The Sayings ofLao Tzfl

Translated from the Chinese

With an Introduct ion

By LIONEL ! ILES

! ohn ! urray , Albernarle Stree t ,

London, W.I

! IRST E! IT ION ! ay 1905

Ninth Impression january 1950

! R IN TE ! A N ! B O U N ! IN E N ! LA N ! B !

HA ! ELL WATSON V INE ! LT !

A ! LE SB U R ! AN ! LO N ! O N

[3 L

H O !

L3 6 6CONTENTS

INTRO ! U CTIONI. TAO IN ITS TRANSCEN! ENTAL AS ! ECT

AN! IN ITS ! H ! S ICAL ! ANI ! ESTA

TION

II. TAO AS A ! ORAL ! R INC I ! LE , OR

V IRTU E

THE ! OCTR INE O ! INACTIONLOWLINESS AN! H U ! IL IT!

! OVERN! ENT

WAR

! ARA ! O ! ES .

! I SCELLANEOU S SA! IN! S AN!

CERTSI! . LAO Ts ON H I ! SEL !

E! ITORIAL NO TE

THE object of the editor of this series is a very definite one. H

desires above all things that , in their humble way, these books sha

be the ambassadors of good—w i ll and understanding between Ea

andWest,the oldworldofThought, and the new of Action.

is confident that a deeper knowledge of the great ideals and loft

philosophy of O riental thought may help to a revival of that truspirit of Charity which neither despises nor fears the nations

another creed and colour.

50 , ALBE! ARLE STREET,LON! ON,WI .

INTRO ! U CTION

ITH rare modesty and intelligent selfappreciation

,Confucius described himself

as a transmitter,not a maker , one wh o loved

and bel ieved in the ancients . ! This j ud iciousest imate fai rly sums up the position o f China’smost prominent teacher . Incalculable though hisinfluence has been over millions of the humanrace

,it is due ra ther to his sterling common sense

backed by the moral strength of his Character,than to any striking intellectual power or noveltyin his ideas .But some fifty years before the time of Confucius

there lived another great Chinese , who , bes idesbeing a lover of ant iquity

,takes high rank as a

profound and original thinker . Apart from thethick crop of legend and myth which soongathered round his nam e , very little is knownabout the life and personality of Lao Tz r

‘

i ,and even the meagre account preserved for us inthe history of Ssh -ma Ch‘ien must be looked uponwith suspicion . All the alleged meetings andconversations with Confucius may safely berej ected , not only on account of chronologicald ifficulties , but because they are exactly the sortof invention which would be l ikely to pass currentin an early and uncritical age . We need not ,

0

however , go so tar as th ose w h o Im pugn t h e veryexistence o f Lao Tzi

'

I as an individual , andregard the book which passes under his name asa mere collection Of scraps of ancient proverbialphilosophy . Some colour , indeed , is lent to thistheory by the uncertainty that attaches to theproper interpretation of the name Lao Tz‘ti , whichis variously explained as ( 1 ) Old Boy , because heis said to have been born w ith a white beard (butwe may rather suspect that the story was invented to explain the name) (2 ) Son of Lao , thisbeing the surname of the virgin mother wh o con

c eiv ed him at the sight of a fall ing star ! or (3)Old Philosopher , because of the great age atwhich he wrote his immortal book , the Tao T2Ch ing.

The mention of this Classic , o r Treatise of

the Way and of Virtue (as it may be translatedfo r want of better English equivalents ) , b rings usnatural ly to the vexed question as to whether thetext which has come down to us can really beattributed to th e '

h and of Lao Tzii , or whether itis not rather a garbled and unauthorised compila t ion o f his sayings , or even the mere forgeryof a later age . The Chinese themselves , it m aybe remarked

,are alm ost unanimous in denying

its authenticity . It h as been urged that we mustmake allowance here for Confucian bias but theinternal evidence alone should suffice to dispel thenotion

,to which many em inent sinologues have

clung , that the Tao TECh ing in its present formcan possibly represent the actual work of LaoTzii . On the other hand , it is highly probablethat much of it is substant ially what he said or

IO

wrote,though carelessly coll ected and pieced to

gether at random . Ssi‘

l ma Ch‘ien , who publishedh is history in 9 1 B .C and was consequentlyremoved from Lao Tz ii by a much longer periodthan we are from Shakespeare , tells us that theSage wrote a book of five thousand and odd

words ! and , indeed , by that time the Tao TéCh ing may possibly have existed in somethingl ike its present shape . But anyone who reflectson the turbulent condition of China during theinterven ing centuries , and the chaotic state ofprimitive literature before the labours of Confuc ius , to say nothing of the Burn ing of theBooks in 2 1 3 B .C .

, will find it hard to convincehimself that Ssh -ma Ch‘ien ever had before himthe actual wri tings of the ph ilosopher .Ar b itrary and confused though the arrange

ment of the Tao T2 Ching appears , it is possibleto trace a coherent line of thought throughoutthe whole . And al though no coiner of paradoxon such an extensive scale as Lao t i could hopeto achieve absolute and invar iable consistency , itis easy to see that the Ta o T2 Ch ing is somethingmore than a mere j umble of stray aphorismsthat it is , in fact , the well-denned though rudimentary outline of a great system of transc endental and ethical philosophy . That thismagnificent scheme of th ought never reached itsful l expression in Lao Tzii ’u s treatment is largelydue to the fact that he was perpetually strugglingto convey his ideas through the med ium of alanguage still imperfectly developed , and formingan inadequate vehicle for abstru se philosophicalconceptions . This, too , combined with an extra

I I

ordinary conciseness OI dic tIon, Is the cause of

the obscurity which hangs over several portionsof the text , and which the labours of innum er

able commentators have done very little to clearaway . To the wide scope thus afforded for th e

imagination we owe the startling discoveries,in

the body of the work , of the Doctrine of the ‘

Trin ity , and of th e Hebrew word fo r ! ehovah ,thinly d isguised in its Chinese dress . Sad to say ,

both of these once famous theories are nowtotally d iscredited .

