Cryptocurrency Exchange - Laozi's "Tao Te Ching" Standard Edition

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 1

The Way that can be spoken of is not the eternal Way. The name that can be named is not the eternal name.

The unnamable is the origin of Heaven and Earth; The named is the mother of all things.

Therefore, always be without desire to see its mystery; Always have desires to see its outward appearances.

These two originate together but differ in name; Together they are called the profound.

The profound and the subtle, the door to all wonders.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 2

Under Heaven all know the beauty of beauty, thus there is ugliness.

All know the good of good, thus there is evil.

Being and non-being generate each other; Difficult and easy complete each other; Long and short contrast each other; High and low support each other; Sound and voice harmonize; Front and back follow each other.

This is constant. Therefore, the Sage acts without attachment,

Teaches without words; All things are born, yet he does not initiate them,

Gives them life, yet he does not possess them,

Accomplishes his work, yet he does not dwell on it.

Because he does not dwell, he does not abandon.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 3

Not valuing rare treasures prevents greed; Not displaying what people desire prevents disorder.

Therefore, the Sage governs by emptying hearts and filling bellies,

Weakening ambitions, strengthening bones.

Always keep the people without knowledge or desire.

So that the wise dare not act.

Acting without action, then nothing is left undone.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 4

The Way is empty yet inexhaustible; Deep like the abyss, the source of all things.

I do not know whose child it is; it seems to be before the Emperor.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 5

Heaven and Earth are not benevolent; They treat all things as straw dogs.

The space between Heaven and Earth is like a bellows—empty yet unceasingly active.

Much speech exhausts energy; Better to keep to the center.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 6

The valley spirit never dies; It is called the mysterious female.

The gate of the mysterious female is called the root of Heaven and Earth.

Constantly present, unwearied, it moves and produces more.

It is virtual yet inexhaustible; Use it without exhaustion.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 7

Heaven sustains and Earth keeps; They endure because they do not have a selfish desire.

Thus, the Sage puts himself last and finds himself first,

Gives himself away and finds himself preserved.

Is it not because he has no selfish purpose?

Therefore, he achieves his own fulfillment.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 8

The highest good is like water.

Water benefits all things and does not compete; It dwells in places that others disdain.

Therefore, it approaches the Way.

Reside in good land, have a deep heart, show kindness, speak truth,

Govern wisely, serve well, act timely.

Because he does not compete, there is no blame.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 9

Hold and fill it to overflowing; better to let it go.

Sharpen it and make it pointed; cannot be kept for long.

Gold and jade fill the hall; none can guard them.

Pride in wealth and honor invites loss.

Achieving success, retreat when the time is right—that is the Way of Heaven.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 10

Carry the vital breath, embrace unity; can you be without separation?

Focus the qi to soften; can you be like a child?

Cleansing the mysterious mirror; can you be free of flaws?

Love your country, govern the people; can you act without doing?

Open and close the gate of Heaven; can you be like a female?

Clear the four seas; can you be without knowledge?

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 11

Thirty spokes converge on a hub; it is the empty center that makes the wheel useful.

Clay is molded into vessels; it is the emptiness that makes the vessel functional.

Carved doors and windows form a room; it is the empty space that makes the room livable.

Hence, what is there makes use, what is not there creates utility.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 12

The five colors blind the eye; the five sounds make the ear deaf; the five tastes dull the palate.

Chasing after hunting and racing makes the mind wild; rare goods cause trouble for walking.

Therefore, the Sage prefers the belly to the eyes, and chooses to be content.

He does not seek to be seen, thus he is not disgraced.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 13

Favor and shame seem like fright; nobility and calamity like body.

What is favor and shame?

Favor is the lowest; gaining it is like being startled; losing it is like being in danger—this is favor and shame.

What is nobility and calamity?

Nobility is the highest; calamity is like the body.

I hold the body as my own; if I do not have it, what calamity is there?

Therefore, honor the body as heaven; love the body as heaven.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 14

Looked for but unseen, called the dark mystery.

Listened for but unheard, called the subtle.

Grasped but elusive, called the minute.

These three cannot be fully described; they blend into one.

Its upper cannot be seen; its lower cannot be distinguished.

It is delicate yet cannot be named; it returns to the object.

This is called the shapeless shape, the formless form, called the obscure and hazy.

Approached but not seen, followed but not seen its back.

Embrace the ancient Way to govern the present.

Knowing the beginning of the ancient, this is called the record of the Way.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 15

Ancient sages who excel in the Way are subtle and profound, their understanding deep and ungraspable.

