Dao De Jing

The Traditional Chinese Reading Style:

Read vertically from top to bottom and horizontally from right to left. (Desktop view is recommended, but if you're on mobile, please turn to landscape orientation.)

信言不美美言不信

善者不辯辯者不善

知者不博博者不知

聖人不積既以為人己愈有既以與人己愈多

天之道利而不害聖人之道為而不爭

Manifestation of Simplicity - Version One

Sincere words are not fine; fine words are not sincere. Those who are skilled (in the Dao) do not dispute (about it); the disputatious are not skilled in it. Those who know (the Dao) are not extensively learned; the extensively learned do not know it. The sage does not accumulate (for himself). The more that he expends for others, the more does he possess of his own; the more that he gives to others, the more does he have himself. With all the sharpness of the Way of Heaven, it injures not; with all the doing in the way of the sage he does not strive. [1]

Manifestation of Simplicity - Version Two

Truthful words are not beautiful. Beautiful words are not truthful. Good people do not argue. Those who argue are not good. Those who know are not learned. The learned do not know. The wise never try to hold on to things. The more you do for others, the more you have. The more you give to others, the greater your abundance. The Tao of heaven is sharp but does no harm. The Tao of the wise is to work without effort. [2]

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