The Way bears all things;

Harmony nurtures them;

Nature shapes them;

Use completes them.

Each follows the Way and honours harmony,

Not by law,

But by being.

The Way bears, nurtures, shapes, completes,

Shelters, comforts, and makes a home for them. Bearing without possessing,

Nurturing without taming,

Shaping without forcing,

This is harmony.

52. Clarity

The origin of the world is its mother;

Understand the mother, and you understand the child;

Embrace the child, and you embrace the mother,

Who will not perish when you die.

Reserve your judgments and words

And you maintain your influence;

Speak your mind and take positions

And nothing can save you.

As observing detail is clarity,

So maintaining flexibility is strength;

Use the light but shed no light,

So that you do yourself no harm,

But embrace clarity.

53. Difficult Paths

With but a small understanding

One may follow the Way like a main road,

Fearing only to leave it;

Following a main road is easy,

Yet people delight in difficult paths. When palaces are kept up

Fields are left to weeds

And granaries empty;

Wearing fine clothes,

Bearing sharp swords,

Glutting with food and drink,

Hoarding wealth and possessions -

These are the ways of theft,

And far from the Way.

54. Cultivate Harmony

Cultivate harmony within yourself, and harmony becomes real;

Cultivate harmony within your family, and harmony becomes fertile;

Cultivate harmony within your community, and harmony becomes abundant;

Cultivate harmony within your culture, and harmony becomes enduring;

Cultivate harmony within the world, and harmony becomes ubiquitous. Live with a person to understand that person;

Live with a family to understand that family;

Live with a community to understand that community;

Live with a culture to understand that culture;

Live with the world to understand the world. How can I live with the world?

By accepting.

55. Soft Bones

Who is filled with harmony is like a newborn.

Wasps and snakes will not bite him;

Hawks and tigers will not claw him. His bones are soft yet his grasp is sure,

For his flesh is supple;

His mind is innocent yet his body is virile,

For his vigour is plentiful;

His song is long-lasting yet his voice is sweet,

For his grace is perfect. But knowing harmony creates abstraction,

And following abstraction creates ritual.

Exceeding nature creates calamity,

And controlling nature creates violence.