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High moral men hearing Tao will explore and act on it. Middle moral
men hearing Tao will indulge while busy with everyday life. Low moral
men hearing Tao will laugh it off. If they do not laugh it may not be
the Tao. There the proverb says: understand Tao is like the dawn of
day; enter Tao is like retreat; plain Tao look rough; highest virtue is
like valley; broaden virtue is like not enough; establishing virtue is
like stealing; substantial truth is like shifting tides; great
awakening is like shame; great space has no corners; great weapon comes
late; great sound is rarely heard; great form has no image; Tao is
obscure without name. I confirm Tao's saying, know the goods well, then
you will succeed.

[ For Chinese texts see Taoteching. Below is missing Chinese word
for the above poem.]

纇
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The Way gives birth to one, and the one, two; and the two, three;
and three give birth to everything. All things bear the yin and
wrapping the yang, while rushing breath intake makes them alive. People
who are bad, desolate, orphaned or needy are disliked. Likewise royal
members are in the same position. Therefore less in wealth is a profit,
while abundant in wealth can be a handicap. People teach likewise I do
the same. If a violent man does not come to a violent death, I wish he
be my teacher.

[ Tao gives birth to One. Before that it is void. I use O to
symbolise the void. When the sperm enters an egg, it becomes One. I use
一 to symbolise it. It is like the partition that divides sky 天 from
the earth 地 (see Genesis chapter 1). Water vapour is collected to
form clouds, while water condensed to form rivers and oceans, exposing
the earth. This line passes over the 2 eyes and ears. The one cell
fertilised egg divides into 2 cells. I use 十 to symbolise the
crucifix. 1 cell is the yin and 1 is the yang. So the birth of the sun
and moon, they symbolise the 2 eyes. I use > and < to represent them.
The 2 cells divide into 4 cells. So we have J a nose and mouth 口. The
shape is 水 over a mouth 口. Nose and mouth represent people 人. So
when 天 sky, 地 earth and 人 people are completed, the world is born
(other parts). The symbol for this is 來 . It represents the crucifix,
2 nostrils 人 and mouth.

During meditation eyes > < look inwards to form 女. This is the
female characteristics of the Mystic Portal. Even Holy Bible talks
about virgin girl to represent Jerusalem, Mount Zion etc.

Traditional Chinese characters are important. For this reason the
translator used 如來 for Tathagata in the Diamond Sutra and others.
Therefore Mystic Portal is the female gate 女口at the mark on our
forehead. This is also why IT is called the Mother of all creations.
The 8 八joining 來form the shape of a hill. It is telling us to look
at it, our nose tip. See also 42 Section Sutra's chapter 42.

The last sentence of the chapter tells Taoists to be non violent.
Many don't follow this instruction.]

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The world's softest thing penetrates quickly the world's hardest
thing. There is nothing that it does not enter its space. I, it is
because, know inaction's usefulness, a religion without words; for
inaction's usefulness, there are a rare few who really know it.

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Fame and body, which is dearer? Body and wealth, which is worth
more? Attain and death, which is illness? Great love for passion will
incur great loss; hoarder will incur immense death. Therefore contented
is no shame; knowing the limitation to stop is not dangerous but close,
and it can be eternal.

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Great perfection yet it seems imperfect, incomplete; its uses are
not impaired. The great filling up is like pouring in rushes, its uses
not poor. Great straight line seems to bend, Great skill seems like
clumsiness, great speech seems like stammering. Stillness wins over
weariness, cold wins over heat. Quiet and stillness will upright the
world.

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When the world has Tao, coach horses fertilise the fields. When
world has no Tao, war horses breed in the parks. Calamity is no greater
than not contented; fault is no greater than desire to attain.
Therefore learn to be contented, you will always be contented.

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Without going out, you can know the world. Without prying beyond
the window, you can see heavenly Tao. The further you go, the less you
know Tao. So the Sage does not go out and knows Tao at home, not
looking he understands, in inaction he achieves success.

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For learning knowledge daily you increases it. For Tao you daily
lost your status. Loss upon loss until you achieve inaction. Inaction
is also none that is not affected. To conquer the world must always
have nothing to do; if you have things to perform, it is not enough to
conquer the world.

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The Sage's mind is always free from thought, however he has
people's minds in thought. Good people, I will be good to them; bad
people, I too will be good to them; that is virtue good. Those who
belief, I belief them; those who disbelief, I too belief them, that is
virtue in belief of faith. The Sage when in the world, breathing,
inspiring as per normal, muddle his mind for the sake of the people.
People take note, observe his ears and eyes, for the Sage hears and
sees like a child.

