Not counting

In sameness

Always so many, so much, the endless stream does not make for more but for less.

 

Life key

At play

It always starts with awareness, key to life directions.

 

Whence spirit

In pursuit

Seeking beyond, more, for living ain't mere time here awaiting demise.

 

Ownership

In retreat 

Ownership is naught if obstacles unbreached, nothing attained.

Propounding the essential

Faithful words are not pleasant.

Pleasant words are not faithful.

The good ones not dispute.

Who dispute the ones not are good.

The knowing ones not are learned.

The learned ones not know.

The holy man not hoards.

Having thereby worked for others;

he himself the more exceedingly will acquire.

Having thereby given to the people 

he himself the more exceedingly will have plenty.

Heaven's reason benefits but not injures.

The holy man's reason to act but not to quarrel.

Alone standing

 

A small country few people 

let have over ten men hundred men,

men as their officers but not use their power.

Let the people esteem death and not to a distance move.

Though they have ships carriages,

they have no occasion to ride in them.

Though they have armors weapons

they have no occasion to don them.

Let the people return to knotted cords and use them;

delight in their food;

be proud of their clothes;

be content with their dwellings;

rejoice in their customs.

A neighboring country mutually might be in sight,

Cocks dogs their voice mutually might be heard.

The people will reach old age and die,

not mutually they will visit or come and go.

Sustain contracts

Reconciling a great hatred,

surely there will remain some hatred.

Whereby to make good?

Therefore the holy man holds the left side of his contract

and not exacts from others.

Have virtue keep contract.

Have not virtue insist on claims.

Heaven's reason has no preference

always helps the good man.

 

Trust in faith

 

In the world in tenderness in weakness
nothing can more surpass than water,

And who attacks the hard the strong the ones,

no one of them can surpass.

Among things there is none which herein takes the place of it.

The weak being conquerors of the strong

The tender being conquerors of the stiff.

In the world there is no one not knows,

no one can practise.

Therefore the the holy man declares:

Who is charged with the country's sin,

this one is called of the altar's millet the master.

Who is charged with the country's unblessings, this one is called the empire's king.

True words seem paradoxical.

Heaven's reason

 

Heaven's reason,

it resembles the stretching of a bow.

Oh! The higher one brings down it.

The lower one raises it.

Who have abundance, 

the ones, diminishes them.

Who not have enough 

the ones, gives to them.

Heaven's reason

It diminishes have abundance 

and completes not enough.

Man's reason is not so.

It diminishes not enough

thereby to serve have abundance.

Who can have abundance

for the purpose of serving the world?

Therefore the holy man makes,

yet not claims.

Merit he accomplishes,

yet not dwells there.

He not wishes to let be seen his excellence.

Does he?