Section 3

L.T.— 3 3T
and you will not be safe to the end of your days.
Practise inaction, occupy yourself with doing nothing.
Desire not to desire, and you will not value things difficult to obtain. Learn not to learn, and you will revert to a condition which mankind in general has lost.
Leave all things to take their natural course, and do not interfere.
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LOWLINESS AND HUMILITY
ALL things in Nature work silently. They come into being and possess nothing. They fulfil their functions and make no claim.
When merit has been achieved, do not take it to yourself ; for if you do not take it to yourself, it shall never be taken from you.
Follow diligently the Way in your own heart, but make no display of it to the world.
Keep behind, and you shall be put in front ; keep out, and you shall be kept in.
Goodness strives not, and therefore it is not rebuked.
He that humbles himself shall be preserved entire. He that bends shall be made straight. He that is empty shall be filled. He that is worn out shall be renewed. He who has little shall succeed. He who has much shall go astray.
Therefore the Sage embraces Unity, and is a model for all under Heaven. He is free from self - display, therefore he shines forth ; from self - assertion, therefore he is distinguished ; from self-glorification, therefore he has merit; from self-exaltation, therefore he rises superior to all. Inasmuch as he does not strive, there
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is no one in the world who can strive with him.
He who, conscious of being strong, is content to be weak, — he shall be a channel for the waters of the world, and Virtue will never desert him. He returns to the state of a little child.
He who, conscious of his own light, is content to be obscure, — he shall be the whole world's model. Being the whole world's model, his Virtue will never fail. He reverts to the Absolute.
He who, conscious of desert, is content to suffer disgrace, — he shall be the cynosure of mankind. Being the cynosure of mankind, his Virtue then is full. He returns to primal simplicity.
He who is great must make humility his base. He who is high must make lowliness his foundation. Thus, princes and kings in speaking of themselves use the terms "lonely," "friendless," "of small account." Is not this making humility their base ?
Thus it is that " Some things are increased by being diminished, others are diminished by being increased." What others have taught, I also teach ; the violent come to untimely ends. I will make this the root of my teaching.
What makes a kingdom great is its being like a down-flowing river, — the central point towards which all the smaller streams under Heaven con- verge ; or like the female throughout the world, who by quiescence always overcomes the male. And quiescence is a form of humility.
Therefore, if a great kingdom humbles itself before a small kingdom, it shall make that small kingdom its prize. And if a small kingdom humbles itself before a great kingdom, it shall win
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over that great kingdom. Thus the one humbles itself in order to attain, the other attains because it is humble. If the great kingdom has no further desire than to bring men together and to nourish them, the small kingdom will have no further desire than to enter the service of the other. But in order that both may have their desire, the great one must learn humility.
The reason why rivers and seas are able to be lords over a hundred mountain streams, is that they know how to keep below them. That is why they are able to reign over all the mountain streams.
Therefore the Sage, wishing to be above the people, must by his words put himself below them ; wishing to be before the people, he must put him- self behind them. In this way, though he has his place above them, the people do not feel his weight ; though he has his place before them, they do not feel it as an injury. Therefore all man- kind delight to exalt him, and weary of him not.
The Sage expects no recognition for what he does ; he achieves merit but does not take it to himself ; he does not wish to display his worth.
I have three precious things, which I hold fast and prize. The first is gentleness ; the second is frugality ; the third is humility, which keeps me from putting myself before others. Be gentle and you can be bold ; be frugal, and you can be liberal ; avoid putting yourself before others, and you can become a leader among men.
But in the present day men cast off gentleness, and are all for being bold ; they spurn frugality,
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and retain only extravagance ; they discard humility, and aim only at being first. Therefore they shall surely perish.
Gentleness brings victory to him who attacks, and safety to him who defends. Those whom Heaven would save, it fences round with gentleness.
The best soldiers are not warlike ; the best fighters do not lose their temper. The greatest conquerors are those who overcome their enemies without strife. The greatest directors of men are those who yield place to others. This is called the Virtue of not striving, the capacity for directing mankind ; this is being the compeer of Heaven. It was the highest goal of the ancients.
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GOVERNMENT
NOT exalting worth keeps the people from rivalry. Not prizing what is hard to pro- cure keeps the people from theft. Not to show them what they may covet is the way to keep their minds from disorder.
