Under the surface of our prejudice, our culturally-influenced opinions, confused conclusions, and false beliefs; we have a wise voice of reason, an intuitive clarity, an accurate psychological awareness. Without listening to this—even with impressive qualities, intelligence, and skills—our decisions undermine our goals. Nothing else lacking in our character has so many unfortunate consequences. With an egoless attention to this inner voice of reason, all the activities of our lives become more satisfying, more truthful, and more successful.

Uncontrived awareness goes on forever,
Undefined and nameless.
Small and like uncut wood in primal simplicity,
No one can control or manipulate it.

When rulers follow this Tao,
The world becomes like a guest,
Heaven and Earth harmonize,
Life becomes like the freshness of rain,
People become good for each other,
And all things take their natural course.

For practical wisdom,
Experience must be defined and ordered.
But when definitions proliferate,
It’s time to stop and understand more deeply.
If people know when to stop,
Danger dissolves.
True wisdom in the world
Is like a river flowing home to the sea.

Truth is most often seen, rarely heard. Lies flood our ears but avoid our eyes. Conflicts of interest abound; but, deeply buried, become difficult to see. Psychologists have become highly paid advertising executives playing on our emotions and vulnerabilities. Since we live and act based on our trust in the information we receive, some of the most important skills include testing for exaggeration and falsehood. Information inevitably comes to us tinged by the desires and emotions of the people who share it with us, understanding the intentions of our sources can supersede the content. Maintain more skepticism and caution with those who praise than with those who criticize.

True words aren’t fancy,
Charming words aren’t true.
Good people don’t argue,
Proselytizers aren’t good.
The wise aren’t academic,
Scholars aren’t wise.
The foolish understand the words,
The wise understand the sense.

The wise don’t accumulate, hoard or grasp;
The more they do for others,
The more they fulfill themselves.
The more they give to others,
The more they have.

This way of life leaves no trace,
Sharpens without cutting,
Benefits without causing harm.
The wise act without effort,
Accomplish great things
Without striving or struggle.

True leadership arises from a genuine, a natural, an inborn integrity. More powerful than any kind of trickery or conmanship, this authentic inner authority inspires the respect, the esteem, the faith, the hearts and minds of those around them. Lions because of charisma and kings by way of merit, they often become heads of state, rulers of industry, and managers of movements accomplishing more with a gesture than others do with long speeches.

True goodness is like water
Bringing benefit and giving life to the 10,000 things.
It doesn’t compete but like the Tao
Immediately flows to the lowest place.
Everyone else always wants to be first
But the wise only want to be last,
To live on solid ground,
To think deeply,
To be gentle and kind,
To speak with honesty,
To govern with peace and order,
To work with skill,
To act at only the best time.

True confidence and self-satisfaction may look similar on the surface; but, in reality, they quickly become opposites. Ignorance and complacency become a solid foundation for self-satisfaction and can make us temporarily feel better—until it ruins our reputation. Instead of believing our distorted, personal propaganda, we can view our self-assessments with skepticism. Misfortunes and difficulties don't surprise someone who has already anticipated them. But empty self-satisfaction only increases folly ruining our endeavors and undermining our efforts.

To stay in power, rulers need to provide a scapegoat. In spite of best efforts, inevitably some projects will fail, some results won't match expectations, some people will get angry and critical. Small failings will assume undeserved attention while large scale positive results will be ignored. Having an external target for the inescapable resentment, anger, and ridicule that arise from failed ventures enables the possibility of trying new ones.
[Several chapters—3, 31, 88, 125—advise how to avoid becoming a scapegoat but this one suggests creating one. This contradicts Balthasar's general intent and attitude but blends in better if the idea of "scapegoat" is depersonalized and applied to an inanimate system or idea.]

To look too hard for life
Is to find death.
3 out of 10 chase their passions,
3 out of 10 push away what they don’t like,
3 out of 10 ignore and sleep-walk.
These all hold on too hard to life.

Only 1 out of 10 understands how to live in ways
That they fear no weapons in battle,
That they cross wild lands without fear of danger.
Horns can find no place to gore,
Claws can find no place to tear,
Soldiers can find no place to thrust their swords.

They have nowhere in them for death to enter.

