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TheTaoTeChing
byLaoTzu
TranslatedbyStephenMitchell,1988

http://eawc.evansville.edu/anthology/tao.htm
http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/laotzu/works/taoteching/tao.htm
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1
Thetaothatcanbetold
isnottheeternalTao
Thenamethatcanbenamed
isnottheeternalName.Theunnamableistheeternallyreal.
Namingistheorigin
ofallparticularthings.Freefromdesire,yourealizethemystery.
Caughtindesire,youseeonlythemanifestations.Yetmysteryandmanifestations
arisefromthesamesource.
Thissourceiscalleddarkness.Darknesswithindarkness.
Thegatewaytoallunderstanding.
2
Whenpeopleseesomethingsasbeautiful,
otherthingsbecomeugly.
Whenpeopleseesomethingsasgood,
otherthingsbecomebad.Beingandnonbeingcreateeachother.
Difficultandeasysupporteachother.
Longandshortdefineeachother.
Highandlowdependoneachother.
Beforeandafterfolloweachother.ThereforetheMaster
actswithoutdoinganything
andteacheswithoutsayinganything.
Thingsariseandsheletsthemcome
thingsdisappearandsheletsthemgo.

Shehasbutdoesn'tpossess,
actsbutdoesn'texpect.
Whenherworkisdone,sheforgetsit.
Thatiswhyitlastsforever.
3
Ifyouoveresteemgreatmen,
peoplebecomepowerless.
Ifyouovervaluepossessions,
peoplebegintosteal.TheMasterleads
byemptyingpeople'sminds
andfillingtheircores,
byweakeningtheirambition
andtougheningtheirresolve.
Hehelpspeopleloseeverything
theyknow,everythingtheydesire,
andcreatesconfusion
inthosewhothinkthattheyknow.Practicenotdoing,
andeverythingwillfallintoplace.
4
TheTaoislikeawell:
usedbutneverusedup.
Itisliketheeternalvoid:
filledwithinfinitepossibilities.Itishiddenbutalwayspresent.
Idon'tknowwhogavebirthtoit.
ItisolderthanGod.
5
TheTaodoesn'ttakesides
itgivesbirthtobothgoodandevil.
TheMasterdoesn'ttakesides
shewelcomesbothsaintsandsinners.TheTaoislikeabellows:
itisemptyyetinfinitelycapable.
Themoreyouuseit,themoreitproduces
themoreyoutalkofit,thelessyouunderstand.Holdontothecenter.
6
TheTaoiscalledtheGreatMother:
emptyyetinexhaustible,
itgivesbirthtoinfiniteworlds.Itisalwayspresentwithinyou.
Youcanuseitanywayyouwant.
7
TheTaoisinfinite,eternal.
Whyisiteternal?
Itwasneverborn
thusitcanneverdie.
Whyisitinfinite?
Ithasnodesiresforitself
thusitispresentforallbeings.TheMasterstaysbehind
thatiswhysheisahead.
Sheisdetachedfromallthings
thatiswhysheisonewiththem.
Becauseshehasletgoofherself,
sheisperfectlyfulfilled.

8
Thesupremegoodislikewater,
whichnourishesallthingswithouttryingto.
Itiscontentwiththelowplacesthatpeopledisdain.
ThusitisliketheTao.Indwelling,liveclosetotheground.
Inthinking,keeptothesimple.
Inconflict,befairandgenerous.
Ingoverning,don'ttrytocontrol.
Inwork,dowhatyouenjoy.
Infamilylife,becompletelypresent.Whenyouarecontenttobesimplyyourself
anddon'tcompareorcompete,
everybodywillrespectyou.
9
Fillyourbowltothebrim
anditwillspill.
Keepsharpeningyourknife
anditwillblunt.
Chaseaftermoneyandsecurity
andyourheartwillneverunclench.
Careaboutpeople'sapproval
andyouwillbetheirprisoner.Doyourwork,thenstepback.
Theonlypathtoserenity.
10
Canyoucoaxyourmindfromitswandering
andkeeptotheoriginaloneness?
Canyouletyourbodybecome
suppleasanewbornchild's?
Canyoucleanseyourinnervision
untilyouseenothingbutthelight?
Canyoulovepeopleandleadthem
withoutimposingyourwill?
Canyoudealwiththemostvitalmatters
bylettingeventstaketheircourse?
Canyoustepbackfromyouownmind
andthusunderstandallthings?Givingbirthandnourishing,
havingwithoutpossessing,
actingwithnoexpectations,
leadingandnottryingtocontrol:
thisisthesupremevirtue.
11
Wejoinspokestogetherinawheel,
butitisthecenterhole
thatmakesthewagonmove.Weshapeclayintoapot,
butitistheemptinessinside
thatholdswhateverwewant.Wehammerwoodforahouse,
butitistheinnerspace
thatmakesitlivable.Weworkwithbeing,
butnonbeingiswhatweuse.
12
12
Colorsblindtheeye.
Soundsdeafentheear.
Flavorsnumbthetaste.
Thoughtsweakenthemind.

Desireswithertheheart.TheMasterobservestheworld
buttrustshisinnervision.
Heallowsthingstocomeandgo.
Hisheartisopenasthesky.
13
Successisasdangerousasfailure.
Hopeisashollowasfear.Whatdoesitmeanthatsuccessisadangerousasfailure?
Whetheryougouptheladderordownit,
youpositionisshaky.
Whenyoustandwithyourtwofeetontheground,
youwillalwayskeepyourbalance.Whatdoesitmeanthathopeisashollowasfear?
Hopeandfeararebothphantoms
thatarisefromthinkingoftheself.
Whenwedon'tseetheselfasself,
whatdowehavetofear?Seetheworldasyourself.
Havefaithinthewaythingsare.
Lovetheworldasyourself
thenyoucancareforallthings.
14
Look,anditcan'tbeseen.
Listen,anditcan'tbeheard.
Reach,anditcan'tbegrasped.Above,itisn'tbright.
Below,itisn'tdark.
Seamless,unnamable,
itreturnstotherealmofnothing.
Formthatincludesallforms,
imagewithoutanimage,
subtle,beyondallconception.Approachitandthereisnobeginning
followitandthereisnoend.
Youcan'tknowit,butyoucanbeit,
ateaseinyourownlife.
Justrealizewhereyoucomefrom:
thisistheessenceofwisdom.
15
TheancientMasterswereprofoundandsubtle.
Theirwisdomwasunfathomable.
Thereisnowaytodescribeit
allwecandescribeistheirappearance.Theywerecareful
assomeonecrossinganicedoverstream.
Alertasawarriorinenemyterritory.
Courteousasaguest.
Fluidasmeltingice.
Shapableasablockofwood.
Receptiveasavalley.
Clearasaglassofwater.Doyouhavethepatiencetowait
tillyourmudsettlesandthewaterisclear?
Canyouremainunmoving
tilltherightactionarisesbyitself?TheMasterdoesn'tseekfulfillment.
Notseeking,notexpecting,
sheispresent,andcanwelcomeallthings.
16
Emptyyourmindofallthoughts.
Letyourheartbeatpeace.