Therefore the Sage, when he governs, empties their minds and fills their bellies, weakens their inclinations and strengthens their bones. His constant object is to keep the people without knowledge and without desire, or to prevent those who have knowledge from daring to act. He prac- tises inaction, and nothing remains ungoverned.
He who respects the State as his own person is fit to govern it. He who loves the State as his own body is fit to be entrusted with it.
In the highest antiquity, the people did not know that they had rulers. In the next age they loved and praised them. In the next, they feared them. In the next, they despised them.
How cautious is the Sage, how sparing of his words ! When his task is accomplished and affairs are prosperous, the people all say : " We have come to be as we are, naturally and of ourselves."
If any one desires to take the Empire in hand and govern it, I see that he will not succeed. The Empire is a divine utensil which may not be
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roughly handled. He who meddles, mars. He who holds it by force, loses it.
Fishes must not be taken from the water : the methods of government must not be exhibited to the people.
Use uprightness in ruling a State ; employ indirect methods in waging war ; practise non- interference in order to win the Empire. Now this is how I know what I lay down : —
As restrictions and prohibitions are multiplied in the Empire, the people grow poorer and poorer. When the people are subjected to overmuch government, the land is thrown into confusion. When the people are skilled in many cunning arts, strange are the objects of luxury that appear.
The greater the number of laws and enactments, the more thieves and robbers there will be. Therefore the Sage says: "So long as I do nothing, the people will work out their own reformation. So long as I love calm, the people will right themselves. If only I keep from meddling, the people will grow rich. If only I am free from desire, the people will come naturally back to simplicity."
If the government is sluggish and inert, the people will be honest and free from guile. If the government is prying and meddling, the people will be discontented. Is it realised that the ulti- mate ideal is absence of government ? Otherwise, the straight will become the crooked, and the good will revert to evil. Verily, mankind have been under delusion for many a day !
Govern a great nation as you would cook a small fish.*
* Q.d.. Don't overdo it. 38
If the Empire is governed according to Tao, disembodied spirits will not manifest supernatural powers. It is not that they lack supernatural power, but they will not use it to hurt mankind. Again, it is not that they are unable to hurt mankind, but they see that the Sage also does not hurt mankind. If then neither Sage nor spirits work harm, their virtue converges to one beneficent end.
In ancient times those who knew how to practise Tao did not use it to enlighten the people, but rather to keep them ignorant. The difficulty of governing the people arises from their having too much knowledge.
If the people do not have to fear the majesty of the law, a greater majesty will take its place.
Do not confine them within too narrow bounds ; do not make their lives too weary. For if you do not weary them of life, then they will not grow weary of you.
If the people do not fear death, what good is there in using death as a deterrent ? But if the people are brought up in fear of death, regarding it as something unusual, and we can take and execute them, which of us will dare to do it ?
Now, there is always One who presides over the infliction of death. The man who would take his place and himself inflict death, is like one who should try to do the work of a master-carpenter. And of those who try the work of a master- carpenter there are few who do not cut their own hands.
The people starve because those in authority
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over them devour too many taxes ; that is why they starve. The people are difficult to govern because those placed over them are meddlesome ; that is why they are difficult to govern. The people despise death because of their excessive labour in seeking the means of life ; that is why they despise death.
A Sage has said : "He who can take upon himself the nation's shame is fit to be lord of the land. He who can take upon himself the nation's calamities is fit to be ruler over the Empire."
Were I ruler of a little State with a small population, and only ten or a hundred men available as soldiers, I would not use them. I would have the people look on death as a grievous thing, and they should not travel to distant countries. Though they might possess boats and carriages, they should have no occasion to ride in them. Though they might own weapons and armour, they should have no need to use them. I would make the people return to the use of knotted cords.* They should find their plain food sweet, their rough garments fine. They should be content with their homes, and happy in their simple ways. If a neighbouring State was within sight of mine — nay, if we were close enough to hear the crowing of each other's cocks and the barking of each other's dogs — the two peoples should grow old and die without there ever having been any mutual intercourse.
* The old quipo method of recording events, before the invention of writing.
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WAR
HE who serves a ruler of men in harmony with Tao will not subdue the Empire by force of arms. Such a course is wont to bring retribution in its train.
Where troops have been quartered, brambles and thorns spring up. In the track of great armies there must follow lean years.
