The Dao De Jing, #73: If You Are Courageous in Daring, You Will Die

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 #73: If You Are Courageous in Daring, You Will Die.

If you are courageous in daring you will die.

If you are courageous in not-daring you will live.

Among these two, one is beneficial and the other is harmful.

Who understands the reason why Heaven dislikes what it dislikes?

Even the sage has difficulty in knowing this.

The Way of Heaven is to win easily without struggle.

To respond well without words,

To naturally come without special invitation,

To plan well without anxiety.

Heaven's net is vast.

It is loose.

Yet nothing slips through.