gnl'snotlao(withhyperlinkstochinesetext)laotzethefulltextoftaodejingconsistingof81chapterscanbebrowsedchapter-by-chapterfrombeginningtotheend.toseeaparticularchapter,justclickonthechapternumbertogotheredirectly.whilepositionedatanychapter,youmayswitchtothechinesetextofthatchpater.andback.|01|02|03|04|05|06|07|08|09|10|11|12|13|14|15|16|17|18|19|20|21|22|23|24|25|26|27|28|29|30|31|32|33|34|35|36|37|38|39|40|41|42|43|44|45|46|47|48|49|50|51|52|53|54|55|56|57|58|59|60|61|62|63|64|65|66|67|68|69|70|71|72|73|74|75|76|77|78|79|80|811.thewaythewaythatcanbeexperiencedisnottrue;theworldthatcanbeconstructedisnottrue.thewaymanifestsallthathappensandmayhappen;theworldrepresentsallthatexistsandmayexist.toexperiencewithoutintentionistosensetheworld;toexperiencewithintentionistoanticipatetheworld.thesetwoexperiencesareindistinguishable;theirconstructiondiffersbuttheireffectisthesame.beyondthegateofexperienceflowstheway,whichisevergreaterandmoresubtlethantheworld.[gototop]2.abstractionwhenbeautyisabstractedthenuglinesshasbeenimplied;whengoodisabstractedthenevilhasbeenimplied.soaliveanddeadareabstractedfromnature,difficultandeasyabstractedfromprogress,longandshortabstractedfromcontrast,highandlowabstractedfromdepth,songandspeechabstractedfrommelody,afterandbeforeabstractedfromsequence.thesageexperienceswithoutabstraction,andaccomplisheswithoutaction;heacceptstheebbandflowofthings,nurturesthem,butdoesnotownthem,andlives,butdoesnotdwell.[gototop]3.withoutactionnotpraisingtheworthypreventscontention,notesteemingthevaluablepreventstheft,notdisplayingthebeautifulpreventsdesire.inthismannerthesagegovernspeople:emptyingtheirminds,fillingtheirbellies,weakeningtheirambitions,andstrengtheningtheirbones.ifpeoplelackknowledgeanddesirethentheycannotact;ifnoactionistakenharmonyremains.[gototop]4.limitlessthewayisalimitlessvessel;usedbytheself,itisnotfilledbytheworld;itcannotbecut,knotted,dimmedorstilled;itsdepthsarehidden,ubiquitousandeternal;idon'tknowwhereitcomesfrom;itcomesbeforenature.[gototop]5.naturenatureisnotkind;ittreatsallthingsimpartially.thesageisnotkind,andtreatsallpeopleimpartially.natureislikeabellows,empty,yetneverceasingitssupply.themoreitmoves,themoreityields;sothesagedrawsuponexperienceandcannotbeexhausted.[gototop]6.experienceexperienceisariverbed,itssourcehidden,foreverflowing:itsentrance,therootoftheworld,thewaymoveswithinit:drawuponit;itwillnotrundry.[gototop]7.completenatureiscompletebecauseitdoesnotserveitself.thesageplaceshimselfafterandfindshimselfbefore,ignoreshisdesireandfindshimselfcontent.heiscompletebecausehedoesnotservehimself.[gototop]8.waterthebestofmanislikewater,whichbenefitsallthings,anddoesnotcontendwiththem,whichflowsinplacesthatothersdisdain,whereitisinharmonywiththeway.sothesage:liveswithinnature,thinkswithinthedeep,giveswithinimpartiality,speakswithintrust,governswithinorder,craftswithinability,actswithinopportunity.hedoesnotcontend,andnonecontendagainsthim.[gototop]9.retirefillacuptoitsbrimanditiseasilyspilled;temperaswordtoitshardestanditiseasilybroken;amassthegreatesttreasureanditiseasilystolen;claimcreditandhonourandyoueasilyfall;retireonceyourpurposeisachieved-thisisnatural.[gototop]10.harmonyembracingtheway,youbecomeembraced;breathinggently,youbecomenewborn;clearingyourmind,youbecomeclear;nurturingyourchildren,youbecomeimpartial;openingyourheart,youbec...