The real val ue of the Tao T2 Ching lies not insuch puerilities , but in its weal th of suggestivehints and pregnant phrases , each contain ing aworld of thought in itself and capable of expansion into volumes . Whether Lao Tzu everdeveloped the germs of thought thrown out withsuch prodigal ity , we do no t know . At any rate ,no record of the development remains . And ifLao Tz ii failed to work out his own system ,

thetask was never satisfactorily accom plished bythose who came after him . It is true that anenormous superstructure of Tao ist l iterature h asbeen raised upon the Slender foundation of theTa o T2 Ching, but these Taoist wr iters soonforsook the austerity of Lao Tzu ’

5 way fo r themore attractive fields of ritual and magic . LaoTzii was a Socrates who never found a Plato oran Aristotle to reap the goodly harvest he hadsown ! even Chuang Tzl

‘

i , the greatest of hi s

followers,whose exquisite literary style contrasts

strangely with the ru gged sentences o f the TaoT2 Clzing, scarcely seems to have caught thetrue spirit of his Master , and is apt to lose

I !

himself in the vague speculations o f a dreamymy sticism .

Lao Tzii ’s work , however , was able to commandattention on its own merits . I t was firstoffi cially recognised as a canon o r classic !

under the Emperor Ching Ti (B .C. 1 56—T4o ) of

the Han Dynasty , after which the study of Taosurvived many vicissitudes , being now under acloud , and now again in high favour at Court .One Emperor was in the hab it of holding forth onthe doctrines of Lao Tzii before his assembledministers

,and would forthwith degrade any one

who stretched , yawned , or spat during hisdiscourse . Another published an ed ition of theTao T2 Ching, which is described in the prefaceas the root of all things , the teacher of kings ,and the most precious j ewel of the public Thefirst Emperor of the later Ch in dynasty asked ifTao was of any use in government . ChangCh‘ien-ming told him that ! with Tao a corpsecould govern the Empire .

! By successive edictsthe Tao T2 Ch ing was made obligatory at theexamination for graduates of the second degree ,every one was required to possess a copy o f thework , and it was cut on stone at both capitals .Later on

,printed copies were distributed to al l

directors of education , and it was translated intothe language of the Nii-ch én Tartars . Finally ,Kublai Khan ordered all Taoist books to beburnt , with the exception of the Tao T2Ch ing, thusshowing a j ust appreciation of the gulf separatingLao t i from the later writers on Tao .

In V iew of the disj ointed and inartisticcharacter o f the work , and its antagon ism to

I3

many of the principles of orthodox Confucian ism ,

it is small wonder that native scholars,with true

Chinese subordination of matter to form , seldomprofess to hold it in great esteem ! and , indeed ,its qual ities are not such as would stronglyappeal to an essentially hard headed andmaterialistic race . ! e t , on reflection , it willcertainly appear that the teaching of Lao Tzi‘l hasnot been barren of pract ical results . The greatpolitical lesson of la isser-fa ire is one that theChinese people has well assimilated and perhapscarr ied to excess ! it may even be said toimpregnate their national li fe more thoroughlythan any doctrine of Confucius . From two greatevils of modern civilisat ion— the bane of overlegislation and the pest of meddlesome and overbearing offi c ial dom— China is remarkably free !and in few other countries does the ind ividualenj oy such absolute liberty of action . Thus , onthe whole , the Chinese may be said to haveadopted Lao Tzii’s main principles of government ,with no small success . I t is hard to bel ieve thata ri gidly despot ic Empire , encumbered with anirksome array of laws and statutes , could haveremained homogeneous and intact throughoutso lengthy a period . Who c an doubt that theenormous bulk of China h as managed to defy thedisintegrating action of time by reason of its veryinertness and placidity ! It has been suggestedthat Lao Tz ii may have reached this doctrine ofnon-interference by Observing that the SupremePower , Tao , governs the Universe by fixed laws ,and yet leaves to man an apparently unrestrictedfreedom of will . Be this as it may, he was

14

undoubtedly the first man t o preach the gospelof peace and intell igent inaction , being In this , asin many other respects , far In advance of his age .

In those troublous times , when the land wastorn by internecine feuds , and the spirit of

militarism was rife , i t is not a little remarkableto find h im expressing unqualified abhorrence ofwar , though , to be sure , this was but the logicaloutcome of his system of quietism . Few can

help being struck by the sim ilarity of tonebetween the sayings of Lao Tzu and the Gospelenunciated si! centuries later by the Prince of

Peace . There are two famous utterances in

particular which secure to Lao Tzii the glory ofhaving anticipated the lofty moral ity of theSermon on the Mount . The cav illers wh o wouldrank the Golden Rule of Confucius below that ofChrist will find it hard to get over the fact thatLao t i said ,

! Requite inj ury with kindness ,!

and!

To the not-good I would be good in orderto make them good . I t was a hundred andfifty years later that Plato reached the sam econclusion In the first book of the Republic .

I t is in teresting to observ e certain points of

contact between Lao Tzi’

I and the early Greekphilosophers . He may be compared both withParmenides , who d isparaged sense-knowledge andtaught the ex istence of the One as Opposed to theMany , and with Heraclitus , whose theory of theidentity of contraries recalls some of ou r Sage’ sparadoxes . But it is when we come to Platothat the most striking parallels occur. I t hasnot escaped notice that something like thePlatonic doctrine of ideas is discoverable in th e

I. .T.—2 I5

forms which Lao Tz i‘l conceives as resid ing InTao . But , so far as I know , no one has yetpointed ou t what a close likeness Tao itself bearsto that curious abstraction wh ich Plato calls theIdea of the Good . The funct ion and attributesof this grandiose conception are no t set forthquite so fully or clearly as those of Tao , but itcertainly covers a great deal more than th e

ord inary moral connotation of our wordIt is at once the creative and sustaining Cause ofthe Universe , the cond ition of all knowledge , andthe Summ um Bonum o r supreme Obj ect of man’ sdesire . Being a metaphysical entity , it cannot beperceived by the eye or ear of sense , and istherefore ri dicul ed by th e inferior man of littleintelligence , while only the few can enter intoclose commun ion w ith it . Now , all of this m ightstand equally well as a description of Tao . Onthe other hand , the inactivity and repose whichare so insisted on by the Chinese thinker as theprimary characteristics of Tao , would have beenless intell igible to the Greek , and seem to bringus nearer to Buddhism .

