Reversal of Priority in A Chain of Oppositions

1. Something Doing something Knowledge Male Full Above Nothing Doing nothing Ignorance Female Empty Below Reversal of Priority in A Chain of Oppositions

2. Before Moving Big Strong Hard Straight Aggressive Fame/name Behind Still Small Weak Soft Bent Self-effacing Obscurity/nameless

3. Why Reversal of Priority? • To reject “distinction” • To make things/people “equal” • To promote “harmony”

4. Downplaying“knowledge” • Not exalting men of worth • Prevents the people from competing; • Not putting high value on rare goods • Prevents the people from being bandits; • Not displaying objects of desire • Prevents the people from being disorderly. • For these reasons, • The sage, in ruling, hollows their hearts, • Stuffs their stomachs • Weakens their wills, • Builds up their bones,

5. Always causing the people • To be without knowledge and desire • He ensures that the knowledge(知,zhi) dare not be hostile • And that’s all* • (*Ifhecanbringitaboutthatthosewithknowledgesimplydonotdaretoact) • Then his rule will be universal* • (*Then there is nothing that will not be in order) 無不治 (wubuzhi) • TTC/DDJ： 47/3

6. PlaythePartoftheFemale • Whileyou • Cultivatethesoulandembraceunity(一,yi), • Canyoukeepthemfromseparating? • Focusyourvitalbreath(qi)untilitissupremelysoft, • Canyoubelikeababy? • Cleansethemirrorofmysteries, • Canyoumakeitfreeofblemish? • Lovethepeopleandenliventhestate, • canyoudosowithoutcunning* (無知,noknowledge) • *canyoudoitwithoutusingknowledge. • Openandclosethegateofheaven,(ears,nose,eyes,mouth) • Canyouplaythepartofthefemale?

7. Reachoutwithclarityinalldirections, • Canyourefrainfromaction?(無為,wuwei) • Itgivesbirthtothemandnurturesthem, • Itgivesbirthtothembutdoesnotpossessthem, • Itrearsthembutdoesnotcontrolthem. • Thisiscalled“mysteriousintegrity”(德 de,virtue) • TTC/DDJ:54/10

8. TobeEmptyandStill • Attainutmostemptiness, • Maintainutterstillness, • Themyriadcreaturesarisesidebyside, • ThusIobservetheirrenewal. • Heavens’creaturesabound* • *Things(comeforth)ingreatnumber, • Buteachreturnstoitsroots, • Whichiscalled“stillness” • Thisistermed“renewaloffate,”

9. Renewaloffateisperpetual--- • Toknowtheperpetualistobeenlightened • Nottoknowtheperpetualistobereckless—recklessnessbreedsevil. • Toknowtheperpetualistobetolerant--- • Toleranceleadsto[ducal]* impartiality, • [ducal]partialitytokingliness, • KinglinesstotheWay • TheWaytopermanence • Totheendofhisdays, • Hewillnotbeimperiled. • TTC/DDJ,60/16

10. Tobe“Bent”/self-effacing • Ifit • isbent,itwillbepreservedintact; • iscrooked,itwillbestraightened; • issunken,itwillbefilled; • isworn-out,itwillberenewed; • haslittle,itwillgain; • hasmuch,itwillbeconfused. • Forthisreason, • Thesageholdsontounity(一,oneness) • Andservesastheshepherdofallunderheaven

11. Heisnotself-absorbed, • Thereforeheshinesforth; • Heisnotself-revealing, • Thereforeheisdistinguishing; • Heisnotself-assertive, • Thereforehehasmerit; • Hedoesnotpraisehimself, • Thereforeheislong-lasting. • TTC/DDJ:67/22

12. Tobeweak(supple) • Whenyouwishtocontractsomething, • Youmustmomentarilyexpandit; • (*Itisbecauseithasbeenexpanded) • Whenyouwishtoweakensomething, • Youmustmomentarilystrengthenit; • (*Itisbecauseithasbeenweakened) • Whenyouwishtorejectsomething; • You must momentarily join with it.* • (*It is because you have worked closely with it)

13. When you wish to seize something, • Your must momentarily give it up.* • (itisbecauseyouhavegivenitup) • This is called “subtle insight”. (微明,subtlelight) • Thesoftandweakconquerthestrong. • Fishcannotberemovedfromthewaterydepths; • Theprofitableinstrument(利器,sharpweapons)ofstate • Cannotbeshowntothepeople. • TTC/DDJ:80/36

14. The softest thing under heaven • Gallops triumphantly over • The hardest thing under heaven. • Nonbeing (無有)penetrates nonspace.*(無間,wujian) • (*that which has no substance get into that which has no space) • Hence, • I know the advantages of nonaction.(無為,wuwei) • The doctrine without words, • The advantage of nonaction--- • Few under heaven can realize this. • TTC/DDJ:6/13