Laozi

“ Be righteous in governance,
Be unpredictable on the battlefield,
Be unoccupied to master the universe.
How do I know the essence of leadership?
With this:
The world is full of taboo and forbiddance,
And the people is immersed in poverty;
The people is armed with weaponry,
And the nation is clouded with corruption;
The people is preoccupied with professions,
And bizarre obsessions grow out of nowhere ”

“ The timeless masters of the Dao,
Is not about enlightening the people with it,
But about humbling the people with it.
The people is complicated,
Manage it by managing its intelligence.
Use intelligence to govern a nation, and be the traitor of a nation;
Not use intelligence to govern a nation, and be the blessing of a nation. ”

“ Practicing scholarships, everyday there is something to gain,
Practicing the Dao, everyday there is something to lose;
When you lose all that can be lost,
You may be without action.
Act not and leave none to be acted upon!
Therefore those who can master the universe,
Often remain unoccupied;
Those who are preoccupied,
Cannot master the universe. ”

“ Those enlightened by the Dao seem confused,
Those progressing towards the Dao seem to fall behind,
Those who discredit the Dao seem honorable,
Those Virtuous seem desolate,
Those honest seem humiliated,
Those with noble Virtue seem lacking,
Those building on Virtue seem fraudulent,
Those of principled character seem to waver,
Great squareness is without turning corners,
Great instruments are deliberately constructed,
Great vocalists seldom raise their voices,
Great icons are shapeless.
The Dao is a master of providing and empowering. ”

“ The Dao gives birth to unity,
Unity gives birth to duality,
Duality gives birth to trinity,
Trinity gives birth to a myriad of things.
The myriad things bear shadows and embrace radiance,
Are infused with the breath of life to achieve the harmonized trinity of darkness, light and soul.
(People hate to be uninvolved, irrelevant and undeserving,
Yet true leaders associate themselves with these characters.) ”

“ Indulge their desires and aspirations,
Adorn their attires and outfits,
Secure their place and quarters,
Console their beliefs and customaries.
Then even if the neighboring nation is within sight,
And the crowing and barking can be heard,
People retire of old age without longing to give service to the other. ”

“ And to tackle stiffness and toughness there is nothing better,
There is no easier substitution.
Be submissive to overcome dominance,
Be gentle to overcome toughness,
There is none in the world who knows not,
There is none who can follow.
Therefore the master says,
“Accepting the nation's shame, is being stately;
Accepting the nation's adversities, is being majestic.” ”

“ Complexity is drawn from simplicity,
Greatness is found in triviality.
Problematic complexities must be resolved in simplicity,
Great accomplishments must be built on trivialities,
Hence the master continues to be unconcerned with great deeds,
Therefore is capable of accomplishing greatness.
Light minded promises draws few believers,
The more simplifications, the more complicated it will become,
Hence the master addresses the complexity. ”

“ Abandon holiness, relinquish prudence; the people will flourish a hundredfold,
Abandon benevolence, relinquish righteousness; and people will return to filial piety and affection.
Abandon cleverness, relinquish gain; and thieves and robbers will not appear.
As I know such three to be no mere words,
Stay true to that which is reliable.
Recognise simplicity, embrace purity,
Lessen the self, diminish desires. ”

“ Forces the issue, alas to no avail.
Therefore, when the Dao is lost there is Virtue,
When Virtue is lost there is humanity,
When humanity is lost there is righteousness,
When righteousness is lost there is morality. ”

“ Brimming a hall with riches, one shall not be able to keep it.
The man arrogant from enormous wealth buries disaster upon his road.
Resigning after succeeding fits with the principle of the universe. ”

“ Femininity often overcomes masculinity with composure,
Maintaining composure is keeping a low profile.
Therefore when a great nation lurks beneath a small nation,
It can overtake the smaller nation;
When a small nation lurks beneath a great nation,
It can overtake the greater nation. ”

“ Ones who tip-toe do not stand,
Ones who stride do not pace,
Ones show off themselves do not shine,
Ones bias themselves with self-righteousness do not justify.
Ones self-asserted are without accomplishments,
Ones self-esteemed are not endurable.
These according to the Dao,
Are called extravagance and exorbitance.
which the masses resent,
Therefore those embracing the Dao dwells not. ”

“ Lakes and oceans can be the master of all streams,
Because they are good at staying low,
Therefore they can be master of all streams.
Hence one who desires to be honored,
Must speak humbly of one's self;
One who desires to lead, must keep one's self behind. ”

“ Only being conservative,
Can withdrawal be advanced.
Advanced withdrawal is putting weight on building Virtue
Put weight on building Virtue,
Then there is nothing insurmountable,
Insurmountable, and limitations are unbeknownst,
When one's limitations are unbeknownst,
One can inspire a nation.
A nation inspired, is a nation that can be viable.
That is being deeply rooted,
In the viability and vision of the Dao.
Chapter 60 (第六十章)
治大國若烹小鮮。
以道莅天下,
其鬼不神。
非其鬼不神,
其神不傷人;
非其神不傷人,
聖人亦不傷人。
夫兩不相傷,
故德交歸焉。
Governing a nation is like frying small fish. ”

“ If one desires to weaken something, one must indefinitely strengthen it;
If one desires to discard something, one must indefinitely flourish it;
If one desires to obtain something, one must indefinitely give it ”