Only the ungraspable can be truly described:

Resembling winter crossing a river, cautious and hesitant;

Like fear of four neighbors, cautious and guarded;

Majestic as a guest, unassuming;

Dispersed as clouds and mist, floating freely;

Simple as a humble plain;

Vast as a valley, silent and deep;

Turbulent as muddy water, yet clear when still.

Who can muddy the water and keep it calm and slow to clear?

Who can quiet the turbulent and let it gently settle?

Protecting this Way, one does not desire excess.

Only the unexcessive can conceal and renew.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 16

Attain emptiness to the utmost, guard stillness diligently.

All things arise, I observe their return.

All things flourish, they return to their roots.

Returning to the root is called stillness; stillness is called reversion to life.

Reversion to life is called constant; knowing the constant is called enlightenment.

Not knowing the constant leads to chaos; knowing the constant brings harmony,

Harmony is universal; universal is the Heaven,

Heaven is the Way, the Way is everlasting, without harm to the body.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 17

Highest excellence is like non-being; next, like association with others; next, like fearing; next, like contempt.

Trust is insufficient, there is distrust.

Vague and noble words are treasured.

Achievements and success are transient; all are fleeting.

Good results lead to regret; the wise avoid excess.

Thus, the Sage is difficult to grasp.

Therefore, he is seldom exhausted.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 18

The great Way has been abandoned; kindness and justice appear.

Wisdom emerges, but so does great hypocrisy.

Family harmony is broken; filial piety and compassion arise.

The state is in chaos; loyal ministers are needed.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 19

Abandon the sages and discard wisdom; the people benefit a hundredfold.

Abandon kindness and discard righteousness; the people revert to filial piety and compassion.

Abandon cleverness and discard profit; thieves and bandits disappear.

These three are superficial; true virtue lies in simplicity.

Therefore, the wise value straightforwardness, cherish simplicity, and avoid excess.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 20

Only follow the Way and the Evil will not harm you.

How can one be without evil?

Evil is born from desire; the wise abstain from desire.

He who is content is rich; he who perseveres is long-lasting.

Death without regret is longevity.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 21

The Way is hidden and mysterious.

Those who understand it are rare.

The wise do not act, yet things are accomplished.

They do not look, yet they see clearly.

They do not speak, yet their words are true.

They do not act, yet their work is completed.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 22

Bend and remain whole; straighten and become crooked.

Empty and be filled; worn and be renewed.

Reduce and be content; diminish and be rich.

Excess and arrogance lead to loss.

The sage embraces the simple and yields.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 23

The sky is vast, yet cannot be exhausted.

The earth is broad, yet cannot be filled.

All things come from being, and being from non-being.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 24

He who stands on tiptoe is not steady; he who strides is not stable.

He who makes many claims is not trusted; he who boasts is not esteemed.

He who is self-righteous is not revered; he who shines brightly is not enlightened.

He who is self-important is not magnified; he who asserts himself will not endure.

Therefore, the best leaders are those who are humble.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 25

The great form has no shape; the great sound no noise; the great image no form.

The Way is empty yet inexhaustible; it is always present.

It is not bright, but it illuminates; it is not loud, but it echoes.

It is not seen, yet it appears; it is not heard, yet it sounds.

It is not grasped, yet it is real.

Therefore, the sage acts without attachment, achieves without boasting, and accomplishes without claiming.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 26

The heavy is the root of the light; the stillness is the master of unrest.

The sage travels far without leaving his home; he sees the world without looking out.

He understands the world without leaving his room; he observes the Way without going outside.

The more he does, the less he understands.

Hold to stillness and you will be safe; keep to simplicity and you will be rich.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 27

A good traveler leaves no traces; a good speaker is not hurried; a good store of knowledge has no arrogance.

A good cutter uses no unnecessary tools; a good binder uses no glue.

The sage is good at helping people and does not reject anyone; he is good at helping things and does not reject anything.

Hence, he is called the subtle helper.

The wise person does not boast of his goodness; he does not love to display his talents.

He who is wise may seem foolish; this is called the subtlety of the Way.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 28

Knowing others is intelligence; knowing oneself is true wisdom.

Loving others is strength; controlling oneself is true power.

He who is content is rich; he who perseveres is lasting.

He who does not lose his way is wise; he who dies yet does not perish is truly long-lived.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 29

Those who use weapons are not at peace; those who are at peace do not use weapons.

He who is skilled in defeating his enemies does not boast; he who is skilled in helping people does not brag.

He who is skilled at using others is called the humble.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 30

The best soldiers are like water; water benefits all things and does not compete.

It dwells in places that others disdain; therefore, it is near the Way.

The best leaders are like water; they nourish the people without striving.

They act when the time is right, but do not seek glory.

They do not control others; they serve; they do not dominate; they lead subtly.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 31

Military equipment is not a thing of joy; it is a tool of sorrow.

