Reason's transformation

Reason produces unity.

Unity produces duality.

Duality produces trinity.

Trinity produces ten thousand  things.

The ten thousand things bear the negative principle,

and embrace the positive principle.

The immaterial vitality thereby makes harmonious.

The people's that which is detested,

exactly is orphans, widowers, unworthies.

Yet kings lords thereby take titles.

Therefore sometimes you lose it but gain.

Sometimes you gain it but loss.

Of others that which is taught

I also teach it.

The strong aggressive ones do not obtain their death.

I shall thereby make the doctrine's father.

Identity and non-identity

 

A superior scholar listening to reason,

he is strenuous and practises it.

An average scholar listening to reason,

sometimes keeps, sometimes loses.

An inferior scholar listening to reason

greatly ridicules it.

not he ridiculed,

not could thus to be regarded as reason.

Therefore who builds words the one says that:

Those enlightened by reason resemble the dark.

Those advanced in reason resemble the retreating.

The straight in reason resemble the rugged.

The high in virtue resemble a valley.

The perfect is whiteness are likely to be put to shame.

The broadest in virtue resemble the not-sufficient.

Firmly established virtue resembles the remiss.

Simple chastity resembles the changing.

The greatest square has no corner.

The greatest vessel not yet is completed.

The greatest sound is void of speech.

The greatest form has no shape.

Reason when hidden,

not having name.

However it is exactly reason can give and complete.

Avoiding function

Returning that [is] reason's motion.

Weakness that [is] reason's function.

Heaven [and] earth 

[and] the ten thousand things

are produced from existence,

existence is produced from non-existence.

Law's root

 

Of old those who attained unity the ones [are]:

Heaven attained unity,

thereby it is clear.

Earth attained unity, 

thereby it is peaceful.

Spirit attained unity,

thereby it is mental.

Valleys attained  unity

thereby they are filled.

The ten thousand things attained unity,

thereby they have life,

Princes [and] kings attained unity,

thereby they become the world's standard.

That which produces it [is] unity, indeed.

Heaven were it not thereby clear,

it would presumably crack.

Earth, were it not thereby steady,

it would presumably break down.

Spirits are they not thereby mental,

they would presumably give out 

Valleys, were they not thereby filled,

they would presumably be exhausted.

The ten thousand things were they not thereby having life,

they would presumably be exterminated. 

Princes [and] kings were they not thereby the standard,

but esteemed themselves high,

they would presumably fall.

Therefore the noble from the commoners take [their] root.

The high upon the low have [their] foundation.

Therefore Princes [and] kings themselves call orphans, widowers, and [and] unworthies.

[Is] this [because] they from the commoners take their root?

[Is it] not so?

Therefore let go to pieces a carriage [wheel],

it is no [longer] a carriage [wheel].

[Unities] do not desire to be respected,

[and] respected like a gem to be let down

[and] let down like a stone.

A discussion of virtue

 

Superior virtue is unvirtue.
Therefore it has virtue.

Inferior virtue not loses virtue.

therefore it has no virtue.

Superior virtue virtue is non-action.

And it has not thereby pretensions.

Inferior virtue is acting itself,

and has thereby pretensions.

Superior benevolence is acting itself

but not thereby pretends.

Superior righteousness [justice] is acting itself 

but has thereby pretensions.

Superior propriety is acting itself 

but when no one to it responds.

Then it stretches its arms and enforces it.

Therefore when one loses reason and then [there is] virtue.

One loses virtue, and then [there is] benevolence.

One loses benevolence and then [there is] righteousness.

One loses righteousness and then [there is] propriety.

Now propriety's things [are] loyalty [and] faith 

in their attenuation and disorder in its beginning;

premature knowledge that [is] reason in its flower, 

and ignorance in its beginning.

Therefore a great large organiser [man of affairs]

dwells in its solidity [and] not abides in its externality.

He dwells in its fruit,

not abides in its flower.

Therefore he avoids the latter,

and choses the former.

Administering the government

 

Reason is always non-action,

and nothing [remains] undone.

Princes [and] kings if they can

keep [it] the ten thousand things

will of themselves reform.

[If] reformed yet may desire to stir.

I will pacify them by the unnameable its simplicity.

The unnameable its simplicity

in turn will [afford] not to desire [to lust].

[There being] no desire, thereby there is rest.

[Then] the world will be self-enraptured.

The secret's explanation

 

[That which] is going to desire [viz., to have the tendency] to contract itself,

surely assuredly has extended itself.

[That which] is going to desire to weaken itself,

surely assuredly [has] strengthened itself.

[That which] is going to desire to ruin itself,

surely assuredly has raised itself.

[That which] is going to intend to deprive itself,

surely assuredly [it has] endowed itself.

This is called the secret's explanation.

The tender [and] the weak conquer the stiff [and] the strong.

[As] the fish not should escape from the deep,

[so] the empire's sharp tools not should thereby be shown to the people.

Benevolence virtue

[Who] takes hold of the great form the world goes [to him].

[It] goes and not is injured.

Contentment peace, rest [is there].

Music and dainties the passing people make stop.

Reason's going out of the mouth [how] is insipid.

Oh! it has no taste.

[When] looked at it not is enough to be precious.

[When] listened to it, not is enough to be heard

The use of it not can be exhausted

Trust in its perfection

 

The great reason is all-pervading

Oh!

It can [be] on the left [and] it can be on the right

the ten thousand things relying on it,

thereby living,

yet not it refuses [them].

Merit it acquires,

[but] not the name takes.

It loves [and] nourishes the ten thousand things,

yet not act as [their] owner.

Always it has no desires.

It can be named with the small.

The ten thousand things return thereto.

Yet not it acts as [their] owner

It can be named as the great.

Therefore the holy man to the end not acts a the great.

Therefore he can accomplish his greatness.