Defend the weak

Laozi said: The emperors and nobles take the world and the country as their home and all things as their livestock. They embrace the vastness of the world and the abundance of all things. Thus, they are full of vigor and have lofty aspirations. The larger ones use military forces to invade the smaller ones, while the smaller ones are arrogant and overbearing. Their minds are extravagant and broad, just like a storm that cannot last long. Therefore, the sage governs with the Dao, adhering to the principle of non-action without damaging the energy, seeing the small and being gentle, retreating and not having anything, following the laws of the rivers and seas, the rivers and seas do not act, thus the fame and fortune will naturally transform, not be strong, and thus can become the king, be the female of the world, thus the spirit will not die, self-love, thus can become the noble, the momentum of ten thousand forces, taking all things as fame and fortune, the authority and responsibility are the most important, one must not be self-deprecating, otherwise the fame and fortune will not be achieved. The Dao is formed by the small in the great and by the less in the much. Therefore, the sage regards the Dao as evil to the world. The weak and delicate are seen as small, and the frugal and wasteful are seen as little. By seeing the small, one can achieve the great; by seeing the little, one can achieve the beautiful. The way of heaven is to suppress the high and lift the low, to diminish the excess and serve the deficiency. Rivers and seas are in place of the earth's deficiency, and thus the whole world is to be revered. Sages are humble and quiet, and they see the low; they are humble and do not have anything, and they see the deficiency. Seeing the low, they can reach the high; seeing the deficiency, they can become virtuous. The proud do not stand, the extravagant do not grow, the strong will die, the overflowing will perish. The wind and rain do not last all day, and the small grain cannot be full for a moment. The wind and rain carry the spirit of the strong beam. Therefore, it cannot be eradicated for long. The small valley is located in the place of the strong Liang, so it has to be seized. Thus, the sage holds onto the female and the female, eliminates extravagance and arrogance, and dares not display the spirit of the strong Liang. By holding onto the female and the female, he can establish its vigor and boldness, and by not daring to be extravagant and arrogant, it can last for a long time. Laozi said: "When the way of heaven reaches its extreme, it reverses; when it is full, it wanes. This is the case with the sun and the moon." The sage, despite his daily decline, is full of vigor and never becomes complacent; despite his daily progress, his virtue never wanes. This is the way of heaven. Human nature is to love the high and hate the low, to love gain and hate death, to love profit and hate illness, to love the high and hate the low, to love the noble and hate the humble, to love the high and hate the lowly. When others strive for it, they cannot achieve it; when they cling to it, they cannot obtain it. Therefore, the sage follows the laws of heaven, achieves through non-action, acquires through non-attachment, sympathizes with others and follows a different path, and thus can last long. Therefore, the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors had a precept vessel, which was named you 卮. When it was in conflict, it was upright; when it was full, it was reversed. When things thrive, they decline; when the sun is at its zenest, it shifts; when the moon is full, it wanes; when joy ends, it turns to sorrow. Therefore, the wise and broad-minded remain foolish; the knowledgeable and eloquent remain thrifty; the valiant and resolute remain fearful; the rich and powerful remain narrow-minded; and the virtuous and generous remain yielding. These are the reasons why the ancient Kings maintained their rule over the world. Those who follow this way do not desire to be in excess. It is precisely because they are not in excess that new ills do not arise. Laozi said: The sage is at ease with Yin and open with Yang. He can reach the state of no joy, that is, no joy at all. No joy at all is the ultimate joy. It is the inner joy that delights the outer, and not the outer joy that delights the inner. Therefore, there is self-joy, that is, there is self-aspiration that is precious throughout the world. The reason for this is that it is the key to the world. It lies not in the other but in myself, not in people but in the body. When the body is in place, all things are ready. Therefore, those who master the art of the mind are fond of desires and hate the outside world. Thus, they have no joy, no anger, no happiness, no suffering. All things are mysterious and the same, nothing but nothing. Therefore, men have certain opinions, women have difficult deeds, do not wait for power to be respected, do not need wealth to be rich, do not need strength to be powerful, do not be unfavorable for material wealth, do not be greedy for fame in the world, do not consider high status as peace, do not consider low status as danger, and each form, spirit, energy and will should be in their proper place. The form is the giving of life, the qi is the origin of life, and the spirit is the control of life. If one loses its position, all three will be harmed. Therefore, when the spirit is the main body, the form benefits; when the form is the control, the spirit harms. Those who are greedy and have many desires should not be swayed by power and power, or be lured by fame and position. With extraordinary knowledge and a higher position than the world, their spirit is worn away day by day, they indulge in lust for a long time without returning, and their form is idle and rejecting, thus having no way to enter. Therefore, they often suffer from blindness and self-loss. The spirit and aspiration, when still, become stronger day by day; when agitated, they grow old day by day. Therefore, the sage nurtures his spirit, harmonizes his energy, and flattens his form, thus being in harmony with the rise and fall of the Tao. In this way, the transformation of all things is inevitable and all changes are in response to them.