and neglected the homely details
without which his ideas could not bear fruit.
Moreover, when all is said and done, idealism can
never hope to hold its own in human affairs, until
indeed the new era dawns of which Plato dreamed
long ago, and this world of ours becomes ripe for
the dominion of Philosopher-Kings.

1, WILLCOTT ROAD, ACTON,
Fune 21, 1904.TAO’ IN TIS “TRANSCENDENTAL
ASPECT, AND. EN 17S PHYSICAL
MANIFESTATION

HE Tao which can be expressed in words is
not the eternal Tao; the name-which can
be uttered is not its eternal name. Without a
name, it is the Beginning of Heaven and Earth;
with a name, it is the Mother of all things. Only
one who is eternally free from earthly passions
can apprehend its spiritual essence; he who is
ever clogged by passions can see no more than its
outer form. These two things, the spiritual and
the material, though we call them by different
names, in their origin are one and the same. This
sameness is a mystery,—the mystery of mysteries.
It is the gate of all spirituality.

How unfathomable is Tao! It seems to be
the ancestral progenitor of all things. How pure
and clear is Tao! It would seem to be everlast-
ing. I know not of whom it is the offspring. It
appears to have been anterior to any Sovereign
Power.*

* This sentence is admittedly obscure, and it may be an interpola-
tion. Lao Tzii’s system of cosmogony has no place for any Divine
Being independent of Tao. On the other hand, to translate #z by
‘‘Emperor,” as some have done, necessarily involves us in an
absurd anti-climax.

19 GTao eludes the sense of sight, and is therefore
called colourless. It eludes the sense of hearing,
and is therefore called soundless. It eludes the
sense of touch, and is therefore called incorporeal.
These three qualities cannot be apprehended, and
hence they may be blended into unity.

Its upper part is not bright, and its lower part
is not obscure. Ceaseless in action, it cannot be
named, but returns again to nothingness. We
may call it the form of the formless, the image of
the imageless, the fleeting and the indeterminable.
Would you go before it, you cannot see its face ;
would you go behind it, you cannot see its
back.

The mightiest manifestations of active force flow
solely from Tao.

Tao in itself is vague, impalpable,—how im-
palpable, how vague! Yet within it there is
Form. How vague, how impalpable! Yet within
it there is Substance. How profound, how
obscure! Yet within it there is a Vital Principle.
This principle is the Quintessence of Reality, and
out of it comes Truth.

From of old until now, its name has never passed
away. It watches over the beginning of all things.
How do I know this about the beginning of things ?
Through Tao.

There is something, chaotic yet complete, which
existed before Heaven and Earth. Oh, how still
it is, and formless, standing alone without chang-
ing, reaching everywhere without suffering harm !
It must be regarded as the Mother of the Universe.
ItsnameI knownot. To designate it, I callit Tao.
Endeavouring to describe it, I call it Great.

20Cerrar
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Being great, it passes on; passing on, it becomes
remote; having become remote, it returns.

Therefore Tao is great; Heaven is great; Earth
is great ; and the Sovereign also is great. In the
Universe there are four powers, of which the
Sovereign is one. Man takes his law from the
Earth; the Earth takes its law from Heaven ;
Heaven takes its law from Tao; but the law of
Tao is its own spontaneity.

Tao in its unchanging aspect has no name.
Small though it be in its primordial simplicity,
mankind dare not claim its service. Could princes
and kings hold and keep it, all creation would
spontaneously pay homage. Heaven and Earth
would unite in sending down sweet dew, and
the people would be righteous unbidden and of
their own accord.

As soon as Tao creates order, it becomes name-
able. When it once has a name, men will know
how to rest in it. Knowing how to rest in it, they
will run no risk of harm.

Tao as it exists in the world is like the great rivers
and seas which receive the streams from the valleys.

All-pervading is the Great Tao. It can be at
once on the right hand and on the left. All things
depend on it for life, and it rejects them not. Its
task accomplished, it takes no credit. It loves
and nourishes all things, but does not act as
master. It is ever free from desire. We may
call it small. All things return to it, yet it does
not act as master. We may call it great.

The whole world will flock to him who holds the
mighty form of Tao. They will come and receive
no hurt, but find rest, peace, and tranquillity.

21SST rea

MESURE RG RR SUBES

AU aed a

fe ti

With music and dainties we may detain the
passing guest. But if we open our mouths to
speak of Tao, he finds it tasteless and insipid.

Not visible to the sight, not audible to the ear,
in its use it is inexhaustible.

Retrogression is the movement of Tao. Weak-
ness is the character of Tao.

All things under Heaven derive their being from
Tao in the form of Existence; Tao in the form of
Existence sprang from Tao in the form of Non-
Existence.

Tao is a great square with no angles, a great
vessel which takes long to complete, a great sound
which cannot be heard, a great image with no form.

Tao lies hid and cannot be named, yet it
has the power of transmuting and perfecting
all things.

Tao produced Unity; Unity produced Duality ;
Duality produced Trinity; and Trinity produced
all existing objects. These myriad objects leave
darkness behind them and embrace the light,
being harmonised by the breath of Vacancy.

Tao produces all things; its Virtue nourishes
them; its Nature gives them form; its Force
perfects them.