Watchtheturmoilofbeings,
butcontemplatetheirreturn.Eachseparatebeingintheuniverse
returnstothecommonsource.
Returningtothesourceisserenity.Ifyoudon'trealizethesource,
youstumbleinconfusionandsorrow.
Whenyourealizewhereyoucomefrom,
younaturallybecometolerant,
disinterested,amused,
kindheartedasagrandmother,
dignifiedasaking.
ImmersedinthewonderoftheTao,
youcandealwithwhateverlifebringsyou,
andwhendeathcomes,youareready.
17
WhentheMastergoverns,thepeople
arehardlyawarethatheexists.
Nextbestisaleaderwhoisloved.
Next,onewhoisfeared.
Theworstisonewhoisdespised.Ifyoudon'ttrustthepeople,
youmakethemuntrustworthy.TheMasterdoesn'ttalk,heacts.
Whenhisworkisdone,
thepeoplesay,"Amazing:wedidit,allbyourselves!"
18
WhenthegreatTaoisforgotten,
goodnessandpietyappear.
Whenthebody'sintelligencedeclines,
clevernessandknowledgestepforth.
Whenthereisnopeaceinthefamily,
filialpietybegins.
Whenthecountryfallsintochaos,
patriotismisborn.
19
Throwawayholinessandwisdom,
andpeoplewillbeahundredtimeshappier.
Throwawaymoralityandjustice,
andpeoplewilldotherightthing.
Throwawayindustryandprofit,
andtherewon'tbeanythieves.Ifthesethreearen'tenough,
juststayatthecenterofthecircle
andletallthingstaketheircourse.
20
Stopthinking,andendyourproblems.
Whatdifferencebetweenyesandno?
Whatdifferencebetweensuccessandfailure?
Mustyouvaluewhatothersvalue,
avoidwhatothersavoid?
Howridiculous!Otherpeopleareexcited,
asthoughtheywereataparade.
Ialonedon'tcare,
Ialoneamexpressionless,
likeaninfantbeforeitcansmile.Otherpeoplehavewhattheyneed
Ialonepossessnothing.
Ialonedriftabout,

likesomeonewithoutahome.
Iamlikeanidiot,mymindissoempty.Otherpeoplearebright
Ialoneamdark.
Otherpeoplearesharper
Ialoneamdull.
Otherpeoplehaveapurpose
Ialonedon'tknow.
Idriftlikeawaveontheocean,
Iblowasaimlessasthewind.Iamdifferentfromordinarypeople.
IdrinkfromtheGreatMother'sbreasts.
21
TheMasterkeepshermind
alwaysatonewiththeTao
thatiswhatgivesherherradiance.TheTaoisungraspable.
Howcanhermindbeatonewithit?
Becauseshedoesn'tclingtoideas.TheTaoisdarkandunfathomable.
Howcanitmakeherradiant?
Becausesheletsit.Sincebeforetimeandspacewere,
theTaois.
Itisbeyondisandisnot.
HowdoIknowthisistrue?
Ilookinsidemyselfandsee.
22
Ifyouwanttobecomewhole,
letyourselfbepartial.
Ifyouwanttobecomestraight,
letyourselfbecrooked.
Ifyouwanttobecomefull,
letyourselfbeempty.
Ifyouwanttobereborn,
letyourselfdie.
Ifyouwanttobegiveneverything,
giveeverythingup.TheMaster,byresidingintheTao,
setsanexampleforallbeings.
Becausehedoesn'tdisplayhimself,
peoplecanseehislight.
Becausehehasnothingtoprove,
peoplecantrusthiswords.
Becausehedoesn'tknowwhoheis,
peoplerecognizethemselvesinhim.
Becausehehasnogoadinmind,
everythinghedoessucceeds.WhentheancientMasterssaid,
"Ifyouwanttobegiveneverything,giveeverythingup,"
theyweren'tusingemptyphrases.
OnlyinbeinglivedbytheTaocanyoubetrulyyourself.
23
Expressyourselfcompletely,
thenkeepquiet.
Beliketheforcesofnature:
whenitblows,thereisonlywind
whenitrains,thereisonlyrain
whenthecloudspass,thesunshinesthrough.IfyouopenyourselftotheTao,
youareatonewiththeTao
andyoucanembodyitcompletely.

Ifyouopenyourselftoinsight,
youareatonewithinsight
andyoucanuseitcompletely.
Ifyouopenyourselftoloss,
youareatonewithloss
andyoucanacceptitcompletely.OpenyourselftotheTao,
thentrustyournaturalresponses
andeverythingwillfallintoplace.
24
Hewhostandsontiptoe
doesn'tstandfirm.
Hewhorushesahead
doesn'tgofar.
Hewhotriestoshine
dimshisownlight.
Hewhodefineshimself
can'tknowwhohereallyis.
Hewhohaspoweroverothers
can'tempowerhimself.
Hewhoclingstohiswork
willcreatenothingthatendures.IfyouwanttoaccordwiththeTao,justdoyourjob,then
letgo.
25
Therewassomethingformlessandperfect
beforetheuniversewasborn.
Itisserene.Empty.
Solitary.Unchanging.
Infinite.Eternallypresent.
Itisthemotheroftheuniverse.
Forlackofabettername,
IcallittheTao.Itflowsthroughallthings,
insideandoutside,andreturns
totheoriginofallthings.TheTaoisgreat.
Theuniverseisgreat.
Earthisgreat.
Manisgreat.
Thesearethefourgreatpowers.Manfollowstheearth.
Earthfollowstheuniverse.
TheuniversefollowstheTao.
TheTaofollowsonlyitself.
26
Theheavyistherootofthelight.
Theunmovedisthesourceofallmovement.ThustheMastertravelsallday
withoutleavinghome.
Howeversplendidtheviews,
shestaysserenelyinherself.Whyshouldthelordofthecountry
flitaboutlikeafool?
Ifyouletyourselfbeblowntoandfro,
youlosetouchwithyourroot.
Ifyouletrestlessnessmoveyou,
youlosetouchwithwhoyouare.
27
Agoodtravelerhasnofixedplans

