Sacred Text · The Tao Te Ching
Tao Te Ching, chapter 67
Chapter 67 of 81
“All the world says that, while my Tao is great, it yet appears to be inferior (to other systems of teaching). Now it is just its greatness that makes it seem to be inferior. If it were like any other (system), for long would its smallness have been known! But I have three precious things which I prize and hold fast. The first is gentleness; the second is economy; and the third is shrinking from taking precedence of others. With that gentleness I can be bold; with that economy I can be liberal; shrinking from taking precedence of others, I can become a vessel of the highest honour. Now-a-days they give up gentleness and are all for being bold; economy, and are all for being liberal; the hindmost place, and seek only to be foremost;--(of all which the end is) death. Gentleness is sure to be victorious even in battle, and firmly to maintain its ground. Heaven will save its possessor, by his (very) gentleness protecting him.”
Tao Te Ching 67 · Legge
Translation: James Legge (1891), The Tâo Teh King, Sacred Books of the East vol. XXXIX, public domain, via Project Gutenberg (ebook 216). Reproduced in full and in context; chapter 1 and the chapter count (81 chapters) validated against the source before publishing. Legge’s round brackets are his own clarifying insertions.
Christian comparison
How this connects to Jesus
The sage’s three treasures are gentleness, economy, and not presuming to be first in the world. Jesus blessed the same spirit: blessed are the meek and blessed are the poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3-5), and he said the one who would be first must be last of all (Mark 9:35). A striking agreement on the treasures of a humble heart.
Explore: The three treasuresWhy Jesus?Read the Gospel