Translation Info: beck | blakney | byrn | feng | ganson | gnl | hansen | legge | mccarroll | mcdonald | merel | merel2 | mitchell | muller | rosenthal |
| merel Prev Next | Chapter 32 All Translations . beck . blakney . byrn . feng . ganson . gnl . hansen . legge . mccarroll . mcdonald . merel . merel2 . mitchell . muller . rosenthal . | headers Prev Chapter Chapter 32 Next Chapter |


Shape

Tao has no true definition.
Like unshaped wood, it has no use;
If a ruler understands this
His whole country flourishes and obeys
In harmony with his Self,
Just as sweet rain falls
Needing no instruction
To slake the thirst of all.

When Tao is shaped by use,
The shape gains a name in the World;
One should not keep too many names
Lest their shapes stop up the Self;
Instead let Tao flow through the Self into the World
As water courses down a riverbed into the sea.


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