Tao Te Ching: An English-Language Interpolation 1. The Way The Way that can be experienced is not true; The world that can be constructed is not real. The Way manifests all that happens and may happen; The world represents all that exists and may exist. To experience without abstraction is to sense the world; To experience with abstraction is to know the world. These two experiences are indistinguishable; Their construction differs but their effect is the same. Beyond the gate of experience flows the Way, Which is ever greater and more subtle than the world. 2. Abstraction When beauty is abstracted Then ugliness has been implied; When good is abstracted Then evil has been implied. So alive and dead are abstracted from nature, Difficult and easy abstracted from progress, Long and short abstracted from contrast, High and low abstracted from depth, Song and speech abstracted from melody, After and before abstracted from sequence. The sage experiences without abstraction, And accomplishes without action; He accepts the ebb and flow of things, Nurtures them, but does not own them, And lives, but does not dwell. 3. Without Action Not praising the worthy prevents contention, Not esteeming the valuable prevents theft, Not displaying the beautiful prevents desire. In this manner the sage governs people: Emptying their minds, Filling their bellies, Weakening their ambitions, And strengthening their bones. If people lack knowledge and desire Then they can not act; If no action is taken Harmony remains. 4. Limitless The Way is a limitless vessel; Used by the self, it is not filled by the world; It cannot be cut, knotted, dimmed or stilled; Its depths are hidden, ubiquitous and eternal; I don't know where it comes from; It comes before nature. 5. Nature Nature is not kind; It treats all things impartially. The Sage is not kind, And treats all people impartially. Nature is like a bellows, Empty, yet never ceasing its supply. The more it moves, the more it yields; So the sage draws upon experience And cannot be exhausted. 6. Experience Experience is a riverbed,  Its source hidden, forever flowing: Its entrance, the root of the world, The Way moves within it: Draw upon it; it will not run dry. 7. Complete Nature is complete because it does not serve itself. The sage places himself after and finds himself before, Ignores his desire and finds himself content. He is complete because he does not serve himself. 8. Water The best of man is like water, Which benefits all things, and does not contend with them, Which flows in places that others disdain, Where it is in harmony with the Way. So the sage: Lives within nature, Thinks within the deep, Gives within impartiality, Speaks within trust, Governs within order, Crafts within ability, Acts within opportunity. He does not contend, and none contend against him. 9. Retire Fill a cup to its brim and it is easily spilled; Temper a sword to its hardest and it is easily broken; Amass the greatest treasure and it is easily stolen; Claim credit and honour and you easily fall; Retire once your purpose is achieved - this is natural. 10. Harmony Embracing the Way, you become embraced; Breathing gently, you become newborn; Clearing your mind, you become clear; Nurturing your children, you become impartial; Opening your heart, you become accepted; Accepting the world, you embrace the Way. Bearing and nurturing, Creating but not owning, Giving without demanding, This is harmony. 11. Tools Thirty spokes meet at a nave; because of the hole we may use the wheel. Clay is moulded into a vessel; Because of the hollow we may use the cup. Walls are built around a hearth; Because of the doors we may use the house. Thus tools come from what exists, But use from what does not. 12. Substance Too much colour blinds the eye, Too much music deafens the ear, Too much taste dulls the palate, Too much play maddens the mind, Too much desire tears the heart. In this manner the sage cares for people: He provides for the belly, not for the senses; He ignores abstraction and holds fast to substance. 13. Self Both praise and blame cause concern, For they bring people hope and fear. The object of hope and fear is the self - For, without self, to whom may fortune and disaster occur? Therefore, Who distinguishes himself from the world may be given the world, But who regards himself as the world may accept the world. 14. Mystery Looked at but cannot be seen - it is beneath form; Listened to but cannot be heard - it is beneath sound; Held but cannot be touched - it is beneath feeling; These depthless things evade definition, And blend into a single mystery. In its rising there is no light, In its falling there is no darkness, A continuous thread beyond description, Lining what does not exist; Its form formless, Its image nothing, Its name silence; Follow it, it has no back, et it, it has no face. Attend the present to deal with the past; Thus you grasp the continuity of the Way, Which is its essence. 15. Enlightenment The enlightened possess understanding So profound they can not be understood. Because they cannot be understood I can only describe their appearance: Cautious as one crossing thin ice, Undecided as one surrounded by danger, Modest as one who is a guest, Unbounded as melting ice, Genuine as unshaped wood, Broad as a valley, Seamless as muddy water. Who stills the water that the mud may settle, Who seeks to stop that he may travel on, Who desires less than what may transpire, Decays, but will not renew. 16. Decay and Renewal Empty the self completely; Embrace perfect peace. The world will rise and move; Watch it return to rest. All the flourishing things Will return to their source. This return is peaceful; It is the flow of nature, An eternal decay and renewal. Accepting this brings enlightenment, Ignoring this brings misery. Who accepts nature's flow becomes all-cherishing; Being all-cherishing he becomes impartial; Being impartial he becomes magnanimous; Being magnanimous he becomes natural; Being natural he becomes one with the Way; Being one with the Way he becomes immortal: Though his body will decay, the Way will not. 17. Rulers The best rulers are scarcely known by their subjects; The next best are loved and praised; The next are feared; The next despised: They have no faith in their people, And their people become unfaithful to them. When the best rulers achieve their purpose Their subjects claim the achievement as their own. 18. Hypocrisy When the Way is forgotten Duty and justice appear; Then knowledge and wisdom are born Along with hypocrisy. When harmonious relationships dissolve Then respect and devotion arise; When a nation falls to chaos Then loyalty and patriotism are born. 19. Simplify If we could discard knowledge and wisdom Then people would profit a hundredfold; If we could discard duty and justice Then harmonious relationships would form; If we could discard artifice and profit Then waste and theft would disappear. Yet such remedies treat only symptoms And so they are inadequate. People need personal remedies: Reveal your naked self and embrace your original nature; Bind your self-interest and control your ambition; Forget your habits and simplify your affairs. 