25.
There was something formless yet complete,
that existed before heaven and earth;
without sound, without substance,
dependent on nothing, unchanging,
all pervading, unfailing.
One may think of it as the mother of all things
Its true name we do not know
I call it the Way
I give it the makeshift name of ‘the great’.
It flows through all things,
inside and outside, and returns
To the origin if all things
The Way is great.
The universe is great.
Earth is great.
The ruler too is great.
These are the four great powers
and the ruler is one among them.
Man follows the earth.
Earth follows the universe.
The universe follows the Way.
The Way follows only itself.
26.
The heavy is the root of the light;
The still is The master of activity
Therefore the sage, travelling all day,
does not lose sight of his baggage.
Though there are beautiful things to be seen,
he remains unattached and calm.
Why should the lord of ten thousand chariots
act lightly in public?
To be light is to lose one's root.
To be restless is to lose one's control.
27.
A good walker leaves no tracks;
A good speaker makes no slips;
A good reckoner needs no tally-slips.
He who is skilled at closing things tightly
needs neither lock nor key
yet what he closes cannot be opened.
He who is good at binding
needs neither cord nor string
yet what he binds cannot be untied.
Therefore the sage takes care of all men
and abandons no one.
He takes care of all things
and abandons nothing.
This is called following one's discernment.
What is a good man?
A teacher of a bad man.
What is a bad man?
A good man's charge.
If the teacher is not respected,
and the student not cared for,
confusion will arise, however clever one is.
It is the great secret.
28.
Be aware of your masculine nature;
but by keeping the feminine way,
you shall be to the world like a canyon,
where the virtue eternal abides,
and go back to become as a child.
Know the white,
but keep to the black.
Be an example to the world.
Being an example to the world,
ever true and unwavering,
return to the infinite.
Know honour,
yet keep humility.
Be the valley of the universe!
Being the valley of the universe,
where virtue eternal will be sufficient,
return to the state of the uncarved block.
When the uncarved block is cut,
it becomes useful vessels,
which in the hands of the sage, become officers.
Thus, uncarved himself,
he can use all things.
