Daodejing - Chapter Twenty Eight

 

道德經  - 第二十八章

知其雄，守其雌，為天下谿。

為天下谿，常德不離，復歸於嬰兒。

知其白，守其黑，為天下式。

為天下式，常德不忒，復歸於無極。

知其榮，守其辱，為天下谷。

為天下谷，常德乃足，復歸於樸。

樸散則為器，聖人用之，則為官長，故大制不割。

Daodejing - Chapter Twenty Eight

Know the male, yet keep to the female, receive the world in your arms.

If you receive the world, the Dao will never leave you; 

and you will be like a little child.

Know the white yet keep to the black, be a pattern for the world.

If you are a pattern for the world, the Dao will be strong inside you; 

and there will be nothing you can't do.

Know the personal yet keep to the impersonal, accept the world as it is.

If you accept the world, the Dao will be luminous inside you; 

and you will return to your primal self.

The world is formed from the void, like utensils from a block of wood.

The master knows the utensils yet keeps to the block.

Thus she can use all things.

References

1. The above translation is based on the translation by poet, translator, scholar and anthologist, Stephen Mitchell.  His reading of the work can be found on the following YouTube video: Tao Te Ching, The Book Of The Way by Lao Tzu: https://youtu.be/t109UFLSQhk?t=2502
2. This chapter on the above video starts at 41.40 and ends at 43.15.
3. You can find the complete 81 chapters of Daodejing in Chinese and English (James Legge version) in the ctext.org website: https://ctext.org/dao-de-jing