Chapter 79
"When reconciliation follows a great grievance,
How often there is a residue of grievance!
That can scarcely be called a settlement!
Therefore, the Sage, while himself fulfilling the harder part of a bargain,
Does not claim his due from the other.
He who uses the Virtue of the Tao, keeps to his bond;
He who does not use the Virtue of the Tao drives a hard bargain.
The Tao is no respecter of persons:
Its abundance is always at the service of the good."
- Translated by Herman Ould, 1946, Chapter 79
"At the conclusion of a serious dispute,
It is rare that some resentment not remain behind.
To restore harmony, the Sage,
Keeping to the letter of the agreement with regard to his own obligations,
Never compels the other to fulfill his responsibilities.
Having Te, one would attend to obligations.
Without Te, one would press claims.
While it is the nature of Tao to be free of partiality,
Holding to the essence of the Tao,
The truly virtuous find the Tao abiding within."
- Translated by Alan Taplow, 1982, Chapter 79
"When enemies are reconciled, some resentment invariably remains.
How can this be healed?
Therefore the Sage makes good on his half of the deal
And demands nothing of others.
One who is truly good will keep his promise.
One who is not good will take what he can.
Heaven doesn't choose sides
It is always with the good people."
- Translated by John R. Mabry, Chapter 79
"Aunque la paz se haga entre grandes enemigos,
persiste entre ambos algo de rencor.
¿Cómo es posible que esto sea bueno?
Por ello, el sabio guarda la mitad izquierda de su contrato,
pero no pide cuentas a los hombres.
El hombre Virtuoso solo pide a los demás
que cumplan con sus obligaciones.
El hombre que no tiene virtud pide a los demás
que le paguen sus impuestos.
El Tao del Cielo carece de afectos personales,
pero siempre armoniza con los hombres buenos."
- Translation from Wikisource, 2013, Capitulo 79
"harmonizing great resentments and injuries
requires a soft but steady equilibrium
but even in a gentle balancing of the scales
some friction and pain will always remain
harmony can still be reached
if the sage wise man doesn't push
for complete unity
the sage wise man come to understand that flawless justice
is impossible
so he holds an even temperament instead
great knowledge comes from the left hand
holding something broken an flawed
accept the small inequities
a bodymind embracing the tao way of life
doesn't need perfection
a bodymind rejects the tao way of life
striving for perfection
remember
heaven lends its strength to those who
follow the natural laws of the universe."
- Translated by John Bright-Fey, Chapter 79
Chapter 79, Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
Taoism: A Selected Reading List
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