Tao Te Ching☯︎ A beginning

A Tao that may be spoken is not the enduring Tao. A name that may be named is not the enduring name. No names. This is the beginning of heaven and earth. Having names, this is the mother of the things of the world. Make freedom from desire your constant norm. Thereby you will see what is subtle. Make having desires your constant norm. Thereby you will see what is manifest. These two arise from the same source, but have different names. Together, they may be termed the mysterious, mystery, and more mystery. The gate of all that is subtle. All in the world deem the beautiful to be beautiful, it is ugly. All deem the good to be good, it is bad. What is and what is not give birth to one another. What is difficult and what is easy complement one another. Long and short complement one another. High and low incline towards one another. Note and noise harmonize with one another. Before and after follow one another. Therefore, the   wise dwells in the midst of non action, wu wei, and practices the wordless teaching. Herein arise the things of the world. It does not turn from them. What it gives birth to it does not possess. What it does, it does not retain. The achievements complete, it makes no claim to them. Because it makes no claim to them, they never leave it. Do not honor the worthy, this will keep the people from contention. Do not prize rare things, this will keep the people from becoming thieves. Do not display the desirable, the hearts of the people will not be turbulent. Hence, the governance of the wise  empty their minds and fill their bellies, weaken their wills and strengthen their bones. Always render the people free of knowledge and desire, ensure that the clever do not dare act. Engage in non action (wu wei) and nothing will go unruled. The Tao is empty, yet you may keep drawing from it, as though it could never fill your need. It is an abyss, like the ancestor of the world of things. Blunt the point, undo the tangle, soften the glare, join the dust. Dim, it seems almost to exist. I know not whose child it may be.

                                                                                     -Laozi