Translation: Tao Te King – Chapter 48. The trouble with knowledge

Chapter 48. The trouble with knowledge

Somatic and non-somatic ache grows every day from pursuing knowledge.

A picture of Erik Satie
Here is a picture of Erik Satie. Uploaded from Gallica Digital Library by JB. PD-life-plus-hundred

But this ache is lessened every day by reaching Tao.

Do you shorten your effort constantly , until there is nothing left of it?

There is nothing that non-action could not accomplish.

Human could without any pain start to rule the world. But those who make much noise about ruling the world are not ready for it.


Own translation from 1925 Finnish translation by Pekka Ervast (ISBN 951-8995-01-X) with kind permission of Ruusu-Ristin Kirjallisuusseura ry.

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