20. Wandering What is the difference between assent and denial? What is the difference between beautiful and ugly? What is the difference between fearsome and afraid? The people are merry as if at a magnificent party Or playing in the park at springtime, But I am tranquil and wandering, Like a newborn before it learns to smile, Alone, with no true home. The people have enough and to spare, Where I have nothing, And my heart is foolish, Muddled and cloudy. The people are bright and certain, Where I am dim and confused; The people are clever and wise, Where I am dull and ignorant; Aimless as a wave drifting over the sea, Attached to nothing. The people are busy with purpose, Where I am ipractical and rough; I do not share the peoples' cares But I am fed at nature's breast. 21. Accept Harmony is only in following the Way. The Way is without form or quality, But expresses all forms and qualities; The Way is hidden and implicate, But expresses all of nature; The Way is unchanging, But expresses all motion. Beneath sensation and memory The Way is the source of all the world. How can I understand the source of the world? By accepting. 22. Home Accept and you become whole, Bend and you straighten, Empty and you fill, Decay and you renew, Want and you acquire, Fulfill and you become confused. The sage accepts the world As the world accepts the Way; He does not display himself, so is clearly seen, Does not justify himself, so is recognized, Does not boast, so is credited, Does not pride himself, so endures, Does not contend, so none contend against him. The ancients said, "Accept and you become whole", Once whole, the world is as your home. 23. Words Nature says only a few words: High wind does not last long, Nor does heavy rain. If nature's words do not last Why should those of man? Who accepts harmony, becomes harmonious. Who accepts loss, becomes lost. For who accepts harmony, the Way harmonizes with him, And who accepts loss, the Way cannot find. 24. Indulgence Straighten yourself and you will not stand steady; Display yourself and you will not be clearly seen; Justify yourself and you will not be respected; Promote yourself and you will not be believed; Pride yourself and you will not endure. These behaviours are wasteful, indulgent, And so they attract disfavour; Harmony avoids them. 25. Beneath Abstraction There is a mystery, Beneath abstraction, Silent, depthless, Alone, unchanging, Ubiquitous and liquid, The mother of nature. It has no name, but I call it "the Way"; It has no limit, but I call it "limitless". Being limitless, it flows away forever; Flowing away forever, it returns to my self: The Way is limitless, So nature is limitless, So the world is limitless, And so I am limitless. For I am abstracted from the world, The world from nature, Nature from the Way, And the Way from what is beneath abstraction. 26. Calm Gravity is the source of lightness, Calm, the master of haste. A lone traveller will journey all day, watching over his belongings; Only safe in his own bed may he lose them in sleep. So the captain of a great vessel should not act lightly or hastily. Acting lightly, he loses sight of the world, Acting hastily, he loses control of himself. The captain can not treat his great ship as a small boat; Rather than glitter like jade He must stand like stone. 27. Perfection The perfect traveller leaves no trail to be followed; The perfect speaker leaves no question to be answered; The perfect accountant leaves no working to be completed; The perfect container leaves no lock to be closed; The perfect knot leaves no end to be ravelled. So the sage nurtures all men And abandons no one. He accepts everything And rejects nothing. He attends to the smallest details. For the strong must guide the weak; The weak are raw material to the strong. If the guide is not respected, Or the material is not cared for, Confusion will result, no matter how clever one is. This is the secret of perfection: When raw wood is carved, it becomes a tool; When a man is employed, he becomes a tool; The perfect carpenter leaves no wood to be carved. 28. Becoming Using the male, being female, Being the entrance of the world, You embrace harmony And become as a newborn. Using strength, being weak, Being the root of the world, You complete harmony And become as unshaped wood. Using the light, being dark, Being the world, You perfect harmony And return to the Way. 29. Ambition Those who wish to change the world According with their desire Cannot succeed. The world is shaped by the Way; It cannot be shaped by the self. Trying to change it, you damage it; Trying to possess it, you lose it. So some will lead, while others follow. Some will be warm, others cold Some will be strong, others weak. Some will get where they are going While others fall by the side of the road. So the sage will be neither extravagant nor violent. 30. Violence Powerful men are well advised not to use violence, For violence has a habit of returning; Thorns and weeds grow wherever an army goes, And lean years follow a great war. A general is well advised To achieve nothing more than his orders: Not to take advantage of his victory. Nor to glory, boast or pride himself; To do what is dictated by necessity, Not by choice. For even the strongest force will weaken with time, And then its violence will return, and kill it. 31. Armies Armies are tools of violence; They cause men to hate and fear. The sage will not join them. His purpose is creation; Their purpose is destruction. Weapons are tools of violence, Not of the sage; He uses them only when there is no choice, And then calmly, and with tact, For he finds no beauty in them. Whoever finds beauty in weapons Delights in the slaughter of men; And who delights in slaughter Cannot content himself with peace. So slaughters must be mourned And conquest celebrated with a funeral. 32. Shapes The Way has no true shape, And therefore none can control it. If a ruler could control the Way All things would follow In harmony with his desire, And sweet rain would fall, Effortlessly slaking every thirst. The Way is shaped by use, But then the shape is lost. Do not hold fast to shapes But let sensation flow into the world As a river courses down to the sea. 33. Virtues Who understands the world is learned; Who understands the self is enlightened. Who conquers the world has strength; Who conquers the self has harmony; Who is determined has purpose. Who is contented has wealth; Who defends his home may long endure; Who surrenders his home may long survive it. 34. Control The Way flows and ebbs, creating and destroying, Implementing all the world, attending to the tiniest details, Claiming nothing in return. It nurtures all things, Though it does not control them; It has no intention, So it seems inconsequential. It is the substance of all things; Though it does not control them; It has no exception, So it seems all-important. The sage would not control the world;  He is in harmony with the world. 