Front and back follow each other. Therefore the sage acts without acting and teaches without speaking. The ten thousand things arise and vanish without his interference. He creates yet claims nothing, acts yet expects no reward, completes his work and forgets it. Because he forgets, it lasts forev

Not exalting the worthy keeps people from contention. Not prizing rare goods keeps people from stealing. Not displaying the desirable keeps people’s hearts undisturbed. Therefore the sage governs by emptying minds and filling bellies, weakening ambitions and strengthening bones. He causes people to be without cunning or desire. He ensures the clever dare not act. Do that which consists in taking no action, and order will prevail.

The Tao is empty, yet when used never exhausts. An abyss, it seems the ancestor of all things. It blunts sharpness, unties tangles, tempers glare, merges with dust. Deep and hidden, it seems forever to exist. I do not know whose child it is. It appears to precede the Lord.

Heaven and Earth are impartial; they treat all things as straw dogs. The sage is impartial; he treats all people as straw dogs. The space between Heaven and Earth is like a bellows: empty yet inexhaustible, the more it moves, the more it yields. Many words lead to exhaustion. Better to hold fast to the center.

The valley spirit never dies; it is called the mysterious female. The gate of the mysterious female is the root of heaven and earth. Continuous, seeming to endure, it is used without ever being exhausted.

Heaven and Earth endure forever because they do not live for themselves. Therefore the sage puts himself last and finds himself first, puts himself outside and remains within. By being selfless he fulfills himself.

The highest good is like water. Water benefits all things generously and dwells in places others disdain. Thus it is close to the Tao. In dwelling, value the low ground. In thinking, keep deep. In giving, be like heaven. In speaking, be true. In governing, bring order. In work, be competent. In action, choose the right time. Because it does not contend, it is without blame.

Hold and fill it to overflowing— better to stop. Sharpen a blade too much— it will not stay sharp long. Fill your house with gold and jade— no one can guard it. Wealth and pride breed arrogance— disaster follows. When the work is done, retire. This is the Way of Heaven.