Chapters 33-36
33.
Understanding others is knowledge;
Understanding oneself is enlightenment
Conquering others is power;
Conquering oneself is strength
Contentment is wealth
Forceful conduct is willfulness
He that does not lose his station endures
He who dies but is not forgotten
has real longevity
34.
The great Tao flows everywhere, both to the left and to the right
The ten thousand things depend on it yet it claims no authority.
It fulfills its purpose silently and lays claim to no merit
It clothes and feeds the myriad creatures
yet lays no claim to being their master
Forever free of desire it can be called small.
Yet, as it lays no claim to being master
when the myriad creatures return to it,
it can be called great.
It does not desire greatness,
and therefore is truly great
35.
All men will come to him who keeps to the Tao
for there lies rest and happiness and peace
Passersby may stop for music and good food
but how different the Tao
It seems without substance or flavour.
It cannot be seen, it cannot be heard,
and yet if one uses it, it cannot be exhausted
36.
Whatever is going to be diminished
must first be allowed to inflate
Whatever you want to weaken
must first be convinced of its strength.
What you want to overcome
you must first of all submit to
What you want to take over
you must first of all give to
This is called discerning
What is yielding and weak
overcomes what is hard and strong
As a fish should not leave deep water
the ruler shall not display his weapons
