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<title>04 - Chapters 25 - 30</title>
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25.

Something perfect
has existed forever,
even longer than the universe.
It's a vast, unchanging void.
There's nothing else like it.
It goes on forever and never stops,
and everything else came from it.

I don't know what else to call it 
so I'll call it Tao.
What's it like?
I can tell you this much: it's great.

So great that it endures.
Something that endures 
goes a long way.
And something that goes a long way 
always comes back to the beginning.

Tao's great.
Heaven's great.
Earth's great. 
And someone in touch with Tao
is great, too.
Those are the four greatest things
in the universe.
 
Someone who's in touch with Tao 
is in touch with the earth.
The earth is in touch with heaven.
Heaven's in touch with Tao.
Tao's in touch with the way things are.


26.

To be light on your feet, 
you need a steady mind.
If your body is active, 
your mind should be relaxed.

A Master can travel long distances 
and still see everything she owns.
She may be surrounded by beauty
but she isn't caught up in it.

Why run around thoughtlessly?
If you act lightly,
you lose your bearings.
If you act recklessly,
you lose your self-control.


27.

With enough practice,
you could come and go without a trace,
speak without stumbling over words,
do complicated math problems 
in your head.

You could build a door with no lock 
that nobody could open.
You could tie something down 
with no knots, 
without even a rope,
and nobody could pry it loose.

Masters have time to help everybody, 
and ignore nobody.
They use their resources wisely, 
wasting nothing.
Some people call this 
"following the light."

Good people teach others 
because they have the potential 
to be good too.
Brains count for nothing
if you fail to respect your teachers
or to honor the potential in others.
That's one of the most important lessons of Tao.


28.

If you are strong, 
but remain sensitive, 
power will flow through you.
With that power, 
you'll always be right with Tao:
It's like a whole new life.

If you are idealistic, 
but stay rooted in reality, 
you are an example to others.
Set that example, 
and you'll always be right with Tao:
There is no limit to what you can do.

If you are honorable, 
but remain humble, 
you will see things as they are.
If you see things as they are, 
you'll always be right with Tao:
Your life will become simple, 
yet full of potential.

Let Tao show you 
how to get right with Tao,
so your slightest gesture 
can change the world.


29.

Want to take over the world?
Think again.
The world's a holy place.
You can't just fuck around with it.
Those who try to change it destroy it.
Those who try to possess it lose it.

With Tao, you push forward, 
or maybe you stay behind.
Sometimes you push yourself, 
other times you rest.
Sometimes you're strong, 
sometimes you're weak.
Sometimes you're up, 
and sometimes you're down.

A Master lives simply, 
avoiding extravagance and excess.


30.

Listen up:
If you want to be a leader 
who's in touch with Tao,
never use violence 
to achieve your goals.

Every act of violence backfires.
An army on the move 
leaves a trail of tears,
and a military victory 
always lies in ruins.

The Masters do what needs doing 
and that's all they do.
Do what you have to do 
without arrogance or pride.
Get the job done 
and don't brag about it afterwards.
Do what you have to do, 
not for your own benefit,
but because it needs to be done.
And don't do it the way
you think it should be done,
do it the way it needs to be done.

The mighty will always lose their power 
and any connection 
they ever had to Tao.
They will not last long;
if you're not right with Tao, 
you might as well be dead.


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