The Sage puts his own views behind so ends up ahead He stays a witness to life so he endures What could he grab for that he does not already have? What could he do for himself that the universe itself has not already done?

Everyone recognizes beauty only because of ugliness Everyone recognizes virtue only because of sin Life and death are born together Difficult and easy Long and short High and low— all these exist together Sound and silence blend as one Before and after arrive as one

Speak little Hold to your own nature A strong wind does not blow all morning A cloudburst does not last all day The wind and rain are from Heaven and Earth and even these do not last long How much less so the efforts of man?

A mind free of thought, merged within itself, beholds the essence of Tao A mind filled with thought, identified with its own perceptions, beholds the mere forms of this world

Putting a value on status will cause people to compete Hoarding treasure will turn them into thieves Showing off possessions will disturb their daily lives Thus the Sage rules by stilling minds and opening hearts by filling bellies and strengthening bones He shows people how to be simple and live without desires To be content and not look for other

He does not compete so no one under Heaven can compete with him

As your wisdom reaches the four corners of the world can you keep the innocence of a beginner?

The five colors blind the eye The five tones deafen the ear The five flavors dull the palate Racing, hunting, and galloping about only disturb the mind Wasting energy to obtain rare objects only impedes one’s growth So the Sage is led by his inner truth and not his outer eye He holds to what is deep and not what lies on the surface

Wu is nothingness, emptiness, non-existence Thirty spokes of a wheel all join at a common hub yet only the hole at the center allows the wheel to spin Clay is molded to form a cup yet only the space within allows the cup to hold water Walls are joined to make a room yet only by cutting out a door and a window can one enter the room and live there T