The lack of reliable information about Lao Tzifis verydisappointing . One cannot helpwish ing thatsome of the less important details touching the lifeof Confucius could be exchanged for an authenticpersonal account , however brief , of his oldercontemporary . All that we k now for certain isthat , after having spent most of his life in theState of Chou , he set ou t at an advanced age

Lao Tzi'

I, l ik e ! la to , recogn izes ve ry l i t t le dis t in ct i o n b e tween! nowledge and V irtue , th e ra t io na l and m o ra l s id es of m an’sna tu re . V irtue with h im is sim ply th e k nowledge ofTao , just as

with ! la to it is th e k nowledge o f !th e ! ood .

!

I6

towards t h e West , passed the front ier , and wasnever heard of again . Thus Lao Tzfi’

s giganticfigure looms but indistinctly through the m ist ofages , and to gather some idea of his personal itywe must be content to fall back on his own

rough - hewn sentences . There is one strikingpassage in which he describes himself , halfsarcastically and half In earnest , as a dullard anda clown compared with ordina ry m en, and this ,he seems to indica te , is the resul t of his adherenceto Tao . These words , evidently written in greatb itterness of spirit , may have been wrung fromhim by a sense of his failure to convert thecareless generat ion which would have none of

the Tao he venerated as the most precious thingunder heaven . In showing himself

,the man of

Tao,in such a disadvantageous light , his meaning

was probably much the sam e as that of Plato inthe al legory o f the Cave , where he depicts theblindness and bewilderment of those who descendonce more into the darkness of their prison afterhaving contemplated the dazzling brilliance of

the sun .

Lao Tzii ’s despondency would have been greaterstil l , could he have foreseen h ow his pure andideal istic teach ing was destined to be dragged inth e mire of degrading superstition , which forcenturies has made Taoism a byword of reproach .

Though frequently described as one of the threerelig ions of China , this cult is really little morethan an inextricable mass of j ugglery and fraud ,absorbed from various popular beliefs and othersources , including even the rival creed of Buddhism ,

and conducted by a body of priests recruited fromI7

th e very dregs of the Empire . Such a fate, h owever , is less to be wondered at than deplored , seeingthat the great Founder himself took no pains t cestablish a pract icable system . He propoundedlofty sentiments , and neglected the homely detailswithout which his ideas could not bear fruit .Moreover , when all is sa id and done , ideal ism cannever hope to hold its own in human affairs

,until

indeed the new era dawns of which Pla to dreamedlong ago , and this world of ours becomes ripe forthe dominion of Philosopher-Kings .

I. W I LLCOTT ROA! , ACTON,

7um 2 t , 190 4 .

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TAO IN ITS TRANSCEN ! ENTALAS ! ECT, AN! IN ITS ! H ! SICAL! ANI ! ESTATION

HE Tao which can be expressed in words isno t the eternal Tao ! the nam e which can

be uttered is not its eternal name . Without aname, it is the Beginning of Heaven and Earth !with a name , it is the Mother Of all things . Onlyone who is ever free from desire can apprehendits spiritual essence he who is ever a slave todesire can see no more than its outer fringe .

These two things , the spiritual and the material ,though we call them by d ifferent names

,in

their origin are one and the same . This sameness is a mystery ,

— the mystery of mysteries .It is the gate of all wonders .How unfathomable is Tao ! I t seems to be

the ancestral progenitor of all things . How pureand clear is Tao ! It would seem to be everlast

ing . I know not of whom it is the Offspring . Itappears to have been anterior to any SovereignPower.

This sentence is adm i t tedly Ob scure , and it m ay b e an inte rpo latio n . Lao Tzu

’5 sys tem of co sm ogony h as no pla ce for any ! ivine

Be ing independent ofTao . On th e o the r hand , to t ransla te i f byEm pe ro r, ! as som e have done , ne cessa r ily invo lve s us in an

ab su rd ant i cl im a ! .

IQ

Tao eludes the sense of sight , and is ther eforecalled colourless . It eludes the sense of hearing ,and is therefore called soundless . It eludes thesense of touch , and is therefore called incorporeal .

These three quali ties cannot be apprehended , andhence they may be blended into un ity .

Its upper part is not bright , and its lower partis no t obscure . Ceaseless in action , it cannot benamed , but returns again to nothingness . Wemay call it the form of the formless , the image ofthe imageless , the fleeting and the indeterm inable .

Would you go before it , you cannot see its face !would you go beh ind it , you cannot see it s

back .

The mightiest man ifestations of active force flowsolely from Tao .

Tao in itself is vague, impalpable , —h ow im

palpable , how vague ! ! et within it there isForm . How vague , how impalpable ! et withinit there is Substance . H ow profound , howObscure ! ! e t within it there is a Vital Principle .

This principle is the Quintessence of Reality , andou t of it comes Truth .

From of old until now , its name has never passedaway . I t watches over the beginning of all things .How do I know this about the beginn ing of th ings 9Through Tao .

There is something , chaotic yet complete , whichexisted before Heaven and Earth . Oh , how stillit is

,and formless , standing alone without chang

ing , reach ing everywhere without suffering h arm !

I t must be regarded as the Mother of the Universe .

Its name I know no t . To designate it , I call it Tao .

Endeavouring to describe it , I call it Great .20

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With music and dainties we may detain thepassing guest . But if we Open our mouths tospeak of Tao

,he finds it tasteless and insipid .

Not visible to the sight,not audible to the ear

,

in it s u se it is inexhaustible .

Retrogression is the movement of Tao . Weakness is the character o f Tao .

All things under Heaven are products o f Being,

but Being itself is the product of Not-Be ing .

Tao is a great square w ith no angles , a greatvessel which takes long to complete , a great soundwhich cannot b e heard , a great image with no form .

Tao lies hid and cannot be named , yet ith as th e power of transmuting and perfectingall things .Tao produced Unity ! Un ity produced Duality !

Duality produced Trinity ! and Trinity producedall existing obj ects . These myriad obj ects leavedarkness behind

!

them and embrace the light ,being harmonised by contact with the VitalForce .

Tao produces all things its Virtue nourishesthem ! each is formed according to its nature !each is perfected according to its strength .