To know without believing we know is best.
Believing we know creates mental illness.
When we recognize belief as sickness,
Healing begins.
Because the wise are sick of this illness,
They aren’t sick.

Though many may secretly believe in and search for various kinds of "free lunch," in the real world, success only arises from thoughtful preparation, careful attention, and diligent, hard work. Successful projects finish on time if done well. Don't sacrifice quality for an early completion.

Though a feeling of complaint often arises of it's own without forethought or choice, the expression of that complaint seldom helps, normally only makes situations worse. In unexpected but consistent ways, complaining draws attention to our faults and discredits our reputation. Our complaints don't dissuade but—like advertisements—encourage our listeners to act in the ways we're complaining about. Instead, advertise the words and actions that create benefit. Praise people who support us to people who don't. Recount the good deeds done for us and the favors we owe those absent to those present. This encourages them to follow those examples and wins more support and favor.

Those with outer courage
Dare to act and take life.
Those with inner courage
Dare to not act and give life.
Both of these are sometimes good,
sometimes harmful
When one best, when the other?
Even the most wise don’t know for sure.

The Way of Heaven
Doesn’t compete but easily wins,
Doesn’t speak but answers completely,
Doesn’t request but attracts all it needs,
Doesn’t stress but impeccably acts.

Heaven’s Net catches everything,
The mesh is wide yet nothing slips through.

Those with even a little sense
Walk the Way humbly
And arrogance is all they fear.
This way is smooth and straight
But people love their sidetracks.

When mansions are full of splendor;
Fields are full of weeds,
Farms are poor and wild,
And the granaries are empty.

These are the real robber barons,
The worst of lowly brigands
With the vanity of thieves:

People wearing wealth
With weapons at their side
Over-filled with food and drink
Hoarding what they do not need.

Those who with wisdom advise rulers
Counsel against conquest,
Using aggression & violence to rule.
The nature of weapons
Is to turn against their holder.
Where armies march,
Thorns and brambles grow.
War brings bad harvests.
Great conquerors
Are really great criminals.
Best to defend and stop.

The best leaders succeed
Without becoming arrogant,
Without bragging,
Without feeling proud,
Without feeling regret.
They only do what has to be done,
They succeed without using force.

Like waves in the sea,
Let life ripen and then fall.
The Tao - like the sea itself -
Doesn’t begin or end.
What goes against the Tao
Comes to an early end.

Those who try to improve the world with force
Only come to grief;
Tampering makes things worse.
Because life is sacred just as it is,
It can’t be forced.
Trying to change only harms,
Trying to control only spoils,
To grasp is to lose.

Sometimes things lead,
Sometimes they follow;
Sometimes they’re strong,
Sometimes weak;
Sometimes easy, sometimes hard;
Sometimes success, sometimes failure.

Those who tiptoe stumble,
Those who strut can’t walk far,
Those who show off don’t impress,
Those who brag receive no credit,
Those who define themselves aren’t real.
Self-promoters do no good.

This is like unnecessary baggage,
Over-eating, working too hard,
Not knowing when to stop.
When the wise are full, they stop eating;
When tired, they rest;
They avoid what others fight over.

Those who seek learning
Grow larger every day.
Those who follow the Tao
Daily shrink.
They lose and they lose
Until they arrive at not-doing.

Nothing to do
Means nothing not done,
Nothing to fuss over,
No gaining ideas.

Those busy interfering,
Making a big deal out of everything
With their ambition and grasping
Are not fit to rule,
To run things,
To be in charge of anything.

Those who know others are clever,
Those who know themselves are wise.
Those who conquer others are briefly powerful,
Those who conquer themselves are always strong.
Those who know they have enough are rich,
Ambition wanders blind.
Those who stay where they have found their true home flourish.
Our bodies disappear
But the eternal present goes on and on.

Those who know don’t tell,
Those who tell don’t know.

By watching what you say,
By not having rough edges to catch,
By keeping it simple and unconfused,
Become one with the dust of the way
And realize the deep sameness of One Taste.

Then you will stop being controlled
By love and rejection,
By profit and loss,
By praise and humiliation,
By fame and fortune,
By pleasure and power
And you will stabilize the highest realization.