Observe Their Habits
| Original | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 致 虛 極 | refine the utmost emptiness |
| 守 靜 篤 | protect the deep-true peace |
| 萬 物 並 作 | many-diverse-creatures together interacting |
| 吾 以 觀 其 復 | as we observe thier habits |
| 夫 物 芸 芸 | these 10k diverse varieties |
| 各 復 歸 其 根 | each continually returning to its origin |
| 歸 根 曰 靜 | returning to origin means to be at peace |
| 靜 是 謂 復 命 | at peace, which is to say, continuing in its own-purpose |
| 復 命 曰 常 | to be continually in its own-purpose means to behave-naturally |
| 知 常 曰 明 | to-know natural-behavior means to understand |
| 不 知 常 妄 作 凶 | not to-know natrual-behavior causes reckless mishaps |
| 知 常 容 | to-know natural-behavior (causes) restraint |
| 容 乃 公 | restraint then wisdom |
| 公 乃 王 | wisdom then sovereignty |
| 王 乃 天 | sovereignty then heaven |
| 天 乃 道 | heaven then the Way |
| 道 乃 久 | the Way then eternity |
| 沒 身 不 殆 | where the death of the life-body is no concern |
My Comments:
I find this chapter incredibly insiteful
I'm not sure if this is advice on how to manage things and people through observatiion and careful restraint. Or it if it is advice on how to step away from the crazy and observe your own thoughts and interests and understand them in order to become sovereign over yourself.
Perhaps this chapter (and others) is about the outer universe as well as the inner universe.