Hence there is no t a single thing but payshomage to Tao and extols its Virtue . Thishomage paid to Tao , this extolling of its Virtue , isdue to no command , but is always spontaneous .Thus it is that Tao , engendering all things ,

nourishes them,develops them

,and fosters them

perfects them , ripens them , tends them , and protee ts them .

Product ion without possession,action without

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self-assert ion,development Without domination !

this is its mysterious operat ion .

The World h as a First Cause , which may be regarded as the Mother of the World . When one hasfound the Mother

,one can know the Child . Know

ing the Child and st ill keep ing the Mother , to theend of h is days he Shall suffer no harm .

I t is the Way of Heaven no t to strive , and yetit knows how to overcome ! not to Speak , and yetit knows how to obtain a response ! it cal ls no t ,

and things come o f themselves ! it is slow to move ,but excellent in its designs .Heaven ’s net is vast though its meshes are

wide , it lets nothing slip through .

The Way of Heaven is like the drawing of a bowit brings down what is high and raises what is low .

It is the Way of Heaven to take from those whohave too much , and give to those who have toolittle . But th e way of man is not so . He takesaway from those who have too little , to add to hisown superabundance . What man is there that cantake of his own superabundance and give it tomankind Only he who possesses Tao .

Th e Tao o f Heaven h as no favourites . I t givesto all good men without distinction .

Things wax strong and then decay. This is thecontrary of Tao . What is contrary to Tao soonperishes .

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TAO As A ! ORAL ! RINCI ! LE,OR

!

V IRTU E !

HE highest goodness is like water, for wateris excellent in benefiting all things , and it

does not strive . It occupies the lowest place,

which men abhor . And therefore it is near akinto Tao .

When your work is done and fame h as beenachieved , then retire into the background ! forthis is the Way of Heaven .

Those who follow the Way desire no t excessand thus without excess they are for ever exemptfrom change .

All things alike do their work , and then we see

them subside . When they have reached theirbloom , each returns to its origin . Returning totheir origin means rest or fulfilment of destiny .

This reversion is an eternal law . TO know thatlaw is to be enlightened . Not to know it , ismisery and calamity . He wh o knows the eternallaw is liberal-minded . Being liberal-m inded, heis j ust . Being j ust , he is kingly. Being kingly ,he is akin to Heaven . Being akin to Heaven ,he possesses Tao . Possessed of Tao , he enduresfor ever . Though his body perish , yet he suffersno ha rm .

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He who acts in accordance with Tao,becomes

one with Tao . He who treads the path of Virtuebecomes one with Virtue . He who pursues acourse of Vice becomes one with Vice . The manwho is one with Tao , Tao is also glad to receive .

The man who is one with Virtue,Virtue is also

glad to receive The man who is one with Vice,

Vice is also glad to receive .

He who is self-approving does not shine . Hewh o boasts has no merit . He who exalts himselfdoes not rise high . ! udged according to Tao ,such conduct is like that of a glutton— an obj ecto f universal disgust . Therefore one who h as

Tao will avoid it .

Perfect Virtue is unconscious of itself as V i rtue,

and therefore it is true virtue . Inferior Virtuetries not to fall short of virtue , and therefore it isnot virtue at all . Perfect Virtue is inactive

,

having no need to act . Inferior Virtue acts,

feeling the need to do so . Perfect Charityoperates without the need of anything to evokeit . Perfect Righteousness operates , but needs tobe evoked . Perfect Propriety Operates

,and if

there is no response , it resorts to force .

When Tao is lost , Virtue appears when Virtueis lost , Charity appears ! when Charity is lost ,Righteousness appears ! when Righteousness islost

,Propriety appears .

Propriety is but the veneer of loyalty and

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good faith , while o ft -times the source of dis

order . Foreknowledge is but a showy ornament of Tao , while oft-times the beginning ofimbecility .

Therefore the truly great man takes his standupon what is solid , and not upon what issuperficial ! upon wh at is real , and not uponwhat is ornamental . He rej ects the latter infavour of the former .When the superior scholar hears of Tao , he

diligently practises it . When the average scholarhears of Tao , he sometim es retains it , sometimesloses it . When the inferior scholar hears of Tao

,

he loudly laughs at it . Were it no t thus ridiculed ,it would not be worthy of the nam e of Tao .

He who is enl ightened by Tao seems wrapped indarkness . He who is advanced in Tao seems tobe going back . He who walks smoothly in Taoseems to be on a rugged path .

The man of highest virtue appears lowly . Hewho is truly pure behaves as though he weresullied . He who has V irtue in abundance behavesas though it were not enough . He who is firm invirtue seems like a skulking pretender. He wh ois simple and true appears unstable as water .If Tao prevails on earth , horses will be used

for purposes of agriculture . If Tao does notprevail , war—horses w ill be bred on the common .

If we had suffi cient knowledge to walk in theGreat Way , what we should most fear would beboastful display .

The Great Way is very smooth , but the peoplelove the by-paths .Wh ere the palaces are very Splendid , there the

26

fields will be very waste , and the granaries veryempty .

The wearing of gay embroidered robes , thecarrying o f sharp swords , fastidiousness in foodand drink , superabundance of property andwealth this I call flaunt ing robbery ! mostassuredly it is not Tao .

He who trusts to h is abundance of naturalvirtue is like an infant newly born

,whom

venomous reptiles will no t sting , wild beasts willnot seize , birds of prey will not strike . Theinfant’s bones are weak , its Sinews are soft , yetits grasp is firm . All day long it will c ry withoutits voice becoming hoarse . This is because theharmony of its bodily system is perfect .Tem ner your sharpness , disentangle your ideas ,

moderate your brilliancy , live in harmony withyour age . This is being in conformity with theprinciple of Tao . Such a man is impervious aliketo favour and d isgrace , to benefits and inj uries ,to honour and contempt . And therefore he isesteemed above al l mankind .

In governing men and in serving Heaven , thereis nothing like moderation . For only by moderation can there be an early return to man ’s normalstate . This early return is the same as a greatstorag e of Virtue . With a great storage of Virtuethere is naught which may not be achieved . I fthere is naught which may not be ach ieved , thenno one will know to what extent this powerreaches . And if no one knows to what extent aman’s power reaches , that man is fit to be the rulerof a State . Having the secret of rul e , his ruleshall endure . Setting the tap - root deep , and

27

making the spread ing roots firm . this is the wayto ensure long life to the tree .

