Three Precious Things: Gentleness, Compassion, Mercy, Economy, Thriftiness, Patience, Liberality, Benevolence, Generosity, Humility; Three Precious Values: Compassion, Economy, Modesty; Victory, Strength, Leadership 三寶
"All in the world call me great; but I resemble the unlikely.
Now a man is great only because he resembles the unlikely.
Did he resemble the likely, how lasting, indeed, would his mediocrity be!
1 have three treasures which I cherish and prize.
The first is called compassion.
The second is called economy.
The third is called not daring to come to the front in the world.
The compassionate can be brave;
The economical can be generous;
Those who dare not come to the front in the world can become perfect as chief
vessels.
Now, if people discard compassion and are brave;
If they discard economy and are generous;
If they discard modesty and are ambitious, they will surely die."
- Translated by
D. T. Suzuki and Paul Carus, 1913,
Chapter 67
"All the world says that, while my Tao is great, it yet appears to be
inferior to other systems of teaching.
Now it is just its greatness that makes it seem to be inferior.
If it were like any other system, for long would its smallness have been known!
But I have three precious things which I prize and hold fast.
The first is gentleness; the second is economy; and the third is shrinking from
taking precedence of others.
With that gentleness I can be bold;
With that economy I can be liberal;
Shrinking from taking precedence of others, I can become avessel of the highest
honor.
Now-a-days they give up gentleness and are all for being bold;
Economy, and are all for being liberal;
The hindmost place, and seek only to be foremost;
Which in the end is death.
Gentleness is sure to be victorious even in battle, and firmly to maintain its
ground.
Heaven will save its possessor, by his very gentleness protecting him."
- Translated by
James Legge, 1891, Chapter 67
By Alexander Simkins. 
By Derek Lin.
By Ming-Dao Deng.
By Benjamin Hoff.
By Ming-Dao Deng.
Translated by Thomas Cleary.
"In the world each says
My Tao is great and seems to lack resemblance
In the end only great therefore seems to lack resemblance.
It looks like resemblance goes with the long-lasting
With what is tiny as well.
In the end I possess three principles I am obtaining yet defending
One, say compassion
Two, say thrift
Three say lack of venturing to act to precede the world.
Compassion, so be able to be brave
Thrift, so be able to expand
Lack venturing to act to precede the world
So be able to perfect tools of growth.
Right now, abandon compassion just to be brave
Abandon thrift just to expand
Abandon being behind just to precede
Death goes with these.
In the end with compassion
A war happens and next comes conquering
Keeping to it happens and next comes solidity.
The heavens attain helping
It happens that compassion is defending."
- Translated by
David Lindauer, Chapter 67
"Everyone, says that my Tao is great,
seemingly different (from yours).
Because it is great, it seems different.
If it were not different,
it would have vanished long ago.
I have three treasures which I hold and keep.
The first is mercy;
the second is economy (thrifty);
the third is daring not to be ahead of others (which draws jealousy).
From mercy comes courage;
from economy comes generosity;
staying behind ensures maturity and fulfillment.
Nowadays men shun mercy and be brave;
abandon economy and be wasteful;
do not believe in humility, but always try to be the first.
This ensures death.
Mercy brings victory in battle and strength in defense.
If God wants to save him, makes him have mercy."
- Translated by
Tienzen Gong,
Chapter 67
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
"The Tao may appear to be idealistic, but if you can put
it into practice, you realize its greatness.
There are three traits which are required. 1. Compassion. 2. Patience. 3.
Humility
Compassionate and you can face things the way they are.
Thus you can forgive yourself of any mistake.
Patient and you remain unmoved until the right opportunity arises.
Humble and you overcome self-importance, thus the ego.
In following the Tao, these are your three most valuable treasures."
- Translated by
David Bullen,
Chapter 67
"The world calls my Tao great but myself insignificant.
Yes: the clearer Tao manifests the more meaningless the ego becomes.
Worth nothing and without duration is he who wants to rate and be of importance.
Three treasures I guard which endure: the first is compassion the second
frugality the third modesty.
Compassion makes me brave frugality generous modesty a carrier of the eternal.
Today the inconsiderate is called brave the spendthrift generous the go-getter
progressive.
They are progressing away from the essential thing toward decay toward death
while the compassionate conquer through gentleness remaining in existence
through non-resistance.
Heaven fills with compassion those it wants to preserve."
- Translated by
Schmidt, Chapter
67
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
"Everyone under Heaven regards my Tao as Great,
resembling nothing else.
Great, yes; that is the reason it resembles nothing else.
If it resembled anything else, it would have slight chance of survival.
I have three Treasures to hold and protect.
The first is Compassion.
The second is Economy.
The third is not presuming to be the First under Heaven.
Compassion permits Courage.
Economy makes Generosity possible.
Not presuming to be the First under Heaven is a quality of Leadership.
Now, abandon Compassion and consider Courage.
Abandon Frugality and consider Generosity.
Abandon Humility and consider Leadership.
Impossible !
Now, Compassion in battle leads to Victory; Compassion in Defense lends
strength.
Heaven will assist the commander who exhibits Compassion."
- Translated by
Karl Kromal, 2002,
Chapter 67
"Everyone says my Dao is so great that it does not look
like anything.
I say because it is so great, it does not look like anything.
If it were like anything, it would have disappeared long ago.
I have three treasures to keep and protect:
The first is kindness, the second is thrift, and the third is not fighting to be
first.
Only if you are kind, can you be brave;
Only if you are thrifty, can you be generous;
Only if you do not fight to be first, can you be a leader.
However, the people today are not kind but brave,
Are not thrifty but generous,
Are not humble but want to be leaders.
These people are destined for failure.
With kindness, when you fight, you will win; when you defend, you will be
strong.
If the heavens wants to save someone, it will always give him kindness as his
defense."
- Translated by
Xiaolin Yang,
Chapter 67
Tao Te Ching
Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching
Translated by Livia Kohn
Dao De Jing: The Book of the Way
"Tao is Great and do not have equals or similar to It!
It resides so deeply and is so subtle that one cannot catch It or force It to do
something!
I possess three treasures valuable to me: the first is benevolence, the second
is frugality, and the third is that I do not stand ahead of others.
I am benevolent, thus I can be brave.
I am frugal, thus I can generous.
I do not stand ahead of others, thus I can be a wise leader.
He who is brave without love, generous without frugality, who tries to be ahead
of others and pushes others away — such a person suffers failure.
One of the contrary, he who is full of love achieves victory.
And he is unconquerable because Tao constantly guards him."
- Translated by
Mikhail Nikolenko,
Chapter 67
"The whole world calls my Way vast
And says it resembles nothing else.
It is precisely because it is vast
That it resembles nothing else.
If it resembled something else
How could it be anything but small?
I have three treasures
I hold to and cherish.
The first is compassion,
The second is moderation,
The third is called not rashly
Taking the lead in the realm.
Being compassionate I can show courage,
Being moderate I can be generous,
Not rashly taking the lead
I can command the officials.
Courage without compassion,
Generosity without moderation,
Going in front instead of behind,
Is certain to end in destruction.
With compassion you will win in war
And be impregnable in peace.
Heaven will protect you
With the gift of compassion."
- Translated by
A. S. Kline, 2003, Chapter 67
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
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