Chapter 52
"The beginning of the universe, when materialized, is considered to be a mother.
When a man finds the mother, he will know the children, accordingly.
Even though he knows the children, he still clings to the mother:
Therefore, although his body wanes, he never perishes.
The person who shuts his mouth and closes his doors
Will never perish.
If he opens his mouth and increases his affairs,
He will never be saved.
The person who sees the tiniest thing possesses clear vision,
The person who adheres to the weak possesses strength.
Use your light, but dim your brightness,
In this way you will not do yourself any harm.
This is called following the eternal Tao."
- Translated by Chou-Wing Chohan, Chapter 52
"While in the world gain possession of the Life-Spring in order that you may become a World-Mother.
When you have attained to Motherhood you will know your children.
When you know your children you will retain your Motherhood.
Then, though the body may disappear, You will not be hurt.
Close the door of the mouth,
Shut the doors of the senses,
Throughout life your body will not be fatigued.
Open your mouth,
Increase your business affairs,
Throughout life your body will not be safe.
To perceive the small is called clear vision.
To guard the weak is called strength.
Follow the Light, you will reflect its radiance.
Neglect the Inner Life, your body will meet with calamity.
This is called the eternal heritage."
- Translated by Isabella Mears, 1916, Chapter 52
When you have attained to Motherhood you will know your children.
When you know your children you will retain your Motherhood.
Then, though the body may disappear, You will not be hurt.
Close the door of the mouth,
Shut the doors of the senses,
Throughout life your body will not be fatigued.
Open your mouth,
Increase your business affairs,
Throughout life your body will not be safe.
To perceive the small is called clear vision.
To guard the weak is called strength.
Follow the Light, you will reflect its radiance.
Neglect the Inner Life, your body will meet with calamity.
This is called the eternal heritage."
- Translated by Isabella Mears, 1916, Chapter 52
"The beginning of the Universe, when manifested, may be regarded as its Mother.
When a man has found the Mother, he will know the children accordingly;
Though he has known the children, he still keeps to the Mother:
Thus, however his body may decay, he will never perish.
If he shuts his mouth and closes his doors,
He can never be exhausted.
If he opens his mouth and increases his affairs,
He can never be saved.
To see the minuteness of things is called clarity of sight.
To keep to what is weak is called power.
Use your light, but dim your brightness;
Thus you will cause no harm to yourself.
This is called following the eternal Tao."
- Translated by Ch'u Ta-Kao, 1904, Chapter 52
When a man has found the Mother, he will know the children accordingly;
Though he has known the children, he still keeps to the Mother:
Thus, however his body may decay, he will never perish.
If he shuts his mouth and closes his doors,
He can never be exhausted.
If he opens his mouth and increases his affairs,
He can never be saved.
To see the minuteness of things is called clarity of sight.
To keep to what is weak is called power.
Use your light, but dim your brightness;
Thus you will cause no harm to yourself.
This is called following the eternal Tao."
- Translated by Ch'u Ta-Kao, 1904, Chapter 52
既得1其母, 以知其子.
既知其子, 復守其母.
沒身不殆.
塞其兌, 閉其門, 終身不勤.
開其兌, 濟其事, 終身不救.
見小曰明.
守柔曰強.
用其光.
復歸其明.
無遺身殃.
是為習常.
- Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 52
tian xia you shi, yi wei tian xia mu.
ji de qi mu, yi zhi qi zi.
ji zhi qi zi, fu shou qi mu.
mo shen bu dai.
se qi dui, bi qi men, zhong shen bu qin.
kai qi dui, ji qi shi, zhong shen bu jiu.
jian xiao yue ming.
shou rou yue qiang.
yong qi guang.
fu gui qi ming.
wu yi shen yang.
shi wei xi chang.
- Hanyu Pinyin Romanization, Daodejing, Chapter 52
"This world must have begun in certain way;
We may thenceforth consider it the origin (mother) of our world;
Once we manage to ascertain the origin, we could [apply it] to study its offsprings;
After we learn more about the offsprings, we may reciprocally eke out our knowledge about the mother (the origin);
This is my never-ending life-long quest.
If paths and openings of one's connections [to the outside world] are blocked, he will never be aroused to do anything in life;
If paths and openings of one's connections [to the outside world] are unlocked and he is properly motivated, he will never cease [from the quest described above].
One who perceives subtleties is brilliant;
One who maintains humility is strong.
One who would use [the light of Tao] to illuminate his [potential] brilliance will thus leave behind nothing that could cause misfortune to later generations.
A person, who achieves all of the above described fulfillment, is what I called the person with embodiment of the perpetual [Te]."
