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Cards In This Set
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1
The Tao that can be told is not the
eternal Tao.
The name that can be named is not the
eternal name.
The nameless is the beginning of
heaven and Earth.
The named is the mother of the ten
thousand things.
Ever desireless, one can see the
mystery.
Ever desiring, one sees the
manifestations.
These two spring from the same source
but differ in name; this appears as
darkness.
Darkness within darkness.
The gate to all mystery.
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2
Under heaven all can see beauty as
beauty only because there is ugliness.
All can know good as good only
because there is evil.
Therefore having and not having arise
together.
Difficult and easy complement each
other.
Long and short contrast each other:
High and low rest upon each other;
Voice and sound harmonize each
other;
Front and back follow one another.
Therefore the sage goes about doing
nothing, teaching no-talking.
The ten thousand things rise and fall
without cease,
Creating, yet not possessing.
Working, yet not taking credit.
Work is done, then forgotten.
Therefore it lasts forever.
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3
Not exalting the gifted prevents
quarreling.
Not collecting treasures prevents
stealing.
Not seeing desirable things prevents
confusion of the heart.
The wise therefore rule by emptying
hearts and stuffing bellies, by
weakening ambitions and
strengthening bones.
If men lack knowledge and desire, then
clever people will not try to interfere.
If nothing is done, then all will be well.
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4
The Tao is an empty vessel; it is used,
but never filled.
Oh, unfathomable source of ten
thousand things!
Blunt the sharpness,
Untangle the knot,
Soften the glare,
Merge with dust.
Oh, hidden deep but ever present!
I do not know from whence it comes.
It is the forefather of the gods.
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5
Heaven and Earth are impartial;
They see the ten thousand things as
straw dogs.
The wise are impartial;
They see the people as straw dogs.
The space between heaven and Earth
is like a bellows.
The shape changes but not the form;
The more it moves, the more it yields.
More words count less.
Hold fast to the center.
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6
The valley spirit never dies;
It is the woman, primal mother.
Her gateway is the root of heaven and
Earth.
It is like a veil barely seen.
Use it; it will never fail.
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7
Heaven and Earth last forever.
Why do heaven and Earth last forever?
They are unborn,
So ever living.
The sage stays behind, thus he is
ahead.
He is detached, thus at one with all.
Through selfless action, he attains
fulfillment.
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8
The highest good is like water.
Water gives life to the ten thousand
things and does not strive.
It flows in places men reject and so is
like the Tao.
In dwelling, be close to the land.
In meditation, go deep in the heart.
In dealing with others, be gentle and
kind.
In speech, be true.
In ruling, be just.
In daily life, be competent.
In action, be aware of the time and the
season.
No fight: No blame.
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9
Better to stop short than fill to the
brim.
Oversharpen the blade, and the edge
will soon blunt.
Amass a store of gold and jade, and no
one can protect it.
Claim wealth and titles, and disaster
will follow.
Retire when the work is done.
This is the way of heaven.
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10
Carrying body and soul and embracing
the one,
Can you avoid separation?
Attending fully and becoming supple,
Can you be as a newborn babe?
Washing and cleansing the primal
vision,
Can you be without stain?
Loving all men and ruling the country,
Can you be without cleverness?
Opening and closing the gates of
heaven,
Can you play the role of woman?
Understanding and being open to all
things,
Are you able to do nothing?
Giving birth and nourishing,
Bearing yet not possessing,
Working yet not taking credit,
Leading yet not dominating,
This is the Primal Virtue.
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11
Thirty spokes share the wheel's hub;
It is the center hole that makes it
useful.
Shape clay into a vessel;
It is the space within that makes it
useful.
Cut doors and windows for a room;
It is the holes which make it useful.
Therefore benefit comes from what is
there;
Usefulness from what is not there.
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12
The five colors blind the eye.
The five tones deafen the ear.
The five flavors dull the taste.
Racing and hunting madden the mind.
Precious things lead one astray.
Therefore the sage is guided by what
he feels and not by what he sees.
He lets go of that and chooses this.
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13
Accept disgrace willingly.
Accept misfortune as the human
condition.
What do you mean by "Accept disgrace
willingly"?
Accept being unimportant.
Do not be concerned with loss or gain.
This is called "accepting disgrace
willingly."
What do you mean by "Accept
misfortune as the human condition"?
