| | 老子甲: |
絕智棄辯，民利百倍。絕巧棄利，盜賊亡有。絕偽棄慮，民復季子。三言以為文不足，或令之或乎屬。視素保樸，少私寡欲。 |
| | Abandoning wisdom and discarding argumentation, the people derive a hundredfold benefit. Abandoning cunning and discarding profit-seeking, thieves and bandits will have no existence. Abandoning falsehood and discarding worries, the people return to the innocence of childhood. Three sayings are considered insufficient as a literary work; some may command them, others may belong to them. Seeing simplicity and preserving simplicity, reducing selfishness and minimizing desires.
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| | 老子甲: |
江海所以為百谷王，以其能為百谷下，是以能為百谷王。聖人之在民前也，以身後之；其在民上也，以言下之。其在民上也，民弗厚也；其在民前也，民弗害也。天下樂進而弗詀。以其不爭也，故天下莫能與之爭。 |
| | The rivers and seas are thus the kings of all valleys, because they can be below all valleys; it is precisely for this reason that they become the kings of all valleys. A sage being ahead of the people, places himself behind them; When he is above the people, he speaks humbly to them. When a sage is above the people, the people do not feel burdened; When he is ahead of the people, the people do him no harm. The whole world delights in following him without being compelled. Because he does not contend, the entire world is unable to contend with him.
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| | 老子甲: |
罪莫厚於甚欲，咎莫僉於欲得，禍莫大乎不知足。知足之為足，此恒足矣。 |
| | No crime is greater than excessive desire; no fault is more certain than wanting to obtain; no calamity is greater than not knowing contentment. To know that what one has is sufficient, this will always be enough.
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| | 老子甲: |
以道佐人主者，不欲以兵強於天下。善者果而已，不以取強。果而弗伐，果而弗驕，果而弗矜，是謂果而不強。其事好長。 |
| | He who uses the Dao to assist a ruler does not wish to use military strength to dominate the world. The good person achieves results only, without using force to gain dominance. Achieving results without boasting, achieving results without arrogance, achieving results without conceit—this is called achieving results without being overbearing. Such deeds are enduring and long-lasting.
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| | 老子甲: |
古之善為士者，必微妙玄達，深不可識，是以為之頌：豫乎若冬涉川，猶乎其若畏四鄰，敢乎其若客，渙乎其若釋，屯乎其若樸，沌乎其若濁。孰能濁以靜者，將徐清。孰能牝以主者，將徐生。保此道者不欲尚浧。 |
| | Those of old who were skilled in the Way were necessarily subtle, profound, and far-reaching; their depth was unfathomable. Therefore, they are praised thus: cautious as if treading on a winter stream, alert as if fearing nearby neighbors, respectful as a guest, composed as one shedding burdens, solid as uncarved wood, muddled as murky water. Who can bring stillness to turbidity? It will gradually become clear. Who can be like the female, yielding yet dominant? Life will slowly emerge. Those who preserve this Dao do not seek to display strength.
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| | 老子甲: |
為之者敗之，執之者失之。是以聖人亡為，故亡敗；亡執，故亡失。臨事之紀，慎終如始，此亡敗事矣。聖人欲不欲，不貴難得之貨，教不教，復眾之所過。是故聖人能尃萬物之自然，而弗能為。 |
| | He who acts will fail; he who grasps will lose it. Therefore, the sage does nothing, and thus suffers no failure; He holds on to nothing, hence he loses nothing. Approaching the affairs of governance with care, being as cautious at the end as at the beginning—this ensures no failure in matters. The sage desires what others do not desire, does not value rare goods that are hard to obtain, teaches without teaching, and helps the people correct their past mistakes. Therefore, a sage can assist in the natural course of all things but does not impose his will upon them.
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| | 老子甲: |
道恒亡為也，侯王能守之，而萬物將自化。化而欲作，將正之以亡名之樸。夫亦將知，知足以靜，萬物將自定。 |
| | The Dao is always non-action; if marquises and kings can uphold it, all things will transform themselves naturally. When transformation brings forth desires, one should regulate them with the uncarved simplicity of namelessness. Thus they will also know: knowing that what is sufficient is enough, all things in the world will find their own peace.
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| | 老子甲: |
為亡為，事亡事，味亡味。大，小之；多易必多難。是以聖人猷難之，故終亡難。 |
| | Practice non-action as action; deal with affairs without entanglement; savor flavors without excess. The great is made small; What seems easy will inevitably bring much difficulty. Therefore, the sage anticipates difficulties and thus ultimately encounters no difficulty.
