726. Shut out of site things of desire so that people's hearts shall not be disturbed.




727. Banish wisdom, discard knowledge; banish humanity, discard justice; banish cunning, discard utility.





728. Tao’s principles operate naturally. Renounce all ethical sermons.





729. Accomplish but claim no credit.




730. Sages love:

l In their dwellings, they love the earth

l In their hearts, they love the profound

l In their relations with others, they love kindness

l In their words, they love sincerity

l In government, they love peace

l In business affairs, they love ability

l In their actions, they love choosing the right time





731. When gold and jade fill your hall, you will be unable to protect them;

To be proud with wealth and honor is to sow the seeds of your own downfall.

Retire when your work is done; such is the way of Tao.



732. By the existence of things, we profit; by the non-existence of things, we are served.





733. Those who value the world as themselves may then be entrusted with the government of the world; those who love the world as themselves may then be entrusted to care for the world.






734. Those who identify will be welcomed gladly:

Those who identify with Tao will be welcomed gladly by Tao

Those who identify with virtue will be welcomed gladly by Virtue

Those who identify with abandonment will be welcomed gladly by Abandonment

Those who identify with Satan will be welcomed gladly by Satan




735. Good ones need nothing:

l Good runners leave no tracks

l Good speeches leave no flaws for attack

l Good reckoners make use of no counter

l Well-shut doors make use of no bolts yet cannot be opened

l Well-tied knots make use of no rope yet cannot be untied

l Sages are good at helping people; therefore no one is rejected. They are good at saving things; therefore no thing is rejected.



736. The world is God's own Vessel

It cannot be used or held

Those who use it spoil it

Those who hold it lose it






737. The Sage eschews excess, eschews extravagance, eschews pride.



738. Those of superior virtue are not conscious of their virtue; hence, they attain it.

Those of inferior virtue are intent on not losing their virtue; hence, they are devoid of it.


739. Do not discuss in a higher presence:

l In the presence of Tao, do not discuss virtue

l In the presence of virtue, do not discuss benevolence

l In the presence of benevolence, do not discuss righteousness

l In the presence of righteousness, do not discuss courtesy

l Courtesy mainly refers to rules, laws, and regulations.



740. There is no greater curse than the lack of contentment and no greater sin than the desire for possession.



741. When governments are lazy and dull, their people are unspoiled;

when governments are efficient and smart, their people are discontented.

Good fortune lies within Bad, Bad fortune lurks within good.





742. The Tao of heaven blesses but does not harm; the Way of the Sage accomplishes but does not contend.





743. In the New Era, everyone needs health-cultivation to be free from disease. Health-cultivation needs the cultivation of essence, qi, spirit, and body. Before health cultivation, we need mind cultivation; before mind cultivation, we need virtue cultivation; before virtue cultivation, we need to enter Tao. Those who are good at health-cultivation can offer preventative treatments for diseases:

l Less speech nourishes the internal qi

l Forgetting anxiety and stress nourishes the spirit qi

l Mild taste nourishes the blood qi

l Avoiding anger nourishes the lung qi

l Eating sparingly nourishes the stomach qi

l Less thought nourishes the liver qi

l Less desire nourishes the heart qi

l Less lust nourishes the essence qi

Before you can cultivate your body, you first must calm your mind and be free from worry, persistence, delusion, lust, greed, and indulgence. Settle your inner spirit down while keeping your desire out.





744. What affects us?

l Fasting will cause you to lose weight

l Freedom from lust will clear your spirit

l Freedom from anxiety and stress will put your heart at peace

l A peaceful heart will lead to spiritual perception and to achieve Tao

l A troubled heart will leave you exhausted

l Excessive physical exertion will leave you timid

l Being too spiritual will make you weak

l Expending too much qi will finish you

l Being free from anxiety and stress will give you good spirit

l Speak less, and your qi will be good

l Be free from lust, and your essence will be sufficient

l Meat-eaters have thick auras, plant-eaters have clean auras, grain-eaters are wise, and qi-eaters are invigorated.





745. How do things affect qi?

l Anger drives qi up

l Joy smoothens qi

l Sadness eliminates qi

l Fear lowers qi

l Coldness restrains qi

l Heat allows qi to escape

l Shock scatters qi

l Overexertion expends qi

l Thinking blocks qi

l Silence generates qi

l Watching for too long hurts the blood

l Lying in bed for too long hurts qi

l Sitting for too long hurts the flesh

l Standing for too long hurts bones

l Walking for too long hurts muscles




746. Eat sparingly, sleep regularly, do not overwork or overuse your mind or body. Those who fear and think will harm their spirits, but those who are happy and joyous will not preserve theirs; those who are sorrowful will block their flow of qi; Those who are angry will be confused but will not be cured; those who are scared will not restrain and quiet their spirits.




747. Keeping calm and indifferent to fame and gain will prevent misery from approaching and evil from invading, strengthening your bones and muscles will keep your body healthy, reducing your cravings will preserve your spiritual health, and talking less will maintain your blessings sufficiently. Guard your eyes from improper sights, your ears from improper words, your nose from foul odors, your mouth from strong flavors and poison, and your mind from considering deceptive actions.






748. When you love someone, do not love them too much; when you hate someone, do not hate them too much. Keep fewer thoughts in your mind, fewer words in your mouth, less food in your stomach, and get less sleep at night. Excessive sleep makes your spirit dizzy, frequent drunkenness makes your qi scatter, excessive sweating hurts the blood, and exhaustion of strength damages the body. Moving continuously without resting disturbs your qi and frightens your spirit. Ascending to extreme heights causes serious shocks.






749. Remain undisturbed whether granted favour or subjected to humiliation, and your liver will be peaceful; Keep deferential and grateful whether in stillness or motion, and your heart will be calm; eat sparingly, and your spleen will not leak; practice pranayama and less speech, and your lungs will be sound; stay indifferent and do not crave, and your kidneys will be sufficient. Eat before you are hungry, but stop before you are full. Overeating hurts the spleen and stomach, and excessive thirst hurts the blood and the qi. Eat not to dullness in hunger and drink not to elevation in thirst to avoid food expansion and hurting your heart and lungs. Prevent the wind from blowing against your back, for no one enjoys longevity when the back of their head is constantly blown upon.



750. Anger weakens your qi, and illnesses will invade when your qi is weak; thoughts damage your spirit, and your heart is prone to uneasiness when your spirit is tied. Avoid extremes of joy and sorrow, eat a balanced diet, do not get drunk at night, and most importantly, never get upset in the morning. Do not see, hear, speak, or think about evil or improperness. Purify your heart and restrict your desire, stay indifferent to fame and gain, empty your brain, and then attain quietness in motion. Let your heart be at ease and your kidneys at rest, and lead a restful life.