#Click on a sentence 1 2 3 Chapter 35 Chapter 37 Back to index #

Ch. 36 Sentence 1
Beck In order to contract, it is necessary first to expand. In order to weaken, it is necessary first to strengthen. In order to reduce, it is necessary first to build up. In order to receive, it is necessary first to give.
Blackney What is to be shrunken Is first stretched out; What is to be weakened Is first made strong; What will be thrown over Is first raised up; What will be withdrawn Is first bestowed.
Bynner He who feels punctured Must once have been a bubble, He who feels unarmed Must have carried arms, He who feels belittled Must have been consequential, He who feels deprived Must have had privilege,
Byrn If you want something to return to the source, you must first allow it to spread out. If you want something to weaken, you must first allow it to become strong. If you want something to be removed, you must first allow it to flourish. If you want to possess something, you must first give it away.
Chan In order to contract, It is necessary first to expand. In order to weaken, It is necessary first to strengthen. In order to destroy, It is necessary first to promote. In order to grasp, It is necessary first to give.
Cleary Should you want to contain something, you must first deliberately let it expand. Should you want to weaken something, you must deliberately let it grow strong. Should you want to eliminate something, you must deliberately allow it to flourish.
Crowley In order to draw breath, first empty the lungs; to weaken another, first strengthen him; to overthrow another, first exalt him; to despoil another, first load him with gifts;
Hansen On the point of desiring to contract it, you must regard it as inherently expanded. On the point of desiring to weaken it, you must regard it as inherently strong. On the point of desiring to dissipate it, you must regard it as inherently thriving. On the point of desiring to steal it, you must regard it as inherently belonging.
LaFargue When you want to shrink something you must always enlarge it. When you want to weaken something you must always strengthen it. When you want to neglect something you must always involve yourself with it. When you want to deprive something you must always give to it.
Legge When one is about to take an inspiration, he is sure to make a (previous) expiration; when he is going to weaken another, he will first strengthen him; when he is going to overthrow another, he will first have raised him up; when he is going to despoil another, he will first have made gifts to him: -
Lindauer Attain the desire for inhaling Firmly seed exhaling Attain the desire of lessening Firmly seed strengthening Attain the desire of discarding Firmly seed allowing back Attain the desire of taking by force Firmly seed giving away
LinYutan He who is to be made to dwindle (in power) Must first be caused to expand. He who is to be weakened Must first be made strong. He who is to be laid low Must first be exalted to power. He who is to be taken away from Must first be given, - This is the Subtle Light.
Mabry What you want shrunk Must first be allowed to expand. What you want weakened Must first be strengthened. What you want destroyed Must first be allowed to flourish. That which you want to take Must first be given.
McDonald What's in the end to be shrunk can first be stretched. The one who is to be made to dwindle (in power) can first be caused to expand; and then it's necessary first to expand. Whatever is to be weakened must begin by being made strong [enough for it first of all]. He who is to be laid low can first be exalted to power. So: first promote, next destroy. Or: To destroy, first promote. What's to be overthrown must begin by being set up. He who would be a taker must begin as a giver.
Merel To reduce someone's influence, first expand it; To reduce someone's force, first increase it; To overthrow someone, first exalt them; To take from someone, first give to them.
Mitchell If you want to shrink something, you must first allow it to expand. If you want to get rid of something, you must first allow it to flourish. If you want to take something, you must first allow it to be given.
Muller That which will be shrunk Must first be stretched. That which will be weakened Must first be strengthened. That which will be torn down Must first be raised up. That which will be taken Must first be given.
Red Pine What you would shorten you should therefore lengthen what you would weaken you should therefore strengthen what you would topple you should therefore raise what you would take you should therefore give
Ta-Kao In order to contract a thing, one should surely expand it first. In order to weaken, one will surely strengthen first. In order to overthrow, one will surely exalt first. 'In order to take, one will surely give first'!
Walker What is ultimately to be reduced must first be expanded . What is ultimately to be weakened must first be made strong. What is ultimately to be discarded must first be embraced. What is ultimately to be taken away must first be given.
Wieger The beginning of contraction necessarily follows the maximum of expansion. Weakness follows strength, decadence follows prosperity, depravation follows opulence.
World All manifestations that expand will eventually shrink. All manifestations that strengthen will eventually weaken. All manifestations that are lifted up will eventually be cast down. Nothing can be received unless it is given.
Wu What is in the end to be shrunken, Begins by first being stretched out. What is in the end to be weakened, Begins by first being made strong. What is in the end to be thrown down, Begins by first being set on high. What is in the end to be despoiled, Begins by being first richly endowed.