- Translated by Lee Org, Chapter 52
“Realizing the interplay of the Tao
way of life
and the virtue of nuturing all things under heaven
will introduce you to the primal mother
and the virtue of nuturing all things under heaven
will introduce you to the primal mother
The mother of the world
resting peacefully with the mother
will introduce you to her sons and daughters
resting peacefully with the mother
will introduce you to her sons and daughters
The sons and daughters of the world
these children can be exhausting
and though they mean no harm
trying to follow or control them
will only bring great danger to you
To be safe
rest peacefully with the mother
gently close your eyes
and look inward
softly direct your eyes
to listen within
lightly close your mouth
raise your tongue to its roof
and quietly savor the interior
gently lift your crown
sit firm with a relaxed hold
on your bodymind
and let her love
fill you up
you will never be empty
again
remember
chasing children
these children can be exhausting
and though they mean no harm
trying to follow or control them
will only bring great danger to you
To be safe
rest peacefully with the mother
gently close your eyes
and look inward
softly direct your eyes
to listen within
lightly close your mouth
raise your tongue to its roof
and quietly savor the interior
gently lift your crown
sit firm with a relaxed hold
on your bodymind
and let her love
fill you up
you will never be empty
again
remember
chasing children
brings calamity
no matter
how hard
no matter
how hard
you try
to follow
or grasp them
to follow
or grasp them
the whole universe is in the palm
of your hand
but without
illumination
you cannot see it
of your hand
but without
illumination
you cannot see it
the real world is not open
to the rational mind
to the rational mind
the ancient child asks
when you have rested sufficiently
in the arms of the primal mother
and you vision begins to clear
what occurs
when you have rested sufficiently
in the arms of the primal mother
and you vision begins to clear
what occurs
it is an unexpected sense of making
that first arises within the bodymind
that first arises within the bodymind
then you are engulfed in a benevolent
flame
that outlines rather than burns
and I do not know if I am
the source or the witness
that outlines rather than burns
and I do not know if I am
the source or the witness
the senses play
leaping to and fro
mischievously acting against their nature
leaping to and fro
mischievously acting against their nature
emotions of comfort and satisfaction
swell
so that even the harshest rain
feels like a lover’s kiss
so that even the harshest rain
feels like a lover’s kiss
resting deeper
you fell as if an unseen enemy
has been vanquished
and life courses through you limbs
as the warrior’s belt collects you
the connection to the Tao source and way of life
becomes punctuated and definite
possessed of a wholly benevolent clarity
you fell as if an unseen enemy
has been vanquished
and life courses through you limbs
as the warrior’s belt collects you
the connection to the Tao source and way of life
becomes punctuated and definite
possessed of a wholly benevolent clarity
language leaves you
and a light and sensitive energy collects at your
crown
and a light and sensitive energy collects at your
crown
visions cascade upon you so rapidly
that it becomes impossible
to divide or discern
what we normally regard as real
that it becomes impossible
to divide or discern
what we normally regard as real
death becomes impossible
fire and force penetrate deeply
within you bodymind
and a new truth shapes you
into someone altogether different
within you bodymind
and a new truth shapes you
into someone altogether different
you begin to breathe
the Tao way of life
as true respiration
within a quickening
that shines out
for all to see
the Tao way of life
as true respiration
within a quickening
that shines out
for all to see
spinning out of the quickening
you understand the mother’s children
you sing and dance
you paint and play
you look at the palm of your hand and
you understand the mother’s children
you sing and dance
you paint and play
you look at the palm of your hand and
you see
you can still make mistakes
you can still be confused
you can still misstep
but you will always have the eyes of the Tao
you can still be confused
you can still misstep
but you will always have the eyes of the Tao
however
should you ever see yourself as separate from it
should you ever see yourself as separate from it
you will cease
to see
altogether”
- Translation and Interpretation by the Reverend Venerable John Bright-Fey, Chapter 52
to see
altogether”
- Translation and Interpretation by the Reverend Venerable John Bright-Fey, Chapter 52
"Todo cuanto existe tuvo un Origen Común.
Este Origen es la madre del Universo.
Quien conoce a la madre
conoce a los hijos.
Quien conoce a los hijos
preserva a la madre
y su vida no correrá peligro.
Quien tapa los orificios,
y cierra las puertas,
vivirá sin problemas.
Quien abre los orificios,
y aumenta sus trabajos,
vivirá su vida asediado.
Ser lúcido es ver lo ínfimo.
Guiarse por lo flexible otorga fortaleza.
Usar la luz,
retornar y restituir la Iluminación.
No abandonar la vida de uno a la calamidad.
De esta manera, se practica la eternidad."
- Translation from Wikisource, 2013, Capitulo 52
Este Origen es la madre del Universo.
Quien conoce a la madre
conoce a los hijos.
Quien conoce a los hijos
preserva a la madre
y su vida no correrá peligro.
Quien tapa los orificios,
y cierra las puertas,
vivirá sin problemas.
Quien abre los orificios,
y aumenta sus trabajos,
vivirá su vida asediado.
Ser lúcido es ver lo ínfimo.
Guiarse por lo flexible otorga fortaleza.
Usar la luz,
retornar y restituir la Iluminación.
No abandonar la vida de uno a la calamidad.
De esta manera, se practica la eternidad."
- Translation from Wikisource, 2013, Capitulo 52
Is as a mother.
Be fond of both mother and children but know the mother dearer
And you outlive death.
Curb your tongue and senses
And you are beyond trouble,
Let them loose
And you are beyond help.
Discover that nothing is too small for clear vision,
Too insignificant for tender strength
Use outlook
And insight,
Use them both
And you are immune:
For you have witnessed eternity."
- Translated by Witter Bynner, 1944, Chapter 52
Chapter and Thematic Index (Concordance) to the Tao Te Ching
Taoism: A Selected Reading List
Tao Te Ching English Language Corncordance by Gerold Claser. An excellent English language concordance providing terms, chapter and line references, and the proximal English language text. No Chinese language characters or Wade-Giles or Pinyin Romanizations. Based on the translation by John H. McDonald, available on the Internet in the public domain.
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