Peace is easy to keep What might happen is easy to prevent That which is fragile is easy to break What’s still very small, can be chased away easily A big tree starts with a small seed A terrace-yard started with a mound of earth A thousand-mile journey starts with a single step One who [...]
Act without intention Stop labouring Just enjoy life One who doesn’t honour something small Isn’t worthy of something big No more eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth Turn to them your other cheek Discover that what seems complicated is in fact very simple See the grandeur in what seems insignificant Don’t turn [...]
Everything inclines towards the original balance It’s the bliss of true men It’s a sanctuary for the untruthful But people flaunt themselves with flattery They only do nice things in exchange for gratitude Everybody does that so why shouldn’t you? Therefore the people shout with joy when a new leader comes on the scene And [...]
When mankind lives in peace, There will be no superiors and inferiors It is like a big river, In which all side currents have come to rest The wildness comes to rest in peacefulness, Because it is calm and most lowly One who is the least by his disarming simplicity, Is therefore appealing to his [...]
Making sure that mankind lives in peace is a trifle Where righteousness is the main guide, delusions won’t last Not that there will be no delusions at all But the people will be less susceptible to them Delusions damage people, and a wise man shows them it’s so Therefore a wise man is a threat [...]
To get mankind to live in peace requires a full detachment Because only one who is detached knows how to live truthfully Letting go of everything before dying makes one live righteously One who lives righteously knows no trouble For one who knows no trouble, life is unbounded One who is unbounded, considers the world [...]
