181. A civilized society is one in which resources are shared by all its members; a barbaric one is one in which they are contested and claimed.
182. Everything is good in moderation but poisonous in excess.
183. All conflicts are irrational.
184. Throwing stones at each other is barbaric behavior.
185. A timely compromise is wise and a timely retreat can move you forward.
186. Associate with people but do not form cliques with them; this is an excellent quality of civilized people.
187. A man of great virtue does not claim virtue; a man of the great mercy does not flash mercy; the great image has no image; Tao never does anything, yet all things happen through it.
188. All are responsible for their words, behavior, and choices; none can escape this.
189. Do not treat others as your emotional trash cans by imposing your misery and sufferings upon them.
190. Be an honest person in word and deed.
191. Encourage frugality and a simple life; eschew extravagance and waste.
192. As a man sows, so he shall reap; good will be rewarded with good and evil with evil. There are no gates to fortune and misfortune; you create your own.
193. Whether broth or cooked rice, remember it is not easy to come by, for half a piece of silk or cotton thread, think of the difficulty in production; prepare for rainy days; do not wait for thirst before you dig a well; live frugally and do not give protracted parties; if utensils be plain and clean, pottery is better than gold and jade; if there is moderation and choice in food, vegetables are better than costly delicacies; do not build luxurious house, do not scheme for rich land.
194. Hyperopia (farsightedness) does not exist in oddity, and moral integrity does not travel along solitary journeys.Tao models itself after nature; union is strength.
195. Let everyone display their talents to their fullest and make the best uses of everything; it is the biggest waste to suppress talents and to let things go unused.
196. The more something is shared, the greater its value becomes.
197. Giving up is masterly gain; letting go is an ever-victorious way of having.
198. Vice is more harmful when concealed than revealed, but benevolence known to all is inferior to that known to none. Do not be arrogant and self-righteous, and claim credit for yourself.
199. Good processes naturally result in good results; if every detail were perfect, then every result would be fruitful.
200. Stay away from all evil conduct, but pursue all kind deeds.
What are evil conducts? Here are some examples:
- Profanity against the Greatest Creator, god, and deities
- Slanderous comments against celestials and Buddha
- Mockery of sages and saints
- Shame on ancestry
- Filial impiety
- Murder and robbery
- Maltreatment and slaughtering of animals
- Bullying the disadvantaged
- Scheming to harm one’s brothers and sisters
- Humiliating one’s superiors and seniors
- Hoodwinking young and inexperienced children
- Cheating kind people
- Defrauding strangers
- Vilifying one’s schoolmates
- Harming one’s colleagues, hideously
- Accusing falsely
- Stirring strife among clan members
- Maltreating one’s inferiors and claiming their merits as one’s own
- Fawning on one’s superiors for personal gains
- Showing no gratitude for favors
- Harboring endless resentment
- Slighting ordinary people
- Disrupting state affairs
- Encouraging injustice
- Torturing the innocent
- Blocking insect caves and overturning nests
- Destroying embryos and eggs
- Pilfering people’s harvests
- Masking people’s good and kind deeds
- Uncovering people’s weaknesses
- Damaging people’s countenances and images
- Forcing women to engage in prostitution
- Wasting people’s properties
- Riding roughshod over people
- Humiliating people to one’s own advantage
- Shifting blames onto others to protect oneself
- Shifting misfortunes onto others
- Acting arrogantly because of one’s wealth
- Deriding poor people
- Frustrating people’s advantages
- Covering one’s own disadvantages
- Theft and burglary
- Lying and deception
- Breaching the dyke and incendiarism
- Damaging people’s residences
- Damaging people’s property
- Ruining people’s accomplishments
- Envying people’s wealth and ranks
- Being jealous of people’s talents
- Trickery in business
- Selling substandard goods for the cost of good products
- Littering
- Smudging the environment
- Forcing people to do things that they cannot
- Encouraging people to commit suicide
- Digging up others’ ancestral tombs
- Destroying people’s homes
- Gossiping
- Disrupting people’s peace of mind
- Jumping the queue
- Showing ferocity
- Plagiarism and piracy
- Harming people behind their backs
- Embezzlement in the name of public welfare
- Concocting pretexts
- Corruption and bribery
- Arranging items randomly
- Dissipation and extravagance
- Instigating public unrest
- Advocating violence