Hence there is not a single thing but pays
homage to Tao and extols its Virtue. This
homage paid to Tao, this extolling of its Virtue, is
due to no command, but is always spontaneous.

Thus it is that Tao, engendering all things,
nourishes them, develops them, and fosters them ;
perfects them, ripens them, tends them, and pro-
tects them.

Production without possession, action without

22self-assertion, development.._without.domination :
this is its mysterious operation.

The World has a First Cause, which may be re-
garded as the Mother of the World. When one has
the Mother, one can know the Child. He who
knows the Child and still keeps the Mother, though
his body perish, shall run no risk of harm.

It is the Way of Heaven not to strive, and yet
it knows how to overcome; not to speak, and yet
it knows how to obtain a response; it calls not,
and things come of themselves; it is slow to move,
but excellent in its designs.

Heaven’s net is vast; though its meshes are
wide, it lets nothing slip through.

The Way of Heaven is like the drawing of a bow:
it brings down what is high and raises what is low.

It is the Way of Heaven to take from those who
have too much, and give to those who have too
little. But the way of man is not so. He takes
away from those who have too little, to add to his
own superabundance. What manis there that can
take of his own superabundance and give it to
mankind ? Only he who possesses Tao.

The Tao of Heaven has no favourites. It gives
to all good men without distinction.

Things wax strong and then decay. This is the
contrary of Tao. What is contrary to Tao soon
perishes,A Lhe OEIC By

BRM

Fg ean igen ni are ae

TAO AS A MORAL PRINCIPLE, OR

ikon

See highest goodness is like water, for water

is excellent in benefiting all things, and it
does not strive. It occupies the lowest place,
which men abhor. And therefore it is near akin
to Tao.

When your work is done and fame has been
achieved, then retire into the background; for
this is the Way of Heaven. |

Those who follow the Way desire not excess ;
and thus without excess they are for ever exempt
from change.

All things alike do their work, and then we see
them subside. When they have reached their
bloom, each returns to its origin. Returning to
their origin means rest or fulfilment of destiny.
This reversion is an eternal law. To know that
law is to be enlightened. Not to know it, is
misery and calamity. He who knows the eternal
law is liberal-minded. Being liberal-minded, he
is just. Being just, he is kingly. Being kingly,
he is akin to Heaven. Being akin to Heaven,
he possesses Tao. Possessed of Tao, he endures
for ever. Though his body perish, yet he suffers
no harm.

24He who acts in accordance with Tao, becomes
one with Tao. He who treads the path of Virtue
becomes one with Virtue. He who pursues a
course of Vice becomes one with Vice. The man
who is one with Tao, Tao is also glad to receive.
The man who is one with Virtue, Virtue is also
glad to receive. The man who is one with Vice,
Vice is also glad to receive.

He who is self-approving does not shine. He
who boasts has no merit. He who exalts himself
does not rise high. Judged according to Tao, he
is like remnants of food or a tumour on the body
—~an object of universal disgust. Therefore one
who has Tao will not consort with such.

Perfect Virtue acquires nothing; therefore it
obtains everything. Perfect Virtue does nothing,
yet there is nothing which it does not effect.
Perfect Charity operates without the need of
anything to evoke it. Perfect Duty to one’s
neighbour operates, but always needs to be evoked.
Perfect Ceremony operates, and calls for no out-
ward response ; nevertheless it induces respect.*

Ceremonies are the outward expression of
inward feelings.

If Tao perishes, then Virtue will perish: if
Virtue perishes, then Charity will perish: if
Charity perishes, then Duty to one’s neighbour
will perish ; if Duty to one’s neighbour perishes,
then Ceremonies will perish.

Ceremonies are but the veneer of loyalty and

* Han Fei Tzti explains the passage by pointing out that ‘* Virtue
is the achievement of Tao; Charity is the glory of Virtue ; Duty
is the translation into action of Charity; and Ceremony is the
ornamental part of Duty ”

25i

iy

i

ri

ahi

rob dt)

=}

SeueiepsattG 4 gH at

ns

PRCA ORS

TUES {Ht FERSUARPTETESRRUTEGEEUESES NESE U RSH eS TCT

i

good faith, while oft-times the source of disorder.
Knowledge of externals is but a showy orna-
ment of Tao, while oft-times the beginning of
imbecility.

Therefore the truly great man takes his stand
upon what is solid, and not upon what is
superficial; upon what is real, and not upon
what is ornamental. He rejects the latter in
favour of the former.

When the superior scholar hears of Tao, he
diligently practises it. When the average scholar
hears of Tao, he sometimes retains it, sometimes
loses it. When the inferior scholar hears of Tao,
he loudly laughs at it. Were it not thus ridiculed,
it would not be worthy of the name of Tao.

He who is enlightened by Tao seems wrapped in
darkness. He who is advanced in Tao seems to
be going back. He who walks smoothly in Tao
seems to be on a rugged path.

The man of highest virtue appears lowly. He
who is truly pure behaves as though he were
sullied. He who has virtue in abundance behaves
as though it were not enough. He who is firm in
virtue seems like a skulking pretender. He who
is simple and true appears unstable as water.