Misfortune comes from having a body.
Without a body, how could there be
misfortune?
Surrender yourself humbly; then you
can be trusted to care for all things.
Love the world as your own self; then
you can truly care for all things.
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14
Look, it cannot be seen - it is beyond
form.
Listen, it cannot be heard - it is beyond
sound.
Grasp, it cannot be held - it is
intangible.
These three are indefinable;
Therefore they are joined in one.
From above it is not bright;
From below it is not dark:
An unbroken thread beyond
description.
It returns to nothingness.
The form of the formless,
The image of the imageless,
It is called indefinable and beyond
imagination.
Stand before it and there is no
beginning.
Follow it and there is no end.
Stay with the ancient Tao,
Move with the present.
Knowing the ancient beginning is the
essence of Tao.
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15
The ancient masters were subtle,
mysterious, profound, responsive.
The depth of their knowledge is
unfathomable.
Because it is unfathomable,
All we can do is describe their
appearance.
Watchful, like men crossing a winter
stream.
Alert, like men aware of danger.
Courteous, like visiting guests.
Yielding like ice about to melt.
Simple, like uncarved blocks of wood.
Hollow, like caves.
Opaque, like muddy pools.
Who can wait quietly while the mud
settles?
Who can remain still until the moment
of action?
Observers of the Tao do not seek
fulfillment.
Not seeking fulfillment, they are not
swayed by desire for change.
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16
Empty yourself of everything.
Let the mind become still.
The ten thousand things rise and fall
while the Self watches their return.
They grow and flourish and then
return to the source.
Returning to the source is stillness,
which is the way of nature.
The way of nature is unchanging.
Knowing constancy is insight.
Not knowing constancy leads to
disaster.
Knowing constancy, the mind is open.
With an open mind, you will be
openhearted.
Being openhearted, you will act
royally.
Being royal, you will attain the divine.
Being divine, you will be at one with
the Tao.
Being at one with the Tao is eternal.
And though the body dies, the Tao will
never pass away.
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17
The very highest if barely known.
Then comes that which people know
and love.
Then that which is feared,
Then that which is despised.
Who does not trust enough will not be
trusted.
When actions are performed
Without unnecessary speech,
People say, "We did it!"
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18
When the great Tao is forgotten,
Kindness and morality arise.
When wisdom and intelligence are
born,
The great pretense begins.
When there is no peace within the
family,
Filial piety and devotion arise.
When the country is confused and in
chaos,
Loyal ministers appear.
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19
Give up sainthood, renounce wisdom,
And it will be a hundred times better
for everyone.
Give up kindness, renounce morality,
And men will rediscover filial piety and
love.
Give up ingenuity, renounce profit,
And bandits and thieves will
disappear.
These three are outward forms alone;
they are not sufficient in themselves.
It is more important
To see the simplicity,
To realize one's true nature,
To cast off selfishness
And temper desire.
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20
Give up learning, and put an end to
your troubles.
Is there a difference between yes and
no?
Is there a difference between good and
evil?
Must I fear what others fear? What
nonsense!
Other people are contented, enjoying
the sacrificial feast of the ox.
In spring some go to the park, and
climb the terrace,
But I alone am drifting, not knowing
where I am.
Like a newborn babe before it learns to
smile,
I am alone, without a place to go.
Others have more than they need, but I
alone have nothing.
I am a fool. Oh, yes! I am confused.
Others are clear and bright,
But I alone am dim and weak.
Others are sharp and clever,
But I alone am dull and stupid.
Oh, I drift like the waves of the sea,
Without direction, like the restless
wind.
Everyone else is busy,
But I alone am aimless and depressed.
I am different.
I am nourished by the great mother.
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21
The greatest Virtue is to follow Tao
and Tao alone.
The Tao is elusive and intangible.
Oh, it is intangible and elusive, and yet
within is image.
Oh, it is elusive and intangible, and yet
within is form.
Oh, it is dim and dark, and yet within
is essence.
This essence is very real, and therein
lies faith.
From the very beginning until now its
name has never been forgotten.
Thus I perceive the creation.
How do I know the ways of creation?
Because of this.
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22
Yield and overcome;
Bend and be straight;
Empty and be full;
Wear out and be new;
Have little and gain;
Have much and be confused.
Therefore the wise embrace the one
And set an example to all.
