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Laotze
Dao De Jing

English Version by Bob Gonzalez

THIRTY-SEVEN
The Way is constantly without strife, but is never inactive.
If rulers keep it, all things willingly mature.
After this, if they desire to act, I would restrain them
with the nameless simplicity of the uncarved block,
which is free from desires.
Desireless, they would find serenity, and harmony would come to all under Heaven.

THIRTY-EIGHT
High virtue is not aware of virtue. Therefore virtue remains.
Low virtue is always aware of Therefore virtue is lost.
High virtue does for nothing and thereby does everything.
Low virtue always does for something yet leaves much undone.
High benevolence acts without selfish intent.
High morality acts with selfish intent.
High ritual acts and when no one complies, rolls up a sleeve to enforce compliance.
Thus, when the Way is lost, virtue becomes the standard.
When virtue is lost, benevolence becomes the standard.
When benevolence is lost, morality becomes the standard.
When morality is lost, people resort to ritual.
Ritual is the outermost shell of faith and loyalty, and the beginning of chaos.
Knowledge of traditions is the flower of the Way but the beginning of folly.
Thus the great ones stay with the thick and not the thin,
with the fruit and not the flower, accepting the first and rejecting the other.

THIRTY-NINE
In ancient times, these achieved the One:
Heaven achieved the One and became clear. Earth achieved the One and became steady.
Spirits achieved the One and became potent. The Valley achieved the One and became full.
All Things achieved the One and became fruitful.
Rulers achieved the One and became world models.
They all became what they are by the One.
Without its clarity, Heaven would crack.
Without its steadiness, Earth would shake.
Without their potencies, spirits would be exhausted.
Without its fullness, the valley would be dry.
Without their fruitfulness, All Things would die off.
Without their exemplary natures, rulers would fall.
Thus, humility is the root of greatness. The low is the foundation of the high.
This is why rulers call themselves orphans, widows and paupers.
This is remaining low and humble, is it not?
Rather than jingling like jade, they rumble like rocks.

FORTY
The Way moves to balance. The way uses yielding.
All under Heaven are born of Being. Being is born of Nothingness.

FORTY-ONE
When superior students hear of the Way, they practice it diligently.
When mediocre students hear of the Way, they sometimes believe and sometimes disbelieve.
When inferior students hear of the Way, they laugh uproariously.
If they didn't laugh, it would not be the Way.
Therefore the old saying goes: "The bright way seems dark."
The way of advance seems to retreat. The level way seems uneven.
Great power appears like the valley. Great purity seems stained.
Abundant power seems lacking. Steady power seems shaky.
The Great Square has no corners. Great talent matures late.
Great sound is silence. Great form is formless.
The Way is concealed and nameless, yet only the Way can benefit and fulfill all things.

FORTY-TWO
The Way gives birth to the One. The One gives birth to the Two.
The Two gives birth to the Three. And the Three gives birth to All Things.
All Things carry the shadowy, embrace the sunny,
and blend their vital forces to achieve harmony.
People hate to be orphans, widows and paupers. Yet rulers refer to themselves this way.
Thus gain comes from loss and loss comes from gain.
What others have taught, I also teach: "A violent life leads to an unnatural death."
This is the basis of my teaching.

FORTY-THREE
The softest of all things overtakes the hardest of all things.
That which has no substance can penetrate where there is no entrance.
From this I know the advantage of doing nothing.
This teaching without words, this advantage of doing nothing:
few understand it.

FORTY-FOUR
Name or life: which is more precious? Life or wealth: which is more valued?
Gain or loss: which is worse? Thus, one who desires much will spend much.
One who hoards much will lose much. One who knows contentment is not disgraced.
One who knows when to stop is safe and lives long.

FORTY-FIVE
Great perfection appears imperfect, yet its usefulness never ends.
Great fullness appears empty, yet use will not exhaust it.
Great straightness seems crooked. Great skill seems inept.
Great eloquence seems mute.
Movement overcomes cold, stillness overcomes heat.
Stillness and clarity make one a guide for all under Heaven.

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English Version by Bob Gonzalez

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Dao De Jing