- Destroying mountains and forests
- Uprooting grass randomly
- Polluting rivers
- Plunging people into abysses of misery
- Jerry-building
- Building dangerous structures
- Gathering people to gamble
- Scheming to cheat people of their money
- Publicizing ghosts and demons
- Poisoning souls
- Engaging in crookery
- Publicizing superstitions
- Building temples randomly
- Corrupting people’s feelings
- Engaging in witchcraft
- Conducting fortune telling
- Extracting human organs
- Injuring others’ limbs
- Cursing people and wishing them evil
- Praying for people’s misfortunes
- Greed
- Squandering food
- Laziness and acting slickly
- Comparison
- Behaving tumultuously
- Interrupting people’s rest
- Exposing people’s privacy
- Trespassing on the private residence
- Intimidating and threatening
- Kidnapping and hijacking
- Occupying people’s land and belongings
- Defaulting on one’s debts
- Abusing one’s power to seek personal gains
- Bullying people with one’s power
- Complaining and jealousy
- Trumpeting and flaunting
What are kind deeds? Here are some examples:
- Reverence for the Greatest Creator, LIFE, nature, god, and deities
- Following the examples of sages and saints
- Filial piety
- Respecting seniors and loving juniors
- Treating people equally
- Praising kind deeds
- Encouraging others
- Having a kind heart
- Loving others as oneself
- Showing compassion for those with misfortune
- Sharing others’ happiness
- Relieving people of their problems
- Rescuing people from danger
- Displaying others’ advantages
- Uncovering one’s disadvantages
- Relieving people for favors you have afforded them
- Repaying favors that are owed
- Not complaining about humiliation
- Harboring no hatred for hurt
- Let others gain wisdom through your illumination
- Leading people to sunshine
- Imparting knowledge
- Passing your skills on
- Diligence and thrift
- Working intensely, faithfully, and honestly
- Maintaining honesty
- Remaining simple and sincere
- Spreading happiness and joy
- Offering people freedom
- Helping people to find happiness
- Catching thieves and subduing demons when they are spotted
- Singing praises of sincerity and virtue
- Hiding other people’s wrongdoings but praising their good deeds
- Being practical and realistic
- Restricting falsehood
- Not pocketing anything found on the roadside
- Not bolting the door at night
- Finding pleasure in helping people
- Providing conveniences to people
- Consistency in words and deeds
- Acting and thinking in the same way
- Not following the path of evil
- Being scrupulously honest even in private
- Wishing for people’s safety
- Praying for people’s good fortune
- Being neither ostentatious nor extravagant, even when you can
- Engaging in no sycophancy when you are poor
- Feeling thankful
- Feeling appreciative
- Showing no arrogance when you have achieved your ambition
- Never giving up when faced with setbacks
- Encouraging people’s ambitions
- Promoting people’s confidence
- Helping people to fulfill their wishes
- Helping people to do their jobs
- Being faithful and forgiving to others
- Having generosity and tolerance
- Possessing courtesy and civility
- Abiding by order
- Retreating heroically before rushing torrents
- Standing aloof from worldly affairs
- Showing equity and justice
- Having impartiality
- Dedicating voluntarily
- Having a placid and peaceful mind
- Neatness and tidiness
- Having a benevolent and kind countenance
- Offering explanations for any doubt
- Showing hospitality and enthusiasm
- Being philanthropic and contributing
- Helping those in dangerous and strait situations
- Telling the truth
- Planting fruit trees
- Showing no arrogance or impetuosity
- Having a gentle and placid temper
- Restraining from ostentation
- Not envying rank and wealth
- Waking when dawn breaks
- Sleeping when dusk falls
- Being studious and eager to learn
- Shining as brightly as a mirror
- Dressing appropriately for the situation
- Having astounding beauty
- Projecting a pleasant image with every posture
- Being sanguine and lively
- Being good at relaxing and playing games
- Having pleasant voices
- Sweet tongues
- Considering others first in terms of benefit
- Considering oneself first whenever difficulty arises
- Open and aboveboard
- Doing nothing underhandedly
- Keeping to one’s duty cautiously
- Not coveting others’ property
- Loving peace
- Extensive love for the broad masses
- Closeness to nature
- Protecting grass and flowers
- Being easy to approach
- Having compassion for insects
Misfortunes and blessings have no gates; you have only yourself to blame for any possible misfortune; you will be rewarded with blessings for your good deeds; good will be rewarded with good and evil will be punished with evil; there is a close association between one’s deeds and their consequent reward.
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