A route through the Daodejing · 7 chaptersLaozi and Confucius: humaneness, rightness, ritual

1. 5Heaven and earth are not humanenot yet coveredHeaven and earth are not humane; they treat the ten thousand things as straw dogs. The sag…
2. 18When the great Way is abandoned, there are humaneness and…not yet coveredWhen the great Way is abandoned, there are humaneness and righteousness. When cleverness a…
3. 19Cut off sageliness, discard knowledge, and the people will…not yet coveredCut off sageliness, discard knowledge, and the people will benefit a hundredfold. Cut off …
4. 38Superior virtue is not virtuous, and so it has virtuenot yet coveredSuperior virtue is not virtuous, and so it has virtue; inferior virtue never lets go of vi…
5. 63Act without contrivance, work without meddling, taste the…not yet coveredAct without contrivance, work without meddling, taste the flavorless. Treat the small as g…
6. 79When a great resentment is reconciled, some resentment…not yet coveredWhen a great resentment is reconciled, some resentment surely remains; how can that be cou…
7. 81Trustworthy words are not beautifulnot yet coveredTrustworthy words are not beautiful; beautiful words are not trustworthy. The good do not …

All 81 chapters of the Daodejing

Famous lines that were once written differentlyWhy water is closest to the WayDoes wuwei mean doing nothing?Knowing enough, knowing when to stopLaozi on warThe infant and the newbornPu: the uncarved blockReversal and returnThe Way and namesHow the sage treats the people