DAO DE JING

Chapter 44

Translation by K Ellis

Which is closer to you:
your name, or your life?
Which holds more worth:
your life, or your possessions?
Which brings greater sorrow:
to gain, or to lose?

Therefore:
What you cling to too dearly will cost you greatly.
What you hoard in excess will bring deep loss.

To know contentment is to avoid disgrace.
To know when to stop is to avoid danger.
This is the path to a life that endures.

Translation © 2026 K Ellis. All rights reserved.