Tao is the sanctuary where all things findrefuge , the good man

’ s priceless treasure , theguardian and saviour of him who is not good .

Hence at the enthronement of an Emperor andthe appointment of his three ducal ministers

,

though there be some who bear presents of costlyj ade and drive Chariots with teams of four horses ,that is not so good as sitting still and Offeringthe gift of this Tao .

Why was it that the men of old esteemed thisTao so highly ! Is it not because it may bedaily sought and found , and can rem it the sins ofthe guilty ! Hence it is the most precious thingunder Heaven .

All th e world says that my Tao is great,but

unlik e other teaching . It i s j ust because it isgreat that it appears unlike other teaching . If ithad this likeness

,long ago would its smallness

have been known .

The sk ilful philosophers of the olden t ime weresubtle , sp iritual , profound , and penetra ting . Theywere so deep as to be incomprehensible . Becausethey are hard to comprehend , I will endeavour todescribe them .

Shrink ing were they,like one fording a stream

in winter . Cautious were they , like one who fearsan attack from any quarter. Circumspect werethey , like a stranger guest ! self-effac ing , like ic eabout 'to melt ! Simple , like unpolished wood !vacant , like a valley ! opaque , like muddy water.When terms are made after a great quarrel , a

certain ill-feeling is bound to be left behind . How28

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THE ! OCTRINE O! INACTION

HE Sage occupies him self with inaction , andT conveys instruction without words .Is it not by neglecting self-interest that one will

be able to achieve itPurge yourself of your profound intelligence ,

and you can still be free from blemish . Cherishthe people and order the kingdom , and you can

st ill do without meddlesome action .

Wh o is there that can make muddy water clearBut if allowed to remain still

,i t will gradually

b ecome clear of itself . Who is there that can

secure a state of absolute repose ! But let timego on , and the state of repose w ill gradually arise .

Be sparing of speech , and things will come rightof themselves .A violent wind does not outlast the morn ing !

a squal l of rain does not outlast the day . Suchis the course of Nature . And if Nature herselfcannot sustain her efforts long

,how much less

c an manAttain complete vacuity , and sedulously preserve

a state of repose .Tao is eternally inactive, and yet it leavesnothing undone . If k ings and princes could buthold fast to this principle , all things would work

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ou t their own reformat ion . If, h av 1ng reformed ,

they still desired to act , I would have them t e

strained by the simplicity o f the Nameless Tao .

The simplicity of the Nameless Tao brings aboutan absence of desire . The absence of des ire givestranquillity. And thus the Empire will rectifyitself .The softest things in the world override the

hardest . That which h as no substance enterswhere there is no crevice . Hence I know theadvantage of inaction .

Conveying lessons w i thout words , reaping profitwithout action , —there are few in the world wh ocan attain to thisActivity conquers cold , but stillness conquers

heat . Purity and stillness are the correct principlesfor mankind .

Without going out of doors one may know thewhole world without looking out of the window ,

one may see the Way of Heaven . The further one.

travels , the less one may know . Thus it is thatwithout moving you shall know without lookingyou shal l See ! without do ing you shall achi eve .

The pursuit of book-leam ing brings about dailyincreas e . The practice of Tao brings about dailyloss . Repeat this loss again and again , and youarrive at inaction . Pract ise inaction , and there isnothing which cannot be done .

The Empire h as ever been won by le tting thingstake their course . He wh o must always be doingis unfit to obtain the Empire .

Keep the mouth shut , close the gateways of

sense , and as long as you live you will have notr ouble . Open your lips and push your affai rs ,

L .T.—3 31

and you will not be safe to the end of y ou r

days .Practise inaction

,occupy yourself with doing

nothing .

Desir e not to desire , and you will not valuethings diffi cult to Obtai n . Learn not to learn , andyou wil l revert to a condition which mankind ingeneral has lost .Leave all things to take their natural course ,

and do no t interfere .

LOWLINESS AN! HU ! ILIT!

LL things in Nature work silently . They comeinto being and possess nothing . They fulfil

their functions and make no Claim .

Wh en merit has been'

achieved , do not take it toyourself ! for if you do not take it to yourself , itshall never be taken from you .

Follow diligently theWay in your own heart , butm ake no d isplay of it to the world .

Keep behind ,and you shall be put in front keep

out , and you shall be kept in .

Goodness strives no t , and therefore it is no t

rebuked .

He that h urnbles himself shall be preservedentire . He that bends shall be made straight . Hethat is empty shall be filled . He that is worn ou tShall be renewed . He who has little shal l succeed .

He who h as much shall go astray .

Therefore the Sage embraces Unity, and is a

model for all under Heaven . He is free fromself - d isplay , therefore he shines forth ! fromself assertion , therefore he is d istingu ished !from self—glorific a t ion ,

therefore he has merit !from self—exal tation , therefore he rises superiorto all . Inasmu ch as he does not s t rive , there

33

is no one in the world who can strive with him .

He who , conscious of being strong , is content tobe weak ,

— h e Shall be a Channel for the waters ofthe world , and Virtue will never desert him . Hereturns to the state of a little child .

He who , conscious of his own light , is content tobe obscure ,— h e shall be the whole world

’s model .Being the whole world ’s model

, h is Virtue willnever fail . He reverts to the Absolute .

He who , conscious of desert , is content to sufferdisgrace ,—h e 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 themselvesuse the terms ! lonely

,

! friendl ess ,!

of smallaccount . Is not this making humility their baseThus it is that Some things are increased by

being diminished,others are diminished by being

increased . What others have taught , I alsoteach ! the violent come to unt imely ends . Iwill make this the root of my teaching .

What makes a kingdom great is its being lik ea down-flow ing river ,— the central point towar dswhich all the smaller stream s under Heaven converge ! or l ike the femal e th roughout the world ,who by quiescence always overcomes the mal e.And quiescence is a form of humility.