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| | 老子甲: |
天下皆知美之為美也，惡已；皆知善，此斯不善已。有亡之相生也，難易之相成也，長短之相形也，高下之相呈也，音聲之相和也，先後之相隨也。是以聖人居亡為之事，行不言之教。萬物作而弗治也，為而弗志也，成而弗居。夫唯弗居也，是以弗去也。 |
| | When all under heaven know what beauty is, ugliness already exists; All knowing goodness, this very act gives rise to what is not good. Being and non-being give rise to each other; difficulty and ease complete each other; length and shortness define each other; height and depth present themselves in contrast; tones and sounds harmonize with each other; before and after follow one another. Therefore, the sage engages in non-action and practices teaching without words. All things arise but he does not control them; he acts but does not claim credit; he accomplishes things but does not dwell in them. Precisely because he does not dwell on his achievements, they remain with him forever.
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| | 老子甲: |
道恒亡名，樸，雖細，天地弗敢臣，侯王如能守之，萬物將自賓。天地相合也，以輸甘露。民莫之令而自均焉。始制有名。名亦既有，夫亦將知之，知之所以不殆。譬道之在天下也，猶小谷之與江海。 |
| | The Dao is always nameless and simple; though minute, heaven and earth dare not subdue it. If marquises and kings could uphold it, all things would come into harmony by themselves. When heaven and earth harmonize, they pour forth sweet dew. The people need no command; it is distributed evenly by itself. When things first took form, names were assigned. Once names exist, one will also know them; knowing is thus free from danger. The Dao in the world is like a small stream flowing into the great rivers and seas.
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| | 老子甲: |
有狀混成，先天地生，清寥，獨立不亥，可以為天下母。未知其名，字之曰道，吾強為之名曰大。大曰折，折曰轉，轉曰返。天大，地大，道大，王亦大。域中有四大，而王居一焉。人法地，地法天，天法道，道法自然。 |
| | There exists an undivided form, which came before heaven and earth; it is pure and empty, independent and unchanging, and can be called the mother of all under heaven. Its name is unknown; I call it the Dao. I forcefully give it a name: Greatness. Greatness means to extend, extension leads to turning, and turning returns. Heaven is great, earth is great, the Dao is great, and the ruler is also great. In the realm of existence there are four Greats, and the ruler occupies one among them. People follow the earth; the earth follows heaven; heaven follows the Dao; the Dao follows nature.
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| | 老子甲: |
天地之間，其猶橐籥與？虛而不屈，沖而愈出。 |
| | 鞲 The space between heaven and earth, is it not like a bellows? Though empty, it does not collapse; though stirred, more emerges.
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| | 老子甲: |
至虛恒也；守沖篤也。萬物方作，居以顧復也。天道云云，各復其根。 |
| | The utmost emptiness is always so; To hold to the center and be steadfast. All things are just beginning; he dwells in stillness, returning again and again. The Dao of heaven moves on and on, each thing returns to its root.
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| | 老子甲: |
其安也，易持也；其未兆也，易謀也；其脆也，易判也；其幾也，易踐也。為之於其亡有也。治之於其未亂。合末，九成之臺，作足下。 |
| | When things are at peace, they are easy to hold onto; Before signs appear, it is easy to plan for them; When things are brittle, they are easily broken apart; When the opportunity is slight, it is easily missed. Act before there is a problem. Govern before disorder arises. Unite the ends, build a nine-tiered terrace, begin from beneath one's feet.
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| | 老子甲: |
知之者弗言，言之者弗知。閉其兌，塞其門，和其廣，同其塵，畜其銳，解其忿，是謂玄同。故不可得而親，亦不可得而疏；不可得而利，亦不可得而害；不可得而貴，亦不可得而賤。故為天下貴。 |
| | He who knows does not speak; he who speaks does not know. Close the gate of the senses, block the door to desires; harmonize with all things broadly, blend with the dust of the world; preserve one's sharpness, release anger—this is called profound unity. Therefore, he cannot be won over by affection, nor can he be alienated by estrangement; he cannot be tempted by profit, nor harmed by adversity; he cannot be elevated by honor, nor devalued by disgrace. Therefore, he is esteemed throughout the world.
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| | 老子甲: |
以正之邦，以奇用兵，以亡事取天下。吾何以知其然也。夫天多忌諱而民彌叛。民多利器而邦滋昏。人多智而奇物滋起。法物滋章盜賊多有。是以聖人之言曰：我無事而民自富。我亡為而民自化。我好靜而民自正。我欲不欲而民自樸。 |
| | Govern a state with uprightness, wage war with strategy, and gain the world by non-action. How do I know this to be so? The more prohibitions heaven imposes, the more the people rebel. The more sharp tools the people possess, the more confused the state becomes. The more intelligent people become, the more strange things arise. When laws and regulations multiply in detail, thieves and robbers abound. Therefore, the sage says: "I take no action, yet the people become rich by themselves." "I do nothing, and the people transform themselves naturally." "I love stillness, and the people become upright by themselves." "I desire what others do not desire; thus the people return to simplicity by themselves."