Not putting on a display,
They shine forth.
Not justifying themselves,
They are distinguished.
Not boasting,
They receive recognition.
Not bragging,
They never falter.
They do not quarrel,
So no one quarrels with them.
Therefore the ancients say, "Yield and
overcome."
Is that an empty saying?
Be really whole,
And all things will come to you.
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23
To talk little is natural.
High winds do not last all morning.
Heavy rain does not last all day.
Why is this? Heaven and Earth!
If heaven and Earth cannot make
things eternal,
How is it possible for man?
He who follows the Tao
Is at one with the Tao.
He who is virtuous
Experiences Virtue.
He who loses the way
Is lost.
When you are at one with the Tao,
The Tao welcomes you.
When you are at one with Virtue,
The Virtue is always there.
When you are at one with loss,
The loss is experienced willingly.
He who does not trust enough
Will not be trusted.
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24
He who stands on tiptoe is not steady.
He who strides cannot maintain the
pace.
He who makes a show is not
enlightened.
He who is self-righteous is not
respected.
He who boasts achieves nothing.
He who brags will not endure.
According to followers of the Tao,
"These are extra food and unnecessary
luggage."
They do not bring happiness.
therefore followers of the Tao avoid
them.
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25
Something mysteriously formed,
Born before heaven and Earth.
In the silence and the void,
Standing alone and unchanging,
Ever present and in motion.
Perhaps it is the mother of ten
thousand things.
I do not know its name
Call it Tao.
For lack of a better word, I call it great.
Being great, it flows
I flows far away.
Having gone far, it returns.
Therefore, "Tao is great;
Heaven is great;
Earth is great;
The king is also great."
These are the four great powers of the
universe,
And the king is one of them.
Man follows Earth.
Earth follows heaven.
Heaven follows the Tao.
Tao follows what is natural.
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26
The heavy is the root of the light.
The still is the master of unrest.
Therefore the sage, traveling all day,
Does not lose sight of his baggage.
Though there are beautiful things to be
seen,
He remains unattached and calm.
Why should the lord of ten thousand
chariots act lightly in public?
To be light is to lose one's root.
To be restless is to lose one's control.
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27
A good walker leaves no tracks;
A good speaker makes no slips;
A good reckoner needs no tally.
A good door needs no lock,
Yet no one can open it.
Good binding requires no knots,
Yet no one can loosen it.
Therefore the sage takes care of all
men
And abandons no one.
He takes care of all things
And abandons nothing.
This is called "following the light."
What is a good man?
A teacher of a bad man.
What is a bad man?
A good man's charge.
If the teacher is not respected,
And the student not cared for,
Confusion will arise, however clever
one is.
This is the crux of mystery.
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28
Know the strength of man,
But keep a woman's care!
Be the stream of the universe!
Being the stream of the universe,
Ever true and unswerving,
Become as a little child once more.
Know the white,
But keep the black!
Be an example to the world!
Being an example to the world,
Ever true and unwavering,
Return to the infinite.
Know honor,
Yet keep humility.
Be the valley of the universe!
Being the valley of the universe,
Ever true and resourceful,
Return to the state of the uncarved
block.
When the block is carved, it becomes
useful.
When the sage uses it, he becomes the
ruler.
Thus, "A great tailor cuts little."
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29
Do you think you can take over the
universe and improve it?
I do not believe it can be done.
The universe is sacred.
You cannot improve it.
If you try to change it, you will ruin it.
If you try to hold it, you will lose it.
So sometimes things are ahead and
sometimes they are behind;
Sometimes breathing is hard,
sometimes it comes easily;
Sometimes there is strength and
sometimes weakness;
Sometimes one is up and sometimes
down.
Therefore the sage avoids extremes,
excesses, and complacency.
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30
Whenever you advise a ruler in the way
of Tao,
Counsel him not to use force to
conquer the universe.
For this would only cause resistance.
Thorn bushes spring up wherever the
army has passed.
Lean years follow in the wake of a
great war.
Just do what needs to be done.
Never take advantage of power.
Achieve results,
But never glory in them.
Achieve results,
But never boast.
Achieve results,
But never be proud.
Achieve results,
Because this is the natural way.
Achieve results,
But not through violence.
Force is followed by loss of strength.
This is not the way of Tao.
That which goes against the Tao comes
to an early end.
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