andisnotintentuponarriving.
Agoodartistletshisintuition
leadhimwhereveritwants.
Agoodscientisthasfreedhimselfofconcepts
andkeepshismindopentowhatis.ThustheMasterisavailabletoallpeople
anddoesn'trejectanyone.
Heisreadytouseallsituations
anddoesn'twasteanything.
Thisiscalledembodyingthelight.Whatisagoodmanbutabadman'steacher?
Whatisabadmanbutagoodman'sjob?
Ifyoudon'tunderstandthis,youwillgetlost,
howeverintelligentyouare.
Itisthegreatsecret.
28
Knowthemale,
yetkeeptothefemale:
receivetheworldinyourarms.
Ifyoureceivetheworld,
theTaowillneverleaveyou
andyouwillbelikealittlechild.Knowthewhite,
yetkeeptotheblack:
beapatternfortheworld.
Ifyouareapatternfortheworld,
theTaowillbestronginsideyou
andtherewillbenothingyoucan'tdo.Knowthepersonal,
yetkeeptotheimpersonal:
accepttheworldasitis.
Ifyouaccepttheworld,
theTaowillbeluminousinsideyou
andyouwillreturntoyourprimalself.Theworldisformedfromthevoid,
likeutensilsfromablockofwood.
TheMasterknowstheutensils,
yetkeepstothetheblock:
thusshecanuseallthings.
29
Doyouwanttoimprovetheworld?
Idon'tthinkitcanbedone.Theworldissacred.
Itcan'tbeimproved.
Ifyoutamperwithit,you'llruinit.
Ifyoutreatitlikeanobject,you'llloseit.Thereisatimeforbeingahead,
atimeforbeingbehind
atimeforbeinginmotion,
atimeforbeingatrest
atimeforbeingvigorous,
atimeforbeingexhausted
atimeforbeingsafe,
atimeforbeingindanger.TheMasterseesthingsastheyare,
withouttryingtocontrolthem.
Sheletsthemgotheirownway,
andresidesatthecenterofthecircle.
30
WhoeverreliesontheTaoingoverningmen
doesn'ttrytoforceissues
ordefeatenemiesbyforceofarms.

Foreveryforcethereisacounterforce.
Violence,evenwellintentioned,
alwaysreboundsupononeself.TheMasterdoeshisjob
andthenstops.
Heunderstandsthattheuniverse
isforeveroutofcontrol,
andthattryingtodominateevents
goesagainstthecurrentoftheTao.
Becausehebelievesinhimself,
hedoesn'ttrytoconvinceothers.
Becauseheiscontentwithhimself,
hedoesn'tneedothers'approval.
Becauseheacceptshimself,
thewholeworldacceptshim.
31
Weaponsarethetoolsofviolence
alldecentmendetestthem.Weaponsarethetoolsoffear
adecentmanwillavoidthem
exceptinthedirestnecessity
and,ifcompelled,willusethem
onlywiththeutmostrestraint.
Peaceishishighestvalue.
Ifthepeacehasbeenshattered,
howcanhebecontent?
Hisenemiesarenotdemons,
buthumanbeingslikehimself.
Hedoesn'twishthempersonalharm.
Nordoesherejoiceinvictory.
Howcouldherejoiceinvictory
anddelightintheslaughterofmen?Heentersabattlegravely,
withsorrowandwithgreatcompassion,
asifhewereattendingafuneral.
32
TheTaocan'tbeperceived.
Smallerthananelectron,
itcontainsuncountablegalaxies.Ifpowerfulmenandwomen
couldremaincenteredintheTao,
allthingswouldbeinharmony.
Theworldwouldbecomeaparadise.
Allpeoplewouldbeatpeace,
andthelawwouldbewrittenintheirhearts.Whenyouhavenamesandforms,
knowthattheyareprovisional.
Whenyouhaveinstitutions,
knowwheretheirfunctionsshouldend.
Knowingwhentostop,
youcanavoidanydanger.AllthingsendintheTao
asriversflowintothesea.
33
Knowingothersisintelligence
knowingyourselfistruewisdom.
Masteringothersisstrength
masteringyourselfistruepower.Ifyourealizethatyouhaveenough,
youaretrulyrich.
Ifyoustayinthecenter

andembracedeathwithyourwholeheart,
youwillendureforever.
34
ThegreatTaoflowseverywhere.
Allthingsarebornfromit,
yetitdoesn'tcreatethem.
Itpoursitselfintoitswork,
yetitmakesnoclaim.
Itnourishesinfiniteworlds,
yetitdoesn'tholdontothem.
Sinceitismergedwithallthings
andhiddenintheirhearts,
itcanbecalledhumble.
Sinceallthingsvanishintoit
anditaloneendures,
itcanbecalledgreat.
Itisn'tawareofitsgreatness
thusitistrulygreat.
35
ShewhoiscenteredintheTao
cangowhereshewishes,withoutdanger.
Sheperceivestheuniversalharmony,
evenamidgreatpain,
becauseshehasfoundpeaceinherheart.Musicorthesmellofgoodcooking
maymakepeoplestopandenjoy.
ButwordsthatpointtotheTao
seemmonotonousandwithoutflavor.
Whenyoulookforit,thereisnothingtosee.
Whenyoulistenforit,thereisnothingtohear.
Whenyouuseit,itisinexhaustible.
36
Ifyouwanttoshrinksomething,
youmustfirstallowittoexpand.
Ifyouwanttogetridofsomething,
youmustfirstallowittoflourish.
Ifyouwanttotakesomething,
youmustfirstallowittobegiven.
Thisiscalledthesubtleperception
ofthewaythingsare.Thesoftovercomesthehard.
Theslowovercomesthefast.
Letyourworkingsremainamystery.
Justshowpeopletheresults.
37
TheTaoneverdoesanything,
yetthroughitallthingsaredone.Ifpowerfulmenandwomen
couldventerthemselvesinit,
thewholeworldwouldbetransformed
byitself,initsnaturalrhythms.
Peoplewouldbecontent
withtheirsimple,everydaylives,
inharmony,andfreeofdesire.Whenthereisnodesire,
allthingsareatpeace.

38
TheMasterdoesn'ttrytobepowerful
thusheistrulypowerful.
Theordinarymankeepsreachingforpower
thusheneverhasenough.TheMasterdoesnothing,
yetheleavesnothingundone.
Theordinarymanisalwaysdoingthings,
yetmanymorearelefttobedone.Thekindmandoessomething,
yetsomethingremainsundone.
Thejustmandoessomething,
andleavesmanythingstobedone.
Themoralmandoessomething,
andwhennooneresponds
herollsuphissleevesandusesforce.WhentheTaoislost,thereisgoodness.
Whengoodnessislost,thereismorality.
Whenmoralityislost,thereisritual.
Ritualisthehuskoftruefaith,
thebeginningofchaos.ThereforetheMasterconcernshimself
withthedepthsandnotthesurface,
withthefruitandnottheflower.
Hehasnowillofhisown.
Hedwellsinreality,
andletsallillusionsgo.
39
InharmonywiththeTao,
theskyisclearandspacious,
theearthissolidandfull,
allcreatureflourishtogether,
contentwiththewaytheyare,
endlesslyrepeatingthemselves,
endlesslyrenewed.WhenmaninterfereswiththeTao,
theskybecomesfilthy,
theearthbecomesdepleted,
theequilibriumcrumbles,
creaturesbecomeextinct.TheMasterviewsthepartswithcompassion,
becauseheunderstandsthewhole.
Hisconstantpracticeishumility.
Hedoesn'tglitterlikeajewel
butletshimselfbeshapedbytheTao,
asruggedandcommonasstone.
40
ReturnisthemovementoftheTao.
YieldingisthewayoftheTao.Allthingsarebornofbeing.
Beingisbornofnonbeing.
41
WhenasuperiormanhearsoftheTao,
heimmediatelybeginstoembodyit.
WhenanaveragemanhearsoftheTao,
hehalfbelievesit,halfdoubtsit.
WhenafoolishmanhearsoftheTao,
helaughsoutloud.
Ifhedidn'tlaugh,
itwouldn'tbetheTao.Thusitissaid:
Thepathintothelightseemsdark,