If Tao prevails on earth, horses will be used
for purposes of agriculture. If Tao does not
prevail, war-horses will be bred on the common.

If we had sufficient knowledge to walk in the
Great Way, what we should most fear would be
boastful display.

The Great Way is very smooth, but the people
love the by-paths.

Where the palaces are very splendid, there the
26

ee eared
Pa a aad be ee ha a eeempty.

The wearing of gay embroidered robes, the
carrying of sharp swords, fastidiousness in food
and drink, superabundance of property and
wealth:—this I call flaunting robbery; most
assuredly it is not Tao.

He who trusts to his abundance of. natural
virtue is like an infant newly born, whom
venomous reptiles will not sting, wild beasts will
not seize, birds of prey will not strike. The
infant’s bones are weak, its sinews are soft, yet
its grasp is firm. All day long it will cry without
its voice becoming hoarse. This is because the
harmony of its bodily system is perfect.

Temper your sharpness, disentangle your ideas,
moderate your brilliancy, live in harmony with
your age. This is being in conformity with the
principle of Tao. Such a man is impervious alike
to favour and disgrace, to benefits and injuries,
to honour and contempt. And therefore he is
esteemed above all mankind.

In governing men and in serving Heaven, there
is nothing like moderation. For only by modera-
tion can there be an early return to man’s normal
state. This early return is the same as a great
storage of Virtue. With a great storage of Virtue
there is naught which may not be achieved. If
there is naught which may not be achieved, then

no one will know to what extent this power -

reaches. And if no one knows to what extent a
man’s power reaches, that man is fit to be the ruler
of a State. Having the secret of rule, his rule
shall endure. Setting the tap-root deep, and

27 D

fields will be very waste, and the granaries Very -

Seer eet p ip

Petrenisabras ees ioc ee7
}

ORE

nh

Bane

setae

naiaateniinalaaniiey

ag)
u

SER RS LAL ROLE IGAIS aaa ese O GTS

eit)

————— SRS SOUSA EA EIU RIESE GRRE eRe DOES DODUOUS

a

making the spreading roots firm: this is the way
to ensure long life to the tree.

Tao is the sanctuary where all things find
refuge, the good man’s priceless treasure, the

ardian and saviour of him who is not good.

Hence at the enthronement of an Emperor and
the appointment of his three ducal ministers,
though there be some who bear presents of costly
jade and drive chariots with teams of four horses,
that is not so good as sitting still and offering
the gift of this Tao.

Why was it that the men of old esteemed this
Tao so highly? Is it not because it may be
daily sought and found, and can remit the sins of
the guilty ? Hence it is the most precious thing
under Heaven.

All the world says that my Tao is great, but
unlike other teaching. It is just because it is
great that it appears unlike other teaching. If it
had this likeness, long ago would its smallness
have been known.

The skilful philosophers of the olden time were
subtle, spiritual, profound, and penetrating. They
were so deep as to be incomprehensible. Because
they are hard to comprehend, I will endeavour to
describe them.

Shrinking were they, like one fording a stream
in winter. Cautious were they, like one who fears
an attack from any quarter. Circumspect were
they, like a stranger guest; self-effacing, like ice
about to melt; simple, like unpolished wood;
vacant, like a valley ; opaque, like muddy water.

When terms are made after a great quarrel, a
certain ill-feeling is bound to be left behind. How

28can this be made good? Therefore, having entered
into an agreement, the Sage adheres to his obliga-
tions,* but does not exact fulfilment from others.
The man who has Virtue attends to the spirit of
the compact ; the man without Virtue attends only
to his claims.

He who tries to govern a kingdom by his sagacity
is of that kingdom the despoiler ; but he who does
not govern by sagacity is the kingdom’s blessing.
He who understands these two sayings may be
regarded as a pattern and a model. To keep this
principle constantly before one’s eyes is called
Profound Virtue. Profound Virtue is tnfathom-
able, far-reaching, paradoxical at first, but after-
wards exhibiting thorough conformity with Nature.

* Literally, ‘‘he holds the left-hand portion of the agreement.”
In olden times, the terms of a contract were inscribed on a wooden
tablet, the debit or obligations being on the left, and the credit or
cues on the right ; it was then broken in two, and each of the con-
tracting parties kept his own half until fulfilment was demanded,
when the validity of the claim was tested by fitting the two halves.
together.PROS RRMEBEBRAN

ie

eneadiatateleielctn tity

f

G

Payitehts

aod)
OG

RENAME OOS BARIUM DEN

LE COnn SERS

aa

Ben

  
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
  
  
  

THE DOCTRINE OF INACTION

HE Sage occupies himself with inaction, and
conveys instruction without words.

Is it not by neglecting self-interest that one will
be able to achieve it ?

Purge yourself of your profound intelligence,
and you can still be free from blemish. Cherish
the people and order the kingdom, and you can
still do without meddlesome action.

Who is there that can make muddy water clear ?
But if allowed to remain still, it will gradually
become clear of itself. Who is there chat can
secure a state of absolute repose? But let time
go on, and the state of repose will gradually arise.

Be sparing of speech, and things will come right
of themselves.

