Part 2

How possessing virtue in highest degree means not seeking to show it, while lower degrees require constant effort.

The Tao's loss brings attributes, then benevolence, righteousness, and finally the proprieties that mark disorder.

Heaven, earth, spirits, valleys, creatures, and rulers all receive their essential qualities from the One.

True dignity finds its foundation in meanness, as princes calling themselves orphans acknowledge.

The Tao proceeds by contraries and weakness, generating existence from non-existence.

Scholars respond differently to the Tao—highest practice it, middle waver, lowest laugh at it.

The Tao produces One, which produces Two, then Three, then all things harmonized by Vacancy.

Water, the softest thing, overcomes the hardest through non-action and teaching without words.

Clinging to fame or wealth brings sorrow; contentment without shame enables long life.

Seeming crooked, stupid, and stammering while acting with purity and stillness gives the correct law.

The Tao prevailing brings peace; disregarded, it brings war and the evils of ambition.

True knowledge comes without travel; sages name things without seeing them and accomplish without purpose.

Learning seeks increase, the Tao seeks decrease until arriving at non-action that accomplishes everything.

The sage has no fixed mind but adopts the people's mind, treating all with goodness and sincerity.

Of every ten, three minister to life, three to death, three tend toward death through excessive striving.

The Tao produces, nourishes, and completes all things without claiming possession or control.

The Tao is the mother; knowing one is her child, guard her qualities for lifelong safety.

The great Tao is level and easy, yet people prefer by-ways and ostentatious living contrary to it.

What the Tao plants cannot be uprooted; its influence extends through person, family, neighborhood, state, and kingdom.

One with abundant Tao resembles an infant—protected, firm in grasp, perfectly harmonious.

Those who know the Tao keep silent, blunt sharp points, and achieve the Mysterious Agreement.

A state ruled by correction multiplies prohibitions and disorder; freedom from action transforms the people naturally.

The least meddling government brings goodness; happiness and misery lie side by side unpredictably.

Moderation enables early return to normal state and subjugation of obstacles to govern long.

Govern according to the Tao and spirits will not harm men; sage and spirits converge in virtue.

A great state becomes the center by lowering itself; stillness and abasement win adherents.

The Tao holds the most honored place, guarding bad men and able to be sought for redemption.

The Tao acts without purpose, considers small as great, recompenses injury with kindness.

Act before things appear, secure order before disorder begins; the journey of a thousand li starts with a single step.

Ancients practiced the Tao to make people simple, not enlightened; governing by wisdom scourges the state.

Rivers and seas rule by being lower; the sage rules by placing himself below and behind others.

The Tao's greatness seems inferior; three treasures are gentleness, economy, and shrinking from precedence.

True skill in war avoids contention, marshals without ranks, and bends men's wills like Heaven.

Prefer defense to offense, advance without weapons; lightly engaging in war risks losing precious gentleness.

The sage's words are easy to know and practice, yet no one can do so; they contain a comprehending principle.

True knowledge is knowing yet thinking we do not know; recognizing disease as pain preserves us from it.

When people lose proper fear, great dread comes; the sage knows himself but does not parade knowledge.

Boldness to do wrong brings death; Heaven's way conquers without striving, its net catches all.

Using death threats when people don't fear death is futile; one presides over death like a great carpenter.

Famine comes from excessive taxes; difficulty in governing from meddling; leaving life out of view is better.

At birth supple and weak, at death firm and strong; firmness accompanies death, softness life.

Heaven diminishes superabundance and supplements deficiency; only the Tao-possessor serves all under heaven.

Water, soft and weak, overcomes the hard and strong; true words seem paradoxical.

After reconciliation a grudge remains; the sage keeps the record but doesn't insist on fulfillment.

In a little state with few people, avoid using abilities, make death grievous, return to simple ways.

Sincere words aren't fine, the skilled don't dispute, the sage doesn't accumulate but gives freely.