He who is attached to it is not a true hero.

The wise do not rejoice in victory; they do not boast of their strength.

He who wins battles is not a hero; he who conquers is not a master.

He who is good at helping others is called the humble.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 32

The Way is like a river that flows everywhere.

It is the source of all things and benefits all.

It does not compete and is therefore free from contention.

It is like the natural flow of water—soft yet powerful.

The sage acts without effort and teaches without words.

He guides all things to their natural course.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 33

Knowing others is intelligence; knowing oneself is wisdom.

Mastering others requires strength; mastering oneself requires true power.

He who is content is rich; he who perseveres is lasting.

He who dies but does not perish is everlasting.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 34

The Great Way is like a vast ocean; it accepts all rivers flowing into it.

It benefits all things without striving.

It is like a sage who acts without seeking recognition.

It does not compete, so it is not exhausted.

The highest virtue is like water—beneficial and humble.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 35

Hold the great image and all beneath will come.

It is tranquil and peaceful, and all things flourish.

Joy and contentment are like a blessing; excess is like a burden.

The Way flows effortlessly, without taste or flavor.

It is invisible but always present; it is silent but always echoing.

It is used but never exhausted.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 36

To weaken a strong enemy, first make him strong.

To weaken something, first make it strong.

To diminish something, first make it complete.

To take something away, first give it.

This is called subtle insight.

Soft and weak overcome the hard and strong.

Fish should not be taken out of the deep; the treasures of a kingdom should not be displayed.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 37

The Way never acts, yet everything is done by it.

The sage does nothing and leaves nothing undone.

He does not strive, and therefore nothing is left unaccomplished.

He does not compete, and therefore no one in the world can compete with him.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 38

The highest virtue is like water.

Water benefits all things and does not compete.

It stays in places that others disdain.

Therefore, it is close to the Way.

The sage does not boast of himself; he does not seek fame.

He does not compete, so he is never exhausted.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 39

The old way has been abandoned; kindness and righteousness arise.

Wisdom emerges, but so does great hypocrisy.

Family harmony is broken; filial piety and compassion arise.

The state is in chaos; loyal ministers are needed.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 40

Return is the movement of the Way.

The weak is the use of the Way.

All things originate from being; being from non-being.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 41

The highest understanding is like uncarved wood.

The greatest eloquence seems dull.

The greatest strength seems weak.

The greatest talent appears slow.

The greatest virtue is like water; it benefits all and does not compete.

The greatest subtlety is like mud; it is deep and hard to see.

The greatest honesty is like unpolished jade.

The greatest humility is like a valley.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 42

The Way gives birth to one; one gives birth to two; two gives birth to three; three gives birth to all things.

All things carry yin and embrace yang, and through their union, they achieve harmony.

The people hate to be left alone, hated to be cut off, hated to be distant.

Therefore, the sage acts but does not claim; he achieves but does not boast; he works but does not cling.

Because he does not cling, he is able to attain.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 43

The soft and weak overcome the hard and strong.

The weak and subtle can pierce through the thickest armor.

The world is afraid of death, but those who know how to die will live long.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 44

Fame and riches are superficial; it is better to be content.

Poverty and hardship are the root of stability; excess leads to loss.

He who knows when enough is enough will always be content.

He who perseveres in his integrity will last.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 45

Great achievement seems incomplete, yet it does not diminish.

Great fullness seems empty, yet it does not run out.

Great straightness seems crooked.

Great skill seems clumsy.

Great eloquence seems dull.

Stillness overcomes activity; coldness overcomes heat.

Pure and still is the true nature of the world.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 46

When the world has the Way, horses are used for farming.

When the world lacks the Way, horses are bred on the fields for war.

There is no greater calamity than not knowing when enough is enough; no greater error than desire to acquire.

Knowing when enough is enough is always sufficient.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 47

Without going out the door, you can know the world.

Without looking out the window, you can see the Way of Heaven.

The farther you go, the less you know.

Therefore, the sage acts without striving; he sees without looking; he accomplishes without doing.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 48

In the pursuit of learning, increase daily.

In the pursuit of the Way, decrease daily.

Decreasing day after day, until you reach non-action.

Non-action, and there is nothing that is not done.

The sage does not strive, yet nothing is left undone.

He does not seek fame, yet he is known.

The Way and Its Power: Chapter 49

The sage has no fixed mind; he treats the people’s minds as his own.

He is good at helping people and does not reject anyone.

He is good at helping things and does not reject anything.

Because he does not reject, he is called subtle.

He helps the people and does not boast.

He helps the world and does not claim.

He acts but does not compete.

He guides but does not dominate.

This is called the virtue of non-competition.