“ Music and enticements craves the visitor to stay.
The words of the Dao,
Are tasteless and lack sensations,
Observe and it cannot be seen,
Listen and it cannot be heard,
Exploit and it cannot be exhausted.
Chapter 36 (第三十六章)
將欲歙之,必固張之;
將欲弱之,必固強之;
將欲廢之,必固興之;
將欲奪之,必固與之。
是謂微明,
柔勝剛弱勝強。
魚不可脫於淵,
國之利器不可以示人。
If one desires to shrink something, one must indefinitely expand it ”

“ This is the Knowledge of Subtlety.
Gentleness overcomes Toughness,
Vulnerability overcomes Dominance.
Fish cannot leave the depth,
Deadly weapons should not be exposed to the people.
Chapter 37 (第三十七章)
道常無為而無不為。
侯王若能守,
萬物將自化;
化而欲作,
吾將鎮之以無名之樸;
無名之樸,亦將不欲;
不欲以靜,
天下將自正。
The Dao abides in non-action but there is nothing it does not do.
When the leaders abide,
The myriad of things transform by themselves;
Transformed and desire arises,
I would suppress it with the unknowable unexploited;
Without knowledge and exploitation, one thus led to no desire ”

“ The critical mistake for a small nation is to be obsessed with dominance.
Greatness is achieved only when the desires from both are fulfilled,
Therefore the superior stay low.
Chapter 62 (第六十二章)
道者萬物之奧,
善人之寶,
不善人之所保。
美言可以巿,
尊行可以加人。
人之不善何棄之有!
故立天子,
置三公,
雖有拱璧以先駟馬,
不如坐進此道。
古之所以貴此道者何也?
不曰求以得,
有罪以免邪?
故為天下貴。
The Dao holds the crux to the myriad things,
It is the treasure of goodness,
It is the redeemer of evilness.
Articulate words can influence the economy,
Respectable actions can win the hearts of the people.
How can one be removed from temptation? ”

“ They die dried and withered.
Therefore those who are stiff and tough are followers of death,
Those who are gentle and fragile are followers of life.
Hence when the armed forces are strong the nation is not successful,
When the resources are strong the arms are naturally forceful.
It is with great strength when one stays low,
It is with gentleness and fragility when one can assume superiority.
Chapter 77 (第七十七章)
天之道,
其猶張弓乎!
高者抑之,
下者舉之;
有餘者損之,
不足者補之。
天之道,
損有餘而補不足。
人之道則不然,
損不足以奉有餘。
孰能有餘以奉天下?
唯有道者。
是以聖人為而不恃,
功成而不處,
其不欲見賢耶。
The heavenly Dao,
Is like the arching bow! ”

“ Chapters of law and orders are increasingly written,
And thievery is common.
Therefore the master maintains:
“I act not and the people naturally becomes transpired,
I believe in peace and the people naturally becomes righteous,
I am unoccupied and the people naturally becomes prosperous,
I yearn not and the people naturally becomes serene.”
Chapter 58 (第五十八章)
其政悶悶,
其民醇醇;
其政察察,
其民缺缺。
禍兮福所倚,
福兮禍所伏。
孰知其極?
其無正耶。
正復為奇,
善復為妖民之迷,
其日固久。
是以聖人方而不割,
廉而不劌,
直而不肆,
光而不耀。
When the governance is idle,
The people is mellow ”

“ The heavenly Tao:
Contest not and master winning,
Speak not and master oration,
Summon not and it comes naturally,
Be honest and master intrigue.
The meshes of the heavenly dragnet is extensive,
It may be sparse, nothing escapes its netting.
Chapter 74 (第七十四章)
民不畏死,
奈何以死懼之!
若使民常畏死,
而為奇者吾得執而殺之,
孰敢?
常有司殺者殺,
夫代司殺者殺,
是謂代大匠斲。
夫代大匠斲者,
希有不傷手矣。
When people are not threatened by death,
Why intimidate them with death?
One who causes the people to be constantly threatened by death,
And bewitched with bewilderments, must be seized and executed,
Who dares? ”

“ When the leaders maintain uninvolved, irrelevant and undeserving,
Is it not based on humility?
Therefore prepare your chariots and set them aside.
Yearn not for crowns and jewels,
And remain composed in grits and gravel.
Chapter 40 (第四十章)
反者道之動,
弱者道之用。
天下萬物生於有,
有生於無。
Resilience is the Dao in action,
Vulnerability is the Dao in expression.
The myriad things in the universe are conceived by existence,
Existence is conceived by inexistence.
Chapter 41 (第四十一章)
上士聞道,勤而行之 ”

“ When one lacks trust, one finds no trust.
Reluctantly, without boasting;
Perform actions, accomplish deeds;
The people will say it happened naturally.
Chapter 18 (第十八章)
大道廢,有仁義;
智慧出,有大偽;
六親不和有孝慈,
國家昏亂有忠臣。
When the Dao is lost, so there arises benevolence and righteousness.
When prudence and wisdom appear, there is great hypocrisy.
When family relations are not right, there is filial piety and paternal affection.
When the state is confused and chaotic, there is loyalty and faithfulness.
Chapter 19 (第十九章)
絕聖棄智,民利百倍 ”