A violent wind does not outlast the morning ;
a squall of rain does not outlast the day. Such
is the course of Nature. And if Nature herself
cannot sustain her efforts long, how much less

can man!

Attain complete vacuity, and sedulously preserve
a state of repose.

Tao is eternally inactive, and yet it leaves
nothing undone. If kings and princes could but
hold fast to this principle, all things would work

30

PODS PIED ed ad a ad a ee hk a eeout their own reformation. If, having reformed,
they still desired to act, I would have them re-
strained by the simplicity of the Nameless Tao.
The simplicity of the Nameless Tao brings about
an absence of desire. The absence of desire gives
ee And thus the Empire will rectify
itself.

The softest things in the world override the
hardest. That which has no substance enters
where there is no crevice. Hence I know the
advantage of inaction.

Conveying lessons without words, reaping profit
without action,—there are few in the world who
can attain to this!

Activity conquers cold, but stillness conquers
heat. Purity and stillness are the correct principles
for mankind.

Without going out of doors one may know the
whole world ; without looking out of the window,
one may see the Way of Heaven. The further one
travels, the less one may know. Thus it is that
without moving you shall know ; without looking
you shall see; without doing you shall achieve.

The pursuit of book-learning brings about daily
increase. The practice of Tao brings about daily
loss. Repeat this loss again and again, and you
arrive at inaction. Practise inaction, and there is
nothing which cannot be done.

The Empire has ever been won by letting things
take their course. He who must always be doing
is unfit to obtain the Empire.

Keep the mouth shut, close the gateways of
sense, and as long as you live you will have no
trouble. Open your lips and push your affairs,

31inundation aia

+

=
he
be,
Boot
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3
Ea
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PS}
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EHR nehD Rese

SOROS SOLAN

and you will not be safe to the end of your
days.

Practise inaction, occupy yourself with doing
nothing.

Desire not to desire, and you will not value
things difficult to obtain. Learn not to learn, and
you will revert to a condition which mankind in
general has lost.

Leave all things to take their natural course,
and do not interfere.LOWLINESS AND HUMILITY

LL thingsin Nature work silently. They come
into being and possess nothing. They fulfil
their functions and make no claim.

When merit has been achieved, do not take it to
yourself; for if you do not take it to yourself, it
shall never be taken from you.

Follow diligently the Way in your own heart, but
make no display of it to the world.

Keep behind, and you shall be put in front; keep
out, and you shall be kept in.

Goodnéss strives not, and therefore it is not
rebuked.

He that humbles himself shall be preserved
entire. He that bends shall be made straight. He
that is empty shall be filled. He that is worn out
shall be renewed. He who has little shall succeed.
He who has much shall go astray.

Therefore the Sage embraces Unity, and is a
model for all under Heaven. He is free from
self-display, therefore he shines forth; from
self - assertion, therefore he is distinguished ;
from self- glorification, therefore he has merit;
from self-exaltation, therefore he rises superior
to all. Inasmuch as he does not strive, there

3°

eae re Tee a po

wera attSE SRESORIGUS

acuta

i SASSEGM AIM HULLS OSCARS SRR AF SES OO APN tc

is no one in the world who can strive with
him.

He who, conscious of being strong, is content to
be weak,—he shall be the paragon of mankind.
Being the paragon of mankind, Virtue will never
deserthim. Hereturns to the state of a little child.

He who, conscious of his own light, is content to
be obscure,—he shall be the whole world’s model.
Being the whole world’s model, his Virtue will
never fail. He reverts to the Absolute.

He who, conscious of desert, is content to suffer
disgrace,—he shall be the cynosure of mankind.
Being the cynosure of mankind, his Virtue then is
full. He returns to perfect simplicity.

He who is great must make humility his base.
He who is high must make lowliness his foundation.
Thus, princes and kings in speaking of themselves
use the terms “lonely,” “friendless,” “of small
account.” Is not this making humility their base ?

Thus it is that ‘““Some things are increased by
being diminished, others are diminished by being
increased.”” What others have taught, I also
teach; verily, I will make it the root of my
teaching.

What makes a kingdom great is its being like
a down-flowing river,—the central point towards
which all the smaller streams under Heaven con-
verge; or like the female throughout the world,
who by quiescence always overcomes the male.
And quiescence is a form of humility.

Therefore, if a great kingdom humbles itself
before a small kingdom, it shall make that small
kingdom its prize. And if a small kingdom
humbles itself before a great kingdom, it shall win

34over that great kingdom. Thus the one humbles
itself in order to attain, the other attains because
it ishumble. If the great kingdom has no further
desire than to bring men together and to nourish
them, the small kingdom will have no further desire
than to enter the service of the other. Butin order
that both may have their desire, the great one
must learn humility.

The reason why rivers and seas are able to be
lords over a hundred mountain streams, is that
they know how to keep belowthem. That is why
they are able to reign over all the mountain
streams.

Therefore the Sage, wishing to be above the
people, must by his words put himself below them ;
wishing to be before the people, he must put him-
self behind them. In this way, though he has his
place above them, the people do not feel his
weight ; though he has his place before them, they
do not feel it as an injury. Therefore all man-
kind delight to exalt him, and weary of him not.