thepathforwardseemstogoback,
thedirectpathseemslong,
truepowerseemsweak,
truepurityseemstarnished,
truesteadfastnessseemschangeable,
trueclarityseemsobscure,
thegreatestareseemsunsophisticated,
thegreatestloveseemsindifferent,
thegreatestwisdomseemschildish.TheTaoisnowheretobefound.
Yetitnourishesandcompletesallthings.
42
TheTaogivesbirthtoOne.
OnegivesbirthtoTwo.
TwogivesbirthtoThree.
Threegivesbirthtoallthings.Allthingshavetheirbackstothefemale
andstandfacingthemale.
Whenmaleandfemalecombine,
allthingsachieveharmony.Ordinarymenhatesolitude.
ButtheMastermakesuseofit,
embracinghisaloneness,realizing
heisonewiththewholeuniverse.
43
Thegentlestthingintheworld
overcomesthehardestthingintheworld.
Thatwhichhasnosubstance
enterswherethereisnospace.
Thisshowsthevalueofnonaction.Teachingwithoutwords,
performingwithoutactions:
thatistheMaster'sway.
44
Fameorintegrity:whichismoreimportant?
Moneyorhappiness:whichismorevaluable?
Successoffailure:whichismoredestructive?Ifyoulooktoothersforfulfillment,
youwillnevertrulybefulfilled.
Ifyourhappinessdependsonmoney,
youwillneverbehappywithyourself.Becontentwithwhatyouhave
rejoiceinthewaythingsare.
Whenyourealizethereisnothinglacking,
thewholeworldbelongstoyou.
45
Trueperfectionseemsimperfect,
yetitisperfectlyitself.
Truefullnessseemsempty,
yetitisfullypresent.Truestraightnessseemscrooked.
Truewisdomseemsfoolish.
Trueartseemsartless.TheMasterallowsthingstohappen.
Sheshapeseventsastheycome.
Shestepsoutoftheway
andletstheTaospeakforitself.
46
WhenacountryisinharmonywiththeTao,
thefactoriesmaketrucksandtractors.

WhenacountrygoescountertotheTao,
warheadsarestockpiledoutsidethecities.Thereisnogreaterillusionthanfear,
nogreaterwrongthanpreparingtodefendyourself,
nogreatermisfortunethanhavinganenemy.Whoevercanseethroughallfear
willalwaysbesafe.
47
Withoutopeningyourdoor,
youcanopenyourhearttotheworld.
Withoutlookingoutyourwindow,
youcanseetheessenceoftheTao.Themoreyouknow,
thelessyouunderstand.TheMasterarriveswithoutleaving,
seesthelightwithoutlooking,
achieveswithoutdoingathing.
48
Inpursuitofknowledge,
everydaysomethingisadded.
InthepracticeoftheTao,
everydaysomethingisdropped.
Lessandlessdoyouneedtoforcethings,
untilfinallyyouarriveatnonaction.
Whennothingisdone,
nothingisleftundone.Truemasterycanbegained
bylettingthingsgotheirownway.
Itcan'tbegainedbyinterfering.
49
TheMasterhasnomindofherown.
Sheworkswiththemindofthepeople.Sheisgoodtopeoplewhoaregood.
Sheisalsogoodtopeoplewhoaren'tgood.
Thisistruegoodness.Shetrustspeoplewhoaretrustworthy.
Shealsotrustspeoplewhoaren'ttrustworthy.
Thisistruetrust.TheMaster'smindislikespace.
Peopledon'tunderstandher.
Theylooktoherandwait.Shetreatsthemlikeherownchildren.
50
TheMastergiveshimselfup
towhateverthemomentbrings.
Heknowsthatheisgoingtodie,
andherhasnothinglefttoholdonto:
noillusionsinhismind,
noresistancesinhisbody.
Hedoesn'tthinkabouthisactions
theyflowfromthecoreofhisbeing.
Heholdsnothingbackfromlife
thereforeheisreadyfordeath,
asamanisreadyforsleep
afteragoodday'swork.
51
Everybeingintheuniverse
isanexpressionoftheTao.
Itspringsintoexistence,
unconscious,perfect,free,
takesonaphysicalbody,

letscircumstancescompleteit.
Thatiswhyeverybeing
spontaneouslyhonorstheTao.TheTaogivesbirthtoallbeings,
nourishesthem,maintainsthem,
caresforthem,comfortsthem,protectsthem,
takesthembacktoitself,
creatingwithoutpossessing,
actingwithoutexpecting,
guidingwithoutinterfering.
ThatiswhyloveoftheTao
isintheverynatureofthings.
52
InthebeginningwastheTao.
Allthingsissuefromit
allthingsreturntoit.Tofindtheorigin,
tracebackthemanifestations.
Whenyourecognizethechildren
andfindthemother,
youwillbefreeofsorrow.Ifyoucloseyourmindinjudgements
andtrafficwithdesires,
yourheartwillbetroubled.
Ifyoukeepyourmindfromjudging
andaren'tledbythesenses,
yourheartwillfindpeace.Seeingintodarknessisclarity.
Knowinghowtoyieldisstrength.
Useyourownlight
andreturntothesourceoflight.
Thisiscalledpracticingeternity.
53
ThegreatWayiseasy,
yetpeoplepreferthesidepaths.
Beawarewhenthingsareoutofbalance.
StaycenteredwithintheTao.Whenrichspeculatorsprosper
Whilefarmerslosetheirland
whengovernmentofficialsspendmoney
onweaponsinsteadofcures
whentheupperclassisextravagantandirresponsible
whilethepoorhavenowheretoturn
allthisisrobberyandchaos.
ItisnotinkeepingwiththeTao.
54
WhoeverisplantedintheTao
willnotberootedup.
WhoeverembracestheTao
willnotslipaway.
Hernamewillbeheldinhonor
fromgenerationtogeneration.LettheTaobepresentinyourlife
andyouwillbecomegenuine.
Letitbepresentinyourfamily
andyourfamilywillflourish.
Letitbepresentinyourcountry
andyourcountrywillbeanexample
toallcountriesintheworld.
Letitbepresentintheuniverse

