24

Those who tiptoe don’t stand those who stride don’t walk those who consider themselves don’t appear those who display themselves don’t shine those who flatter themselves achieve nothing those who parade themselves don’t lead travelers have a saying too much food and a tiring pace some things are simply bad those who possess the Way thus shun them

TE-CH’ING says, “People raise themselves up on their tiptoes to see over the heads of others, but they cannot stand like this for long. People take longer strides to stay in front of others, but they cannot walk like this very far. Neither of these is natural.”

WU CH’ENG says, “To tiptoe is to lift the heels in order to increase one’s height. To stride is to extend the feet in order to increase one’s pace. A person can do this for a while but not for long. Likewise, those who consider themselves don’t appear for long. Those who display themselves don’t shine for long. Those who flatter themselves don’t succeed for long. And those who parade themselves don’t lead for long.”

SU CH’E says, “Anyone can stand or walk. But if those who are not content with standing tiptoe to extend their height or those who are not content with walking stride to increase their speed, their stance and their pace are sure to suffer. It’s the same with those who consider themselves, or display themselves, or flatter themselves, or parade themselves. It’s like eating or drinking. As soon as you’re full, stop. Overeating will make you ill. Or it’s like manual work. As soon as you’re done, quit. Overwork will only exhaust you.”

SUNG CH’ANG-HSING says, “Selfless and free of desire is the mind of the sage. Conniving and clever is the mind of the common person. Observing themselves, displaying themselves, flattering themselves, and parading themselves, they hasten their end, like someone who eats too much.”

LI HSI-CHAI says, “Those who cultivate the Tao yet still think about themselves are like people who overeat or overwork. Food should satisfy the hunger. Work should suit the task. Those who keep to the Way do only what is natural.”

LU HUI-CH’ING says, “Why should Taoists avoid things? Doesn’t the Tao dwell in what others avoid? [see verse 8.] Taoists don’t avoid what others hate, namely humility and weakness. They only avoid what others fight over, namely flattery and ostentation. Hence, they avoid some things and not others. But they never fight.”

CHANG TAO-LING says, “Who follows the Way lives long. Who loses the Way dies early. This is the unbiased law of Heaven. It doesn’t depend on offerings or prayers.”

Line two does not appear in either Mawangtui text but does appear in all other texts and is needed here to establish the rhyme. In line two, k’ua (stride) can also mean “straddle.” Ts’ao Tao-ch’ung says, “Those who straddle two sides are unsure of the Way.” Lines three through six also appear in slightly different form in verse 22, and some commentators have read 22 and 24 as a single verse. For the wording and order of lines three through six, I have followed the Mawangtui texts, which reverse lines three and four and which have shih (consider/observe) in place of the standard shih (approve). A number of commentators think line eight is corrupt and suggest instead: “leftover food and a cyst-covered body.” Although sufficiently repulsive, this is not the sort of warning we would expect of seasoned travelers of the Way. The last two lines also appear as lines two and three in verse 31. This verse is absent in the Kuotien texts.