English
38
"The finest Te is not Te-like, so it is Te the poorest Te never leaves off being Te-like, so it is not Te. The finest Te: no working at it, no goal in mind the poorest Te: people work at it, with a goal in mind. The finest Goodness: People work at it, but with no goal in mind the finest Morality': People work at it, with a goal in mind the finest Etiquette: People work at it, and, when none pay attention, they roll up their sleeves and go on the attack. Yes: Losing Tao, next comes Te losing Te, next comes Goodness losing Goodness, next comes Morality losing Morality, next comes Etiquette. And now Etiquette is loyalty and sincerity spread thin and the first sign of disorders. Foreknowledge is the flower of Tao and the beginning of folly. And so the great man: Resides with the substance does not stay with what is thin. Resides with the fruit does not stay with the flower. Yes: He leaves 'that' aside and attends to 'this.'"
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Author
Lao TzuBook
Tao Te Ching
Version: 9