Dao De Jing, #61: The Attribute of Humility

The Dao De Jing is not only one of the world's great classics, it is one of the foundations of Philosophical Daoism. A free online version of the Dao De Jing may be found here. Today we have #61: The Attribute of Humility.

A great state, one that lowly flows, becomes the empire's union, and the empire's wife.

The wife always through quietude conquers her husband, and by quietude renders herself lowly.

Thus a great state through lowliness toward small states will conquer the small states, and small states through lowliness toward great states will conquer great states.

Therefore some render themselves lowly for the purpose of conquering; others are lowly and therefore conquer.

A great state desires no more than to unite and feed the people; a small state desires no more than to devote itself to the service of the people; but that both may obtain their wishes, the greater one must stoop.