35. Peace If you offer music and food Strangers may stop with you; But if you accord with the Way All the people of the world will keep you In safety, health, community, and peace. The Way lacks art and flavour; It can neither be seen  or heard, But its benefit cannot be exhausted.  36. Opposition To reduce someone's influence, first expand it; To reduce someone's force, first increase it; To overthrow someone, first exalt them; To take from someone, first give to them. This is the subtlety by which the weak overcome the strong: Fish should not leave their depths, And swords should not leave their scabbards. 37. Tranquillity The Way takes no action, but leaves nothing undone. When you accept this The world will flourish, In harmony with nature. Nature does not possess desire; Without desire, the heart becomes quiet; In this manner the whole world is made tranquil. Tao Te Ching: An English-Language Interpolation 1. The Way The Way that can be experienced is not true; The world that can be constructed is not real. The Way manifests all that happens and may happen; The world represents all that exists and may exist. To experience without abstraction is to sense the world; To experience with abstraction is to know the world. These two experiences are indistinguishable; Their construction differs but their effect is the same. Beyond the gate of experience flows the Way, Which is ever greater and more subtle than the world. 2. Abstraction When beauty is abstracted Then ugliness has been implied; When good is abstracted Then evil has been implied. So alive and dead are abstracted from nature, Difficult and easy abstracted from progress, Long and short abstracted from contrast, High and low abstracted from depth, Song and speech abstracted from melody, After and before abstracted from sequence. The sage experiences without abstraction, And accomplishes without action; He accepts the ebb and flow of things, Nurtures them, but does not own them, And lives, but does not dwell. 3. Without Action Not praising the worthy prevents contention, Not esteeming the valuable prevents theft, Not displaying the beautiful prevents desire. In this manner the sage governs people: Emptying their minds, Filling their bellies, Weakening their ambitions, And strengthening their bones. If people lack knowledge and desire Then they can not act; If no action is taken Harmony remains. 4. Limitless The Way is a limitless vessel; Used by the self, it is not filled by the world; It cannot be cut, knotted, dimmed or stilled; Its depths are hidden, ubiquitous and eternal; I don't know where it comes from; It comes before nature. 5. Nature Nature is not kind; It treats all things impartially. The Sage is not kind, And treats all people impartially. Nature is like a bellows, Empty, yet never ceasing its supply. The more it moves, the more it yields; So the sage draws upon experience And cannot be exhausted. 6. Experience Experience is a riverbed,  Its source hidden, forever flowing: Its entrance, the root of the world, The Way moves within it: Draw upon it; it will not run dry. 7. Complete Nature is complete because it does not serve itself. The sage places himself after and finds himself before, Ignores his desire and finds himself content. He is complete because he does not serve himself. 8. Water The best of man is like water, Which benefits all things, and does not contend with them, Which flows in places that others disdain, Where it is in harmony with the Way. So the sage: Lives within nature, Thinks within the deep, Gives within impartiality, Speaks within trust, Governs within order, Crafts within ability, Acts within opportunity. He does not contend, and none contend against him. 9. Retire Fill a cup to its brim and it is easily spilled; Temper a sword to its hardest and it is easily broken; Amass the greatest treasure and it is easily stolen; Claim credit and honour and you easily fall; Retire once your purpose is achieved - this is natural. 10. Harmony Embracing the Way, you become embraced; Breathing gently, you become newborn; Clearing your mind, you become clear; Nurturing your children, you become impartial; Opening your heart, you become accepted; Accepting the world, you embrace the Way. Bearing and nurturing, Creating but not owning, Giving without demanding, This is harmony. 11. Tools Thirty spokes meet at a nave; because of the hole we may use the wheel. Clay is moulded into a vessel; Because of the hollow we may use the cup. Walls are built around a hearth; Because of the doors we may use the house. Thus tools come from what exists, But use from what does not. 12. Substance Too much colour blinds the eye, Too much music deafens the ear, Too much taste dulls the palate, Too much play maddens the mind, Too much desire tears the heart. In this manner the sage cares for people: He provides for the belly, not for the senses; He ignores abstraction and holds fast to substance. 13. Self Both praise and blame cause concern, For they bring people hope and fear. The object of hope and fear is the self - For, without self, to whom may fortune and disaster occur? Therefore, Who distinguishes himself from the world may be given the world, But who regards himself as the world may accept the world. 14. Mystery Looked at but cannot be seen - it is beneath form; Listened to but cannot be heard - it is beneath sound; Held but cannot be touched - it is beneath feeling; These depthless things evade definition, And blend into a single mystery. In its rising there is no light, In its falling there is no darkness, A continuous thread beyond description, Lining what does not exist; Its form formless, Its image nothing, Its name silence; Follow it, it has no back, et it, it has no face. Attend the present to deal with the past; Thus you grasp the continuity of the Way, Which is its essence. 15. Enlightenment The enlightened possess understanding So profound they can not be understood. Because they cannot be understood I can only describe their appearance: Cautious as one crossing thin ice, Undecided as one surrounded by danger, Modest as one who is a guest, Unbounded as melting ice, Genuine as unshaped wood, Broad as a valley, Seamless as muddy water. Who stills the water that the mud may settle, Who seeks to stop that he may travel on, Who desires less than what may transpire, Decays, but will not renew. 16. Decay and Renewal Empty the self completely; Embrace perfect peace. The world will rise and move; Watch it return to rest. All the flourishing things Will return to their source. This return is peaceful; It is the flow of nature, An eternal decay and renewal. Accepting this brings enlightenment, Ignoring this brings misery. Who accepts nature's flow becomes all-cherishing; Being all-cherishing he becomes impartial; Being impartial he becomes magnanimous; Being magnanimous he becomes natural; Being natural he becomes one with the Way; Being one with the Way he becomes immortal: Though his body will decay, the Way will not. 17. Rulers The best rulers are scarcely known by their subjects; The next best are loved and praised; The next are feared; The next despised: They have no faith in their people, And their people become unfaithful to them. When the best rulers achieve their purpose Their subjects claim the achievement as their own. 18. Hypocrisy When the Way is forgotten Duty and justice appear; Then knowledge and wisdom are born Along with hypocrisy. When harmonious relationships dissolve Then respect and devotion arise; When a nation falls to chaos Then loyalty and patriotism are born. 19. Simplify If we could discard knowledge and wisdom Then people would profit a hundredfold; If we could discard duty and justice Then harmonious relationships would form; If we could discard artifice and profit Then waste and theft would disappear. Yet such remedies treat only symptoms And so they are inadequate. People need personal remedies: Reveal your naked self and embrace your original nature; Bind your self-interest and control your ambition; Forget your habits and simplify your affairs. 