。
  As　he　does　not　oppose　himself　to　anyone；　no　one　is　opposed　to　him。
  The　axioms　from　the　old　days　cited　above；　are　they　not　full　of　sense？　Yes；　towards　him　who　is　perfect；　（who　does　nothing　to　attract　to　himself）；　all　run　spontaneously。
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  To　talk　little；　to　act　only　without　effort；　that　is　the　formula。　A　gusty　wind　does　not　blow　all　morning；　torrential　rain　does　not　last　all　day。
  And　yet　these　effects　are　produced　by　heaven　and　earth；　（the　most　powerful　agents　of　all。　But　these　are　exaggerated；　forced　effects；　that　is　why　they　cannot　be　sustained）。　If　heaven　and　earth　cannot　sustain　a　forced　action；　how　much　less　is　man　able　to　do　so？
  He　who　conforms　himself　to　the　Principle；　conforms　his　principles　to　this　Principle；　his　actions　to　the　action　of　this　Principle；　his　non…action　to　the　non…action　of　this　Principle。
  Thus　his　principles；　his　actions；　his　non…action；　（speculations；　interventions；　abstentions）；　always　give　him　the　contentment　of　success；　（for；　whether　he　succeeds　or　not；　the　Principle　evolves；　and　therefore　he　is　content）。
  （This　doctrine　of　the　abnegation　of　one's　opinions　and　one's　actions　appeals　to　the　taste　of　but　few　people）。　Many　only　believe　in　it　a　little；　the　others　not　at　all。
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  By　dint　of　holding　oneself　on　tiptoe；　one　loses　one's　balance。　By　trying　to　take　too　great　a　stride；　one　does　not　go　forward。
  By　making　a　show　of　oneself；　one　loses　one's　reputation。　Through　imposing　oneself；　one　loses　one's　influence。
  Through　boasting　about　oneself；　one　becomes　discredited。　Through　pushing　oneself；　one　ceases　to　be　augmented。
  In　the　light　of　the　Principle　all　these　ways　of　acting　are　odious；　distasteful。　They　are　superfluous　excesses。　They　are　like　a　pain　in　the　stomach；　a　tumour　in　the　body。　He　who　has　principles　（in　conformity　with　the　Principle）；　does　not　act　like　this。
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  There　is　a　being；　of　unknown　origin；　which　existed　before　heaven　and　earth；　imperceptible　and　undefined；　unique　and　immutable；　omnipresent；　the　mother　of　everything　there　is。
  I　do　not　know　it　by　its　own　name。　I　designate　it　by　the　word　Principle。　If　it　were　necessary　to　name　it；　one　would　call　it　the　Great；
  great　going　forth；　great　distance；　great　return。　（The　principle　of　the　great　cyclic　evolution　of　the　cosmos；　of　the　becoming　and　ending　of　all　beings）。
  The　name　Great　befits　（proportionally）　four　（superimposed）　beings：　The　emperor；　the　earth；　heaven　（the　classical　Chinese　triad）；　and　the　Principle。
  The　emperor　owes　his　greatness　to　the　earth　（his　theater）；　earth　owes　its　greatness　to　heaven　（of　which　it　is　the　fruit）；　heaven　owes　its　greatness　to　the　Principle　（of　which　it　is　the　principal　agent）。　（Greatness　borrowed；　as　one　can　see；　whereas）　the　Principle　owes　its　essential　greatness　to　its　underived；　uncreated　existence。
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  The　heavy　is　the　base　（root）　of　the　light。　Stillness　is　the　prince　of　movement。　（These　things　should　be　always　united　in　a　just　temperament）。
  Therefore　a　wise　prince；　when　he　travels　（in　his　light　carriage）；　never　separates　himself　from　the　heavy　wagons　which　carry　his　baggage。　However　beautiful　the　landscape　through　which　he　passes；　he　takes　care　to　lodge　only　in　peaceful　places。
  Alas；　how　could　an　emperor　behave　so　foolishly；
  losing　all　authority　by　dint　of　frivolity；　and　all　the　rest　through　his　waywardness？
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  A　good　walker　leaves　no　trace；　a　good　speaker　offends　no　one；　a　good　reckoner　needs　no　tally；
  an　expert　locksmith　can　make　one　that　no　one　can　open；　an　expert　on　knots　can　make　them　so　that　no　one　can　untie　them。　（all　specialists　have　their　speciality；　which　makes　their　fame；　from　which　they　take　their　profit）。
  Likewise　the　Sage　（Confucian　politician）；　the　professional　saviour　of　men　and　things；　has　his　own　procedures。
  He　considers　himself　as　the　born　master　of　other　men；　regarding　them　as　material　born　for　his　craft。　Now　that　is　to　blind　oneself；　（to　shade　out　the　light；　the　Daoist　principles）。
  Not　wishing　to　rule；　nor　to　appropriate；　others；　although　wise；　seeming　like　a　madman　（persisting　to　live　in　retreat）；　this　is　the　essential　truth。
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  Being　aware　of　one's　virile　strength　（knowing　that　one　is　a　cock）；　and　yet　holding　oneself　willingly　in　the　inferior　state　of　the　female　（of　the　hen）；　keeping　oneself　willingly　in　the　lowest　place　in　the　empire　。。。　To　demean　oneself　thus　shows　that　one　has　retained　the　primordial　virtue；　（absolute　disinterestedness；　participation　in　the　Principle）。