The good man wins a victory and then stops ; he will not go on to acts of violence. Winning, he boasteth not ; he will not triumph ; he shows no arrogance. He wins because he cannot choose ; after his victory he will not be overbearing.
Weapons, however beautiful, are instruments of ill omen, hateful to all creatures. Therefore he who has Tao will have nothing to do with them.
Where the princely man abides, the weak left hand is in honour. But he who uses weapons honours the stronger right. Weapons are instru- ments of ill omen ; they are not the instruments of the princely man, who uses them only when he needs must. Peace and tranquillity are what he prizes. When he conquers, he is not elate. To be elate were to rejoice in the slaughter of human beings. And he who rejoices in the slaughter of
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human Deings is not fit to work his will in the Empire.
On happy occasions, the left is favoured ; on sad occasions, the right. The second in command has his place on the left, the general in chief on the right. That is to say, they are placed in the order observed at funeral rites. And, indeed, he who has exterminated a great multitude of men should bewail them with tears and lamentation. It is well that those who are victorious in battle should be placed in the order of funeral rites.
A certain military commander used to say : " I dare not act the host ; I prefer to play the guest.* I dare not advance an inch ; I prefer to retreat a foot."
There is no greater calamity than lightly engaging in war. Lightly to engage in war is to risk the loss of our treasure. f
When opposing warriors join in battle, he who has pity conquers.
* According to Chinese etiquette, it is for the master of the house to make advances, and his guest follows suit. Thus "host" here means the one who takes the initiative and begins the attack ; "guest," the one who acts on the defensive. The passage may be merely figurative, illustrating the conduct of those who practise Tfo.
t /•«., humanity or gentleness, mentioned above as one of •' three precious things."
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PARADOXES
AMONG mankind, the recognition of beauty as such implies the idea of ugliness, and the recognition of good implies the idea of evil.
There is the same mutual relation between existence and non-existence in the matter of creation ; between difficulty and ease in the matter of accomplishing ; between long and short in the matter of form ; between high and low in the matter of elevation ; between treble and bass in the matter of musical pitch ; between before and after in the matter of priority.
Nature is not benevolent ; she treats all created things like the straw dogs we use at sacrifices. The Sage is not benevolent : he looks upon the people in the same way.
The space between Heaven and Earth, — is it not like a bellows ? It is empty, yet inexhaust- ible ; when it is put in motion, more and more comes out.
Heaven and Earth are long - lasting. The reason why Heaven and Earth can last long is that they live not for themselves, and thus they are able to endure.
Thirty spokes unite in one nave ; the utility
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of the cart depends on the hollow centre in which the axle turns. Clay is moulded into a vessel ; the utility of the vessel depends on its hollow interior. Doors and windows are cut out in order to make a house ; the utility of the house depends on the empty spaces.
Thus, while the existence of things may be good, it is the non-existent in them which makes them serviceable.
When the Great Tao falls into disuse, ben- evolence and righteousness come into vogue. When shrewdness and sagacity appear, great hypocrisy prevails. It is when the bonds of kinship are out of joint that filial piety and paternal affection begin. It is when the State is in a ferment of revolution that loyal patriots arise.
Cast off your holiness, rid yourself of sagacity, and the people will benefit an hundredfold. Dis- card benevolence and abolish righteousness, and the people will return to filial piety and paternal love. Renounce your scheming and abandon gain, and thieves and robbers will disappear. These three precepts mean that outward show is insufficient, and therefore they bid us be true to our proper nature ; — to show simplicity, to embrace plain dealing, to reduce selfishness, to moderate desire.
A variety of colours makes man's eye blind ; a diversity of sounds makes man's ear deaf ; a mixture of flavours makes man's palate dull.
He who knows others is clever, but he who knows himself is enlightened. He who over- comes others is strong, but he who overcomes himself is mightier still. He is rich who knows
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when he has enough. He who acts with energy has strength of purpose. He who moves not from his proper place is long-lasting. He who dies, but perishes not, enjoys true longevity.
If you would contract, you must first expand. If you would weaken, you must first strengthen. If you would overthrow, you must first raise up. If you would take, you must first give. This is called obscuring one's light.
He who is most perfect seems to be lacking ; yet his resources are never outworn. He who is most full seems vacant ; yet his uses are in- exhaustible.
Extreme straightness is as bad as crookedness. Extreme cleverness is as bad as folly. Extreme fluency is as bad as stammering.