Translation: People in the world can say that “my Tao” is great and does not look like any specific thing. It is because it is great that it does not look like any specific thing. If it looks like any specific thing, then “Tao” will appear very small. I have three magic weapons to guard and preserve it: the first is called kindness; the second is called frugality; the third is not daring to be ahead of the people in the world. With this kindness, you can be brave; with frugality, you can be generous; not daring to be ahead of the people in the world, you can become the leader of all things. Now abandoning kindness and pursuing bravery; abandoning frugality and pursuing generosity; abandoning retreat and seeking to be ahead, the result is death. Kindness, when used for war, can win, and when used for defense, it can be consolidated. Whoever the heaven wants to help, it uses kindness to protect him.
This chapter is the self-narration of “Tao”, which talks about the specific application of the principles of “Tao” in politics and military affairs. Lao Tzu said that there are three principles of “Tao” (i.e., the Three Treasures), namely: “Compassion”, which is love plus sympathy; “Frugality”, which is to be reserved and thrifty, not extravagant, and not wanton; “Not daring to be the first in the world”, which is the idea of ”humility” and “non-contention”. People with “Tao” can achieve very good results by applying these three principles, otherwise, they will destroy themselves. This chapter is actually a summary of the 38th chapter of “Tao Te Ching”.
译文：天下人能说“我道”伟大，不像任何具体事物的样子。正因为它伟大，所以才不像任何具体的事物。如果它像任何一个具体的事物，那么“道”也就显得很渺小了。我有三件法宝执守而且保全它：第一件叫做慈爱；第二件叫做俭啬；第三件是不敢居于天下人的前面。有了这柔慈，所以能勇武；有了俭啬，所以能大方；不敢居于天下人之先，所以能成为万物的首长。现在丢弃了柔慈而追求勇武；丢弃了啬俭而追求大方；舍弃退让而求争先，结果是走向死亡。慈爱，用来征战，就能够胜利，用来守卫就能巩固。天要援助谁，就用柔慈来保护他。
这一章是“道”的自述，讲的是“道”的原则在政治、军事方面的具体运用。老子说，“道”的原则有三条(即三宝)，这就是：“慈”，即爱心加上同情感；“俭”，即含藏培蓄，不奢侈，不肆为；“不敢为天下先”，是“谦让”、“不争”的思想。有“道”的人运用这三条原则，能取得非常好的效果，否则，便会自取灭亡。本章实际是对《德经》三十八章以来的一个小结。
《道德经》(第六十七章)
天下皆谓我道大，
似不肖。
夫唯大，
故似不肖。
若肖，
久矣其细也夫！
我有三宝，
持而保之：
一曰慈，
二曰俭，
三曰不敢为天下先。
慈故能勇，
俭故能广，
不敢为天下先，
故能成器长。
今舍慈且勇，
舍俭且广，
舍后且先，
死矣。
夫慈，
以战则胜，
以守则固。
天将救之，
以慈卫之。
Chapter 67
All under heaven say that I am great, great but unconventional.
Now,
Precisely because I am unconventional,
I can be great;
If I were conventional,
I would long since have become a trifle.
I have always possessed three treasures that I guard and cherish.
The first is compassion,
The second is frugality,
The third is not daring to be ahead of all under heaven.
Now,
Because I am compassionate, I can be brave;
Because I am frugal, I can be magnanimous;
Because I dare not be ahead of all under heaven, I can be a leader in the completion of affairs.
If, today, I were to
Be courageous while forsaking compassion,
Be magnanimous while forsaking frugality,
Get ahead while forsaking the hindmost,
that would be death!
For compassion
In war brings victory,
In defense brings invulnerability.
Whomsoever heaven would establish,
It surrounds with a bulwark of compassion.
