| The best rulers of old had fine natures, mysterious, too deep, they could not be understood. And because such men could not be fully grasped at once, they appeared to be cautious, like wading a stream in winter; at a loss, like one fearing and having to deal with danger on every side; reserved, like one who pays a visit; pliant and yielding, as ice when it begins to melt; genuine, like a piece of raw wood; open-minded like a valley; and blending freely like a troubled, muddy stream of water. Find repose in a muddy world by lying still; be gradually clear through tranquillity. You can assume such murkiness, to become in the end still and clear. And maintain your calm long in between. So make yourself inert, to get in the end full of life and stir. By such activity come back to life. Who hugs this dao doesn't want to fill himself to overflowing. It's just because he guards against being over-full, there's no overflowing, and next he is like a garment that endures all, beyond wearing out and renewal. |
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