No Talents are Wasted, The Function of Skill, This is a Great Paradox,
Dexterity in Using the Dao, Cultivating Perfection,
A Good Walker Leaves no
Tracks, Dexterity in Using the Dao,
巧用
"A good traveler leaves no tracks,
A good speaker is without flaw.
A good planner does not calculate.
A good doorkeeper does not lock, yet it cannot be opened.
A good knotter does not use binding, yet it cannot be undone.
Therefore, the sage is good at his earnest demands upon people.
So no one is left out.
No talent is wasted.
This is called being in the tow of enlightenment.
And it ensures the good person.
For everything that is good is the teacher of the good person.
For everything that is bad becomes the resource for the good person.
No need to honor the teachers.
No need to love the resources.
Though knowing this is a great paradox,
It is the subtle principle."
- Translated by
Edward Brennan and Tao Huang, 2002, Chapter 27
"The perfect traveler leaves no trail to be followed;
The perfect speaker leaves no question to be answered;
The perfect accountant leaves no working to be completed;
The perfect container leaves no lock to be opened;
The perfect knot leaves no end to be raveled.
So the sage nurtures all men
And abandons no one.
He accepts everything
And rejects nothing.
He attends to the smallest details.
So the strong must guide the weak,
For the weak are raw material for the strong.
If the guide is not respected,
Or the material is not cared for,
Confusion will result, no matter how clever one is.
This is the secret of perfection;
When raw wood is carved, it becomes a tool;
When a man is employed, he becomes a tool;
The perfect carpenter leaves no wood to be carved."
- Translated by
Peter A. Merel, 1992, Chapter 27
Tao Te Ching
Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching
Translated by Livia Kohn
Dao De Jing: The Book of the Way
"A good traveler leaves no trace.
A good speaker makes no slips.
A good accountant uses no devices.
A good door needs no bolts to remain shut.
A good fastener needs no rope to hold its bond.
Therefore the wise are good at helping people,
and consequently no one is rejected.
They are good at saving things,
and consequently nothing is wasted.
This is called using the Light.
Therefore the good teach the bad,
and the bad are lessons for the good.
Those who neither value the teacher nor care for the lesson
are greatly deluded, though they may be learned.
Such is the essential mystery."
- Translated by
Sanderson Beck, 1996, Chapter 27
"A good traveler has no fixed plans
and is not intent upon arriving.
A good artist lets his intuition
lead him wherever it wants.
A good scientist has freed himself of concepts
and keeps his mind open to what is.
Thus the Master is available to all people
and doesn't reject anyone.
He is ready to use all situations
and doesn't waste anything.
This is called embodying the light.
What is a good man but a bad man's teacher?
What is a bad man but a good man's job?
If you don't understand this, you will get lost,
however intelligent you are.
It is the great secret."
- Translated by
Stephen Mitchell, 2006, Chapter 27
By Alexander Simkins. 
By Derek Lin.
By Ming-Dao Deng.
By Benjamin Hoff.
By Ming-Dao Deng.
Translated by Thomas Cleary.
"Good walking leaves no tracks
good talking reveals no flaws
good counting counts no beads
good closing locks no locks
and yet it can't be opened
good tying ties no knots
and yet it can't be undone
thus the sage is good at saving others
and yet abandons no one
nor anything of use
this is called cloaking the light
thus, the good instruct the bad
the bad learn from the good
not honoring their teachers
not cherishing their students
the wise alone are perfectly blind
this is called peering into the distance."
- Translated by
Red Pine, 1996,
Chapter 27
Translated by Eva Wong 
Translated by Philip Ivahoe
By James Miller
Translated by Stephen Bokencamp
By Alexander and Annellen Simpkins
Translated by Thomas Cleary
By Livia Kohn
"The skilful traveler leaves no traces of his wheels or footsteps.
The skilful speaker says nothing that can be found fault with or blamed.
The skilful reckoner uses no tallies.
The skilful closer needs no bolts or bars, while to open what he has shut will
be impossible.
The skilful binder uses no strings or knots, while to unloose what he has bound
will be impossible.
In the same way the sage is always skilful at saving men, and so he does not
cast away any man;
He is always skilful at saving things, and so he does not cast away anything.
This is called 'Hiding the light of his procedure.'
Therefore, the man of skill is a master to be looked up to by him who has not
the skill.
He who has not the skill is the helper of the reputation of him who has the
skill.
If the one did not honor his master, and the other did not rejoice in his
helper, an observer, though intelligent, might greatly err about them.
This is called 'The utmost degree of mystery.'"
- Translated by
James Legge, 1891,
Chapter 27
By Hu Xuzehi
Annotated translation by Victor Mair 
By Ha Poong Kim
By Hans-Georg Moeller 
By Roger T. Ames and David T. Hall
By Wes Burgess
By Arthur Waley
"Good travelers leave no trace nor track,
Good speakers, in logic show no lack,
Good counters need no counting rack.
Good lockers bolting bars need not,
Yet none their locks can loose.
Good binders need no string nor knot,
Yet none unties their noose.
Therefore the holy man is always a good savior of men, for there are no outcast
people.
He is always a good savior of things, for there are no outcast things.
This is called applied enlightenment.
Thus the good man does not respect multitudes of men.
The bad man respects the people's wealth.
Who does not esteem multitudes nor is charmed by their wealth, though his
knowledge be greatly confused,
He must be recognized as profoundly spiritual."
- Translated by
Daisetsu Teitaro Suzuki and
Paul Carus, 1913 , Chapter 27
Translation and elucidation by Hua Ching Ni
Translated by Brian Walker
Translated by Arthur Waley
Translated by Lionel and and Herbert Giles
By Eva Wong
"The conduct of the virtuous leaves neither trace nor clue.
The words of the virtuous afford no ground for fault-finding.
The projects of the virtuous require no intrigue.
When the virtuous are obstructed in their policy, though there be no bolt to the
door which shuts them in, it yet cannot be opened.
When the virtuous enter into relations with others, though they be not bound by
the ties of contract, they yet may not release themselves from their
obligations.
Thus the Sage ever uses his goodness in saving others; and therefore there are
none who are abandoned.
He ever uses his goodness in saving the inanimate creation; and therefore there
are none of these who are abandoned.
This is called being doubly enlightened.
Wherefore the virtuous man is the teacher, or patron, of the bad man, while the
bad man is employed as material, on which to work, by the virtuous man.
If the bad man does not reverence the other as his teacher, nor the good man
love the former as his material; then, in spite of any wisdom either may
possess, they are both greatly blinded.
This doctrine is both important and sublime."
- Translated by
Frederic H. Balfour, 1884, Chapter 27
Walking the Way: 81 Zen Encounters with the Tao Te Ching
The Tao of Zen
Tao Te Ching: Zen Teachings on the Taoist Classic
Buddhism and Taoism Face to Face: Scripture, Ritual, and Iconographic Exchange in Medieval China
"He who walks in goodness leaves his trace in the Inner Life.
He who speaks in goodness carries no blame to the Inner Life.
He who reckons in goodness does not need to use a tally.
The good man has power to close the inner door and no one can open it.
The good man has power to tie the inner knot and no one can untie it.
That is why the self-controlled man always uses goodness in helping men, thus he draws them to the Inner Life.
He always uses goodness in helping creatures, thus he draws them to the Inner Life.
This is called being doubly illuminated.
Therefore the good man masters the man who is not good,
And the man who is not good is helper to the good man.
He who does not honour his master,
He who does not love his helper,
Though counted wise, is greatly deceived.
This is called important and mysterious."
- Translated by
Isabella Mears, 1916, Chapter 27
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Lao-tzu's Taoteching
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Tao Te
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