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The nature of a thing is determined by its name. A name is
not coincidentally, but reflects the nature of a thing. This chapter contains a
number of fifty verses, and the order of the different names is
meaningfull. They seem to be a kind of a basic set of words.
Bram
 the funeral
titles
Home
Lead to law
Name and pattern
Mission statement
Calling names
Origin of Tao
| 3.1 |
Tao
has no beginning,
But it has sure effect.
Before it existed, it was not present.
Once in existence, it is adjusting itself.
When a being is on the threshold
Of existence, the shape comes first.
It is called with its name.
What is the meaning of words?
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| 3.2 |
Causing damage to [others]
Is doing harm to prestige.
Giving a way to desire
Is doing harm to the Law.
He who cannot follow
Is doing harm to Tao.
Who is putting these three
Things first, over and over again,
Will lose control and his position.
And which nation is then able
To defend itself?
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| 3.3 |
What
is curved,
Follows a bending trace.
What is straight,
Follows a straight line.
Curved things and straight things
Does not fit together in the same space.
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| 3.4 |
Mostly the change of Tao is as
follows:
It is not increasing, but decreases.
It is not extending, but shrinks into itself.
Who tries to control the change,
will be hit by evil.
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| 3.5 |
Who
has a standard
And uses it to measure,
Will make no mistakes.
Who relies on a standard
Has through that insight in the future
And will make no mistakes.
Creating order according to the Law
Prevents from chaos.
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| 3.6 |
The
sage causes no beginning,
Follows not only the complete own opinion,
Does not make in advance all sorts of plans
Does not strive to property,
Does not turn away from blessings.
He follows the way of Heaven.
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| 3.7 |
Who loses his natural condition,
will die.
Who deceives his master, will die.
Who tries to rival his master,
Paves the way to danger.
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| 3.8 |
The will links up with the
Desire of the heart,
And the power links up
With the desire of the will.
Therefore, who is living in a nest,
Pays attention to the wind.
Who is living in a hole
Pays attention to the rain.
That is because they have
Anxiety over their existence.
If you are worried about that,
[You shall live short.]
If you have peace with it,
You shall live long.
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The titles of the verses and text between
[brackets] are no part of the original text.
The numbers are added by me for editorial reasons. Gaps in the numbering mean
that a the verse is not translated. In all cases that is because there were to
much unreadible characters in the original text
Translated and edited by Bram den Hond
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