20. Wandering What is the difference between assent and denial? What is the difference between beautiful and ugly? What is the difference between fearsome and afraid? The people are merry as if at a magnificent party Or playing in the park at springtime, But I am tranquil and wandering, Like a newborn before it learns to smile, Alone, with no true home. The people have enough and to spare, Where I have nothing, And my heart is foolish, Muddled and cloudy. The people are bright and certain, Where I am dim and confused; The people are clever and wise, Where I am dull and ignorant; Aimless as a wave drifting over the sea, Attached to nothing. The people are busy with purpose, Where I am ipractical and rough; I do not share the peoples' cares But I am fed at nature's breast. 21. Accept Harmony is only in following the Way. The Way is without form or quality, But expresses all forms and qualities; The Way is hidden and implicate, But expresses all of nature; The Way is unchanging, But expresses all motion. Beneath sensation and memory The Way is the source of all the world. How can I understand the source of the world? By accepting. 22. Home Accept and you become whole, Bend and you straighten, Empty and you fill, Decay and you renew, Want and you acquire, Fulfill and you become confused. The sage accepts the world As the world accepts the Way; He does not display himself, so is clearly seen, Does not justify himself, so is recognized, Does not boast, so is credited, Does not pride himself, so endures, Does not contend, so none contend against him. The ancients said, "Accept and you become whole", Once whole, the world is as your home. 23. Words Nature says only a few words: High wind does not last long, Nor does heavy rain. If nature's words do not last Why should those of man? Who accepts harmony, becomes harmonious. Who accepts loss, becomes lost. For who accepts harmony, the Way harmonizes with him, And who accepts loss, the Way cannot find. 24. Indulgence Straighten yourself and you will not stand steady; Display yourself and you will not be clearly seen; Justify yourself and you will not be respected; Promote yourself and you will not be believed; Pride yourself and you will not endure. These behaviours are wasteful, indulgent, And so they attract disfavour; Harmony avoids them. 25. Beneath Abstraction There is a mystery, Beneath abstraction, Silent, depthless, Alone, unchanging, Ubiquitous and liquid, The mother of nature. It has no name, but I call it "the Way"; It has no limit, but I call it "limitless". Being limitless, it flows away forever; Flowing away forever, it returns to my self: The Way is limitless, So nature is limitless, So the world is limitless, And so I am limitless. For I am abstracted from the world, The world from nature, Nature from the Way, And the Way from what is beneath abstraction. 26. Calm Gravity is the source of lightness, Calm, the master of haste. A lone traveller will journey all day, watching over his belongings; Only safe in his own bed may he lose them in sleep. So the captain of a great vessel should not act lightly or hastily. Acting lightly, he loses sight of the world, Acting hastily, he loses control of himself. The captain can not treat his great ship as a small boat; Rather than glitter like jade He must stand like stone. 27. Perfection The perfect traveller leaves no trail to be followed; The perfect speaker leaves no question to be answered; The perfect accountant leaves no working to be completed; The perfect container leaves no lock to be closed; The perfect knot leaves no end to be ravelled. So the sage nurtures all men And abandons no one. He accepts everything And rejects nothing. He attends to the smallest details. For the strong must guide the weak; The weak are raw material to the strong. If the guide is not respected, Or the material is not cared for, Confusion will result, no matter how clever one is. This is the secret of perfection: When raw wood is carved, it becomes a tool; When a man is employed, he becomes a tool; The perfect carpenter leaves no wood to be carved. 28. Becoming Using the male, being female, Being the entrance of the world, You embrace harmony And become as a newborn. Using strength, being weak, Being the root of the world, You complete harmony And become as unshaped wood. Using the light, being dark, Being the world, You perfect harmony And return to the Way. 29. Ambition Those who wish to change the world According with their desire Cannot succeed. The world is shaped by the Way; It cannot be shaped by the self. Trying to change it, you damage it; Trying to possess it, you lose it. So some will lead, while others follow. Some will be warm, others cold Some will be strong, others weak. Some will get where they are going While others fall by the side of the road. So the sage will be neither extravagant nor violent. 30. Violence Powerful men are well advised not to use violence, For violence has a habit of returning; Thorns and weeds grow wherever an army goes, And lean years follow a great war. A general is well advised To achieve nothing more than his orders: Not to take advantage of his victory. Nor to glory, boast or pride himself; To do what is dictated by necessity, Not by choice. For even the strongest force will weaken with time, And then its violence will return, and kill it. 31. Armies Armies are tools of violence; They cause men to hate and fear. The sage will not join them. His purpose is creation; Their purpose is destruction. Weapons are tools of violence, Not of the sage; He uses them only when there is no choice, And then calmly, and with tact, For he finds no beauty in them. Whoever finds beauty in weapons Delights in the slaughter of men; And who delights in slaughter Cannot content himself with peace. So slaughters must be mourned And conquest celebrated with a funeral. 