Chapter 67

天下皆謂我道大，似不肖。
夫唯大，故似不肖；
若肖，久矣其細也夫！
我有三寶，持而保之。
一曰慈，二曰儉，三曰不敢為天下先。
慈故能勇；
儉故能廣；
不敢為天下先，故能成器長。
今舍慈且勇；
舍儉且廣；
舍後且先；
死矣！
夫慈以戰則勝，以守則固。
天將救之，以慈衛之。

All the world says that my Way is great and seems to resemble nothing.
Precisely because it is great, it seems to resemble nothing;
if it resembled anything, it would long ago have become small!
I have three treasures that I hold and keep.
The first is compassion, the second is frugality, the third is not daring to be first in the world.
With compassion, one can be brave;
with frugality, one can be generous;
not daring to be first in the world, one can become the head of all things.
Now to give up compassion and still be brave,
to give up frugality and still be generous,
to give up being last and still be first:
that is death!
Fight with compassion, and one wins; defend with it, and one holds firm.
When heaven would save someone, it guards him with compassion.