andtheuniversewillsing.HowdoIknowthisistrue?
Bylookinginsidemyself.
55
HewhoisinharmonywiththeTao
islikeanewbornchild.
Itsbonesaresoft,itsmusclesareweak,
butitsgripispowerful.
Itdoesn'tknowabouttheunion
ofmaleandfemale,
yetitspeniscanstanderect,
sointenseisitsvitalpower.
Itcanscreamitsheadoffallday,
yetitneverbecomeshoarse,
socompleteisitsharmony.TheMaster'spowerislikethis.
Heletsallthingscomeandgo
effortlessly,withoutdesire.
Heneverexpectsresults
thusheisneverdisappointed.
Heisneverdisappointed
thushisspiritnevergrowsold.
56
Thosewhoknowdon'ttalk.
Thosewhotalkdon'tknow.Closeyourmouth,
blockoffyoursenses,
bluntyoursharpness,
untieyourknots,
softenyourglare,
settleyourdust.
Thisistheprimalidentity.BeliketheTao.
Itcan'tbeapproachedorwithdrawnfrom,
benefitedorharmed,
honoredorbroughtintodisgrace.
Itgivesitselfupcontinually.
Thatiswhyitendures.
57
Ifyouwanttobeagreatleader,
youmustlearntofollowtheTao.
Stoptryingtocontrol.
Letgooffixedplansandconcepts,
andtheworldwillgovernitself.Themoreprohibitionsyouhave,
thelessvirtuouspeoplewillbe.
Themoreweaponsyouhave,
thelesssecurepeoplewillbe.
Themoresubsidiesyouhave,
thelessselfreliantpeoplewillbe.ThereforetheMastersays:
Iletgoofthelaw,
andpeoplebecomehonest.
Iletgoofeconomics,
andpeoplebecomeprosperous.
Iletgoofreligion,
andpeoplebecomeserene.
Iletgoofalldesireforthecommongood,
andthegoodbecomescommonasgrass.

58
Ifacountryisgovernedwithtolerance,
thepeoplearecomfortableandhonest.
Ifacountryisgovernedwithrepression,
thepeoplearedepressedandcrafty.Whenthewilltopowerisincharge,
thehighertheideals,thelowertheresults.
Trytomakepeoplehappy,
andyoulaythegroundworkformisery.
Trytomakepeoplemoral,
andyoulaythegroundworkforvice.ThustheMasteriscontent
toserveasanexample
andnottoimposeherwill.
Sheispointed,butdoesn'tpierce.
Straightforward,butsupple.
Radiant,buteasyontheeyes.
59
Forgoverningacountrywell
thereisnothingbetterthanmoderation.Themarkofamoderateman
isfreedomfromhisownideas.
Tolerantlikethesky,
allpervadinglikesunlight,
firmlikeamountain,
supplelikeatreeinthewind,
hehasnodestinationinview
andmakesuseofanything
lifehappenstobringhisway.Nothingisimpossibleforhim.
Becausehehasletgo,
hecancareforthepeople'swelfare
asamothercaresforherchild.
60
Governingalargecountry
islikefryingasmallfish.
Youspoilitwithtoomuchpoking.CenteryourcountryintheTao
andevilwillhavenopower.
Notthatitisn'tthere,
butyou'llbeabletostepoutofitsway.Giveevilnothingtooppose
anditwilldisappearbyitself.
61
Whenacountryobtainsgreatpower,
itbecomeslikethesea:
allstreamsrundownwardintoit.
Themorepowerfulitgrows,
thegreatertheneedforhumility.
HumilitymeanstrustingtheTao,
thusneverneedingtobedefensive.Agreatnationislikeagreatman:
Whenhemakesamistake,herealizesit.
Havingrealizedit,headmitsit.
Havingadmittedit,hecorrectsit.
Heconsidersthosewhopointouthisfaults
ashismostbenevolentteachers.
Hethinksofhisenemy
astheshadowthathehimselfcasts.IfanationiscenteredintheTao,
ifitnourishesitsownpeople
anddoesn'tmeddleintheaffairsofothers,

itwillbealighttoallnationsintheworld.
62
TheTaoisthecenteroftheuniverse,
thegoodman'streasure,
thebadman'srefuge.Honorscanbeboughtwithfinewords,
respectcanbewonwithgooddeeds
buttheTaoisbeyondallvalue,
andnoonecanachieveit.Thus,whenanewleaderischosen,
don'toffertohelphim
withyourwealthoryourexpertise.
Offerinstead
toteachhimabouttheTao.WhydidtheancientMastersesteemtheTao?
Because,beingonewiththeTao,
whenyouseek,youfind
andwhenyoumakeamistake,youareforgiven.
Thatiswhyeverybodylovesit.
63
Actwithoutdoing
workwithouteffort.
Thinkofthesmallaslarge
andthefewasmany.
Confrontthedifficult
whileitisstilleasy
accomplishthegreattask
byaseriesofsmallacts.TheMasterneverreachesforthegreat
thussheachievesgreatness.
Whensherunsintoadifficulty,
shestopsandgivesherselftoit.
Shedoesn'tclingtoherowncomfort
thusproblemsarenoproblemforher.
64
Whatisrootediseasytonourish.
Whatisrecentiseasytocorrect.
Whatisbrittleiseasytobreak.
Whatissmalliseasytoscatter.Preventtroublebeforeitarises.
Putthingsinorderbeforetheyexist.
Thegiantpinetree
growsfromatinysprout.
Thejourneyofathousandmiles
startsfrombeneathyourfeet.Rushingintoaction,youfail.
Tryingtograspthings,youlosethem.
Forcingaprojecttocompletion,
youruinwhatwasalmostripe.ThereforetheMastertakesaction
bylettingthingstaketheircourse.
Heremainsascalm
attheendasatthebeginning.
Hehasnothing,
thushasnothingtolose.
Whathedesiresisnondesire
whathelearnsistounlearn.
Hesimplyremindspeople
ofwhotheyhavealwaysbeen.
HecaresaboutnothingbuttheTao.
Thushecancareforallthings.

65
TheancientMasters
didn'ttrytoeducatethepeople,
butkindlytaughtthemtonotknow.Whentheythinkthattheyknowtheanswers,
peoplearedifficulttoguide.
Whentheyknowthattheydon'tknow,
peoplecanfindtheirownway.Ifyouwanttolearnhowtogovern,
avoidbeingcleverorrich.
Thesimplestpatternistheclearest.
Contentwithanordinarylife,
youcanshowallpeopletheway
backtotheirowntruenature.
66
Allstreamsflowtothesea
becauseitislowerthantheyare.
Humilitygivesititspower.Ifyouwanttogovernthepeople,
youmustplaceyourselfbelowthem.
Ifyouwanttoleadthepeople,
youmustlearnhowtofollowthem.TheMasterisabovethepeople,
andnoonefeelsoppressed.
Shegoesaheadofthepeople,
andnoonefeelsmanipulated.
Thewholeworldisgratefultoher.
Becauseshecompeteswithnoone,
noonecancompetewithher.
67
Somesaythatmyteachingisnonsense.
Otherscallitloftybutimpractical.
Buttothosewhohavelookedinsidethemselves,
thisnonsensemakesperfectsense.
Andtothosewhoputitintopractice,
thisloftinesshasrootsthatgodeep.Ihavejustthreethingstoteach:
simplicity,patience,compassion.
Thesethreeareyourgreatesttreasures.
Simpleinactionsandinthoughts,
youreturntothesourceofbeing.
Patientwithbothfriendsandenemies,
youaccordwiththewaythingsare.
Compassionatetowardyourself,
youreconcileallbeingsintheworld.
68
Thebestathlete
wantshisopponentathisbest.
Thebestgeneral
entersthemindofhisenemy.
Thebestbusinessman
servesthecommunalgood.
Thebestleader
followsthewillofthepeople.Alloftheembody
thevirtueofnoncompetition.
Notthattheydon'tlovetocompete,
buttheydoitinthespiritofplay.
Inthistheyarelikechildren
andinharmonywiththeTao.

