<< Dao De Jing / 道德經 >>
Chapter 50
出生入死，生之徒，十有三；死之徒，十有三；人之生，动之于死地，亦十有三。夫何故？以其生生之厚。盖闻善摄生者，陆行不遇兕虎，入军不被甲兵。兕无所投其角，虎无所措其爪，兵无所容其刃。夫何故？以其无死地。
Between birth and death,
Three in ten are companions of life,
Three in ten are companions of death,
And three in ten merely passing from birth to death,
As they live their lives on the gross level.
While the Master gives himself up
To whatever life and death bring.
He/She has nothing left to hold on to:
No illusion in the mind,
No resistance in the body.
The Master doesn’t think about her actions –
They flow from the center of her being.
She clings to nothing,
Therefore she is ready for death.
As a person is ready for sleep
After a good day’s work.
Chapter 51
道生之，德畜之，物形之，势成之。是以万物莫不尊道而贵德。道之尊，德之贵，夫莫之命而常自然。故道生之，德畜之，长之育之，亭之毒之；养之覆之。生而不有，为而不恃，长而不宰，是谓玄德。
All things arise from Tao
They are fostered by character
They are shaped by matter
And they are completed by circumstances
Therefore, all things of the universe worship Tao
It is not mandatory
But it is in the nature of things
Tao gives birth to all things
Feeds them, grows them, develops them
Comforts them, protects them, let them dwell in peace
Creating without possessing
Guiding without interfering
Giving without expecting payback
That is why the love of Tao
Is in the nature of things
Chapter 52
天下有始，以为天下母。既得其母，以知其子；既知其子，复守其母，没身不殆。塞其兑，闭其门，终身不勤。开其兑，济其事，终身不救。见小曰明，守柔曰强。用其光，复归其明，无遗身殃；是为袭常。
In the beginning it was the Tao.
All things come from it.
All things return to it.
To know the origin, trace back the manifestations.
Once you recognize the children and realize the mother,
You are free of sorrow.
Keep your mouth shut,
Guard the senses,
And life is ever fulfilled.
Open your mouth,
Get lost in busyness,
And life is always in toil.
If you close your mind in judgements
And traffic with desires,
Your mind will be troubled.
If you keep your mind from judging
And aren’t led by the senses,
Your mind will find peace.
Seeing into darkness is clarity.
Knowing how to yield is strength.
Use your own light
And return to the source of light.
Then all danger is gone.
This is to rest in the eternal Absolute.
Chapter 53
使我介然有知，行于大道，唯施是畏。大道甚夷，而人好径。朝甚除，田甚芜，仓甚虚，服文采，带利剑，厌饮食，财货有余，是谓盗竽。非道也哉！
The great Way is easy,
Yet people prefer to be sidetracked.
If I have even just a little sense,
I will walk on the Tao,
And my only fear will be of straying from it.
When rich people get richer,
And farmers lose their lands;
When government officials spend on weapons instead of cures,
And the upper class is extravagant and irresponsible,
While the poor have nowhere to turn –
All this is robbery and chaos,
Certainly not the way of Tao.
Chapter 54
善剑者不拔，善抱者不脱，子孙以祭祀不辍。修之于身，其德乃真；修之于家，其德乃余；修之于乡，其德乃长；修之于邦，其德乃丰；修之于天下，其德乃普。故以身观身，以家观家，以乡观乡，以邦观邦，以天下观天下。吾何以知天下然哉？以此。
Whoever is planted in the Tao
Cannot be uprooted.
Whoever embraces the Tao
Cannot be led astray.
And the spirit will carry on from generation to generation.
Cultivate Tao in your self,
And your character will become genuine.
Cultivate Tao in your family,
And your family will flourish.
Cultivate Tao in your country,
And your country will prosper.
Cultivate Tao in the world,
And the world will have peace.
How do I know this is the Way?
By looking inside myself.
Chapter 55
含德之厚，比于赤子。毒虫不螫，猛兽不据,攫鸟不搏。骨弱筋柔而握固。未知牝牡之合而朘作，精之至也。终日号而不嗄，和之至也。知和曰”常”，知常曰”明”，益生曰祥，心使气曰强。物壮则老，谓之不道，不道早已。
Whoever is in harmony with the Tao is like a newborn.
Its bones and muscles are soft,
But its grip is powerful.
It doesn’t know about the union of male and female,
Yet it is whole nevertheless.
So intense is its vitality,
That it can roar all day without becoming hoarse.
This is complete harmony.
The Master knows harmony and constancy,
Therefore the Master knows enlightenment.
She lets things come and go effortlessly,
Never rushes about driven by desires.
She expects nothing,
Thus she is forever content.
If too much energy is used, exhaustion follows.
It is not the way of Tao.
Whoever is not in harmony with the Tao will not last.
Buddha Mind 