32. Shapes The Way has no true shape, And therefore none can control it. If a ruler could control the Way All things would follow In harmony with his desire, And sweet rain would fall, Effortlessly slaking every thirst. The Way is shaped by use, But then the shape is lost. Do not hold fast to shapes But let sensation flow into the world As a river courses down to the sea. 33. Virtues Who understands the world is learned; Who understands the self is enlightened. Who conquers the world has strength; Who conquers the self has harmony; Who is determined has purpose. Who is contented has wealth; Who defends his home may long endure; Who surrenders his home may long survive it. 34. Control The Way flows and ebbs, creating and destroying, Implementing all the world, attending to the tiniest details, Claiming nothing in return. It nurtures all things, Though it does not control them; It has no intention, So it seems inconsequential. It is the substance of all things; Though it does not control them; It has no exception, So it seems all-important. The sage would not control the world;  He is in harmony with the world. 35. Peace If you offer music and food Strangers may stop with you; But if you accord with the Way All the people of the world will keep you In safety, health, community, and peace. The Way lacks art and flavour; It can neither be seen  or heard, But its benefit cannot be exhausted.  36. Opposition To reduce someone's influence, first expand it; To reduce someone's force, first increase it; To overthrow someone, first exalt them; To take from someone, first give to them. This is the subtlety by which the weak overcome the strong: Fish should not leave their depths, And swords should not leave their scabbards. Tao Te Ching: An English-Language Interpolation 1. The Way The Way that can be experienced is not true; The world that can be constructed is not real. The Way manifests all that happens and may happen; The world represents all that exists and may exist. To experience without abstraction is to sense the world; To experience with abstraction is to know the world. These two experiences are indistinguishable; Their construction differs but their effect is the same. Beyond the gate of experience flows the Way, Which is ever greater and more subtle than the world. 2. Abstraction When beauty is abstracted Then ugliness has been implied; When good is abstracted Then evil has been implied. So alive and dead are abstracted from nature, Difficult and easy abstracted from progress, Long and short abstracted from contrast, High and low abstracted from depth, Song and speech abstracted from melody, After and before abstracted from sequence. The sage experiences without abstraction, And accomplishes without action; He accepts the ebb and flow of things, Nurtures them, but does not own them, And lives, but does not dwell. 3. Without Action Not praising the worthy prevents contention, Not esteeming the valuable prevents theft, Not displaying the beautiful prevents desire. In this manner the sage governs people: Emptying their minds, Filling their bellies, Weakening their ambitions, And strengthening their bones. If people lack knowledge and desire Then they can not act; If no action is taken Harmony remains. 4. Limitless The Way is a limitless vessel; Used by the self, it is not filled by the world; It cannot be cut, knotted, dimmed or stilled; Its depths are hidden, ubiquitous and eternal; I don't know where it comes from; It comes before nature. 5. Nature Nature is not kind; It treats all things impartially. The Sage is not kind, And treats all people impartially. Nature is like a bellows, Empty, yet never ceasing its supply. The more it moves, the more it yields; So the sage draws upon experience And cannot be exhausted. 6. Experience Experience is a riverbed,  Its source hidden, forever flowing: Its entrance, the root of the world, The Way moves within it: Draw upon it; it will not run dry. 7. Complete Nature is complete because it does not serve itself. The sage places himself after and finds himself before, Ignores his desire and finds himself content. He is complete because he does not serve himself. 8. Water The best of man is like water, Which benefits all things, and does not contend with them, Which flows in places that others disdain, Where it is in harmony with the Way. So the sage: Lives within nature, Thinks within the deep, Gives within impartiality, Speaks within trust, Governs within order, Crafts within ability, Acts within opportunity. He does not contend, and none contend against him. 9. Retire Fill a cup to its brim and it is easily spilled; Temper a sword to its hardest and it is easily broken; Amass the greatest treasure and it is easily stolen; Claim credit and honour and you easily fall; Retire once your purpose is achieved - this is natural. 10. Harmony Embracing the Way, you become embraced; Breathing gently, you become newborn; Clearing your mind, you become clear; Nurturing your children, you become impartial; Opening your heart, you become accepted; Accepting the world, you embrace the Way. Bearing and nurturing, Creating but not owning, Giving without demanding, This is harmony. 11. Tools Thirty spokes meet at a nave; because of the hole we may use the wheel. Clay is moulded into a vessel; Because of the hollow we may use the cup. Walls are built around a hearth; Because of the doors we may use the house. Thus tools come from what exists, But use from what does not. 12. Substance Too much colour blinds the eye, Too much music deafens the ear, Too much taste dulls the palate, Too much play maddens the mind, Too much desire tears the heart. In this manner the sage cares for people: He provides for the belly, not for the senses; He ignores abstraction and holds fast to substance. 13. Self Both praise and blame cause concern, For they bring people hope and fear. The object of hope and fear is the self - For, without self, to whom may fortune and disaster occur? Therefore, Who distinguishes himself from the world may be given the world, But who regards himself as the world may accept the world. 14. Mystery Looked at but cannot be seen - it is beneath form; Listened to but cannot be heard - it is beneath sound; Held but cannot be touched - it is beneath feeling; These depthless things evade definition, And blend into a single mystery. In its rising there is no light, In its falling there is no darkness, A continuous thread beyond description, Lining what does not exist; Its form formless, Its image nothing, Its name silence; Follow it, it has no back, et it, it has no face. Attend the present to deal with the past; Thus you grasp the continuity of the Way, Which is its essence. 15. Enlightenment The enlightened possess understanding So profound they can not be understood. Because they cannot be understood I can only describe their appearance: Cautious as one crossing thin ice, Undecided as one surrounded by danger, Modest as one who is a guest, Unbounded as melting ice, Genuine as unshaped wood, Broad as a valley, Seamless as muddy water. Who stills the water that the mud may settle, Who seeks to stop that he may travel on, Who desires less than what may transpire, Decays, but will not renew. 