43. Possession of Wisdom

Wisdom is a weapon that can ward off destruction.
It is an inner fortress that no enemy can assail.

Wisdom will harness the mind, diverting it
from wrong and directing it toward right.

Whatever is heard from whomever's lips,
wisdom will rightly discern its true meaning.

Wisdom speaks well, conveying each meaning clearly,
and listens for the subtlest sense in others' speech.

The wise befriend the wise and keep that friendship constant,
not opening and closing it like the petaled lotus.

It is wisdom to live in the world
in the way that the world lives.

Those who know, know what will happen next.
Such things are unknown to the unknowing.

It is folly not to fear what ought to be feared. 
So the wise dread what should be dreaded.

Fearsome sufferings shall never happen 
to knowing ones who guard against future happenings.

Those who possess wisdom possess everything.
Whatever others possess, without wisdom they have nothing.