<< Dao De Jing / 道德經 >>
Chapter 38
上德不德，是以有德；下德不失德，是以无德。上德无为而无以为，下德为之而有以为。上仁为之而无以为，上义为之而有以为，上礼为之而莫之应，则攘臂而扔之。故失道而后德，失德而后仁，失仁而后义，失义而后礼。夫礼者，忠信之薄而乱之首。前识者，道之华而愚之始。是以大丈夫处其厚，不居其薄；处其实，不居其华。故去彼取此。
The Master doesn’t try to be great,
thus he/she is truly great.
The ordinary men keep striving for power,
therefore they never have true power.
The Master does nothing,
yet there is nothing undone.
The ordinary men are constantly doing things,
yet there are always even more to be done.
The kind ones do something,
yet leaving something undone.
The just ones do something,
but do it with hidden agendas.
The moral ones do something,
but when no one responds
they roll up their sleeves and use force.
When people wander away from the straight and simple Tao, the doctrine of humanity arises.
When humanity is lost, the doctrine of righteousness arises.
When righteousness is lost, there comes the force of propriety.
Now propriety is a superficial expression of loyalty and decency,
the source of chaos.
Therefore, the Master dwells in the depths
and not on the surface.
He/she keeps true to the fruit
and not to the flowering expression.
He/she embraces the essence,
and lets all appearances and illusions go.
Chapter 39
昔之得一者，天得一以清，地得一以宁，神得一以灵，谷得一以盈，万物得一以生，侯王得一以为天下贞。其致之。天无以清将恐裂，地无以宁将恐发，神无以灵将恐歇，谷无以盈将恐竭，万物无以生将恐灭，侯王无以贵高将恐蹶。故贵以贱为本，高以下为基。是以侯王自谓孤寡不穀。此非以贱为本邪？非乎？故致数舆无舆。不欲琭琭如玉，珞珞如石。
About the ancient masters who’re one with the Tao,
their sky was clarified,
their earth stabilized,
all creatures flourishing together,
content with the way they’re,
endlessly repeating themselves,
yet constantly renewed.
Now men stray from the Tao,
the sky is no longer clear,
and the earth no longer firm.
Not experiencing oneself as divine anymore, one feels powerless.
Not realizing one’s intrinsic perfection, one feels empty.
Not abiding by one’s true nature, one cannot survive and thrive.
Therefore, humble is the basis of noble
Low is the foundation of high
That is why the kings call themselves
“orphaned”, “widowed” or “unworthy”
Too much success is not an advantage
Do not tinkle like jades
Or clatter like chimes
Chapter 40
反者，道之动；弱者，道之用。天下万物生于有，有生于无。
Reversing is the movement of Tao.
Yielding is the way of Tao.
All things are born of being.
Being is one with non-being.
Chapter 41
上士闻道，勤而行之；中士闻道，若存若亡；下士闻道，大笑之，不笑不足以为道。故建言有之：明道若昧，进道若退，夷道若颣。上德若谷，大白若辱，广德若不足，建德若偷，质真若渝。大方无隅，大器晚成，大音希声，大象无形。道隐无名，夫唯道善贷且成。
When wise men hear of the Tao,
they devote themselves to bringing it into practice.
When average men hear of the Tao,
they half believe it, half doubt it,
and busy themselves getting out of it what serves their vanity.
When foolish men hear of the Tao,
they laugh out loud.
If they didn’t laugh,
the Tao wouldn’t be true.
Therefore it is said:
The path into the light seems dark.
Going forward feels like going back.
The direct and simple way seems the longest and hardest.
The truly powerful seems weak.
The purest appears like disgrace.
A great character appears unsophisticated.
The steadfast seems changeable.
True clarity seems obscure.
Great space has no corners.
Great talent takes long to mature.
The highest note is faintly heard.
The greatest form has no contour.
The greatest love seems indifferent.
The greatest wisdom seems childish.
Tao is nameless and nowhere to be found.
Yet it nourishes and brings everything to fulfillment.
Chapter 42
道生一，一生二，二生三，三生万物。万物负阴而抱阳，冲气以为和。人之所恶，唯孤寡不穀，而王公以为称。故物，或损之而益，或益之而损。人之所教，我亦教之。强梁者不得其死，吾将以为教父。
The Tao gives birth to One.
One gives birth to Two.
Two gives birth to Three.
Three gives birth to all things.
All things carry yin and embrace yang
and stand facing the male.
When yin and yang complement each other,
harmony is achieved.
Ordinary men hate to be alone, unimportant and worthless.
But the Master takes pleasure in it, realizing
that sometimes things are benefited from being taken away,
and suffer by being added to.
Here I only tell what everybody already knows:
One who lives a complicated life, shall die in a complicated way.
This is the way it is.
Chapter 43
天下之至柔，驰骋天下之至坚，无有入无间，吾是以知无为之有益。不言之教，无为之益，天下希及之。
The gentlest thing in the world
overcomes the hardest thing in the world.
That which has no substance
enters where there is no space.
Teaching without words
Working without actions
This is the Way, understood by few
Buddha Mind 