16. Decay and Renewal Empty the self completely; Embrace perfect peace. The world will rise and move; Watch it return to rest. All the flourishing things Will return to their source. This return is peaceful; It is the flow of nature, An eternal decay and renewal. Accepting this brings enlightenment, Ignoring this brings misery. Who accepts nature's flow becomes all-cherishing; Being all-cherishing he becomes impartial; Being impartial he becomes magnanimous; Being magnanimous he becomes natural; Being natural he becomes one with the Way; Being one with the Way he becomes immortal: Though his body will decay, the Way will not. 17. Rulers The best rulers are scarcely known by their subjects; The next best are loved and praised; The next are feared; The next despised: They have no faith in their people, And their people become unfaithful to them. When the best rulers achieve their purpose Their subjects claim the achievement as their own. 18. Hypocrisy When the Way is forgotten Duty and justice appear; Then knowledge and wisdom are born Along with hypocrisy. When harmonious relationships dissolve Then respect and devotion arise; When a nation falls to chaos Then loyalty and patriotism are born. 19. Simplify If we could discard knowledge and wisdom Then people would profit a hundredfold; If we could discard duty and justice Then harmonious relationships would form; If we could discard artifice and profit Then waste and theft would disappear. Yet such remedies treat only symptoms And so they are inadequate. People need personal remedies: Reveal your naked self and embrace your original nature; Bind your self-interest and control your ambition; Forget your habits and simplify your affairs. 20. Wandering What is the difference between assent and denial? What is the difference between beautiful and ugly? What is the difference between fearsome and afraid? The people are merry as if at a magnificent party Or playing in the park at springtime, But I am tranquil and wandering, Like a newborn before it learns to smile, Alone, with no true home. The people have enough and to spare, Where I have nothing, And my heart is foolish, Muddled and cloudy. The people are bright and certain, Where I am dim and confused; The people are clever and wise, Where I am dull and ignorant; Aimless as a wave drifting over the sea, Attached to nothing. The people are busy with purpose, Where I am ipractical and rough; I do not share the peoples' cares But I am fed at nature's breast. 21. Accept Harmony is only in following the Way. The Way is without form or quality, But expresses all forms and qualities; The Way is hidden and implicate, But expresses all of nature; The Way is unchanging, But expresses all motion. Beneath sensation and memory The Way is the source of all the world. How can I understand the source of the world? By accepting. 22. Home Accept and you become whole, Bend and you straighten, Empty and you fill, Decay and you renew, Want and you acquire, Fulfill and you become confused. The sage accepts the world As the world accepts the Way; He does not display himself, so is clearly seen, Does not justify himself, so is recognized, Does not boast, so is credited, Does not pride himself, so endures, Does not contend, so none contend against him. The ancients said, "Accept and you become whole", Once whole, the world is as your home. 23. Words Nature says only a few words: High wind does not last long, Nor does heavy rain. If nature's words do not last Why should those of man? Who accepts harmony, becomes harmonious. Who accepts loss, becomes lost. For who accepts harmony, the Way harmonizes with him, And who accepts loss, the Way cannot find. 24. Indulgence Straighten yourself and you will not stand steady; Display yourself and you will not be clearly seen; Justify yourself and you will not be respected; Promote yourself and you will not be believed; Pride yourself and you will not endure. These behaviours are wasteful, indulgent, And so they attract disfavour; Harmony avoids them. 25. Beneath Abstraction There is a mystery, Beneath abstraction, Silent, depthless, Alone, unchanging, Ubiquitous and liquid, The mother of nature. It has no name, but I call it "the Way"; It has no limit, but I call it "limitless". Being limitless, it flows away forever; Flowing away forever, it returns to my self: The Way is limitless, So nature is limitless, So the world is limitless, And so I am limitless. For I am abstracted from the world, The world from nature, Nature from the Way, And the Way from what is beneath abstraction. 26. Calm Gravity is the source of lightness, Calm, the master of haste. A lone traveller will journey all day, watching over his belongings; Only safe in his own bed may he lose them in sleep. So the captain of a great vessel should not act lightly or hastily. Acting lightly, he loses sight of the world, Acting hastily, he loses control of himself. The captain can not treat his great ship as a small boat; Rather than glitter like jade He must stand like stone. 27. Perfection The perfect traveller leaves no trail to be followed; The perfect speaker leaves no question to be answered; The perfect accountant leaves no working to be completed; The perfect container leaves no lock to be closed; The perfect knot leaves no end to be ravelled. So the sage nurtures all men And abandons no one. He accepts everything And rejects nothing. He attends to the smallest details. For the strong must guide the weak; The weak are raw material to the strong. If the guide is not respected, Or the material is not cared for, Confusion will result, no matter how clever one is. This is the secret of perfection: When raw wood is carved, it becomes a tool; When a man is employed, he becomes a tool; The perfect carpenter leaves no wood to be carved. 28. Becoming Using the male, being female, Being the entrance of the world, You embrace harmony And become as a newborn. Using strength, being weak, Being the root of the world, You complete harmony And become as unshaped wood. Using the light, being dark, Being the world, You perfect harmony And return to the Way. 29. Ambition Those who wish to change the world According with their desire Cannot succeed. The world is shaped by the Way; It cannot be shaped by the self. Trying to change it, you damage it; Trying to possess it, you lose it. So some will lead, while others follow. Some will be warm, others cold Some will be strong, others weak. Some will get where they are going While others fall by the side of the road. So the sage will be neither extravagant nor violent. 30. Violence Powerful men are well advised not to use violence, For violence has a habit of returning; Thorns and weeds grow wherever an army goes, And lean years follow a great war. A general is well advised To achieve nothing more than his orders: Not to take advantage of his victory. Nor to glory, boast or pride himself; To do what is dictated by necessity, Not by choice. For even the strongest force will weaken with time, And then its violence will return, and kill it. 31. Armies Armies are tools of violence; They cause men to hate and fear. The sage will not join them. His purpose is creation; Their purpose is destruction. Weapons are tools of violence, Not of the sage; He uses them only when there is no choice, And then calmly, and with tact, For he finds no beauty in them. Whoever finds beauty in weapons Delights in the slaughter of men; And who delights in slaughter Cannot content himself with peace. So slaughters must be mourned And conquest celebrated with a funeral. 