69
Thegeneralshaveasaying:
"Ratherthanmakethefirstmove
itisbettertowaitandsee.
Ratherthanadvanceaninch
itisbettertoretreatayard."Thisiscalled
goingforwardwithoutadvancing,
pushingbackwithoutusingweapons.Thereisnogreatermisfortune
thanunderestimatingyourenemy.
Underestimatingyourenemy
meansthinkingthatheisevil.
Thusyoudestroyyourthreetreasures
andbecomeanenemyyourself.Whentwogreatforcesopposeeachother,
thevictorywillgo
totheonethatknowshowtoyield.
70
Myteachingsareeasytounderstand
andeasytoputintopractice.
Yetyourintellectwillnevergraspthem,
andifyoutrytopracticethem,you'llfail.Myteachingsareolderthantheworld.
Howcanyougrasptheirmeaning?Ifyouwanttoknowme,
lookinsideyourheart.
71
Notknowingistrueknowledge.
Presumingtoknowisadisease.
Firstrealizethatyouaresick
thenyoucanmovetowardhealth.TheMasterisherownphysician.
Shehashealedherselfofallknowing.
Thussheistrulywhole.
72
Whentheylosetheirsenseofawe,
peopleturntoreligion.
Whentheynolongertrustthemselves,
theybegintodependuponauthority.ThereforetheMasterstepsback
sothatpeoplewon'tbeconfused.
Heteacheswithoutateaching,
sothatpeoplewillhavenothingtolearn.
73
TheTaoisalwaysatease.
Itovercomeswithoutcompeting,
answerswithoutspeakingaword,
arriveswithoutbeingsummoned,
accomplisheswithoutaplan.Itsnetcoversthewholeuniverse.
Andthoughitsmeshesarewide,
itdoesn'tletathingslipthrough.
74
Ifyourealizethatallthingschange,
thereisnothingyouwilltrytoholdonto.
Ifyouaren'tafraidofdying,
thereisnothingyoucan'tachieve.Tryingtocontrolthefuture
isliketryingtotakethemastercarpenter'splace.
Whenyouhandlethemastercarpenter'stools,chancesarethatyou'llcutyourhand.

75
Whentaxesaretoohigh,
peoplegohungry.
Whenthegovernmentistoointrusive,
peoplelosetheirspirit.Actforthepeople'sbenefit.
Trustthemleavethemalone.
76
Menarebornsoftandsupple
dead,theyarestiffandhard.
Platsareborntenderandpliant
dead,theyarebrittleanddry.Thuswhoeverisstiffandinflexible
isadiscipleofdeath.
Whoeverissoftandyielding
isadiscipleoflife.Thehardandstiffwillbebroken.
Thesoftandsupplewillprevail.
77
Asitactsintheworld,theTao
islikethebendingofabow.
Thetopisbentdownward
thebottomisbentup.
Itadjustsexcessanddeficiency
sothatthereisperfectbalance.
Ittakesfromwhatistoomuch
andgivetowhatisn'tenough.Thosewhotrytocontrol,
whouseforcetoprotecttheirpower,
goagainstthedirectionoftheTao.
Theytakefromthosewhodon'thaveenough
andgivetothosewhohavefartoomuch.TheMastercankeepgiving
becausethereisnoendtoherwealth.
Sheactswithoutexpectation,
succeedswithouttakingcredit,
anddoesn'tthinkthatsheisbetter
thananyoneelse.
78
Nothingintheworld
isassoftandyieldingaswater.
Yetfordissolvingthehardandinflexible,
nothingcansurpassit.Thesoftovercomesthehard
thegentleovercomestherigid.
Everyoneknowsthisistrue,
butfewcanputitintopractice.ThereforetheMasterremains
sereneinthemidstofsorrow.
Evilcannotenterhisheart.
Becausehehasgivenuphelping,
heispeople'sgreatesthelp.Truewordsseemparadoxical.
79
Failureisanopportunity.
Ifyoublamesomeoneelse,
thereisnoendtotheblame.ThereforetheMaster
fulfillsherownobligations
andcorrectsherownmistakes.
Shedoeswhatsheneedstodo
anddemandsnothingofothers.

80
Ifacountryisgovernedwisely,
itsinhabitantswillbecontent.
Theyenjoythelaboroftheirhands
anddon'twastetimeinventing
laborsavingmachines.
Sincetheydearlylovetheirhomes,
theyaren'tinterestedintravel.
Theremaybeafewwagonsandboats,
butthesedon'tgoanywhere.
Theremaybeanarsenalofweapons,
butnobodyeverusesthem.
Peopleenjoytheirfood,
takepleasureinbeingwiththeirfamilies,
spendweekendsworkingintheirgardens,
delightinthedoingsoftheneighborhood.
Andeventhoughthenextcountryissoclose
thatpeoplecanhearitsroosterscrowinganditsdogsbarking,
theyarecontenttodieofoldage
withouteverhavinggonetoseeit.
81
Truewordsaren'teloquent
eloquentwordsaren'ttrue.
Wisemendon'tneedtoprovetheirpoint
menwhoneedtoprovetheirpointaren'twise.TheMasterhasnopossessions.
Themorehedoesforothers,
thehappierheis.
Themorehegivestoothers,
thewealthierheis.TheTaonourishesbynotforcing.
Bynotdominating,theMasterleads.

HerearesometantalizingexcerptsfromthenewestcomputerassistedtranslationofLaoTzu'sfamous

TAOTECHIP
TheWayoftheOneandtheZero
WrittenbyJeffreySorensen.
WithalldueapologytoStephenMitchell,who'stranslationwasthebasisforthis,and,ofcourse,Lao
Tzu.
Thisdocumentisnotcopyrightedandisinthepublicdomain.Theauthorrespectfullyrequeststhathis

attributionandapologyberetainedduringreproduction.

