Chapter 81

True words aren't eloquent;
eloquent words aren't true.
Wise men don't need to prove their point;
men who need to prove their point aren't wise.

The Master has no possessions.
The more he does for others,
the happier he is.
The more he gives to others,
the wealthier he is.

The Tao nourishes by not forcing.
By not dominating, the Master leads.

Translation of the Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchel

Chapter 80

If a country is governed wisely,
its inhabitants will be content.
They enjoy the labor of their hands
and don't waste time inventing
labor-saving machines.
Since they dearly love their homes,
they aren't interested in travel.
There may be a few wagons and boats,
but these don't go anywhere.
There may be an arsenal of weapons,
but nobody ever uses them.
People enjoy their food,
take pleasure in being with their families,
spend weekends working in their gardens,
delight in the doings of the neighborhood.
And even though the next country is so close
that people can hear its roosters crowing and dogs
barking,
they are content to die of old age
without ever having gone to see it.

Translation of the Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchel

Chapter 79

Failure is an opportunity.
If you blame someone else,
there is no end to the blame.

Therefore the Master
fulfills her own obligations
and corrects her own mistakes.
She does what she needs to do
and demands nothing of others.

Translation of the Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchel

Chapter 78

Nothing in the world
is as soft and yielding as water
Yet for dissolving the hard and inflexible,
nothing can surpass it.


Translation of the Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchel

Chapter 77

As it acts in the world, the Tao
is like the bending of a bow.
The top is bent downward;
the bottom is bent up.
It adjusts excess and deficiency
so that there is perfect balance.
It takes from what is too much
and gives to what isn't enough.


Translation of the Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchel

Chapter 76

Men are born soft and supple;
dead, they are stiff and hard.
Plants are born tender and pliant;
dead, they are brittle and dry.


Translation of the Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchel

Chapter 75

When taxes are too high,
people go hungry.
When the government is too intrusive,
people lose their spirit.

Translation of the Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchel

Chapter 74

If you realize that all things change,
there is nothing you will try to hold on to.
If you aren't afraid of dying, there is nothing you can't achieve.

Chapter 73

The Tao is always at ease.
It overcomes without competing,
answers without speaking a word,
arrives without being summoned,
accomplishes without a plan.


Translation of the Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchel

Chapter 72

When they lose their sense of awe,
people turn to religion.
When they no longer trust themselves,
they begin to depend upon authority.

Translation of the Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchel

Chapter 71

My teachings are easy to understand
and easy to put into practice.
Yet your intellect will never grasp them,
and if you try to practice them, you'll fail.

Translation of the Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchel

Chapter 70

My teachings are easy to understand
and easy to put into practice.
Yet your intellect will never grasp them,
and if you try to practice them, you'll fail.


Translation of the Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchel

Chapter 69

The generals have a saying:

"Rather than make the first move

it is better to wait and see.

Rather than advance an inch

it is better to retreat a yard."

This is called

going forward without advancing,

pushing back without using weapons.

There is no greater misfortune

than underestimating your enemy.

Underestimating your enemy

means thinking that he is evil.

Thus you destroy your three treasures

and become an enemy yourself.

When two great forces oppose each other,

the victory will go

to the one that knows how to yield.

Translation of the Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchel

Chapter 68

The best athlete

wants his opponent at his best.

The best general

enters the mind of his enemy.

The best businessman

serves the communal good.

The best leader

follows the will of the people.

Translation of the Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchel

Chapter 67

Some say that my teaching is nonsense.

Others call it lofty but impractical.

But to those who have looked inside themselves,

this nonsense makes perfect sense.

And to those who put it into practice,

this loftiness has roots that go deep.

I have just three things to teach:

simplicity, patience, compassion.

These three are your greatest treasures.

Simple in actions and in thoughts,

you return to the source of being.

Patient with both friends and enemies,

you accord with the way things are.

Compassionate toward yourself,

you reconcile all beings in the world.

Translation of the Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchel

Chapter 66

All streams flow to the sea

because it is lower than they are.

Humility gives it its power.

If you want to govern the people,

you must place yourself below them.

If you want to lead the people,

you must learn how to follow them.

The Master is above the people,

and no one feels oppressed.

She goes ahead of the people,

and no one feels manipulated.

The whole world is grateful to her.

Because she competes with no one,

no one can compete with her.

Translation of the Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchel