Balance of the Tao

The Dao of Heaven operates like drawing a bow—

If the string is too high, lower it; if too low, raise it.
Reduce what is excessive, supplement what is lacking.
The law of nature diminishes surplus to replenish deficiency.
But the way of humans is the opposite—exploiting the poor to serve the rich!

Who can take the surplus and offer it to the world? Only those aligned with the Dao!
Thus, the sage acts without claiming merit, achieves greatness without clinging to it.
This is precisely because he never seeks to parade his own virtue!

(Note: This chapter uses the metaphor of "adjusting a bowstring" to reveal the contradiction between Heaven’s pursuit of balance and humanity’s creation of inequality. By contrasting the "Dao of Heaven" with the "way of humans," Laozi critiques the exploitative nature of human society—"robbing the poor to serve the rich"—while praising the sage’s humility in "achieving without boasting." The rhetorical question at the end, "Does he not refuse to flaunt his virtue?" subtly rejects worldly values of fame and gain, echoing the core Daoist principle of "the Dao follows nature" (道法自然). This chapter resonates across time with modern issues of wealth disparity, highlighting Daoism’s timeless call for fairness and harmony.)**