52

The world had a beginning which we call the Great Mother. Once we have found the Mother, we begin to know what Her children should be.

When we know we are the Mother’s child, we begin to guard the qualities of the Mother in us. She will protect us from all danger even if we lose our life.

Keep your mouth closed and embrace a simple life, and you will live care-free until the end of your days. If you try to talk your way into a better life, there will be no end to your trouble.

To understand the small is called clarity. Knowing how to yield is called strength. To use your inner light for understanding, regardless of danger, is called depending on the Constant.

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51

The Tao gives birth to all of creation. The virtue of Tao in nature nurtures them, and their family gives them form. Their environment then shapes them into completion. This is why every creature honors the Tao and its virtue.

No one tells them to honor the Tao and its virtue. It happens all by itself. So the Tao gives them birth, and its virtue cultivates them, cares for them, nurtures them, gives them a place of refuge and peace, helps them to grow and shelters them.

It gives them life without wanting to possess them and cares for them, expecting nothing in return. It is their master, but it does not seek to dominate them. This is called the dark and mysterious virtue.

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50

Those who leave the womb at birth and those who enter their source at death, of these; three out of ten celebrate life, three out of ten celebrate death, and three out of ten simply go from life to death. What is the reason for this? Because they are afraid of dying, therefore they cannot live.

One remains who clearly sees.* I have heard they can walk safely among the wild animals. When they go into battle, they remain unharmed. The animals find no place to attack them, and the weapons are unable to harm them. Why? Because they can find no place for death in them.

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49

The Master has no mind of her own. She understands the mind of the people.

To those who are good she treats them as good. To those who aren’t good she also treats as good. This is how she attains true goodness.

She trusts people who are trustworthy. She trusts people who aren’t trustworthy. This is how she gains trust.

The Master’s mind is shut off from the world. Only for the sake of the people does she muddle her mind. They look to her in anticipation, yet she treats them all as her children.

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48

One who seeks knowledge learns something new every day. One who seeks the Tao unlearns something new every day. Less and less remains until you arrive at non-action. When you arrive at non-action, nothing will be left undone.

Mastery of the world is achieved by letting things take their natural course. You cannot master the world by changing the natural way.

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47

Without opening your door, you can know the whole world. Without looking out of your window, you can understand the way of the Tao.

The more knowledge you seek, the less you understand.

The Master understands without leaving, sees clearly without looking, accomplishes much without doing anything.

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46

When the world follows the Tao, horses run free to fertilize the fields. When the world does not follow the Tao, war horses are bred outside the cities.

There is no greater transgression than condoning people’s selfish desires, no greater disaster than being discontent, and no greater retribution than for greed.

Whoever knows contentment will be at peace forever.

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45

The greatest accomplishments seem imperfect, yet their usefulness is not diminished. The greatest fullness seems empty, yet it will be inexhaustible.

The greatest straightness seems crooked. The most valued skill seems like clumsiness. The greatest speech seems full of stammers.

Movement overcomes the cold, and stillness overcomes the heat. That which is pure and still is the universal ideal.

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44

Which is more important, your honor or your life? Which is more valuable, your possessions or your person? Which is more destructive, success or failure?

Because of this, great love extracts a great cost and true wealth requires greater loss.

Knowing when you have enough avoids dishonor and knowing when to stop will keep you from danger and bring you a long, happy life.

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43

That which offers no resistance overcomes the hardest substances. That which offers no resistance can enter where there is no space.

Few in the world can comprehend the teaching without words or understand the value of non-action.

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42

*The Tao gave birth to One. The One gave birth to Two. The Two gave birth to Three. The Three gave birth to all things.

All things carry Yin yet embrace Yang. They blend their life breaths in order to produce harmony.

People despise being orphaned, widowed, and poor. But the noble ones take these as their titles. In losing, much is gained, and, in gaining, much is lost.

What others teach, I too will teach: ‘The strong and violent will not die a natural death.’

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41

When a superior person hears of the Tao, she diligently puts it into practice. When an average person hears of the Tao, he believes half of it and doubts the other half. When a foolish person hears of the Tao, he laughs out loud at the very idea. If he didn’t laugh, it wouldn’t be the Tao.

Thus it is said: The brightness of the Tao seems like darkness. The advancement of the Tao seems like retreat. The level path seems rough; the superior path seems empty. The pure seems to be tarnished, and true virtue doesn’t seem to be enough. The virtue of caution seems like cowardice, the pure seems to be polluted, the true square seems to have no corners, the best vessels take time to finish, the greatest sounds cannot be heard, and the greatest image has no form.

The Tao hides in the unnamed, yet it alone nourishes all things.

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40

All movement returns to the Tao. Weakness is how the Tao works.

All of creation is born from substance. Substance is born of nothingness.

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39

The masters of old attained unity with the Tao. Heaven attained unity and became pure. The earth attained unity and found peace. The spirits attained unity so they could minister. The valleys attained unity that they might be full. Humanity attained unity that they might flourish. Their leaders attained unity that they might set the example. This is the power of unity.

Without unity, the sky becomes filthy. Without unity, the earth becomes unstable. Without unity, the spirits become unresponsive and disappear. Without unity, the valleys become dry as a desert. Without unity, humankind can’t reproduce and becomes extinct. Without unity, our leaders become corrupt and fall.

The great view the small as their source, and the high take the low as their foundation. Their greatest asset becomes their humility. They speak of themselves as orphans and widows, thus they truly seek humility. Do not shine like the precious gem, but be dull as a common stone.

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38

The highest good is not to seek to do good, but to allow yourself to become it. The ordinary person seeks to do good things, and finds that they cannot do them continually.

The Master does not force virtue on others, thus she is able to accomplish her task. The ordinary person who uses force will find that they accomplish nothing.

The kind person acts from the heart and accomplishes a multitude of things. The righteous person acts out of pity, yet leaves many things undone. The moral person will act out of duty and, when no one responds, will roll up his sleeves and use force.

When the Tao is forgotten, there is righteousness. When righteousness is forgotten, there is morality. When morality is forgotten, there is the law. The law is the husk of faith, and trust is the beginning of chaos.

Our basic understandings are not from the Tao because they come from the depths of our misunderstanding. The Master abides in the fruit and not in the husk. She dwells in the Tao, and not with the things that hide it. This is how she increases in wisdom.

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37

The Tao never acts with force, yet there is nothing that it cannot do.

If rulers could follow the way of the Tao, then all of creation would willingly follow their example. If selfish desires were to arise after their transformation, I would erase them with the power of the Uncarved Block.

By the power of the Uncarved Block, future generations would lose their selfish desires. By losing their selfish desires, the world would naturally settle into peace.

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36

If you want something to return to the source, you must first allow it to spread out. If you want something to weaken, you must first allow it to become strong. If you want something to be removed, you must first allow it to flourish. If you want to possess something, you must first give it away.

This is called the subtle understanding of how things are meant to be.

The soft and pliable overcomes the hard and inflexible.

Just as fish remain hidden in deep waters, it is best to keep weapons out of sight.

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