Ch. 36 Sentence 2
Beck This is called the mystic Light. The soft and gentle overcome the hard and strong.
Blackney This indeed is Subtle Light; The gentle way Will overcome The hard and strong.
Bynner Whereas a man with insight Knows that to keep under is to endure.
Byrn This is called the subtle understanding of how things are meant to be. The soft and pliable overcomes the hard and inflexible.
Chan This is called subtle light. The weak and the tender overcome the hard and the strong.
Cleary This is called subtle illumination. Flexible and yielding overcome adamant coerciveness.
Crowley this is called the Occult Regimen. The soft conquers the hard; the weak pulls down the strong.
Hansen This is called minute discernment. Soft and pliant triumph over hard and coercive.
LaFargue This is called 'Subtle Clarity.' Softness and Weakness overcome what is hard and strong.
Legge this is called 'Hiding the light (of his procedure).' The soft overcomes the hard; and the weak the strong.
Lindauer Appropriately called subtle luminance. Yielding conquers the firm Lessening conquers the strong.
LinYutan Gentleness overcomes strength:
Mabry Seeing this is an understanding of the subtle. What is soft and weak overcomes what is hard and strong.
McDonald And this is the fine art of "dimming" one's light. According to this [set-up] the soft overcomes the hard; and the weak, the strong. [Such things can happens, but most often not, or what?]
Merel This is the subtlety by which the weak overcome the strong:
Mitchell This is called the subtle perception of the way things are. The soft overcomes the hard. The slow overcomes the fast.
Muller This is called "subtle illumination." The gentle and soft overcomes the hard and aggressive.
Red Pine this is called hiding the light the weak conquering the strong
Ta-Kao This is called subtle wisdom. The soft and weak can overcome the hard and strong.
Walker This is called subtle insight.
Wieger This is a subtle insight (that many do not wish to see). All preceding strength and superiority is expiated by subsequent debility and inferiority. More calls for less, excess calls for deficit.
World This is called distinguishing the oneness of Infinity. Soft and weak forever disintegrate the hard and strong.

Hard and strong forever disintegrate the soft and weak. This is called the nature of Infinity.

Wu Herein is the subtle wisdom of life: The soft and weak overcomes the hard and strong.

Ch. 36 Sentence 3
Beck As fish stay in the deep water, so sharp weapons of the state should not be displayed.
Blackney As fish should not Get out of pools, The realm's edged tools Should not be shown To anybody.
Bynner What happens to a fish pulled out of a pond? Or to an implement of state pulled out of a scabbard? Unseen, they survive.
Byrn Just as fish remain hidden in deep waters, it is best to keep weapons out of sight.
Chan Fish should not be taken away from water. And sharp weapons of state should not be displayed to the people.
Cleary Fish shouldn't be taken from the depths; the effective tools of the nation shouldn't be shown to others.
Crowley The fish that leaves the ocean is lost; the method of government must be concealed from the people.
Hansen Fish cannot leave the abyss. The state's beneficial artifacts cannot be shown to people.
LaFargue "The fish must not leave the depths the state's 'sharp weapons' must not be shown to others."
Legge Fishes should not be taken from the deep; instruments for the profit of a state should not be shown to the people.
Lindauer Fish cannot escape relating to deep water A direction for man cannot happen with tools benefitting a nation.
LinYutan Fish should be left in the deep pool, And sharp weapons of the state should be left Where none can see them.
Mabry Just as a fish should keep to deep waters, So a country's weapons should be kept out of sight, so as not to tempt people.
McDonald Fish should be left in the deep pool, not taken away from water. And sharp weapons of the state should not be displayed, but left where nobody can see them.
Merel Fish should not leave their depths, And swords should not leave their scabbards.
Mitchell Let your workings remain a mystery. Just show people the results.
Muller A fish cannot leave the water. The country's potent weapons Should not be shown to its people.
Red Pine fish can't survive out of the deep as state's greatest tool is not meant to be shown
Ta-Kao As the fish should not leave the deep So should the sharp implements of a nation not be shown to anyone!
Walker The soft overcomes the hard. The weak overcomes the strong. The Tao should never be abandoned. Weapons should never be displayed.
Wieger A fish should not leave the depths (where it lives ignored but in security, in order to show itself at the surface where it could be harpooned). A state should not show its resources (if it does not wish the others to turn against it in order to crush it).
World Fish are at one with water; undistinguished by Infinity. A nation and its weapons cannot be distinguished.
Wu Just as the fish must not leave the deeps, So the ruler must not display his weapons.