Tao te ching_ annotated & explained - Derek Lin [20]
Therefore, it is the greatest value in the world5
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Act without action
Manage without meddling
Taste without tasting1
Great, small, many, few
Respond to hatred with virtue2
Plan difficult tasks through the simplest tasks
Achieve large tasks through the smallest tasks
The difficult tasks of the world
Must be handled through the simple tasks
The large tasks of the world
Must be handled through the small tasks3
Therefore, sages never attempt great deeds all through life
Thus they can achieve greatness4
One who makes promises lightly must deserve little trust
One who sees many easy tasks must encounter much difficulty
Therefore, sages regard things as difficult
So they never encounter difficulties all through life5
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When it is peaceful, it is easy to maintain
When it shows no signs, it is easy to plan
When it is fragile, it is easy to break
When it is small, it is easy to scatter
Act on it when it has not yet begun
Treat it when it is not yet chaotic1
A tree thick enough to embrace
Grows from the tiny sapling
A tower of nine levels
Starts from the dirt heap2
A journey of a thousand miles
Begins beneath the feet3
The one who meddles will fail
The one who grasps will lose
Therefore, sages do not meddle and thus do not fail
They do not grasp and thus do not lose
People, in handling affairs
Often come close to completion and fail
If they are as careful in the end as the beginning
Then they would have no failure
Therefore, sages desire not to desire
They do not value goods that are hard to acquire
They learn to unlearn
To redeem the fault of the people
To assist the nature of all things
Without daring to meddle
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Those of ancient times who were adept at the Tao
Used it not to make people brighter
But to keep them simple
The difficulty in governing people
Is due to their excessive cleverness1
Therefore, using cleverness to govern the state
Is being a thief of the state
Not using cleverness to govern the state
Is being a blessing of the state2
Know that these two are both standards
Always knowing these standards
Is called Mystic Virtue3
Mystic Virtue is so profound, so far-reaching
It goes opposite to material things
Then it reaches great congruence4
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Rivers and oceans can be the kings of a hundred valleys
Because of their goodness in staying low
So they can be the kings of a hundred valleys1
Thus if sages wish to be over people
They must speak humbly to them
If they wish to be in front of people
They must place themselves behind them2
Thus the sages are positioned above
But the people do not feel burdened
They are positioned in front
But the people do not feel harmed
Thus the world is glad to push them forward without resentment3
Because they do not contend
So the world cannot contend with them4
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Everyone in the world calls my Tao great
As if it is beyond compare
It is only because of its greatness
That it seems beyond compare
If it can be compared
It would already be insignificant long ago1
I have three treasures
I hold on to them and protect them
The first is called compassion
The second is called conservation
The third is called not daring to be ahead in the world2
Compassionate, thus able to have courage3
Conserving, thus able to reach widely
Not daring to be ahead in the world
Thus able to assume leadership4
Now if one has courage but discards compassion
Reaches widely but discards conservation
Goes ahead but discards being behind
Then death!5
If one fights with compassion, then victory
With defense, then security
Heaven shall save them6
And with compassion guard them
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The great generals are not warlike
The great warriors do not get angry
Those who are good at defeating enemies do not engage them1
Those who are good at managing people lower themselves2
It is called the virtue of non-contention
It is called the power of managing people3
It is called being harmonious with Heaven
The ultimate principle of the ancients4
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In using the