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On leaving life, to enter death, members of life has 13. Members of
death has 13. Human when alive, causes of death are 13 spots. Why so?
Because his way of life is much too gross. As I have heard, the man who
knows how best to act for life, will never meet a tiger on the road; in
army without the armour, weapon has not place to pierce his skin,
tiger's claws has no place to grip, soldiers do not know where to
strike with their sword. Why so? Because in him there is no place of
death.

[ When cultivating self and with Mark Sealed, there is no death when
you die. Your Spiritual Soul is already at the Mystic Portal which will
lead you to your final destination, a return to our roots.]

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Tao creates it; virtue fosters it, matter shapes it; authority and
condition perfect it. This is why all things do honour to Tao and
venerate virtue. Tao's honour and virtue's veneration come not be fate
or by decree, but always just by nature they are so. Therefore Tao
creates it; virtue fosters it; grows it; feeds it; perfects it;
conditions it; rears it; shelters it. Create but never own; do but
never lord; grow but not to govern. This is called mystic virtue.

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The world has a beginning which becomes the world's mother. You
have to get to know the mother to know the son. Return by focusing on
the mother; leaving a dead body, you are still alive. Stop up your
senses; close up your doors; forever you will not be exhausted. Open up
your senses; busy over worldly matters; forever you will not be saved.
Look at small (Chinese word) is named understanding (see Chinese word);
focusing on gentleness is called strong. Using its light, return its
brightness to eminence; without losing body in calamity; that is always
inert in action.

[ Shut up your senses (thought) during meditation. Close the 6 doors
to outside world namely the ears (hearing), eyes (sight except nasal
gaze), nose (smell), mouth (taste), body (touch) and mind (thought).
Looking at small is to look at Chinese word for small 小. It has a J
with a Chinese 8 八. J is our nose and 8 八 is our 2 eyes.]

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Letting me to know suddenly the truth, walking in the domain of
great Tao, my only conduct is fear. Great Tao is smooth sailing, but
people prefer small paths. The royal court is abundant in luxuries;
farmers' fields are overgrown with weeds; the granaries are empty; yet
royal officials are clad in fine silk; swords hanging on their hips;
they are making merry with food and wine; their money are in abundant.
This is what is called brigandage, not the way of Tao!

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Those who are good in construction is not uprooted; those who are
good embracing are not left out. Your children and grand children
honouring you at the altar will not stop. Cultivating self, your virtue
will become genuine; cultivating Tao in the home, its virtue will
overflow. Cultivating Tao in the village, its virtue will expand,
cultivating Tao in the country, the virtue will flourish. Cultivating
Tao in the world, the virtue will be universal. Truly use body to
observe body; using family to observe family; use village to observe
village; use country to observe country and use the world to observe
the world. How do I know the world is like this? By this. (Using index
placed at the nose tip, gazing at the nose tip to tell the audience.)

[ Construction is foundation, good roots, good virtue. Embracing is
compassion.]

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Self virtue that is massive is like an infant. Noxious insects will
not sting him; wild beasts will not attack his fresh nor birds of prey
peck at his head. His bones are soft, his sinews weak, but his grip is
robust. He does not know the sexual union of sexes, thereby his organ
shrivels, his vitality at its peak. Whole day he shouts but does not
get hoarse, his body harmony is at its height. Knowing harmony is
called constancy. Knowing constancy is called enlightenment. When
benefits are experienced, it is called ominous. When mind can control
over matter, it is called strong. Things that strengthen is getting
old; it is not of the Way; not of the Way is early death.

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Knower does not talk; and talkers do not know. Stop your gratifying
senses, close your doors, blunt your sharpness, resolve your disputes,
unite your eye balls, make it same with the dust or dirt; this is
called mystic unity. For the Sage is neither moved by affection not
estrangement, profit nor loss, honour nor shame. Therefore he is the
world's highest esteem.

[ Expounding meditation cannot talk, just meditate. Those who talk
too much do not meditate. During meditation, you think of neither good
nor bad. It is much better if you think of nothing. So stop your
wondering mind, close your 6 doors to outside influences, blunt your
discriminating mind, forget your worries, unite your eye balls and
think that you are no different from the dust or dirt. Tao is in
everything. And every things are in Tao. Life is an illusion. Your
state of mind is not moved by affection, enemy, kins, gain, loss,
honour, shame, happiness, sadness, like, dislike etc.

