In filling a cup, it is best to stop short of the rim.
An oversharpened edge will quickly blunt.
A house full of treasure cannot be secured.
Let wealth and power go to your head, and you will reap disaster.

Complete the project and move on: this is the Way of Heaven.

 

chapter notes:

The only intentional mistranslation in this chapter is converting “work” (gong) to “project”, which is arguably a perfectly fine translation.