Now that I have finished the first round of my translation of the Daodejing, I plan to return to the beginning so that I can polish the text and add breakdowns to the chapters that currently lack them. …

Chapter 81 provides a fitting conclusion to the Daodejing, reminding you not to be deceived by beautiful words, superficial talk, and shallow intellectualism. By acting in harmony with the natural order of the Dao, you will lead a long and meaningful life without harming others. Section 1 Trustworthy words are not…

Trustworthy words are not beautiful. Beautiful words are not trustworthy. The good are not silver-tongued. The silver-tongued are not good. The wise are not learned. The learned are not wise. The sage does not hoard. The more he serves, the more he has. The more he gives, the more he receives. The way of heaven is…

Daodejing Chapter 80 is the penultimate chapter of the text. …

Let a state be small And its population sparse. Let it have powerful tools That never need to be used. Let its people be so mindful of death That they never journey far. Let it have boats and carriages That never need to be ridden in. Let it have weapons and armor That…

Chapter 79 of the Daodejing examines how to handle a situation in which one party is indebted to the other. …

When a bitter dispute is settled, Some bitterness is sure to linger. How can this be resolved? The sage holds the left tally, But never makes a claim on the debtor. Those who have inner power hold the tally. Those who lack inner power call in their debts. The way of heaven has no favorites. But it…

Chapter 78 of the Daodejing illustrates the strength of softness and gentleness through the analogy of water overcoming the hardest and strongest substances. The passage goes on to highlight the paradox that even though this is a universally accepted principle, only a handful of individuals apply it to the way…

Nothing in the world Is softer and gentler than water. Yet it overcomes The hard and strong. Nothing can replace it. The gentle overcomes the strong. The soft overcomes the hard. Everyone in the world Knows this truth, Yet no one applies it. This is why the sage says: Whoever is willing to Accept the…