The start
The Road
number one
- As for the road,
- The Road that can be told is not the eternal Road.
- As for names,
- The name that can be named is not the eternal name.
- The nameless is the beginning of the ten thousand things.
- The named is the mother of the ten thousand things.
- Those constantly with desires,
- will only see what they yearn for and seek.
- These two spring from the same source.
- They have different names; yet they are called the same.
- That which is even more profound than the profound
- The gateway to all mystery.
Qualities
Number two
- When everyone in the world can see beauty as beauty
- Than ugliness comes into being.
- When everyone knows good as good
- Than evil comes into being.
- Therefore having and not having arise together.
- Difficult and easy complement each other.
- Long and short contrast each other:
- High and low rest upon each other;
- Voice and sound harmonize each other;
- Front and back follow one another;
- These are all constants.
- Therefore the sage goes about doing nothing,
- And practices the wordless teaching.
- The ten thousand things rise and fall without cease,
- But he does not begin them.
- He acts on their behalf, yet not taking credit.
- When he has done the work, then he forgets about it.
- Therefore it lasts forever and it does not leave him.
Control
number three
- By not exalting the worthy,
- you prevent people from competing.
- By not valuing treasures,
- You prevent people from acting like thieves.
- By not displaying desirable things,
- You prevent people from confusion of the heart.
- Therefore the sage rules
- by emptying their minds
- and by stuffing their bellies,
- by weakening their ambitions
- and strengthening their bones.
- He constantly causes the people
- to be without knowledge and desire,
- If he can bring about that clever people
- will not try to interfere,
- than there is nothing that wil not be in order