Therefore,if a great kingdom humbles itself

before a small kingdom , it shall make that smallkingdom its prize . And if a smal l kingdomhumbles itself before a great kingdom , it shall win

34

over that great kingdom . Thus the one humblesitself in order to attain , the other atta ins becauseit is humble . If the great kingdom h as no furtherdesire than to bring men together and to nourishthem

,the small k ingdom will have no further desire

than to enter the service of the other . But in orderthat both may have their desire, the great onemust learn humility .

The reason why rivers and seas are able to belords over a hundred mountain stream s , is thatthey know h ow to keep below them . That is whythey are able to reign over all the mountainstreams .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 himself behind them . In th is way , though he has hisplace above them , the people do not feel hisweight though he h as his place before them , theydo not feel it as an injury . Therefore all mankind delight to exal t him , and weary of him not .The Sage expects no recognition fo r what he

does ! he achieves meri t but does not takeit to himself ! he does not wish to display h isworth .

I have three precious things , which I hold fas tand prize . The first is gentleness ! the second isfrugal ity ! the th ird is hum ility , which keeps mefrom putting myself before others . Be gentleand you can be bold ! be frugal , and you can beliberal ! avoid putting yourself before others , andyo u can become a leader among men .

But in the present day men cast off gentleness ,and are all fo r being bold ! they Spurn frugality,

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and re tain only extravagance ! they discardhum ility , and aim only at being first . Thereforethey shall surely perish .

Gentleness brings victory to him who attacks ,and safety to him wh o defends . Those whomHeaven would save , it fences round withgentleness .The best soldiers are not warlike ! the best

fighters do not lose their temper . The greatestconquerors are those who overcome their enemieswithout strife . The greatest directors of men arethose wh o yield place to others . This is called theVirtue of not striving , the capacity for directingm ankind ! this is being the compeer of Heaven .

It was the highest goal of the ancients .

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roughly handled . He who meddles,mars . He

wh o holds it by force,loses it .

Fishes must not be taken from the water themethods of government must not be exhibited tothe people .

U se uprightness in ruling a State ! employindirect methods in waging war ! practise noninterference in order to win the Empire . Nowthis is how I know what I lay downAs restrictions and prohib itions are multiplied

in the Empire , the people grow poorer and poorer .When the people are subj ected to overm uchgovernment

,the land is thrown into confusion .

When the people are skilled in many cunning arts ,strange are the obj ects of luxury that appear .The gr eater the number of laws and enactments ,

the more thieves and robbers there will be .

Therefore the Sage says ! ! So long as I donoth ing , the people will work ou t their own

reformation . SO long as I love calm , the peoplewill right themselves . If only I keep frommeddling

,the people will grow rich . If only I

am free from desire , the people will comenaturally back to simplicity .

If the government is sluggish and inert , thepeople will be honest and free from guile . If thegovernment is prying and meddl ing , the peoplewill be discontented . Is it realised that the ultimate ideal is absence of government Otherwise ,the straight will become the crooked , and the goodwill revert to evil . Verily, mankind have beenunder delus ion for many a dayGovern a great nation as you would cook a

small fish .

*

Q .d ! o n ’

t o ve rdo i t . 38

If the Emp ire is governed according to Tao ,

disembodied spirits will not manifest supernaturalpowers . I t is no t that they lack supernaturalpower

,but they will not use it to hurt mankind .

Again , it is not that they are unable to hurtmankind , but they see that the Sage also does nothurt mankind . If then neither Sage nor spiri tswork harm , their virtue converges to one

b eneficent end .

In ancient times those wh o knew how to

practise Tao did not use it to enlighten thepeople , but rather to keep them ignorant . Thed ifli cu lty of governing the people arises from theirhaving too much knowledge .

If the people do not have to fear the maj esty ofthe law

,a greater maj esty will take its place .

! o no t confine them within too narrow boundsdo not make their lives too weary . For if you donot weary them of life , then they will not growweary of you .

If the people do not fear death,what good is

there in using death as a deterrent But if thepeople are brought up in fear of death

,regarding

it as something unusual , and we can take andexecute them , which of us will dare to do itNow

,there is always One who presides over the

infliction of death . The man who would takehis place and himself inflict death

, is like one whoshould try t o do the work of a master-carpenter .And of those who try the work of a mastercarpenter there are few who do not cut theirown hands .The people starve because those in authority

39

over them devour too many taxes ! that is whythey starve . The people are diffi cult to governbecause those placed over them are meddlesome !that is why they are diffi cult to govern . Thepeople desp ise death because of their excessivelabour in seeking the means of li fe ! that is whythey despise death .

A Sage h as said ! He who can take uponhimself the nation’ s Shame is fit to be lord of

the land . He who can take upon himself thenation ’s calam ities is fit to be ruler over theEmpire .

Were I rul er of a little State with a smallpopulation , and only ten o r a hundred menavailable as soldiers , I would not use them . Iwould have the people look on death as agrievous thing , and they should not travel todistant countries . Though they might possessboats and carriages , they should have no occasionto ride in them . Though they might own

weapons and armour , they should have no needto use them . I would make the people return tothe use of knotted cords .* They should find theirplain food sweet , their rough garments fine .

They should be content w ith their homes , andhappy in their simple ways . - If a neighbouringState was within sight of mine—nay , if we wereClose enough to hear the crowing of each other’ scocks and the barking of each other’s dogs— thetwo peoples should grow old and d ie withoutthere ever having been any mutual intercourse .

Th e o ld qu ipo m e thod o f reco rding event s, be fo re the

invent ion of wr iting.

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WAR

E who serves a ruler of men in harmonywith Tao will not subdue the Empire by

force of arms . Such a course is wont to bringretribution In its train .

Where troops have been quartered , bramblesand thorns spring up . In the track of greatarmies 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 showsno arrogance . He wins because he cannot chooseafter hi s victory he will not be overbearing .

Weapons , however beautiful , are instrumentsof ill omen , hateful to all creatures . Thereforehe wh o h as Tao will have nothing to do withthem .

Where the princely man abides , the weak lefthand is in honour . But he who uses weaponshonours the stronger right . Weapons are instruments of ill omen they are not the instrumentsof the pri ncely man , who uses them only when heneeds must . Peace and tranquilli ty are what heprizes . Wh en he conquers , he is not elate . Tobe elate were to rej oice in the slaught er of humanbeings , And he who rej oices in the slaughter of

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h uman b eings Is not fit t o work his will In th eEmpire .

