將 欲 取 天 下 而 為 之 吾 見 其 不 得 已 [(•)夫] 天 下 神 器 • 不 可 為 也(•) 為 者 敗 之 執 者 失 之 (•)故 物 或 行 或 隨 或 (歔) 或 吹 或 強 或 羸 或 挫 或 隳 是 以 聖 人 去 甚 去 奢 去 泰 Would you take hold of the world and control it? I see you have no choice. Now : the world is a divine vessel, You can not control it (indeed!). He who acts, ruins it; He who grasps, loses it. Therefore : creatures are Sometimes active, sometimes passive, Sometimes breathe heavy, sometimes breathe easy, Sometimes strong, sometimes weak, Sometimes oppressed, sometimes overthrown. Thus the sage : Removes the extremes, Removes the extravagant and wasteful, Removes the arrogance. ♦Would2 you take hold of the world2 and control it? [manage,handle,administer] ♦I see you have no choice3. [he] Now : the world2 is a divine vessel, [spiritual,supernatural,mystical,miraculous] You can not control it (indeed!). [manage,handle,administer] ♦He who acts, ruins it; ♦He who grasps, loses it. Therefore : creatures are Sometimes active, sometimes passive, [might,maybe] [might,maybe] [submissive] Sometimes breathing heavyA, sometimes breathing easy,B [might,maybe] [snort] [might,maybe] [puff] Sometimes strong, sometimes weak, [might,maybe] [might,maybe] Sometimes oppressed, sometimes overthrown.C [might,maybe] [might,maybe] ♦Thus2 the sage2 : ♦Removes the extremes, Removes the extravagant and wasteful, Removes the arrogance{exalted}. Notes A : every source uses a different symbol here! B : it is hard to figure out what this sentence is trying to say (literally, “sometimes snort, sometimes blow” in WB); and there is no concensus from the other sources, as they use “exhale … blow”, “flatter … brag”, “breathe silently … breathe loudly” C : other than WB and HSG, every source has a different pair in this line! Cross-references possess or take hold of the world or nation : #48, #57, #59, #61 have no choice : #30, #31 he who acts, ruins it : #64 he who grasps, loses it : #64 creatures sometimes X…Y : #42 strong : #3, #30, #33, #36, #52, #55, #67, #78 weak : #3, #36, #40, #55, #76, #78 Chapter Thirty 以 道 佐 人 主 者 不 以 兵 強 天 下 其 事 好 還 師 之 所 處 荊 棘 生 焉 大 軍 之 後 必 有 凶 年