Chapter 61
Governing a large country is like lying in a lower place.
This country in the world may be likened to rivers and streams flowing into the sea.
It lies lower such that all in the world runs to it.
It is the converging point of all in the world.
It is the female of the world.
That always overcomes the male via tranquility,
And with tranquility she lies lower.
Hence a big state can rally small states around it
If it lowers itself to them.
Small states can win trust from a big state
If they lower themselves to it.
Thus a big state can rally small states by lowering itself.
Small states can win trust from a big state by lowering themselves.
What a big state wants is to unite and lead small states.
What small states want is to be rallied and protected by the big state.
When both sides get what they respectively want,
The big state should learn to keep itself lower.

Chapter 62
The Dao is the storehouse of all things.
It is treasured by the good man,
And also preserved by the bad man.

Honored words can gain respect from others.
Fine deeds can have an impact on others.
Even if a man is bad,
Why should he be ever rejected?
Therefore, the sage is always good at saving men;
And consequently nobody is rejected.
He is always good at saving things,
And consequently nothing is rejected.
This is called the hidden light.
Therefore, the good man is the teacher of the bad.
And the bad is the material from which the good may learn.
He who does not value the teacher
Or care for the material,
Will still be greatly deluded
Though he thinks himself clever.
Such is called the significant subtlety of the Dao.
Therefore, on the occasion of enthroning an emperor
Or installing the three ministers,
It is better to offer the Dao as a present
Though there are grand ceremonies of saluting them
With the round jadeware, followed by the four-horse chariot.
Why did the ancients value this Dao so much?
Did they not say, "Those who seek shall attain and
Those who sin shall be freed?"
For this reason it is valued by all under Heaven.

Chapter 63
Consider take-no-action as a code of conduct.
Consider make-no-trouble as a way of deed.
Consider have-no-flavor as a method of taste.

It is a rule in the world that
The most difficult things begin with the easy,
And the largest things arise from the minute.
Hence, tackle the difficult while it is still easy;
Achieve the large while it is still minute.
For this reason, the sage never strives for the great,
And thereby he can accomplish it.

He who makes promises too readily will surely lack credibility.
He who takes things too easily will surely encounter difficulties.
Therefore, even the sage regards things as difficult,
And he is free from difficulties as a result.

Chapter 64
What is stable is easy to hold.
What is not yet manifest is easy to handle.
What is brittle is easy to disintegrate.
What is minute is easy to eliminate.
Deal with matters before they occur.
Put them in order before disorder arises.
A tree as huge as one's embrace grows from a tiny shoot.
A tower of nine stories rises up from a heap of earth.
A journey of a thousand li starts from the first step.
People often fail when they are on the point of success
In their conduct of affairs.
If they remain still as careful at the end as at the beginning,
They will never suffer from failures.

Chapter 65
In ancient times he who practiced the Dao well
Did not use it to enlighten the people.
Instead he used it to make them simple.
Now the people are difficult to govern
Because they have too much craftiness.
Thus, governing a country by craftiness is a disaster for it.
And not governing it by craftiness is a blessing for it.
He who knows these two also knows the principle.
It is called profound De to always know the principle.
Profound De is deep and far-reaching;
It returns to the origin with all things,
And then leads to the great naturalness.

Chapter 66
The great rivers and seas can be kings of the mountain streams
Because they skillfully stay below them.
That is why they can be their kings.
Therefore, in order to be above the people,
The sage must place himself below them in his words.
In order to be ahead of the people,
He must place himself behind them in his person.
In this way, the sage is above the people,
But they do not feel his weight.
He is ahead of the people,
But they do not feel his hindrance.
Therefore the whole world delights in praising him
And never gets tired of him.
Simply because he does not compete with others,
Nobody under Heaven can compete with him.

Chapter 1-4 | Chapter 5-12 | Chapter 13-18 | Chapter 19-23 | Chapter 24-28 | Chapter 29-35
Chapter 36-40 | Chapter 41-49 | Chapter 50-54 | Chapter 55-60 | Chapter 61-66
| Chapter 67-73 | Chapter 74-81 |