The Sage expects no recognition for what he
does; he achieves merit but does not take
it to himself; he does not wish to display his
worth.

I have three precious things, which I hold fast
and prize. The first is gentleness; the second is
frugality ; the third is humility, which keeps me
from putting myself before others. Be gentle,
and you can be bold; be frugal, and you can be
liberal; avoid putting yourself before others, and
you can become a leader among men.

But in the present day men cast off gentleness,
and are all for being bold; they spurn frugality,

35 Ei
Es
KS
ete
=
ea
I

Ee
Ey
ac
od
ret
Es
co
a
ont
el
of

me]
Fa

  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   

and retain only se they discard
humility, and aim only at being first. Therefore
they shall surely perish.

Gentleness brings victory to him who attacks,
and safety to him who defends. Those whom
Heaven would save, it fences round with
gentleness.

The best soldiers are not warlike; the best
fighters do not lose their temper. The greatest
conquerors are those who overcome their enemies
without strife. The greatest directors of men are
those who yield place to others. This is called the
Virtue of not striving, the capacity for directing
mankind; this is being the compeer of Heaven.
It was the highest goal of the ancients.GOVERNMENT

OT exalting worth keeps the people from

rivalry. Not prizing what is hard to pro-
cure keeps the people from theft. Not to show
them what they may covet is the way to keep
their minds from disorder.

Therefore the Sage, when he governs, empties
their minds and fills their bellies, weakens their
inclinations and strengthens their bones. His
constant object is to keep the people without
knowledge and without desire, or to prevent those
who have knowledge from daring to act. He prac-
tises inaction, and nothing remains ungoverned.

He who respects the State as his own person
is fit to govern it. He who loves the State as his
own body is fit to be entrusted with it.

In the highest antiquity, the people did not
know that they had rulers. In the next age they
loved and praised them. In the next, they
feared them. In the next, they despised them.

How cautious is the Sage, how sparing of his
words! When his task is accomplished and affairs
are prosperous, the people all say: “We have
come to be as we are, naturally and of ourselves.”

If any one desires to take the Empire in hand
and govern it, I see that he will not succeed.
The Empire is a divine utensil which may not be

37PERMIAN SAR ODU AA BSUS RRO RIC

 

fe nto oH iit NT

eR

roughly handled. He who meddles, mars. He
who holds it by force, loses it.

Fishes must not be taken from the water: the
methods of government must not be exhibited to
the people.

Use uprightness in ruling a State; employ
stratagems in waging war; practise non-inter-
ference in order to win the Empire. Now this is
how I know what I lay down :—

As restrictions and prohibitions are multiplied
in the Empire, the people grow poorer and poorer.
When the people are subjected to overmuch
government, the land is thrown into confusion.
When the people are skilled in many cunning arts,
strange are the objects of luxury that appear.

The greater the number of laws and enactments,
the more thieves and robbers there will be.
Therefore the Sage says: “So long as I do
nothing, the people will work out their own
reformation. So long as I love calm, the people
will right themselves. If only I keep from
meddling, the people will grow rich. If only I
am free from desire, the people will come
naturally back to simplicity.”

If the government is sluggish and tolerant, the
people will be honest and free from guile. If the
government is prying and meddling, there will be
constant infraction of the law. Is the government
corrupt? Then uprightness becomes rare, and
goodness becomes strange. Verily, mankind have
been under delusion for many a day!

Govern a great nation as you would cook a
small fish.*

* 0Q.d., Don’t overdo it.

38If the Empire is governed according to Tao,
disembodied spirits will not manifest supernatural
powers. It is not that they lack supernatural
power, but they will not use it to hurt mankind.
Again, it is not that they are unable to hurt
mankind, but they see that the Sage also does not
hurt mankind. If then neither Sage nor spirits
work harm, their virtue converges to one
beneficent end.

In ancient times those who knew how to
practise Tao did not use it to enlighten the
people, but rather to keep them ignorant. The
difficulty of governing the people arises from their
having too much knowledge.

If the people do not fear the majesty of
government, a reign of terror will ensue.

Do not confine them within too narrow bounds ;
do not make their lives too weary. For if you do
not weary them of life, then they will not grow
weary of you.

If the people do not fear death, what good is
there in using death as a deterrent? Butif the
people are brought up in fear of death, and we
can take and execute any man who has committed
a monstrous crime, who will dare to follow his
example ?

Now, there is always one who presides over the
infliction of death. He who would take the place
of the magistrate and himself inflict death, is like
one who should try to do the work of a master-
carpenter. And of those who try the work of a
master-carpenter there are few who do not cut
their own hands.
The people starve because those in authority

a}sgn Tea e DUR COU CURSE OEORA AMA AN

over them devour too many taxes; that is why
they starve. The people are difficult to govern
because those placed over them are meddlesome ;
that is why they are difficult to govern. The
people despise death because of their excessive
labour in seeking the means of life; that is why
they despise death.

A Sage has said: “‘He who can take upon
himself the nation’s shame is fit to be lord of
the land. He who can take upon himself the
nation’s calamities is fit to be ruler over the
Empire.”

