Line by Line - Verse 44, Lines 7-8

Who knows to stop
Incurs no blame.
From danger free
Long live shall he.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

He who knows when to stop does not find himself in trouble.
He will stay forever safe.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Knowing when to stop avoids danger
Thus one can endure indefinitely
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

If you practice moderation,
you can stay out of trouble.
And that's the secret to lasting success.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

In his own way, I think Ron Hogan captures the essential message of this verse.

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