61.1 When a country obtains great power, it should embrace the power of the Female.
61.2 It should take the low position, like the sea: all streams run downward into it.121The more powerful it grows, the greater the need for humility. The Female122 takes the low position to subdue the Male.
61.3 Humility means trusting the Tao, thus never needing to be defensive.
61.4 A great nation taking the low position therefore wins over the small ones.
61.5 Therefore the master remains low to remain in greatness.

62.1 The Tao is the mysterious centre of the universes,123 the good man's treasure, the bad man's refuge.
62.2 Honours can be bought with fine words and respect can be won with good deeds. But bad people cannot honour the Tao because to honour the Tao one has to become part of it, and this way is that which they discarded.
62.3 Thus, when a new leader is elected do not offer your wealth and praises; instead offer to teach him to sit and advance in Tao.
62.4 Why did the ancient Masters esteem the Tao? Because, being one with the Tao, when you seek, you find; and when you make a mistake you are forgiven. That is why everybody loves it.124

63.1 Cause action without doing;125 act without effort.126
63.2 Think of the small as large and the few as many.
63.3 Repay evil with goodness.127 63.4 Confront difficult tasks while they are still easy. Accomplish great task by a series of small ones.128
63.5 The master never reaches for great tasks; thus she achieves greatness.129
63.6 Neglected duties are bound to cause difficulties.
63.7 That is why the master never thinks of anything as easy, and gives herself totally to the small tasks and duties - acting without effort, causing without doing, and not desiring the fruits of actions.

64.1 What is rooted is easy to nourish.
What is has not yet happened, or only recently begun is easy to correct.
What is brittle is easy to break.
What is small is easily to scattered.
64.2 Prevent trouble before it arises. Put things in order before disorder arises. The giant tree grows from a tiny sprout. A nine storey building begins with a wheelbarrow of sand. The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.130
64.3 Severe action brings failure. Grasping at things is a sure way to lose it.131 Forcing a project to completion, you ruin what was almost ripe.
63.4 Therefore the master takes action by letting things take their course.132
63.5 He remains as calm at the end as at the beginning. He has nothing, thus has nothing to lose.
63.6 What he desires is non-desire and is not desirable to others.133 What he learns is to unlearn. He assists with the natural flow of things, picking up where other failed to do their duty, but never interfering with the flow. He cares about nothing but the Tao. Thus he can care for all things.134

65.1 The ancient Masters did not try to increase knowledge in the people but taught them to know that they do not know.135
65.2 When people think that they know answers, they become difficult to govern. Therefore when a ruler instills cleverness and rules by knowledge the country fails. A ruler who rules by virtue is a blessing to the people.
65.3 He who abides by these rules sets the standard of mystic virtue, which beings instinctively follow. Mystic virtue leads creatures to know their source.136
65.4 When beings have knowledge of their source, then the Great Harmony emerges.137

66.1 Rivers and seas are the superior valleys because of their skill at remaining low. Humility gives it its power.138
66.2 The master governing the people speaks as if she is inferior to them and see herself below them. She leads by following behind.139
66.3 The master in a high position does not leave anyone feeling manipulated or oppressed.
66.4 The whole world is grateful to her. Because she competes with no one, no one can compete with her.140

67.1 People say I am great but odd. It is the oddity which is the reason for the greatness. If my teaching was ordinary it would long ago have failed, falling into pettiness.
67.2 I teach three treasures which you may keep close by.
The first is compassion. The second is humility.141 The third is simplicity.142
67.3 Compassionate, a person can be courageous. Simple, a person can be open to all visions. Humble, a person can develop leadership.
67.4 Nowadays people are different to this teaching, that is why they are doomed by their own hand.
67.5 Compassion is unconquered in offence and cannot be improved upon in the skill of defence. When heaven bestows grace to prevent a person from harm, she grants him compassion as protection.

68.1 The best soldier is not warlike. The best fighter is not driven by anger. The best conqueror wins without confrontation. The best leader is humble.
68.2 This is called the wisdom of non-contention,143 the use of the other's strength. It is also called harmony with the Will of heaven. Just like the masters of old.

69.1 The generals have a saying: “I would rather be humble as a guest than assertive as a host. Rather than advance an inch it is better to retreat a foot.”
69.2 This is called going forward without movement; attacking without a show of hostility; pushing back as if without weapons.
69.3 There is no greater misfortune than belittling your enemy. Belittling makes one lose the three treasures, and you become your own enemy.144
69.4 When two great forces oppose each other, the victory will go to the one that laments war and knows how to yield.145

70.1 My teaching is easy to understand and easy to put into practice146 Yet your intellect will never grasp them, and if you try to practice them, you will fail.147 My teachings have a most ancient source, and people are ignorant of that. How can they grasp the meaning?
70.2 If you want to know, look toward the most ancient source inside you heart.148 That, inside of you, can grasp my teaching and the practice of it flows from that.
70.3 When those who understand my teaching are few, then it is a rare treasure. For this reason the master wears an unpretentious gown, to hide the jewel by his breast.