2 verses missing above, see Taoteching.]

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Use uprighteous to govern country, use sparingly the army, use
inaction to win the world. How do I know this is so? By this! The world
with many taboos, the people grow poorer; people use abundant weapons,
the country grows chaotic; people use multiply skills, novelties
flourish; laws increase in number, more criminal abound. For Sage said:
'I inaction, and people self reform; I love quietness, and people will
be upright; I do nothing, people will prosper; I desire nothing, the
people will return to their simplicity.'

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His rule listless, his people will be prosperous; his rule
exacting, his people will be restless. Bad fortune will promote the
good; good fortune too gives rise to bad. Who knows to what that leads?
His not upright! Upright returns is considered rarity. Goodness returns
is considered magical. People are astray, his days misled are very long
indeed. Therefore, the Sage is square but not sharp or not cunning,
honest but not malign, straight but not strict, mean, bright but not
dazzling.

[ Chinese words missing and jumble up for others.]

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Cure people, work for heaven, don't be stingy. oh yes, stingy,
remedy is early submission. Early submission, it is called to value
accumulated virtue; to value accumulated virtue however that none is
not subdued, controlled. None is not subdued is however not to know its
infinite resources. Not to know its infinite resources, then can have
country. Having the country's mother, then it is lasting. This is
called deep rooted solid stem (placenta), the everlasting life, lasting
gaze 's Way.

[ To bring peace to the world, you mustn't be stingy, must be
broadminded. Early submission is to surrender to the One inside you.
Meditation will accumulate virtue. As your spiritual power or virtue
increases other people will be subdued by your influence. However it is
better not to know the power of your spirituality so that you can have
a country to rule. The meaning is if you know its power you might make
use of it to harm people. (This is the reason I discourage the
practices of chapter 2 to 16 of Taoist Yoga to readers. These are
martial arts and healing practices.) As the father of a country (or
mother as per chapter) then you can have a lasting Tao for company.]

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Cure a big country as if you fry small fishes. Using Tao to reach
the world:- world's ghosts are not gods; not world's ghosts are not
gods. World's god does not harm people; not world's god does not harm
people. The Sage also does not harm people. Oh, both, Sage and people,
do not harm each other, so virtue converge to return to the roots.

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The great country receives all the upper streams, it is the
concourse of the world; it is the female of the world. It always uses
quietude to overcome the male. Use of quietude is below, the base.
Therefore great country using quietude as base to small country,
definitely will takeover the small country; a small country using
quietude as base to big country, definitely will takeover big country.
For it might be using quietude to conquer, or using quietude and slowly
takeover. The big country un-mistakenly desires for more people; small
country un-mistakenly desires more works for its people. Both these
countries each attains what each desires. The great must be acting as
below, humble.

[ This chapter is slightly different from Taoteching and the book I
have.]

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The Tao is every things' mystery. It is good people's treasure; it
is bad people's refuge. Flowery words can market respect for sale; fair
manners can increase more friends. People's badness, why throw them
away? For, crowning an emperor, appointing 3 officials, even having
joined hands providing jades pieces drawn by a team of 4 horses, it is
no better than sitting indulging in Tao cultivation. In ancient time,
how were those who honoured Tao fair? Is it not to say:- seekers can
attain, sinners who seek are forgiven? Therefore, Tao is the world's
honoured One.

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Do inaction (meditation), working without work, smell non-smell.
Big or small, plenty or less, requite anger with virtue. Take tough
jobs in hand while they are easy; handle great affairs while they are
small. The world's troubles must be handled when they are still easy.
The world's great affairs must be handled while they are still small.
That is why, the Sage does not declare himself great, so he can be the
greatest. Oh, a promise lightly proclaimed, inspires little confidence;
plenty easiness must have plenty troubles. Therefore the Sage likes the
hardship, so always has no hardship.

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Thing that is peaceful is easy to hold; given no omen, it is easy
to plan. Its softness is easy to melt. Its smallness is easy to
scatter. Do to it before it having possession; cure it before confusion
sets in. Tree trunk you can hug with both hands grows from a minuscule
sprout. Nine storied terrace was built from the ground. A thousand li
journey starts from a foot forward. Doing it spoils it; grabbing it
misses it. So the Sage refrains from doing so doesn't spoil anything,
he grabs nothing so never misses anything. People when doing work,
always fail by a few steps. Careful of the ending as per the beginning,
however has no failure. Therefore, the Sage wants the unwanted things,
does not value things that are hard to get. He studies what others
dislike, reverts the wrongs of the people. His object is to restore
everything to its natural course, but he does no action to that end.