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| | 老子甲: |
含德之厚者，比於赤子，蜂蠆虺蛇弗螫，攫鳥猛獸弗搏，骨弱筋柔而捉固。未知牝牡之合朘怒，精之至也。終日乎而不憂，和之至也，和曰常，知和曰明。益生曰祥，心使氣曰強，物壯則老，是謂不道。 |
| | He who possesses great virtue is like a newborn child; scorpions, vipers, and poisonous snakes do not sting him; hawks and fierce beasts do not attack him. Though his bones are weak and sinews soft, his grip is firm. He does not know the union of male and female or the excitement of passion—this is the utmost purity of essence. For a whole day, he remains at ease without worry—this is the ultimate harmony. Harmony is called constancy; to know harmony is called enlightenment. To seek excessive life is an omen of misfortune; to let the mind dominate the breath is called strength. When things reach their peak, they grow old—this is called going against the Dao.
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| | 老子甲: |
名與身孰親？身與貨孰多？得與亡孰病？甚愛必大費，厚藏必多亡。故知足不辱；知止不殆：可以長久。 |
| | Which is more precious: reputation or life? Which is more important: life or wealth? Which brings greater harm: gaining or losing? Excessive love inevitably leads to great expenditure; heavy hoarding necessarily results in much loss. Therefore, knowing contentment brings no disgrace; Knowing when to stop brings no danger: this is how one can endure long.
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| | 老子甲: |
返也者，道動也。弱也者，道之用也。天下之物生於有，生於亡。 |
| | Returning is the movement of the Dao. Weakness is the function of the Dao. All things under heaven arise from being, and being arises from non-being.
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| | 老子甲: |
持而浧之，不不若已。揣而銳之，不可長保也。金玉浧室，莫能守也。貴福驕，自遺咎也。功遂身退，天之道也。 |
| | Grasping and holding on—this is not as good as stopping. Sharpening it to a point—it cannot be preserved for long. Treasures of gold and jade in a house—none can truly guard them. To value wealth and become arrogant is to invite self-inflicted blame. When success is achieved, withdraw from the scene—this is the way of heaven.
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| | 老子乙: |
治人事天，莫若嗇。夫唯嗇，是以早；早服，是謂□□□□□□□□□□□不克則莫知其極。莫知其極，可以有國。有國之母，可以長□□□□□□□長生久視之道也。 |
| | To manage human affairs and serve Heaven, nothing is better than frugality. It is precisely because of frugality that one acts in advance; Early preparation, this is called [missing text]. If not achieved, no one knows its limit. If none know its limit, it can be said that one may possess a nation. Possessing the mother of the nation, one may attain [missing text], which is the way to long life and enduring vision.
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| | 老子乙: |
學者日益，為道者日損。損之或損，以至亡為也，亡為而亡不為。 |
| | Scholars increase their knowledge daily; those who pursue the Dao reduce themselves daily. Reduce and yet further reduce, until reaching non-action; in non-action there is nothing left to act upon.
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| | 老子乙: |
絕學亡憂，唯與訶，相去幾何？美與惡，相去何若？人之所畏，亦不可以不畏人。 |
| | Abandon learning and there will be no worries. What difference exists between the gentle and the harsh? Beauty and ugliness, how far apart are they? What people fear, one must also not fail to fear for others.
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| | 老子乙: |
寵辱若驚，貴大患若身。何謂寵辱？寵為下也。得之若驚，失之若驚，是謂寵辱驚。□□□□□若身？吾所以有大患者，為吾有身。及吾亡身，或何□□□□□□為天下，若可以託天下矣。愛以身為天下，若何以寄天下矣。 |
| | Receiving favor or disgrace with the same alarm; regarding great calamity as one's own body. What is meant by receiving favor or disgrace? Receiving favor is for those below. To gain it with alarm, to lose it with alarm—this is called the alarm of receiving favor or disgrace. [Missing text] as one's own body? The reason I have great calamities is because I possess a self. And when I no longer possess this self, perhaps [missing text] can be entrusted with the world. To love by regarding oneself as the world—how then could one entrust the world?
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| | 老子乙: |
上士聞道，勤能行於其中。中士聞道，若存若亡。下士聞道，大笑之。弗大笑，不足以為道矣。是以建言有之：明道如悖，遲夷道□□□道若退。上德如谷，大白如辱，廣德如不足，建德如□□真如渝。遲大方亡隅，大器曼成，大音希聲，天象亡形，道□□□□□ |
| | The superior scholar who hears of the Dao diligently practices within it. The average scholar who hears of the Dao is uncertain, as if it exists or not. The inferior scholar who hears of the Dao laughs at it greatly. If one does not laugh greatly, it is insufficient to be called the Dao. Therefore, established sayings state: The clear Dao appears obscure; the smooth path [missing text]; the Dao seems to recede. The highest virtue is like a valley; great purity appears as disgrace; extensive virtue seems insufficient; established virtue [missing text]; sincerity appears changeable. The great square has no corners; the great vessel is slowly completed; the grand sound is rarely heard; the celestial image has no form; the Dao [missing text].
