The original text of Tao Te Ching in Palau

The original text of the Tao Te Ching in the Palau version is as follows:

The Tao may be Tao, but it is not a constant Tao. The name can be named, but it is not a constant name. The nameless is the beginning of all things; the famous is the mother of all things. Therefore, the constant no desire, in order to see its wonderful; constant desire, in order to see its mere. Both the same out of the same, a different name with the same name, the mystery of the mystery, the door of all the wonders.

The world knows that beauty is beautiful, evil has been; all know good, S is not good enough. The existence of the phase of birth is also, difficult and easy to become also, the length of the shape of the phase is also, high and low of the phase of the surplus is also, the sound of the phase and also, the successive follow each other, constant also. This is why the sages live in the matter of doing nothing, and practice the teaching of not saying anything. All things are made and not started, for and not relied on, successful and not living. The only way to live is not to go.

Translation:

The Tao can be spoken, but what is spoken is not the eternal Tao. The "name" can be named, but what is named is not the eternal "name". "Nothing is the origin of heaven and earth, and something is the root of all things. Therefore, we should always observe and realize the mystery of "Tao" from "nothing" and "Tao" from "something". From "something", one can always observe and realize the clues of "Tao". Both "nothing" and "something" have the same source but different names, and they can be called equally subtle and profound. They are the beginnings of all kinds of "wonders".

The world knows that beauty is beautiful because people know what ugliness is, and that goodness is good because people know what badness is. The existence and the absence are mutually generative, the difficult and the easy are mutually contributory, the long and the short are mutually comparative, the high and the low are mutually limiting, the sound and the voice are mutually antagonistic, and the first and the last are mutually generative in the order of generation.

Therefore, the saints do things in a way that is consistent with the way of heaven, in accordance with nature, and act without affirmation of precepts, so that all things come into being naturally without knowing their beginnings, and grow all things without taking them for themselves, and all things are accomplished without claiming credit for themselves. It is precisely because they do not claim credit that they do not lose.

Introduction to Tao Te Ching

The Tao Te Ching, a philosophical work written by Laozi during the Spring and Autumn Period, also known as Tao Te Ching, Laozi, Five Thousand Words, and Five Thousand Writings of Laozi, is a work written before the division of the pre-Qin sons in ancient China, and it is an important source of philosophical thought of the Taoists. The Tao Te Ching is divided into two chapters, the original text of the upper De Jing and the lower Tao Te Ching, which is not divided into chapters, was changed into the Tao Te Ching with 37 chapters in front and the De Jing after the 38th chapter, and was divided into 81 chapters.

The text of Tao Te Ching is organized in the philosophical sense of "morality", and discusses the ways of cultivating oneself, governing the country, using military force, and nourishing one's own life, while mostly aiming at politics, which is the so-called "inner saint and outer king", and is known as the king of all the sutras, for its profound meaning and broad coverage.

The book is the most important book in the history of the world.

The Tao Te Ching is one of the greatest masterpieces in Chinese history, and has had a profound impact on traditional philosophy, science, politics and religion. According to UNESCO statistics, Tao Te Ching is the cultural masterpiece that has been translated into the largest number of foreign languages besides the Bible. The Tao Te Ching has been recognized as "the source of Chinese culture" and "the king of all scriptures".

Refer to Baidu Encyclopedia - Tao Te Ching