1
Thetaothatcanbetar(1)ed
isnottheentireTao.
ThePATHthatcanbespecified
isnotthefullPATH.
Wedeclarethenames
ofallvariablesandfunctions.
YettheTaohasnotypespecifier.
Dynamicallybinding,yourealizethemagic.
Staticallybinding,youseeonlythehierarchy.
Yetmagicandhierarchy
arisefromthesamesource,
andthissourcehasanullpointer.
ReferencetheNULLwithinNULL,
itisthegatewaytoallwizardry.

2
WhenusersseeoneGUIasbeautiful,
otheruserinterfacesbecomeugly.
Whenusersseesomeprogramsaswinners,
otherprogramsbecomelossage.
PointersandNULLsreferenceeachother.
Highlevelandassemblerdependoneachother.
Doubleandfloatcasttoeachother.
Highendianandlowendiandefineeachother.
Whileanduntilfolloweachother.
ThereforetheGuru
programswithoutdoinganything
andteacheswithoutsayinganything.
Warningsariseandheletsthemcome
processesareswappedandheletsthemgo.
Hehasbutdoesn'tchown,
actsbutdoesn'texpect.
Whenhisworkisdone,hedeletesit.
Thatiswhyitlastsforever.

Whenyouoveresteemgreathackers,
moreusersbecomecretins.
Whenyoudevelopencryption,
moreusersbecomecrackers.
TheGuruleads
byemptyinguser'sminds
andincreasingtheirquotas,
byweakeningtheirambition
andtougheningtheirresolve.
Whenuserslackknowledgeanddesire,
managementwillnottrytointerfere.
Practicenotlooping,
andeverythingwillfallintoplace.

4
TheTaoislikeaglobpattern:
usedbutneverusedup.
Itisliketheexternvoid:
filledwithinfinitepossibilities.
Itismaskedbutalwayspresent.
Idon'tknowwhobuiltit.
Itcamebeforethefirstkernel.

5
TheTaodoesn'ttakesides
itgivesbirthtobothwinsandlosses.
TheGurudoesn'ttakesides
shewelcomesbothhackersandlusers.
TheTaoislikeastack:
thedatachangesbutnotthestructure.
themoreyouuseit,thedeeperitbecomes
themoreyoutalkofit,thelessyouunderstand.
Holdontotheroot.

6
TheTaoiscalledtheGreatServer:
emptyyetinexhaustible,
itgivesbirthtoinfinitenetworks.
Itscodeispresentwithinyou.

Youcanapplyitanywayyouwant.

9
Fillyourdisktothebrim
anditwillfragment.
Keepaddingfeaturestoyourutility
anditwillbecomeunusable.
Chaseafterroyaltiesandlicensefees
andyourheartwillneverunclench.
Careaboutaluser'sapproval
andyouwillbehisprisoner.
Doyourwork,thenlogout.
Theonlypathtoserenity.

12
Graphicsblindtheeyes.
Audiofilesdeafentheear.
Mouseclicksnumbthefingers.
Heuristicsweakenthemind.
Optionswithertheheart.
TheGuruobservesthenet
buttrustshisinnervision.
Heallowsthingstocomeandgo.
Hisheartisasopenastheether.

14
more,anditcan'tberead.
find,anditcan'tbelocated.
grep,anditcan'tbescanned.
Intheforeground,itisn'tahog.
Inthebackground,itisn'tidle.
Contiguous,unpatchable,
itlivesbelowtherealmoflogic.
Fromthereitincludesallformulas,
animagewithoutaviewer,
virtual,beyondallconception.
Rewinditandthereisnobeginning
Fastforwardandthereisnoend.
Youcan'tknowit,butyoucanbeit,
ateaseinyourownlife.
Justrealizewhereyoulogfrom:

thisistheessenceofwisdom.

15
TheancientWizardswereprofoundandsubtle.
Theirwisdomwasunfathomable.
Thereisnowaytodescribeit
allwecandoisreadtheirsourcecode.
Theywerecareful
assomeonewritinganunbufferedstream.
AlertasawarriorinadangerousMUD.
Courteousasananonymousftp.
Fluidasamorphingface.
Shapableasaninterpolatedspline.
Receptiveasadialupslipconnection.
Clearasasharpenedbitmap.
Doyouhavethepatiencetowait
tillthebroadcaststormsubsidesandthenetisclear?
Canyoumaskinterrupts
tilltherightthunkarisesbyitself?
TheGurudoesn'tseekfulfillment.
Notseeking,notthrowingexceptions,
sheispresent,andcanwelcomeallthings.

17
WhentheGuruadministers,theusers
arehardlyawarethatheexists.
Nextbestisasysopwhoisloved.
Next,onewhoisfeared.
Andworst,onewhoisdespised.
Ifyoudon'ttrusttheusers,
youmakethemuntrustworthy.
TheGurudoesn'ttalk,hehacks.
Whenhisworkisdone,
theuserssay,"Amazing:
weimplementedit,allbyourselves!"

18
WhenthegreatTaoisforgotten,
standardsandprotocolsappear.
Whenmanagementmakesinitiatives,

thegreatpretensebegins.

Whenthereisnopeaceinthenewsgroup,

bigotsspreadtheirtheology.

Whenthesystembecomesfragmented,

HolyWarsareborn.

19
Throwawaydocumentationandmanuals,
anduserswillbeahundredtimeshappier.
Throwawayprivilegesandquotas,
anduserswilldotheRightThing.
Throwawayproprietaryandsitelicenses,
andtherewon'tbeanypirating.
Ifthesethreearen'tenough,
juststayatyourhomedirectory
andletallprocessestaketheircourse.

30
WhoeverreliesontheTaoinadministrating
doesn'ttryforceissues
ordefeatenemiesbyrevokingprivilages.
Foreveryhackthereisacounterhack.
Flaming,evenwithagoodintention,
willonlybringflamesinreturn.
TheGurudoeshisjob
andthensignsoff.
Heunderstandsthatthenet
isforeverbeyondhiscontrol,
andthattryingtodominateevents
goesagainstthecurrentoftheTao.
Becausehebelievesinhimself,
hedoesn'ttrytoconvinceothers.
Becauseheiscontentwithhimself,
hedoesn'tneedothers'approval.
Becauseheacceptshimself,
thewholenetacceptshim.

32
TheTaocan'tbeperceived.
Smallerthananbit,
itcontainsuncountablefiles.
Ifpowerfulmenandwomen

couldremaincenteredintheTao,

allthingswouldbeharmony.

Thenetwouldbecomeaparadise.

Alluserswouldbeatpeace,

andthestandardswouldbe
thosewrittenintheirhearts.

Whenyouhaveversionsandreleases,

knowthattheyareprovisional.

Whenyouhaveconsortia,

knowwheretheirfunctionsshouldend.

Knowingwhentostop,

youcanavoidanydanger.

AllthingsendintheTao

assendmailflowsintothenet.

36
Ifyouwanttocompresssomething,
youmustfirstpkunzipit.
Ifyouwanttogetridofavirus,
youmustfirstallowittoflourish.
Ifyouwanttoget()something,
youmustfirstallowittobeput().
Thisiscalledthesubtleperception
ofthewaythingsare.
Softmountingovercomestheharderror.
Bruteforceovercomestheheuristic.
Letyouralgorithmsremainamystery.
Justshowuserstheresults.