On happy occasions , the left is favoured ! on

sad occas ions , the right . The second in commandhas his place on the left

,the general in chief on

the right . That is to say , they are placed in theorder observed at funeral rites . And , indeed , hewho h as exterminated a great multitude of menshould bewail them with tears and lamentation .

It is well that those who are victorious in battleshould be placed in the order of funeral rites .A certain mili tary commander used to sayI dare not act the host ! I prefer to play theguest . I dare not advance an inch ! I prefer toretreat a foot . !

There is no greater cal amity than lightlyengaging in war . Lightly to engage in war is t orisk the loss of our t reasu re .

‘

l‘

When opposing warriors j oin in battle , he wh oh as pity conquers .

Acco rding to Chinese e t ique t te , it is for th e m aste r of th eho use to m ak e advances, and his guest fo l lows su it . Thus ! host !he re m ea ns the one wh o tak es th e ini t ia t ive and b egin s th e a t tack!

guess’

t ,’th e one wh o acts on th e defensive . Th e passage may

be m ere ly figu ra t ive , i l lust rat ing th e condu ct of those wh o pract iseTm .

f 1 2 , hum an i ty o r gen t leness , m en t io ned above as one or

three precio us th ings.

! ARA ! O ! ES

! ON! mankind , the recognition of beautyas 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 ofcreation ! between diffi culty and ease in thematter of accomplishing between long and shortin the matter of form between high and low inthe matter of elevation between treble and bassin the matter of musical pitch ! between beforeand after in the matter of priority .

Nature is not benevolent sh e treats all createdthings like the straw dogs we u se at sacrifices .The Sage is not benevolent ! he looks upon thepeople in the same way .

The space between Heaven and Earth , —is itnot like a bellows It is empty

,yet inexhaust

ible ! when it is put in motion , more and morecomes ou t .

Heaven and Earth are long lasting . Thereason why Heaven and Earth can last long isthat they live not for themselves , and thus theyare able to endure .

Thirty spokes unite in one nave ! the utility

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of the cart depends on the holl ow centre in whichthe axle turns . Clay is moulded into a vessel !the utility of the vessel depends on its hollowinterior . Doors and windows are cut out in orderto make a house the utility of the house dependson the empty spaces .Thus , while the existence of things may be

good , it is the non-existent in them which makesthem serviceable .

Wh en the Great Tao fall s into disuse,ben

ev olenc e and righteousness come into vogue .

Wh en shrewdness and sagacity appear,great

hypocrisy prevails . It is wh en the bonds ofkinship are out of j oint that filial p iety and

paternal affection begin . It is when the State isin a ferm ent of revolution that loyal patriotsarise .

Cast off your holiness , rid yourself of sagacity ,

and the people will benefit an hundredfold . Discard benevolence and abolish righteousness

,and

the people will return to filial piety and paternallove . Renounce your scheming and abandon gain

,

and thieves and robbers will disappear . These threeprecepts mean that outward show is insuffi cient ,and therefore they bid us be true to our propernature — to Show simplicity , to embrace plaindealing , to reduce selfishness , to moderate desire .

A variety of colours makes man ’s eye blind !diy ersity of sounds makes man

’s ear deaf ! amixture of flavours makes man ’s palate dull .

He who knows others is clever , but he whoknows himself is enlightened . He who overcomes others is strong , but he who overcomeshimself is mightier still . He is rich who knows

44

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strength are the concom l tant s of death ! sortness

and weakness are the concomitants of life .

Hence the warrior that is strong does no t

conquer ! the tree that is strong is cut down .

Therefore the strong and the big take the lowerplace ! the soft and the weak take the higherplace .

There is nothing in the world more softand weak than water , yet for attacking thingsthat are hard and strong there is nothing thatsurpasses it , nothing that can take its place .

The soft overcomes the hard ! the weak overcomes the strong . There is no one in the worldbut knows this truth , and no one who can put itinto practice .

Those wh o are wise have no wide range of

learn ing ! those wh o range most widely are notw15e .

The Sage does no t care to hoard . The morehe uses for the benefit of others , the more hepossesses himself . The more he gives to h is

fellow-men , the more he has of his own.

The truest sayings are paradoxical .

! ISCELLANEOU S SA! IN ! S AN!

! RECE ! TS

! many words wit is exhausted it is betterto retain what is in the heart .

The excellence of a dwelling is its Site ! theexcellence of a mind is its profundity ! the exc ellence of giving is Charitableness the excellenceof speech is truthfulness the excellence of government is order the excellence of action is abilitythe excellence of movement is timeliness .

He who grasps more than he can hold , wouldbe better without any . If a house is crammedwith treasures of gold and j ade , it will be im possible to guard them all .He who prides himself upon wealth and honour

hastens h is own downfall . He who strikes with asharp point will no t himself be safe for long .

By uniting the intelligent and animal souls andembracing unity

, can you avoid dissolutionBy concentrating your breath and striving t o

make it soft , can you become like a little childBy purifying your spiritual V ision , c an you b e

come without a flaw !The Sage attends to the inner and not t o the

outer he puts away the obj ective and holds tothe subj ect ive .

I. .T.—4 47

Between yes and yea , h ow small the differenceBetween good and evil , how great the differenceWhat the world reverences may not be treated

with disrespect .He wh o has not faith in others shall find no

faith in them .

To see oneself is to be clear of sight . Mightyis he wh o conquers himself .He who raises himself on tiptoe cannot stand

firm he who stretches hi s legs wide apart cannotwalk .

Racing and hunting excite man’s heart to

madness .The struggle for rare possessi ons drives a manto actions inj urious to himself .The heavy is the foundation of the light repose

is the ruler of unrest .Th e WISe prince In h lS dai ly course never

departs from gravity and repose . Though hepossess a gorgeous palace , he will dwell thereinwith calm indifference . How Should the lord ofa myriad chariots conduct himself with levity inthe Empire Levity loses men ’s hearts unrestloses the throne .

The skilful traveller leaves no tracks ! theskilful speaker makes no blunders ! the skilfulreckoner uses no tallies . He who knows how toshut uses no bolts—yet you cannot open . Hewho knows how to bind uses no cords—yet youcannot undo .

