the short of it:
Don’t condemn the already condemned.
73. Freedom of Action.
One [person] who has the courage to dare, will be slain; and another who has the courage to restrain [themselves] (not to dare), will survive. Of these two, one seems to have the advantage and the other the damage. But who can tell why either of them should be the object of Heaven’s hatred? This is why the sage holds it difficult (to act).
The Tau of Heaven does not strive, yet conquers well, -does not speak, yet answers well, -does not call, yet things come of their own accord, -is slack, yet plans well. The net of heaven is very wide in its meshes, and yet misses nothing.
73. Action Is Dangerous.
Courage carried to daring leads to death. Courage restrained by caution leads to life. These two things, courage and caution, are sometimes beneficial and sometimes harmful. Some things are rejected by heaven, who can tell the reason? Therefore the wise [person] deems all action difficult.
The Tao of heaven does not quarrel, yet it conquers. It speaks not, yet its response is good. It issues no summons but things come to it naturally because its devices are good. Heaven’s net is vast, indeed! Its meshes are wide but it loses nothing.
73. Daring to Act.
73.1 Courage, if carried to daring, leads to death; courage, if not carried to daring, leads to life. Either of these two things is sometimes beneficial, sometimes harmful.
73.2 “Why ’t is by heaven rejected, Who has the reason detected?”
Therefore the holy [person] also regards it as difficult.
73.3 The Heavenly Reason strives not, but it is sure to conquer. It speaks not, but it is sure to respond. It summons not, but it comes of itself. It works patiently, but is sure in its designs.
73.4 Heaven’s net is vast, so vast. It is wide-meshed, but it loses nothing.
the Death Chapters (Part 1):
Ironically, Lao Tsu’s conceptual Heaven’s net is the antithesis of the Christian Heaven (see Chap 68 on the Chinese word for Heaven). Here on Earth, brave people often die and cowards often live (and vice versa). But no one can escape nature’s final judgement, death.
Therefore the sage is forever hesitant to act. They understand all actions have serious, but often arbitrary, consequences. So why run around condemning people when they are already condemned? Better to let everyone live and let nature sort them out.
-TB
