DragonBlood69

Cliff

Can you keep the spirit of the valley, And let your mind be still? Can you embrace the one, and not let go? Can you become like a newborn baby? Can you cleanse your inner vision, And see nothing but the Tao? Can you love the world, And treat all things as your equal? Can you be a leader, And not boast of your achievements? Can you understand the mystery, And never seek to explain it?

Better to stop short than to fill to the brim. Oversharpen the blade, and the edge will not last long. Keep a gold and jade-filled bowl, and it will not be kept long. When you have acquired wealth and honor, Take care not to overindulge. When your work is done, retire. This is the way of heaven.

The highest good is like water. Water gives life to the ten thousand things And does not compete with them. It flows in places that people reject, And so it is like the Tao. In a dwelling, be a good neighbor. In a mind, be a good friend. In the world, be a good ruler. In your life, be a good person. Be like water.

The Tao is eternal, and the sage is selfless. The sage is eternal because he follows the Tao. He does not strive for success, but acts in harmony with nature. He gives without seeking return. He acts without expecting any reward. This is the key to eternal peace.

The spirit of the valley never dies. It is called the mysterious female. The gateway of the mysterious female Is the root of heaven and earth. It is continuous, and seems to have no end. Use it, and you will find it inexhaustible. The more you use it, the more you will find.

The Tao is impartial. It treats all things as straw dogs. The sage is impartial. He treats all people as straw dogs. The universe is like a bellows. It is empty, yet it never runs out. The more it is used, the more it produces. The more you talk about it, the less you understand it. The Tao is always beyond words, The more it is used, the greater its potential.

The Tao is like a well: Used but never used up. It is like the eternal void: Filled with infinite possibilities. It is hidden but always present. I don’t know who gave birth to it. It is older than God.

Not exalting the gifted prevents quarrels. Not collecting treasures prevents theft. Not seeing desirable things prevents confusion. The sage therefore rules by emptying hearts and filling bellies, By weakening ambitions and strengthening bones. He always helps people to be without desire, And makes them content with what they have. He also guides them to the place of simplicity, Where they can attain peacefulness.

When the world is at peace, The Tao is the same as the way. When the world is not at peace, The Tao is the way of all things. If you let go of the concept of opposites, You will see how one follows the other. The sage acts without action, And teaches without words. He is invisible in his actions, And he does not engage in extravagant displays. By being a simple example of sincerity, The sage harmonizes the world.