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| | 老子乙: |
閉其門，塞其兌，終身不痗。啟其兌，賽其事，終身不治。 |
| | Close the gate, block the orifices, and one will be free from harm for life. Open the orifices, pursue worldly affairs, and one's lifetime remains in disorder.
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| | 老子乙: |
大成若缺，其用不敝。大盈若盅，其用不窮。大巧若拙，大呈若詘，大直若屈。燥勝凔，清勝熱，清靜為天下正。 |
| | The great completion appears incomplete; yet its use is never exhausted. Great fullness appears as an empty vessel; yet its utility is inexhaustible. The greatest skill appears clumsy; the most evident truth seems obscure; the straightest path appears crooked. Stillness overcomes cold, clarity overcomes heat; tranquility and stillness are the correct way for the world.
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| | 老子乙: |
善建者不拔，善抱者不脫，子孫以其祭祀不輟。修之身，其德乃真。修之家，其德有餘。修之鄉，其德乃長。修之邦，其德乃豐。修之天下□□□□□□□□□□□家，以鄉觀鄉，以邦觀邦，以天下觀天下。吾何以知天□□□□□□ |
| | The one who skillfully establishes is not uprooted; the one who skillfully holds on does not fall away; descendants continue their ancestral rites without interruption. Cultivate oneself, and one's virtue becomes genuine. Cultivate the family, and one's virtue is abundant. Cultivate the village, and one's virtue extends far. Cultivate the state, and one's virtue becomes bountiful. Cultivating the world [missing text]. From a family, observe the family; from a village, observe the village; from a state, observe the state; from the world, observe the world. How do I know [missing text]?
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| | 老子丙: |
大上，下知有之。其次，親譽之。其次，畏之；其次，侮之。信不足，焉有不信。猷乎，其貴言也。成事遂功，而百姓曰我自然也。故大道廢，安有仁義。六親不和，安有孝慈。邦家昏□安有正臣。 |
| | The great ruler is above all, and those below know of his existence. Next, they personally praise him. Next, they fear him; Next, they insult him. When trust is insufficient, there will be no belief. How profound! He values words highly. He accomplishes affairs and achieves success, yet the people say, "It was natural for us." Therefore, when the great Dao is abandoned, there arises benevolence and righteousness. When the six relatives are not harmonious, how can filial piety and parental kindness arise? When a state is in chaos, how can there be upright ministers?
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| | 老子丙: |
埶大象，天下往。往而不害，安平大。樂與餌，過客止。故道□□□□淡呵其無味也。視之不足見，聽之不足聞，而不可既也。 |
| | Establishing the great image, all under heaven will come. Coming without harm, peace and stability are great. Music and delicacies attract passing travelers to stop. Therefore, the Dao is... bland and tasteless. Looking at it, one cannot see clearly; listening to it, one cannot hear distinctly, yet it cannot be exhausted.
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| | 老子丙: |
君子居則貴左，用兵則貴右。故曰：兵者，□□□□□□得已而用之。銛襲為上，弗美也。美之，是樂殺人。夫樂□□□□以得志於天下。故吉事上左，喪事上右。是以偏將軍居左，上將軍居右，言以喪禮居之也。故殺□□則以哀悲位之；戰勝，則以喪禮居之。 |
| | A junzi values the left when in peace, but values the right when using military force. Therefore it is said: Military action is... to be used only as a last resort. To attack with sharpness and surprise is best, but not something to boast about. To glory in it is to take pleasure in killing people. He who takes pleasure... achieves his will throughout the world. Therefore, in joyful occasions, the left is honored; in funerals, the right is honored. Thus, the deputy general stands on the left and the supreme general on the right; this signifies that they conduct themselves according to funeral rites. Therefore, when killing... one should mourn with sorrow. Victory in battle is to be regarded with the rites of mourning.
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| | 老子丙: |
為之者敗之，執之者失之。聖人無為，故無敗也；無執，故□□□慎終若始，則無敗事矣。人之敗也，恒於其且成也敗之。是以□人欲不欲，不貴難得之貨；學不學，復眾之所過。是以能輔萬物之自然，而弗敢為。 |
| | He who acts will fail; he who grasps will lose. The sage does nothing, therefore there is no failure; No grasping, hence... if one remains cautious to the end as at the beginning, there will be no failed endeavors. People's failures often occur when they are about to succeed. Therefore, the sage desires what others do not desire; he does not value rare goods that are hard to obtain; He learns what others do not learn, thus correcting the mistakes of many. Therefore he can assist all things in their natural course and dares not to act on his own.
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