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All under heaven has a beginning, |
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and it becomes the mother of all under heaven. |
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Once the mother is found, |
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the child is known; |
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once the child is known, |
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return to guard the mother, |
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submerged, there is no peril. |
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Block the openings, |
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close the doors, |
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and for a lifetime, there is no toil. |
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Open the openings, |
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manage those affairs, |
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and for a lifetime, there is no rescue. |
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Seeing the small is called clarity, |
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guarding softness is called strength. |
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Use its radiance, |
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return again to its clarity, |
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without bringing calamity upon the body; |
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this is the practice of the constant. |