32. Shapes The Way has no true shape, And therefore none can control it. If a ruler could control the Way All things would follow In harmony with his desire, And sweet rain would fall, Effortlessly slaking every thirst. The Way is shaped by use, But then the shape is lost. Do not hold fast to shapes But let sensation flow into the world As a river courses down to the sea. 33. Virtues Who understands the world is learned; Who understands the self is enlightened. Who conquers the world has strength; Who conquers the self has harmony; Who is determined has purpose. Who is contented has wealth; Who defends his home may long endure; Who surrenders his home may long survive it. 34. Control The Way flows and ebbs, creating and destroying, Implementing all the world, attending to the tiniest details, Claiming nothing in return. It nurtures all things, Though it does not control them; It has no intention, So it seems inconsequential. It is the substance of all things; Though it does not control them; It has no exception, So it seems all-important. The sage would not control the world;  He is in harmony with the world. 35. Peace If you offer music and food Strangers may stop with you; But if you accord with the Way All the people of the world will keep you In safety, health, community, and peace. The Way lacks art and flavour; It can neither be seen  or heard, But its benefit cannot be exhausted.  36. Opposition To reduce someone's influence, first expand it; To reduce someone's force, first increase it; To overthrow someone, first exalt them; To take from someone, first give to them. This is the subtlety by which the weak overcome the strong: Fish should not leave their depths, And swords should not leave their scabbards. 37. Tranquillity The Way takes no action, but leaves nothing undone. When you accept this The world will flourish, In harmony with nature. Nature does not possess desire; Without desire, the heart becomes quiet; In this manner the whole world is made tranquil. Tao Te Ching: An English-Language Interpolation 1. The Way The Way that can be experienced is not true; The world that can be constructed is not real. The Way manifests all that happens and may happen; The world represents all that exists and may exist. To experience without abstraction is to sense the world; To experience with abstraction is to know the world. These two experiences are indistinguishable; Their construction differs but their effect is the same. Beyond the gate of experience flows the Way, Which is ever greater and more subtle than the world. 2. Abstraction When beauty is abstracted Then ugliness has been implied; When good is abstracted Then evil has been implied. So alive and dead are abstracted from nature, Difficult and easy abstracted from progress, Long and short abstracted from contrast, High and low abstracted from depth, Song and speech abstracted from melody, After and before abstracted from sequence. The sage experiences without abstraction, And accomplishes without action; He accepts the ebb and flow of things, Nurtures them, but does not own them, And lives, but does not dwell. 3. Without Action Not praising the worthy prevents contention, Not esteeming the valuable prevents theft, Not displaying the beautiful prevents desire. In this manner the sage governs people: Emptying their minds, Filling their bellies, Weakening their ambitions, And strengthening their bones. If people lack knowledge and desire Then they can not act; If no action is taken Harmony remains. 4. Limitless The Way is a limitless vessel; Used by the self, it is not filled by the world; It cannot be cut, knotted, dimmed or stilled; Its depths are hidden, ubiquitous and eternal; I don't know where it comes from; It comes before nature. 5. Nature Nature is not kind; It treats all things impartially. The Sage is not kind, And treats all people impartially. Nature is like a bellows, Empty, yet never ceasing its supply. The more it moves, the more it yields; So the sage draws upon experience And cannot be exhausted. 6. Experience Experience is a riverbed,  Its source hidden, forever flowing: Its entrance, the root of the world, The Way moves within it: Draw upon it; it will not run dry. 7. Complete Nature is complete because it does not serve itself. The sage places himself after and finds himself before, Ignores his desire and finds himself content. He is complete because he does not serve himself. 8. Water The best of man is like water, Which benefits all things, and does not contend with them, Which flows in places that others disdain, Where it is in harmony with the Way. So the sage: Lives within nature, Thinks within the deep, Gives within impartiality, Speaks within trust, Governs within order, Crafts within ability, Acts within opportunity. He does not contend, and none contend against him. 9. Retire Fill a cup to its brim and it is easily spilled; Temper a sword to its hardest and it is easily broken; Amass the greatest treasure and it is easily stolen; Claim credit and honour and you easily fall; Retire once your purpose is achieved - this is natural. 10. Harmony Embracing the Way, you become embraced; Breathing gently, you become newborn; Clearing your mind, you become clear; Nurturing your children, you become impartial; Opening your heart, you become accepted; Accepting the world, you embrace the Way. Bearing and nurturing, Creating but not owning, Giving without demanding, This is harmony. 11. Tools Thirty spokes meet at a nave; because of the hole we may use the wheel. Clay is moulded into a vessel; Because of the hollow we may use the cup. Walls are built around a hearth; Because of the doors we may use the house. Thus tools come from what exists, But use from what does not. 12. Substance Too much colour blinds the eye, Too much music deafens the ear, Too much taste dulls the palate, Too much play maddens the mind, Too much desire tears the heart. In this manner the sage cares for people: He provides for the belly, not for the senses; He ignores abstraction and holds fast to substance. 13. Self Both praise and blame cause concern, For they bring people hope and fear. The object of hope and fear is the self - For, without self, to whom may fortune and disaster occur? Therefore, Who distinguishes himself from the world may be given the world, But who regards himself as the world may accept the world. 14. Mystery Looked at but cannot be seen - it is beneath form; Listened to but cannot be heard - it is beneath sound; Held but cannot be touched - it is beneath feeling; These depthless things evade definition, And blend into a single mystery. In its rising there is no light, In its falling there is no darkness, A continuous thread beyond description, Lining what does not exist; Its form formless, Its image nothing, Its name silence; Follow it, it has no back, et it, it has no face. Attend the present to deal with the past; Thus you grasp the continuity of the Way, Which is its essence. 