圣人无常心，以百姓心为心。
　　
　　善者吾善之，不善者吾亦善之，德善。
　　信者吾信之，不信者吾亦信之，德信。
　　
　　圣人在天下，歙歙为天下浑其心，百姓皆注其耳目，圣人皆孩之。

　　The sage has no invariable mind of his own;
　　he makes the mind of the people his mind.
　　
　　To those who are good (to me), I am good;
　　and to those who are not good (to me), I am also good;--
　　and thus (all) get to be good.
　　To those who are sincere (with me), I am sincere;
　　and to those who are not sincere (with me), I am also sincere;--
　　and thus (all) get to be sincere.
　　
　　The sage has in the world an appearance of indecision,
　　and keeps his mind in a state of indifference to all.
　　The people all keep their eyes and ears directed to him,
　　and he deals with them all as his children.

　　出生入死。
　　
　　生之徒十有三，
　　死之徒十有三，
　　
　　人之生，动之死地亦十有三。
　　夫何故？以其生生之厚。
　　
　　盖闻善摄生者，陆行不遇兕虎，入军不被甲兵。
　　兕无所投其角，虎无所措其爪，兵无所容其刃。
　　夫何故？以其无死地。

　　Men come forth and live; they enter (again) and die.
　　
　　Of every ten three are ministers of life (to themselves);
　　and three are ministers of death.
　　
　　There are also three in every ten whose aim is to live,
　　but whose movements tend to the land (or place) of death.
　　And for what reason?
　　Because of their excessive endeavours to perpetuate life.
　　
　　But I have heard that he who is skilful in managing the life
　　entrusted to him for a time travels on the land without having to shun rhinoceros or tiger,
　　and enters a host without having to avoid buff coat or sharp weapon.
　　The rhinoceros finds no place in him into which to thrust its horn,
　　nor the tiger a place in which to fix its claws,
　　nor the weapon a place to admit its point.
　　And for what reason? Because there is in him no place of death.