Chapter 24

Standing on tiptoes,
you lose contact with the ground and grow unsteady.
Trying to take great strides,
you forget how to walk.
Trying to show off,
you conceal what actually shines.
Concentrating on your righteousness,
you misplace your real qualities.
Praising yourself,
you make yourself ridiculous.
In relation to the Tao, that’s all just crap.
If you must embody ambition,
make it to steadiness and stillness.

© 2003