Sacred Texts  Taoism 

The Canon of Reason and Virtue

(Lao-tze's Tao Teh King)
Chinese and English

Translated by D.T. Suzuki & Paul Carus

[1913]

Title Page
Table of Contents
Foreword
Introduction
Introduction to the Chinese

The Old Philosopher's Canon of Reason and Virtue

The Old Philosopher's Canon of Reason and Virtue
Sze-ma-Ch'ien On Lao-tze
1. Reason's Realization
2. Self-Culture
3. Keeping the People Quiet
4. Sourceless
5. The Function of Emptiness
6. The Completion of Form
7. Dimming Radiance
8. Easy By Nature
9. Practising Placidity
10. What Can Be Done?
11. The Function of the Non-Existent
12. Abstaining From Desire.
13. Loathing Shame
14. Praising the Mysterious
15. The Revealers of Virtue
16. Returning to the Root
17. Simplicity In Habits
18. The Palliation of Vulgarity
19. Returning to Simplicity
20. Different from the Vulgar
21. Emptying the Heart
22. Humility's Increase
23. Emptiness and Non-Existence
24. Trouble From Indulgence
25. Imaging the Mysterious
26. The Virtue of Gravity
27. The Function of Skill
28. Returning to Simplicity
29. Non-Assertion
30. Be Chary of War
31. Quelling War
32. The Virtue of Holiness
33. The Virtue of Discrimination
34. Trust in its Perfection
35. The Virtue of Benevolence
36. The Secret's Explanation
37. Administration of Government
38. Discourse on Virtue
39. The Root of Order
40. Avoiding Activity
41. Sameness in Difference
42. Reason's Modifications
43. Its Universal Application
44. Setting Up Precepts
45. Greatest Virtue
46. Moderation of Desire
47. Viewing the Distant
48. Forgetting Knowledge
49. Trust in Virtue
50. The Estimation of Life
51. Nursing Virtue
52. Returning to the Origin
53. Gaining Insight
54. The Cultivation of Inituition
55. The Signet of the Mysterious
56. The Virtue of the Mysterious
57. Simplicity in Habits
58. Adaptation to Change
59. Hold Fast to Reason
60. How to Maintain One's Place
61. The Virtue of Humility
62. Practise Reason
63. Consider Beginnings
64. Mind the Insignificant
65. The Virtue of Simplicity
66. Putting Oneself Behind
67. The Three Treasures
68. Complying With Heaven
69. The Function of the Mysterious
70. Difficult to Understand
71. The Disease of Knowledge
72. Holding Oneself Dear
73. Daring to Act
74. Overcome Delusion
75. Harmed Through Greed
76. Beware of Strength
77. Heaven's Reason
78. Trust in Faith
79. Keep Your Obligations
80. Remaining in Isolation
81. Propounding the Essential

Comments and Alternative Readings

Chapter I.
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 42
Chapter 45
Chapter 47
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 54
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 74
Chapter 75
Chapter 78
Chapter 79
Chapter 80