15. Enlightenment The enlightened possess understanding So profound they can not be understood. Because they cannot be understood I can only describe their appearance: Cautious as one crossing thin ice, Undecided as one surrounded by danger, Modest as one who is a guest, Unbounded as melting ice, Genuine as unshaped wood, Broad as a valley, Seamless as muddy water. Who stills the water that the mud may settle, Who seeks to stop that he may travel on, Who desires less than what may transpire, Decays, but will not renew. 16. Decay and Renewal Empty the self completely; Embrace perfect peace. The world will rise and move; Watch it return to rest. All the flourishing things Will return to their source. This return is peaceful; It is the flow of nature, An eternal decay and renewal. Accepting this brings enlightenment, Ignoring this brings misery. Who accepts nature's flow becomes all-cherishing; Being all-cherishing he becomes impartial; Being impartial he becomes magnanimous; Being magnanimous he becomes natural; Being natural he becomes one with the Way; Being one with the Way he becomes immortal: Though his body will decay, the Way will not. 17. Rulers The best rulers are scarcely known by their subjects; The next best are loved and praised; The next are feared; The next despised: They have no faith in their people, And their people become unfaithful to them. When the best rulers achieve their purpose Their subjects claim the achievement as their own. 18. Hypocrisy When the Way is forgotten Duty and justice appear; Then knowledge and wisdom are born Along with hypocrisy. When harmonious relationships dissolve Then respect and devotion arise; When a nation falls to chaos Then loyalty and patriotism are born. 19. Simplify If we could discard knowledge and wisdom Then people would profit a hundredfold; If we could discard duty and justice Then harmonious relationships would form; If we could discard artifice and profit Then waste and theft would disappear. Yet such remedies treat only symptoms And so they are inadequate. People need personal remedies: Reveal your naked self and embrace your original nature; Bind your self-interest and control your ambition; Forget your habits and simplify your affairs. 20. Wandering What is the difference between assent and denial? What is the difference between beautiful and ugly? What is the difference between fearsome and afraid? The people are merry as if at a magnificent party Or playing in the park at springtime, But I am tranquil and wandering, Like a newborn before it learns to smile, Alone, with no true home. The people have enough and to spare, Where I have nothing, And my heart is foolish, Muddled and cloudy. The people are bright and certain, Where I am dim and confused; The people are clever and wise, Where I am dull and ignorant; Aimless as a wave drifting over the sea, Attached to nothing. The people are busy with purpose, Where I am ipractical and rough; I do not share the peoples' cares But I am fed at nature's breast. 21. Accept Harmony is only in following the Way. The Way is without form or quality, But expresses all forms and qualities; The Way is hidden and implicate, But expresses all of nature; The Way is unchanging, But expresses all motion. Beneath sensation and memory The Way is the source of all the world. How can I understand the source of the world? By accepting. 22. Home Accept and you become whole, Bend and you straighten, Empty and you fill, Decay and you renew, Want and you acquire, Fulfill and you become confused. The sage accepts the world As the world accepts the Way; He does not display himself, so is clearly seen, Does not justify himself, so is recognized, Does not boast, so is credited, Does not pride himself, so endures, Does not contend, so none contend against him. The ancients said, "Accept and you become whole", Once whole, the world is as your home. 23. Words Nature says only a few words: High wind does not last long, Nor does heavy rain. If nature's words do not last Why should those of man? Who accepts harmony, becomes harmonious. Who accepts loss, becomes lost. For who accepts harmony, the Way harmonizes with him, And who accepts loss, the Way cannot find. 24. Indulgence Straighten yourself and you will not stand steady; Display yourself and you will not be clearly seen; Justify yourself and you will not be respected; Promote yourself and you will not be believed; Pride yourself and you will not endure. These behaviours are wasteful, indulgent, And so they attract disfavour; Harmony avoids them. 25. Beneath Abstraction There is a mystery, Beneath abstraction, Silent, depthless, Alone, unchanging, Ubiquitous and liquid, The mother of nature. It has no name, but I call it "the Way"; It has no limit, but I call it "limitless". Being limitless, it flows away forever; Flowing away forever, it returns to my self: The Way is limitless, So nature is limitless, So the world is limitless, And so I am limitless. For I am abstracted from the world, The world from nature, Nature from the Way, And the Way from what is beneath abstraction. 26. Calm Gravity is the source of lightness, Calm, the master of haste. A lone traveller will journey all day, watching over his belongings; Only safe in his own bed may he lose them in sleep. So the captain of a great vessel should not act lightly or hastily. Acting lightly, he loses sight of the world, Acting hastily, he loses control of himself. The captain can not treat his great ship as a small boat; Rather than glitter like jade He must stand like stone. 27. Perfection The perfect traveller leaves no trail to be followed; The perfect speaker leaves no question to be answered; The perfect accountant leaves no working to be completed; The perfect container leaves no lock to be closed; The perfect knot leaves no end to be ravelled. So the sage nurtures all men And abandons no one. He accepts everything And rejects nothing. He attends to the smallest details. For the strong must guide the weak; The weak are raw material to the strong. If the guide is not respected, Or the material is not cared for, Confusion will result, no matter how clever one is. This is the secret of perfection: When raw wood is carved, it becomes a tool; When a man is employed, he becomes a tool; The perfect carpenter leaves no wood to be carved. 28. Becoming Using the male, being female, Being the entrance of the world, You embrace harmony And become as a newborn. Using strength, being weak, Being the root of the world, You complete harmony And become as unshaped wood. Using the light, being dark, Being the world, You perfect harmony And return to the Way. 29. Ambition Those who wish to change the world According with their desire Cannot succeed. The world is shaped by the Way; It cannot be shaped by the self. Trying to change it, you damage it; Trying to possess it, you lose it. So some will lead, while others follow. Some will be warm, others cold Some will be strong, others weak. Some will get where they are going While others fall by the side of the road. So the sage will be neither extravagant nor violent. 30. Violence Powerful men are well advised not to use violence, For violence has a habit of returning; Thorns and weeds grow wherever an army goes, And lean years follow a great war. A general is well advised To achieve nothing more than his orders: 