[ 3 Chinese texts versions are different. I am sad to see this. Some
Chinese are idiots to alter the texts.]

為者敗之○執者失之○是以聖人無為故無敗○無執故無失○

是以○聖人欲不欲○不貴難得之貨○學不學○復衆人之所過○以輔萬物之自然○而不敢為○
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In ancient time, men of Tao did not enlightened their subjects, but
held them in ignorance. People are hard to govern when their
intelligence increases. So to use intelligence to govern a country, it
is the country's failure; not to use intelligence to govern a country,
it is the country's prosperity. Know the two differences, they are
moreover like moral pattern. Always know these moral pattern is called
mystic virtue. Mystic virtue is deep and far reaching, then causes a
return. Things return to reach the great peace.

[ Using all means to govern a country is no better than to appoint a
morally pure man to be the country's hesd-of-state.]

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Why the rivers and seas can be the hundred valleys king, it is
because they are at the base, therefore they can be hundred valleys
king. So the Sage desires to be above the people, must speak with words
that can drown them; Sage desires to be up front, must stand bodily
behind the people. Therefore the Sage occupies the high seat, the
people do not burdened, occupies upfront so the people are not harmed.
So the world will love to trust him and bear no grudges. For the Sage
does not compete for his rank, so the world will not compete with him.

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The world says my Tao is great, like not scattered, lost,
deteriorated. Oh greatness, for it is like not scattered, lost,
deteriorated. If it is scatter, lost, deteriorated, long since it is
small and petty. I have three treasures, kept and well secured. One is
called compassion, second is called frugal or thrifty, third is called
not dare to be the world's chief. Have compassion then I can have
courage; practise frugality or thrifty then I can be broad minded, dare
not to be the world's chief, then I can be its highest instrument.
Nowadays, to let go compassion is temporary courage, to let go of
frugality is temporary broadminded, to let go the base is temporary
upfront, that is the dead end! Oh, using compassion to war will win
battle, using it to defend will be firm, heaven will save those who use
compassion to protect the people.

[ It seems Chinese forget about this chapter when dealing with the
people and enemies. Chinese versions not the same. Word is 才舍 not
舍.]

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Those who are good do not use violence; those who are good in war
or fighting do not rage, those who are good in winning opponents or
enemies, do not compete; those who are good in making use of humility
do them humbly. This is called the virtue of not competing; it is also
called the power to use men; it is also called to match heaven's apex
measure; it is also called to be in the stature of the ancients.

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The generals have a saying:- 'I dare not be host, let me be guest;
dare not advance an inch, let withdraw a foot.' This is called action
without action, to snatch without arm, to throw without enemies, to
maintain without army. Disaster! they are greater than underestimating
the enemy; underestimating the enemy is bound to lose my treasure. When
opposing armies clash, the sincere party wins.

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My saying is very easy to know, very easy to follow and do. The
world does not seem to know, does not seem to follow and do. Saying has
ancestor or principle, work has sovereign. Oh yea, none knows,
therefore it is not I know. Those who knows me are rare, those who
emulates me are precious. Therefore, the Sage wears shoddy garment
embodying a jade.

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Know (Tao), don't know (any thought in meditation), is superb.
Don't know (Tao), know (knowledge), is sickness. Therefore the Sage has
no sickness. Considering and pondering over the sickness malady,
therefore he has no sickness.

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People who do not fear threat, great disaster befalls. Without
narrowing or squeezing their dwelling places, without hating their
children, oh yea, I don't hate, that is no hating. Therefore the Sage
knows innate Self, doesn't value his own opinions; he loves self body,
doesn't self praise. For he discards the coating for the inner gems.

[ Love self body so that there is not injury to them. Putting an ear
ring is self inflicting injury. Smoking is self injuring the lungs.
Drinking is self injuring the liver and mind. Rage is self injuring
blood vessel.]

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Brave man who dares will kill; brave man who ponders will spare
life. From these two, you differentiate the good and the bad. The wrath
of God (sky or nature), can you know the reason? God's Way (Heavenly
way) is not to compete but to win all; without speaking all will
respond; without calling all will return by themselves; that is its
nature and all will take notice. God's net is coarse but none can
escape.