Were I ruler of a little State with a small
population, and only ten or a hundred men
available as soldiers, I would not use them. I
would have the people look on death as a
grievous thing, and they should not travel to
distant countries. Though they might possess
boats and carriages, they should have no occasion
to ride in them. Though they might own
weapons and armour, they should have no need
to use them. I would make the people return to
the use of knotted cords.* They should find their
plain food sweet, their rough garments fine.
They should be content with their homes, and
happy in their simple ways. If a neighbouring
State was within sight of mine—nay, if we were
close enough to hear the crowing of each other’s
cocks and the barking of each other’s dogs—the
two peoples should grow old and die without
there ever having been any mutual intercourse.

* The old guifo method of recording events, before the
invention of writing.

40WAR

- E who serves a ruler of men in harmony

with Tao will not subdue the Empire by
force of arms. Such a course is wont to bring
retribution in its train.

Where troops have been quartered, brambles
and thorns spring up. In the track of great
armies there must follow lean years. ,

The good man wins a victory and then stops ;
he will not go on to acts of violence. Winning,
he boasteth not ; he will not triumph; he shows
no arrogance. He wins because he cannot choose ;
after his victory he will not be overbearing.

Weapons, however beautiful, are instruments
of ill omen, hateful to all creatures. Therefore
he who has Tao will have nothing to do with
them.

Where the princely man abides, the weak leit
hand is in honour. But he who uses weapons
honours the stronger right. Weapons are instru-
ments of ill omen; they are not the instruments
of the princely man, who uses them only when he
needs must. Peace and tranquillity are what he
prizes. When he conquers, he is not elate. To
be elate were to rejoice in the slaughter of human
beings. And he who rejoices in the slaughter of

3 41

eae)

Sacpanwiiniete 1.set BH

POS SBAMESBEMON ASRS ALAM

it

fa SGA HIRReRsts Seas ees ELaCnEeH TOON SUG SESE LILORINGEoSECDCD SESEG ERO HaeaaIacp Os RDU SESE

human beings is not fit to work his will in the
Empire.

On happy occasions, the left is favoured; on
sad occasions, the right. The second in command
has his place on the left, the general in chief on
the right. That is to say, they are placed in the
order observed at funeral rites. And, indeed, he
who has exterminated a great multitude of men
should bewail them with tears and lamentation.
It is well that those who are victorious in battle
should be placed in the order of funeral rites.

A certain military commander used to say:
“J dare not act the host; I prefer to play the
guest.* I dare not advance an inch; I prefer to
retreat a foot.”

There is no greater calamity than lightly
engaging inwar. Lightly to engage in war is to
risk the loss of our treasure.f

When opposing warriors join in battle, he who
has pity conquers.

* According to Chinese etiquette, it is for the master of the
house to make advances, and his guest follows suit. Thus ‘‘ host”
here means the one who takes the initiative and begins the attack ;
“guest,” the one who acts on the defensive. The passage may
be merely figurative, illustrating the conduct of those who practise
ao.

+ Ze., humanity or gentleness, mentioned above as one of
‘‘ three precious things.”PARADOXES

Pa es mankind, the recognition of beauty
as such implies the idea of ugliness, and
the recognition of good implies the idea of evil.

There is the same mutual relation between
existence and non-existence in the matter of
creation; between difficulty and ease in the
matter of accomplishing ; between long and short
in the matter of form; between high and low in
the matter of elevation; between treble and bass
in the matter of musical pitch; between before
and after in the matter of priority.

Nature is not benevolent; with ruthless
indifference she makes all things serve their
purposes, like the straw dogs we use at sacrifices.
The Sage is not benevolent: he utilises the
people with the like inexorability.

The space between Heaven and Earth,—is it
not like a bellows? It is empty, yet inexhaust-
ible; when it is put in motion, more and more
comes out.

Heaven and Earth are long-lasting. The
reason why Heaven and Earth can last long is
that they live not for themselves, and thus they
are able to endure.

Thirty spokes unite in one nave; the utility

43 F

AO PRESS EOE SESE MS SRE

 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   

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of the cart depends on the hollow centre in which
the axle turns. Clay is moulded into a vessel;
the utility of the vessel depends on its hollow
interior. Doors and windows are cut out in order
to makea house; the utility of the house depends
on the empty spaces.

Thus, while the existence of things may be
good, it is the non-existent in them which makes
them serviceable.

When the Great Tao falls into disuse, ben-
evolence and righteousness come into vogue.
When shrewdness and sagacity appear, great
hypocrisy prevails. It is when the bonds of
kinship are out of joint that filial piety and
paternal affection begin. It is when the State is
in a ferment of revolution that loyal patriots
arise.

Cast off your holiness, rid yourself of sagacity,
and the people will benefit an hundredfold. Dis-
card benevolence and abolish righteousness, and
the people will return to filial piety and paternal
love. Renounce your scheming and abandon gain,
and thieves and robbers will disappear. These three
precepts mean that outward show is insufficient,
and therefore they bid us be true to our proper
nature ;—to show simplicity, to embrace plain
dealing, to reduce selfishness, to moderate desire.

A variety of colours makes man’s eye blind; a
diversity of sounds makes man’s ear deaf; a
mixture of flavours makes man’s palate dull.