71.1 Not-knowing is true knowledge.149 Presuming to know is a disease. First realize that you are sick; then you can move toward health.
71.2 The master is her own physician. She has healed herself of all knowing. Thus she is truly healed.

72.1 When people lose their fear of authority, then they have gained great power.
72.2 Broaden people's vision and they will be in awe. When people lose their sense of awe, they turn to religion.
Therefore the master steps back so that people are not confused. He teaches without a teaching, so that people will have nothing to learn.
When people no longer trust themselves, they begin to depend upon authority.
72.3 The master trusts himself, and has self-respect, because his self is in the Tao.150

73.1 Courage to fight leads to slaughter. Courage not to fight leads to life.
73.2 The Tao is in equanimity. It overcomes without competing, answers without speaking a word, arrives without being summoned, accomplishes without a plan.
73.3 Its net covers the whole universe. Its meshes are wide but nothing is lost.

73.4 The master eases the flow of Tao in those who resist, and conquers without slaughter, accomplishes without action.

74.1 When people are not afraid of death, how can you threaten them with it?
74.2 If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to. If you are not afraid of dying, there is nothing you can not achieve.15174.3 Should the people want to kill the perverted, taking the responsibility of the Director of Death in their own hands? This would be like taking the master carpenter's place. When you handle the master carpenter's tools chances are you'll cut your hand.152

75.1 When taxes are too high, people go hungry.
75.2 When the government is too intrusive, people lose their spirit. When people are obsessed with high living they lose perspective of suffering.
75.3 Those who have nothing to look to make life pleasurable are more worthy than those who value high living.

76.1 Humans are born soft and supple; dead, they are stiff and hard.
76.2 Herbs and trees are born tender and pliant; dead, they are brittle and dry.
76.3 Thus whoever is stiff and inflexible is a disciple of death. Whoever is soft and yielding is a disciple of life.
76.4 Therefore armies that have become rigid, will fail.153 Trees having become hard and stiff will be broken.
76.5 The large and rigid will be laid low.154 The soft and supple will be lifted up.155

77.1 The action of Tao in the world is like the bending of a bow. The top is bent downward; the bottom is bent up. It adjusts excess and deficiency so that there is perfect balance. It takes from what is too much and give to what isn't enough. The low is pulled up as the high is pulled down.156 This is the way of heaven.157
77.2 Those who try to interfere with the way of heaven want to control. They take from those who do not have enough and give to those who have far too much. They use force to protect their power – they go against the flow of the Tao.
77.3 Who uses her surplus to serve the world is the master possessed of Tao.158
77.4 The master can keep giving because there is no end to her wealth. She acts without expectation, succeeds without taking credit,159 and this shows that she dislikes showing her worth.

78.1 Nothing in the world is as soft and yielding as water. Yet for attacking the hard and inflexible, nothing does a better job.
78.2 The soft overcomes the hard;160 the gentle overcomes the rigid.161 Everyone know this is true, but few can put it into practice.
78.3 The masters say: ‘One who can take the blame for the country's infamy can be the king of the country. One who can take the blame for the country's misfortunes can be king of the world.'162
True words seem paradoxical.

79.1 When enemies are reconciled some resentment always remain.
79.2 Therefore the master makes good on her part of the deal and does not expect anything from others.
79.3 The good keep their promise. The not good cannot keep a promise.
79.4 Heaven does not choose sides, it is always with the good.163

80.1 Better are small communities, in size and population. Although they have equipment and things in abundance few are in use. They have love of life, content where they are and even though they have boats and carriages they hardly use them. Even though they have access to weapons and machines of war they have no need to show them off.
80.2 Let the people return to simplicity, working with their hands.
80.3 Joy they will find in their food again, beauty in their simple clothing, peace in their life style, fulfilment in their cultures.
80.4 Living in sight of their neighbour states, their dogs and roosters heard by one another - the people are content to grow old and die not desiring to mingle with people from other states.

81.1 True words do not sound sweet, sweet words are not truthful.164
81.2 Good people do not argue, those who argue lack goodness.
81.3 Masters of truth are not vast in learning, people with vast learning are not masters.165 The master does not hoard, the more he serves the more he gains, the more he gives to the people, the more he possesses.
81.4 The Way of Heaven is to nourish, not to harm.
81.5 The way of the master is to work at his duty, not to compete.166