40
ThereturnisthefunctionoftheTao.
RespondingisthewayoftheTao.
Allthingsbeginassourcecode.
Sourcecodebeginswithanemptyfile.

42
TheTaogivesbirthtoOne.
OnegivesbirthtoOneZero.
OneZerogivesbirthtoOneOne.
OneOnegivesbirthtoallthings.

Allthingshavetheirbackstotheinput

andstandfacingtheoutput.

Whenoutputandinputcombine,

allthingsachieveharmony.

Ordinaryusershatesolitude.
ButtheGurumakesuseofit,

embracinghisaloneness,realizing

heisonewithcyberspace.

43
Atinybuginatrivialroutine
willovercomeamobysystem.
Thatwhichhasnofee
enterswherethereisnomarketspace.
Thisshowsthevalueof"ASIS."
Teachingwithoutmanuals,
performingwithoutcommands:
thatistheGuru'sway.

46
WhenasystemisinharmonywiththeTao,
thecompilermakesapplicationsandutilities.
WhenasystemgoescountertotheTao,
accountinglogsfilltherootdirectory.
Thereisnogreaterillusionthanfear,
nogreaterwrongthaninpreparingtodefendyourself,
nogreatermisfortunethanhavinganenemy.
Whoevercanseethroughallfear
willalwaysbesafe.

47
Withoutopeningagraphicswindow,
youcanopenyoursoultothenet.
Withoutlookingawayfromtheconsole,
youcanseetheessenceoftheTao.
Themorefilesyouaccess,
thelessyouhack.
TheGuruaccesseswithoutprotocols,
findshismanpageswithoutkeywords,
optimizeswithoutcompiling.

48
Inthepursuitofknowledge,
everydaysomethingisappended.
InthepracticeoftheTao,
everydaysomethingistruncated.
Lessandlessdoyouneedtoforcethings,
untilfinallyyouarriveatnonlooping.
Whennothingisdone,
nothingisleftundone.
Truewizardrycanbegained
bylettingthingsgotheirownway.
Itcan'tbegainedbyinterrupting.

49
TheGuruhasnomindofherown.
Sheworkswiththemindoftheusers.
Sheisgoodtouserswhoaregood.
Sheisalsogoodtouserswhoaren'tgood.
ThisisTRUEgoodness.
Shetrustsuserswhoaretrustworthy.
Shealsotrustsuserswhoaren'ttrustworthy.
ThisisTRUEtrust.
TheGuru'smindislikefreespace.
Usersdon'tunderstandher.
Theylooktoherandwait.
Shetreatsthemlikechildprocesses.

54
WhoeverisplantedintheTao
willnothavetheiraccountrevoked.
WhoeverembracestheTao
willnotbecomeobsolete.
Their.signatureswillbemetwithhonor
fromgenerationtogeneration.
LettheTaobepresentinyourhome
andyouwillbecomegenuine.
Letitbepresentinyourgroup
andyourgroupwillflourish.
Letitbepresentinyoursystem
andyoursystemwillbeanexample

toallthesystemsinthenet.

Letitbepresentincyberspace
andallcyberspacewillsync.

HowdoIknowthisistrue?

Byaccessingmyself.

60
Administeringalargesystem
islikefryingasmallfish.
Youspoilitwithtoomuchpoking.
CenteryoursystemintheTao
andlossagewillhavenopower.
Notthatitisn'tthere,
butyouwillbeabletostepoutofitsway.
Givelossagenothingtooppose
anditwilldisappearbyitself.

68
ThebestMUDplayer
wantshisopponentsberserking.
Thebestconsortiumpartner
laudstheproductsofhiscompetitor.
Thebestcorporaterep
servesthecommunalgood.
Thebestsysop
followsthewilloftheusers.
Allofthemembody
thevirtueofnoncontention.
Notthattheydon'tlovetocompete,
buttheydoitwiththespiritofhackandslay.
Inthistheyarelikewannabees
andcongruentwiththeTao.

70
Myteachingsareeasytogrok
andeasytoincludeinyourprograms.
Yetyourneuralnetwillnevergraspthem,
andifyoutrytocodethem,you'llfail.
Myteachingsareolderthanthenet.
Howcanyougreptheirmeaning?

Ifyouwanttoknowme,

looktoyourkernel.

71
Notknowingistrueknowledge.
Presumingtoknowisabug.
Firstrealizethatyouarebroken
thenyoucanmovetowardperfection.
TheGuruisherowndebugger.
Shehasflushedherselfofallknowing.
Thussheistrulywhole.

72
Whentheylosetheirsenseofawe,
usersturntoreligiouswars.
Whentheynolongertrustthemselves,
theybegintodependupontheauthorities.
ThereforetheGurustepsback
sothatuserswon'tbeconfused.
Heteacheswithoutinstructions,
sothatuserswillhavenothingtolearn.

73
TheTaoisalwaysatease.
Itcomputeswithoutgrinding,
answerswithoutoutputingaword,
switcheswithoutbeingsignaled,
continueswithoutaprogram.
Itaccessesallcyberspace.
Andthoughitspansmanyvolumes,
isdoesn'tdropanybytes.

74
Ifyourealizethatallcodechanges,
thereisnothingyoushouldtrytoarchive.
Ifyouaren'tafraidofharddrivefailure,
thereisnothingyoucan'tachieve.
Tryingtocontrolthefuture
isliketryingtodebugarunningkernel.

Whenyoutrytodebugthesystem'skernel,

chancesareyou'llpanicandcrash.

75
Whenlicensefeesaretoohigh,
usersdothingsbyhand.
Whenthemanagementistoointrusive,
userslosetheirspirit.
Hackfortheuser'sbenefit.
Trustthemleavethemalone.

79
Failureisanopportunity.
Ifyoublameanotheruser,
thereisnoendtotheblame.
ThereforetheGuru
fulfillsherownobligations
anddebugsherowncode.
Shehackswhatsheneedstodo
anddemandsnothingofhercoworkers.

80
Ifasystemisadministeredwisely,
itsuserswillbecontent.
Theyenjoyhackingtheircode
anddon'twastetimeimplementing
laborsavingshellscripts.
Sincetheydearlylovetheiraccounts,
theyaren'tinterestedinothermachines.
Theremaybetelnet,rlogin,andftp,
butthesedon'taccessanyhosts.
Theremaybeanarsenalofcracksandmalware,
butnobodyeverusesthem.
Peopleenjoyreadingtheirmail,
takepleasureinbeingwiththeirnewsgroups,
spendweekendsworkingattheirterminals,
delightinthedoingsatthesite.
Andeventhoughthenextsystemissoclose
thatuserscanhearitskeysclickingandbiffbeeps,
theyarecontenttodieofoldage
withouteverhavinggonetoseeit.