He who knows others is clever, but he who
knows himself is enlightened. He who over-
comes others is strong, but he who overcomes
himself is mightier still. He is rich who knows

44when he has enough. He who acts with energy
has strength of purpose. He who moves not
from his proper place is long-lasting. He who
dies, but perishes not, enjoys true longevity.

If you would contract, you must first expand.
If you would weaken, you must first strengthen.
If you would overthrow, you must first raise up.
If you would take, you must first give. This is
called the dawn of intelligence.

He who is most perfect seems to be lacking;

et his resources are never outworn. He who
is most full seems vacant; yet his uses are in-
exhaustible.

Extreme straightness is as bad as crookedness.
Extreme cleverness is as bad as folly. Extreme
fluency is as bad as stammering.

Those who know do not speak; those who
speak do not know.

Abandon learning, and you will be free from
trouble and distress.

Failure is the foundation of success, and the
means by which it is achieved. Success is the
lurking-place of failure; but who can tell when
the turning-point will come °

He who acts, destroys; he who grasps, loses.
Therefore the Sage does not act, and so does not
destroy ; he does not grasp, and so he does not
lose.

Only he who does nothing for his life’s sake can
truly be said to value his life.

Man at his birth is tender and weak; at his
death he is rigid and strong. Plants and trees
when they come forth are tender and crisp ; when
dead, they are dry and tough. Thus rigidity and

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strength are the concomitants of death ; softness
and weakness are the concomitants of life.

Hence the warrior that is strong does not
conquer; the tree that is strong is cut down.
Therefore the strong and the big take the lower
place; the soft and the weak take the higher
place.

There is nothing in the world more soft
and weak than water, yet for attacking things
that are hard and strong there is nothing that
surpasses it, nothing that can take its place.

The soft overcomes the hard; the weak over-
comes the strong. There is no one in the world
but knows this truth, and no one who can put it
into practice.

Those who are wise have no wide range of
learning ; those who range most widely are not
wise.

The Sage does not care to hoard. The more
he uses for the benefit of others, the more he
possesses himself. The more he gives to his
fellow-men, the more he has of his own.

The truest sayings are paradoxical.MISCELLANEOUS SAYINGS AND
PRECEPTS

Y many words wit is exhausted ; it is better
to preserve a mean.

The excellence of a dwelling is its site; the
excellence of a mind is its profundity; the ex-
cellence of giving is charitableness ; the excellence
of speech is truthfulness ; the excellence of govern-
ment is order ; the excellence of action is ability ;
the excellence of movement is timeliness.

He who grasps more than he can hold, would
be better without any. If a house is crammed
with treasures of gold and jade, it will be impos-
sible to guard them all.

He who prides himself upon wealth and honour
hastens his own downfall. He who strikes with a
sharp point will not himself be safe for long.

He who embraces unity of soul by subordin-
ating animal instincts to reason will be able to
escape dissolution. He who strives his utmost
after tenderness can become even as a little child.

If a man is clear-headed and intelligent, can he
be without knowledge °

The Sage attends to the inner and not to the
outer; he puts away the objective and holds to
the subjective.

47

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Between yes and yea, how small the difference !
Between good and evil, how great the difference !

What the world reverences may not be treated
with disrespect.

He who has not faith in others shall find no
faith in them.

To see oneself is to be clear of sight. Mighty
is he who conquers himself.

He who raises himself on tiptoe cannot stand
firm ; he who stretches his legs wide apart cannot
walk.

Racing and hunting excite man’s heart to
madness.

The struggle for rare possessions drives a man
to actions injurious to himself.

The heavy is the foundation of the light ; repose

is the ruler of unrest.
The wise prince in his daily course never

departs from gravity and repose. Though he
possess a gorgeous palace, he will dwell therein
with calm indifference. How should the lord of
a myriad chariots conduct himself with levity in
the Empire? Levity loses men’s hearts ; unrest
loses the throne.

The skilful traveller leaves no tracks; the
skilful speaker makes no blunders; the skilful
reckoner uses no tallies. He who knows how to
shut uses no bolts—yet you cannot open. He
who knows how to bind uses no cords—yet you
cannot undo.

Among men, reject none ; among things, reject
nothing. This is called comprehensive intelligence.

The good man is the bad man’s teacher; the

48= =]

  

bad man is the material upon which the good
man works. If the one does not value his
teacher, if the other does not love his material,
then despite their sagacity they must go far
astray. This is a mystery of great import.

As unwrought material is divided up and made
into serviceable vessels, so the Sage turns his
simplicity * to account, and thereby becomes the
ruler of rulers.

The course of things is such that what was in
front is now behind; what was hot is now cold ;
what was strong is now weak: what was com.
plete is now in ruin. Therefore the Sage avoids
excess, extravagance, and grandeur.

Which is nearer to you, fame or life? Which
is more to you, life or wealth? Which is the
greater malady, gain or loss ?

Excessive ambitions necessarily entail great
sacrifice. Much hoarding must be followed by
heavy loss. He who knows when he has enough
will not be put to shame. He who knows when
to stop will not come to harm. Such a man can
look forward to long life.

There is no sin greater than ambition; no
calamity greater than discontent; no vice more
sickening than covetousness. He who is content
always has enough.

