The Old Master

Virtue

Shape

number thirty-two

The Tao is forever undefined.

Though it seems small in its natural state,

No one in the world dares to treat it as a subject.

If kings and lords werer able to maintain it,

The ten thousand things would submit to them on their own.

And Heaven Earth would unite to send forth sweet dew.

By nature it would fall equally on all things,

With no one among the people ordering that it be so.

As soon as we start to establish a system,we have names.

And as soon as there are set names,

Then you must also know when it is time to stop.

By knowing to stop - in this way you averts trouble.

The presence of Tao in the world

is like the relationship of smal valley streams

to rivers and seas.

Virtue

Number thirt -three

To understand others is to have wisdom;

To understand yourself is to be wise.

To conquer others is to have strength;

To conquer yourself is to be strong.

To know when you have enough is to be rich.

To go forward with strength is a sign of ambition.

To lose not your place is to last long.

To die but not to be forgotten -

That is true long life.

Tao favors no-one

number thirty-four

The Tao flows and drifts everywhere,

both to the left and to the right.

It accomplishes its tasks and completes its affairs,

And yet for this it is not given a name.

The ten thousand things entrust their lives to it,

And yet it does not act as their master.

Thus it is constantly without desires.

It can be named with the things that are small.

The ten thousand things entrust their lives to it,

And yet it does not act as their master.

It can be named with the things that are great.

Therefore the Sage's ability to accomplish the great

Comes from his not playing the role of the great.

Therefore he is able to accomplish the great.