Among men,rej ect none among things , rej ect

nothing . This is called comprehens ive intell igence .

The good man is the bad man ’s teacher the

4 8

bad man is the material upon which the goodman works . If the one does no t value hi steacher , if the other does not love his material ,then despite their sagacity they must go farastray . This is a mystery of great import .As unwrought material is divided up and made

into serviceable vessels , so the Sage turns hissimplicity to account , and thereby becomes theruler of rulers .The course of things is such that what was in

front is now behind what was hot is now coldwhat was strong is now weak ! what was c omplete is now in ruin . Therefore the Sage avoidsexcess , extravagance , and grandeur .Which is nearer to you

,fame or life Wh ich

is more to you , life or wealth ! Which is thegreater malady , gain or lossExcessive ambitions necessarily entail great

sacrifice . Much hoarding must be followed byheavy loss . He wh o knows when he has enoughwill not be put to shame . He who knows whento stop will not come to harm . Such a man canlook forward to long life .

There is no sin greater than yielding to am

bitiou no calamity greater than discontent no

vice greater than covetousness . He who hasknown the contentment of being contented willalways be content .! o not wish to be rare like j ade , or common

like stone .

The Sage has no hard and fast ideas , but he

The re is a p la y on t h e wo rd p‘u , s im p l i c i t y. t h e o r igina lm ea n ing of wh ic h is ! u nw rought m a t er ia l . !

49

Shares the ideas of the people and makes themhis own. Living in the world , he h as the appearance of timidity , and for the world

’s sake keeps h ism ind in a state o f flux . The people all fix theireyes and ears upon him . The Sage looks upon allas h is Children .

I have heard that he wh o possesses the secretof life , when travell ing abroad , will not flee fromrhinoceros or tiger when entering a hostile camp ,he will not equip himself with sword or buckler .The rhinoceros finds in him no place to insert itshorn ! the tiger h as nowhere to fasten its claw !the soldier has nowhere to thrust his blade . Andwhy Because he h as no spot where death c an

enter.To see small beginnings is clearness of sight .

To rest in weakness is strength .

He who knows how to plant , shall not have h isplant uprooted ! he who knows how to hold a

thing , shall not have it taken away . Sons andgr andsons will worship at his shrine , which shallendure from generation to generation .

Knowledge of harmony is the secret of the U hchanging . Knowledge of the Unchanging meansen lightenment . To increase life is of evil omen .

The m ind directing the vi tal force is strength .

The Sage is square but not angular , stri ct withou t injuring others , straightforward but not unrestrained , luminous but not dazzling .

Good words Shall gain you honour in themarket-place , but good deeds shall gain youfriends among men .

To the good I would be good ! to the not-good

50

I would also be good , in order to make themgood .

With the fai thfu l I wou ld keep faith with theunfai thful I would also keep faith , in order thatthey may become faithful .Even if a man is bad , h ow can it be right to

cast him off

Requite inj ury wi th kindness .The diffi cult things of this world must once

have been easy ! the great things of thi sworld must once have been small . Set aboutdifficul t things while they are still easy ! dogreat things while they are still smal l . TheSage never affects to do anything great , a nd

therefore he is able to achieve his greatresults .He wh o always think s things easy is sure to

find them diffi cult . Therefore the Sage everanticipates difli cult ies , and thus it is he neverencounters them .

While times are quiet , it is easy to take actionere coming troubles have cast their shadows

,it is

easy to lay plans .That which is br ittle is easily broken ! that

which is minute is easily dissipated . Take precautions before the evil appears regulate thingsbefore disorder has begun .

The tree which needs two arms to span itsgirth sprang from the tiniest shoot . ! on tower ,nine storeys high , rose from a little mound ofearth . A journey of a thousand miles began witha single step .

A great principle cannot be divided ! there

51

fore it Is that many containers cannot contain

The Sage knows what is in him , but makes nodisplay he respects himself , but seeks not honourfor himself .To know , but to be as though not knowing , isthe height of wisdom . No t to know , and yet toaffect knowledge , is a vice . If we regard thisvice as such , we shall escape it . The Sage h asnot this vice . It is because he regards it as avice that he escapes it .Use the light that is in you to revert to your

natural clearness of Sight . Then the loss of thebody is unattended by calamity . This is calleddoubly enduring .

In the management of affairs , people constantlybreak down j ust when they are nearing a successful issue . If they took as much care at theend as at the beginning , they would not fail intheir enterprises .He who lightly promises is sure to keep but

little faith .

He whose boldness leads him to venture, willbe slain he who is brave enough not to venture ,will live . Of these two , one has the benefit , theother has the hurt . But who is it that knows thereal cause of Heaven ’s hatred This is why theSage finds it diffi cult to act .The violent and st iff-necked die not by a

natural death .

True words are no t fine fine words are not true .

Tha t is, a pr incip le wh i ch app l i es t o th e who le app l ies a lsoto a pa rt . Beca use you m ay div ide th e co n t ai ni ng wh o le , youa re no t a t li b er t y t o d iv i de t h e pr i nc ip le .

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LAO T! U ON H I ! SEL!

LAS the barrenness of the age h as not yetreached its limit .

All men are radiant wi th happiness , as ifenj oying a great feast , as if mounted on a towerin spring . I alone am still

,and give as yet no

Sign of j oy . I am like an infant which has not yetsmiled , forlorn as one wh o has nowhere to lay hishead . Other men have plenty

,while I al one seem

to have lost all . I am a man foolish in heart,

dull and confused . Other men are fu ll of light !I al one seem to be in darkness . Other men areal ert I al one am listless . I am unsettled as theocean , drifting as though I had no stopping-place .

All men have their usefulness I al one am stupidand Clownish . Lonely though I am and unlikeother men , yet I revere the Foster-Mother, Tao .

My words are very easy to understand,very

easy to put into practice ! yet the world c an

neither understand nor practise them .

My words have a clue , my actions have anunderlying principle . It is because men do notknow the Clue that they understand me not .Those wh o know me are but few ,

and on thataccount my honour is the greater .Thus the Sage wears coarse garments , but

carries a j ewel in his bosom .

THE EN !

Loo Ange la

Th is book is ! U E on th e last da te stam ped be low.

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