[ The universe is in a net, no Spirit can escape. We are programmed
to act our parts. From the beginning, when there was nothingness, void,
to creation and happening, we will return to the beginning, the
nothingness, void. Can you stop God's will?

Missing word 默 is for 口 .]

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People do not fear death, how are you using death to threaten them?
if you can always threaten the people to fear death and for the odd
fellow, I have to maintain or hold the order to kill him, who dares?
Always having an executioner, there is killing. Oh, those who
substitutes the executioner in killing are called substitutes for
master carpenters. Oh, those who substitutes for master carpenters,
will rarely not to get their hands mangled.

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People's starving is because the authority consume by tax more than
their need, therefore starving. The people is hard to rule is because
the authority meddles too much, therefore it is hard to rule. The
people does not fear death is because their lives demanding livelihood
is thick, therefore not to fear death. Oh yea, those without using
livelihood as measure, has virtue that of supreme birth.

[ Livelihood as measure is comparing riches, wealth, properties,
possessions etc. If you are contented to live a simple life spending
less than 1000 Sing dollars a month, you can be said to be of supreme
birth. A millionaire can not be in this category.

Chinese versions are different.]

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People, when alive is supple, soft; its death is rigid. Everything
- grass and trees, alive are plastic and pliant; their death are
friable and dry. So, those who are rigid are followers of death. Those
who are supple, soft, are followers of life. Therefore, strong army
gets no victory; the stiffest tree is ready for the axe. So, rigid,
strong is at the base, while soft, supple is at the top.

[ Cultivator of Tao uses soft approach to win. Common people use
violence to win.

Chinese versions are different.]

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Is not God's Way (or Heaven's Way) like a bow well bent? High and
mighty are brought low; the low caste are up-righted; those with plenty
are uprooted while those hungry are fed. God's Way is to uproot the
rich and feed the hungry. What human does is different; it is to rob
the poor to feed the rich. Who can with abundance benefit the world, it
is only he who has Tao. Therefore the Sage can act alone without the
whim of other. He will succeed but not authoritative as he prefers to
be the same as others, not their superior.

[ Bow is to show our eye-brows. In Bhagavad-Gita, Arjuna carries a
bow, together with Khrisna at the centre of the battleground between 2
armies, 2 eyes.]

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The world's weak plus soft, nothing can compare to water; but when
water attacks rigid and strong, none can withstand it, and nothing can
alter its way. So, weak wins over strong, soft wins over steel. The
world: none able to know? none able to act? So the Sage said:- 'Be a
country's dirt is called lord of the country (god of the land and
grain); be a country's inauspicious person is called the world's
master.' Correct saying if reversed or this is paradox.

[ This chapter is something like the expounder of 4-line stanza in
Diamond Sutra, Son-of-Perdiction in the Bible and 3rd to be reinforced
in the Quran.

Chinese versions are different.]

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Settling great dispute will have side dispute; use virtue to report
dispute, can pacify, console be good? Therefore the Sage will maintain
the left side contract and will not hold other people responsible. So
have virtue manage contract, no virtue manages passing through blame.
Heavenly Tao is impartial, always favours with good men.

[ Chinese versions different.]

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Small country few people, even with a hundred fold equipments, they
are not used; cause people to value death so they do not emigrate; even
having boats and carts, none is rode on; even having armour brigades,
none is displaced. Cause the people to return to knotted cords and use
them; sweeten their meat, adorn their clothing, settle them down, charm
their customs. Neighbour countries look at each other; the sound of
crowing cockerels and barking of dogs are heard across each other; the
people live till death do not exchange greeting.

[ This is a difficult chapter to explain. My only explanation is
return back to our beginning Void, which is the Mark on our forehead,
the Mystic Portal. Neighbouring countries are 2 eyes which can move
inwards, looking at the other eye (if possible).]

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Words of truth don't sound fine. Flowery words are not honest. Good
man does not argue. Debater is not a good man. Knower of truth is not
learned man. Learned men do not know the truth. The Sage does not hoard
things, with thought that what he has is more than enough than others,
that he is able to influence a far greater number of people. God's Way
is gain that works no harm; the Sage's way is to act without competing
for the result.

[ Without competing for the result is like not standing for election
to be a president. People will appoint you president.

I am not happy with the above 81 images. Some verses are deleted,
some words are changed, while some are missing. I copied from
chinapage.com which is controlled by mainland China. Therefore they do
not want people to read the actual texts, because of mystical verses.
They are idiots.]

上

My Articles

Edited on 27th October 2005