Do not wish to be rare like jade, or common
like stone.

The Sage has no hard and fast ideas, but he
shares the ideas of the people and makes them
his own. Living in the world, he is apprehensive

* There is a play on the word p‘z, simplicity, the original
meaning of which is ‘‘ unwronght material.”

49

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lest his heart be sullied by contact with the
world. The people all fix their eyes and ears
upon him. The Sage looks upon all as his
children.

I have heard that he who possesses the secret
of life, when travelling abroad, will not flee from
rhinoceros or tiger ; when entering a hostile camp,
he will not equip himself with sword or buckler.
The rhinoceros finds in him no place to insert its
horn; the tiger has nowhere to fasten its claw ;
the soldier has nowhere to thrust his blade. And
why ? Because he has no spot where death can
enter.

To see small beginnings is clearness of sight.
To rest in weakness is strength.

He who knows how to plant, shall not have his
plant uprooted; he who knows how to hold a
thing, shall not have it taken away. Sons and
grandsons will worship at his shrine, which shall
endure from generation to generation.

Knowledge in harmony is called constant.
Constant knowledge is called wisdom.* Increase
of life is called felicity. The mind directing the
body is called strength.

Be square without being angular. Be honest
without being mean. Be upright without being
punctilious. Be brilliant without being showy.

Good words shall gain you honour in the
market-place, but good deeds shall gain you friends
among men.

* There must always be a due harmony between mind and body,
neither of them being allowed to outstrip the other. Under such
circumstances, the mental powers will be constant, invariable,
always equally ready for use when called upon. And such a
mental condition is what Lao Tzti here calls ‘‘ wisdom.”

50To the good I would be good ; to the not-good
I would also be good, in order to make them
good.

With the faithful I would keep faith ; with the
unfaithful I would also keep faith, in order that
they may become faithful.

Even if a man is bad, how can it be right to
cast him off ?

Requite injury with kindness.

The difficult things of this world must once
have been easy; the great things of this
world must once have been small. Set about
dificult things while they are still easy; do
great things while they are still small. The
Sage never affects to do anything great, and
therefore hé “is able to achieve hic great
results.

He who always thinks things easy is sure to
find them difficult. Therefore the Sage ever
anticipates difficulties, and thus it is he never
encounters them. ,

While times are quiet, it is easy to take action ;
ere coming troubles have cast their shadows, it is
easy to lay plans.

That which is brittle is easily broken; that
which is minute is easily dissipated. Take pre-
cautions before the evil appears ; regulate things
before disorder has begun.

The tree which needs two arms to span its
girth sprang from the tiniest shoot. Yon tower,
nine storeys high, rose from a little mound of
earth. A journey of a thousand miles began with
a single step.

A great principle cannot be divided ;_ there-

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fore it is that many containers cannot contain
i.

The Sage knows what is in him, but makes no
display ; he respects himself, but seeks not honour
for himself.

To know, but to be as though not knowing, is
the height of wisdom. Not to know, and yet to
affect knowledge, is a vice. If we regard this
vice. as such, we shall escape it. The Sage has
not this vice. It is because he regards it as a
vice that he escapes it.

Use the light that is in you to revert to your
natural clearness of sight. Then the loss of the
body is unattended by calamity. This is called
doubly enduring.

In the management of affairs, people constantly
break down just when they are nearing a suc-
cessful issue. If they took as much care at the
end as at the beginning, they would not fail in
their enterprises.

He who lightly promises is sure to keep but
little faith.

He whose boldness leads him to venture, will
be slain; he who is brave enough not to venture,
will live. Of these two, one has the benefit, the
other has the hurt. But who is it that knows the
real cause of Heaven’s hatred? This is why the
Sage hesitates and finds it difficult to act.

The violent and stiff-necked die not by a
natural death.

True words are not fine ; fine words are not true.

* That is, a principle which applies to the whole applies also. to
apart, Because you may divide the containing whole, you are not
at liberty to divide the principle,

52The good are not contentious ; the contentious
are not good.

This is the Way of Heaven, which benefits, and
injures not. This is the Way of the Sage, in
whose actions there is no element of strife.

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LAO TZU ON HIMSELF

LAS! the barrenness of the age has not yet
reached its limit.

All men are radiant with happiness, as if
enjoying a great feast, as if mounted on a tower
in spring. I alone am still, and give as yet no
sign of joy. Iam like an infant which has not yet
smiled, forlorn as one who has nowhere to lay his
head. Other men have plenty, while I alone seem
fo have fost ail Tam a man foolish in heart,
dull and confused. Other men are full of light ;
IT alone seem to be in darkness. Other men are
alert ; I alone am listless. JI am unsettled as the
ocean, drifting as though I had no stopping-place.
All men have their usefulness ; I alone am stupid
and clownish. Lonely though I am and unlike
other men, yet I revere the Foster-Mother, Tao.

My words are very easy to understand, very
easy to put into practice; yet the world can
neither understand nor practise them.

My words have a clue, my actions have an
underlying principle. It is because men do not
know the clue that they understand me not.

Those who know me are but few, and on that
account my honour is the greater.

Thus the Sage wears coarse garments, but
carries a jewel in his bosom.

THE END

 

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