  Knowing　oneself　to　be　enlightened；　and　willingly　passing　oneself　off　as　ignorant；　willingly　letting　oneself　be　walked　over　。。。　To　behave　thus　is　to　show　that　the　primordial　virtue　has　not　wavered　in　oneself；　that　one　is　still　united　with　the　first　Principle。
  Knowing　oneself　worthy　of　fame；　yet　staying　in　voluntary　obscurity；　willingly　making　oneself　the　valley　（the　lowest　point）　of　the　empire　。。。　To　behave　thus　is　to　show　that　one　has　the　original　self…sacrifice　still　intact　that　one　is　still　in　the　state　of　natural　simplicity。
  （The　Sage　will　refuse　therefore　the　burden　of　being　a　governor。　If　he　is　constrained　to　accept　such　a　post；　then　he　will　remind　himself　that）　the　multiplicity　of　beings　have　come　from　the　primordial　unity　by　a　scattering。　（That　he　will　never　busy　himself　with　these　diverse　beings）；　but　govern　as　chief　of　the　officials　（as　prime　mover）；　uniquely　applying　himself　to　general　government；　without　occupying　himself　with　details。
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  He　who　holds　the　empire　would；　in　my　view；　be　wishing　for　failure　should　he　want　to　manipulate　it　（to　act　positively；　to　govern　actively）。
  The　empire　is　a　mechanism　of　extreme　delicacy。　It　should　be　let　go　all　alone。　It　should　not　be　touched。　He　who　touches　it；　deranges　it。　He　who　wishes　to　appropriate　it；　loses　it。
  When　he　governs；　the　Sage　lets　all　people　（and　their　sum；　the　empire）　go　free　according　to　their　several　natures；　the　agile　and　the　slow；　the　ardent　and　the　apathetic；　the　strong　and　the　weak；　the　long…lived　and　the　short…lived。
  He　limits　his　action　to　the　suppression　of　excesses　which　would　harm　the　whole；　such　as　power；　wealth；　and　ambition。
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  （of　all　the　excesses；　the　most　prejudicial；　the　most　damnable；　as　that　of　weapons；　war）。　Those　who　act　as　advisors　to　a　prince　should　keep　themselves　from　wanting　to　make　war　against　a　country。　（For　such　action；　calling　for　revenge；　is　always　paid　for　dearly）。
  Wherever　the　troops　stay　the　land　produces　only　thorns；　having　been　abandoned　by　the　farm　workers。　Wherever　a　great　army　has　passed；　years　of　unhappiness　（from　famine　and　brigandage）　follow。
  Therefore　the　good　general　is　content　to　do　only　what　he　has　to　do；　（the　least　possible；　moral；　rather　than　material　repression）。　He　stops　as　soon　as　possible；　guarding　himself　from　exploiting　his　force　to　the　limit。
  He　does　as　much　as　is　required　（to　reestablish　peace）；　not　for　his　personal　advantage　and　fame；　but　from　necessity　and　with　reluctance；　without　any　intention　of　increasing　his　power。
  Any　height　of　power　is　always　followed　by　decadence。　Making　oneself　is　therefore　contrary　to　the　Principle　（the　source　of　duration）。　He　who　is　lacking　on　this　point；　will　not　be　long　in　coming　to　an　end。
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  The　best　weapons　are　ill…omened　instruments　that　all　beings　hold　in　fear。　Therefore　those　who　conform　themselves　to　the　Principle　do　not　use　them。
  In　times　of　peace；　the　prince　puts　the　civil　minister　he　honours　on　his　left　（the　place　of　honour）；　but　even　in　times　of　war；　he　puts　the　military　commander　on　his　right　（which　is　not　the　place　of　honour；　even　though　he　is　exercising　his　function）。
  Weapons　are　disastrous　instruments。　A　wise　prince　uses　them　only　with　reluctance　and　from　necessity。　He　prefers　always　a　modest　peace　to　a　glorious　victory。
  No　one　should　think　that　victory　is　a　good　thing。　He　who　thinks　that；　shows　that　he　has　the　heart　of　an　assassin。　Such　a　man　would　not　be　fit　to　reign　over　the　empire。
  According　to　the　rites；　those　of　good　omen　are　placed　on　the　left；　those　of　ill…omen　on　the　right。　（Now　when　the　emperor　receives　two　military　officers　together）；　the　one　of　subordinate　rank　（who　only　acts　on　superior　orders；　and　is　therefore　less　ill…omened）　is　placed　on　the　left。　The　commanding　officer　is　placed　on　the　right；　that　is；　in　the　first　place　according　to　the　funeral　rites；　（the　place　of　the　chief　mourner）。
  For　it　behooves　one　who　has　killed　many　men　to　weep　tears　of　lamentation　for　them。　The　only　place　really　fitting　for　a　conquering　general　is　that　of　the　chief　mourner　（leading　the　mourning　for　those　whose　death　he　has　caused）。
  When；　in　the　beginning；　in　this　visible　world；　the　Principle　imparted　itself　in　the　production　of　（sentient）　beings　with　names；　it　did　not　produce　them　in　a　way　that　exhausted　itself　（but　only　as　tenuous　prolongations；　its　mass　remaining　intact）。
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  The　Principle　has　no　name　of　its　own。　It　is　nature。　This　nature　so　unmanifest　is　stronger　than　anything。
  If　princes　and　emperors　were　to　conform　themselves　to　it；　all　beings　would　collaborate　with　them　spontaneously；
  heaven　and　earth　would　act　in　perfect　harmony；　sprinkling　a　sweet　d