The forceful and violent will not die from natural causes.

Thus an army without flexibility never wins a battle. A tree that is unbending is easily broken.

. . . These are notions of the mind, which is like a knife, always chipping away at the Tao, trying to render it graspable and manageable. But that which is beyond form is ungraspable, and that which is beyond knowing is unmanageable. There is, however, this consolation: She who lets go of the knife will find the Tao at her fingertips.

The Way begets one; one begets two; two begets three; three begets the myriad creatures.

In the Golden Age, Rulers were unknown. In the following age Rulers were loved and praised. Next came the age When rulers were feared. Finally the age When rulers are hated.

The wise man, after learning something new, is afraid to learn anything more until he has put his first lesson into practice.

In order to eliminate the negative influences, simply ignore them.