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