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Will not permit less than awe …
What nonsense！ There will never be an end to this； ever！
Everyone （else） is resplendent & festive
As if feasting on great sacrifices
As if in springtime & climbing up towers
I alone am unmoved here； one yet to give a sign
Like a newborn infant； one yet to smile
So worn & weary； as one with no home to come home to
Everyone （else） takes more than enough
While I alone seem forsaken
With only my simpleton抯 mind！
So muddled & confused
The common folk are bright & sunny
I alone am in chaos & gloom
The common folk are alert & sharp
I alone am torpid & blunt
So placid… in this like the sea
So restless a wind… as if never to stop
Everyone else has purpose
While I alone am wayward； like a rustic
I alone am other than the others
Still enjoying mother抯 meals
21
The bearing of true character
Is simply to follow a true path
If the way is regarded as an entity
It is only elusive； only vague
So vague & so elusive
（Yet） at its center there is shape
So elusive & so vague
（Yet） at its center there are beings
So arcane & so shadowy
（Yet） at its center there is seed
This seed is profoundly real
At its center there is truth
From the present back into antiquity
Its meaning does not fade
Through this is seen a common ancestry
How do we know that the common ancestry抯 shape is thus？
By This
22
The yielding becomes whole
The bent becomes straight
The hollow becomes replenished
The worn becomes renewed
The diminished becomes endowed
The plentiful becomes doubtful
This is why wise ones embrace unity
Adopting nature as model
Without self…display
And thus clear
Without self…righteousness
And thus distinguished
Without self…assertion
And thus having merit
Without self…glorification
And thus enduring
It is only when there is no contending
That none in the world can contend against them
The ancient ones had reasons to claim
揟he accommodating becomes whole？br》 Is this （just） empty talk now？
（When） wholeness is real then one has come home
23
Sparing are the speeches from nature
So the whirling winds do not last morning
The storming rains do not last all day
What is it producing these？
Heaven and earth
（If） even heaven and earth are unable to persist
Then compare this （case） with humanity！
And so to attend to affairs of the path：
The path means an identity with the path
Character means an identity with character
Failure means an identity with failure
For those who identify with the path
The path； in turn； readily* accepts them
For those who identify with character
Character； in turn； readily accepts them
For those who identify with failure
Failure； in turn； readily accepts them
If truth has no basis here
There will be no truth here
24
Those who stand on tiptoe do not stand （firmly）
Those who stretch strides do not make progress
Those who display themselves are less than clear
Those who are self…righteous are less than distinguished
Those who assert themselves lack merit
Those who glorify themselves do not endure
To someone on the path here
These suggest excessive indulgence and irrelevant action
Things somehow wrong to have
So those who have the way do not linger
25
There was something in chaos （yet） complete
Before heaven & earth came to be
So silent； so remote
Standing alone without change
Acting everywhere and without limit
（It） may be regarded as mother to （all） under heaven
We do not know its name
A word for it speaks of a path
（If） pressed to develop its name speak of greatness
Greatness tells of journeying on
Journeying on tells of the far beyond
The far beyond tells of coming back
In this way the way is great
Heaven is great； earth is great
And sovereignty； too； is great
Between the horizons are four （kinds of） greatness
And sovereignty has its place as one among these
Humanity takes the earth as law
The earth takes heaven as law
Heaven takes the way as law
The way takes its own nature as law
26
The heavy serves as root to the light
Stillness serves as master to haste
And so it is that a noble one journeys all day
Without leaving the heavy supply wagon；
Although there are splendid vistas；
Calmly staying above it all
So how could the lord of a myriad chariots
Also conduct a frivolous life under heaven？
To be frivolous； would then be to lose the root
To be hasty would then be to lose the mastery
27
The able wanderer leaves no trail （or） trace
The able speaker is without fallacy （or） error
The able reckoner does not use counting devices
The best closure uses no barrier （or） bar
And yet is not easily opened
The best binding uses no cord （or） knot
And yet is not easily loosened
And so it is that wise ones
Are ever so skilled at making the most of others
That no person is forsaken
Are ever so skilled at making the most of situations
That no situation is wasted
This may be called 損ractical wisdom？br》 And so the able one is the less than able one抯 teacher
The less than able one is the able one抯 resource
To not value one抯 teacher； to not care for one抯 resource；
However 損rudent？is greatly deluded
This may be called a 搕actical mystery？br》
28
Know the masculine
（But） keep the feminine
Serve as a stream to the world
Serving as stream to the world
Consistent character will not depart
（But） return home again as the newborn child
Know the bright
（But） keep the dark
Serve as a model to the world
Serving as model to the world
Consistent character will not falter
（But） return home again as unlimited
Know the honored
（But） keep the humble
Serve as a valley to the world
Serving as valley to the world
Consistent character will then be enough
A return journey home to original nature
Original nature； cut up； is then made into artifacts
Wise ones； using such things；
Are then made into senior officials
And so the greatest governing does the least dividing
29
When taken by desire to take hold of nature
and reconstruct things
We notice that this （will） never reach closure
The world is a spirit vessel
Not suited to reconstruction at all
Those who interfere spoil things
Those who grab lose things
And so the beings sometimes go ahead； sometimes follow
Sometimes snort； sometimes puff
Sometimes are fit； sometimes are feeble
Sometimes hold up； sometimes break down
This is why wise ones avoid the extremes
Avoid the superfluous
Avoid the extravagant
30
Those who use the way to help with human government
Do no