When a reconciliation is effected (between two parties) after a great animosity, there is sure to be a grudge remaining (in the mind of the one who was wrong). And how can this be beneficial (to the other)? Therefore (to guard against this), the sage keeps the left-hand portion of the record of the engagement, and does not insist on the (speedy) fulfilment of it by the other party. (So), he who has the attributes (of the Tao) regards (only) the conditions of the engagement, while he who has not those attributes regards only the conditions favourable to himself. In the Way of Heaven, there is no partiality of love; it is always on the side of the good man.
When we reconcile with someone after real harm, traces of resentment linger—in them, in us, or both. The sage doesn't demand immediate proof of change or cling to records of what was owed. Instead, she holds her claims lightly, trusting the integrity of the agreement itself rather than policing its fulfillment. This isn't weakness; it's the recognition that love and trust cannot be forced, and that our job is to embody the good we wish to see, not to keep score.
We live in an age of permanent documentation and grievance. Every wrong is recorded, amplified, demanded as evidence in an endless trial. Our culture assumes the worst will happen again and structures itself around vigilance and leverage. Yet this chapter whispers that such armor—however justified it feels—corrodes the very reconciliation we claim to want. The world's divisions deepen not because people lack reasons to hold grudges, but because we've made grudge-keeping our primary moral practice. The chapter asks: what if we tried something else?
Today, notice where you're holding a record—a promise unkept, a hurt unhealed, a debt unpaid. Not to forget it, but to feel the weight of carrying it. Then gently ask: what would it cost to set down just this one ledger, to trust the structure of the agreement rather than police its terms? See what shifts when you stop being the accountant and become the gardener instead.