Reflecting　itself　in　transformation；
  Beyond　all　form　and　name…
  Through　the　gateway　of　your　heart。
  This　poem　speaks　of　the　relationships　between　names梩he　words　we　give　to　things；　events；　actions；　and　of　course　ourselves梐nd　the　nameless　essence　from　which　we　derive　our　life；　and　to　which　we　return　in　death。　Lao　Tzu　does　not　want　us　to　think　that　our　words　are　hopelessly　inadequate　to　understanding　the　Cosmic　Consciousness　（this　is　an　interpretation　frequently　placed　on　this　poem　in　particular）；　rather；　he'd　like　us　to　realize　the　natural　limitations　of　our　words。　Words　and　language　have　limitations；　just　as　our　bodies；　our　planet　and　its　natural　resources；　and　our　mental　faculties　have　limitations。　Words　and　names　〃fail　to　hold　the　essence〃　because；　as　Lao　Tzu　says　in　the　final　stanza；　the　essence　can　only　be　held　in　our　hearts。　But　words；　properly　used；　are　capable　of　revealing　the　possibility　of　deep　understanding；　through　describing　the　functions梬hat　each　thing　does；　and　how　it　relates　to　the　Whole。　Lao　Tzu　is　simply　asking　us　to　remember　that　function　and　action　represent　the　manifestation；　and　not　the　immanence；　of　the　Tao。　If　we　can　keep　this　in　mind；　that　the　manifestation　varies　and　transforms；　that　what　a　thing　does　is　not　everything　it　is　（for　example；　you　are　not　your　occupation；　your　family　role；　your　gender；　your　race；　your　religion；　etc。梟ot　even　the　combination　of　these　things）；　then　we　are　not　likely　to　make　the　mistake　of　reifying；　or　fixing；　our　ideas　and　descriptions　of　the　operations　of　the　Cosmos。　When　we　are　successful　in　avoiding　this　error；　we　have　taken　a　vast　step　in　furthering　the　natural　order　of　the　Cosmos　and　of　human　society。　For　in　this　clarity；　this　awareness　of　the　limitations　of　language；　we　remove　our　feet　from　the　concrete　of　religious；　political；　and　ideological　position…taking　that　is　at　the　root　of　so　much　of　the　prejudice；　conflict；　injustice；　and　slaughter　common　to　mankind　over　the　past　3；000　or　so　years。
  In　this　poetical　meditation　on　language　and　its　relation　to　the　Cosmic　Reality；　Lao　Tzu　is　suggesting　another　movement　of　understanding；　which　has　to　do　with　facing　the　apparent　contradictions　and　logical　impossibilities　that　he　is　presenting。　Lao　Tzu　invites　us　into　the　cycle　of　logical　tail…chasing　（words　can't　properly　describe　Tao；　but　let's　talk　about　it　anyway）；　because　he　wants　us　to　feel　beyond　the　boundaries　of　reason。　He　would　like　us　to　step　into　that　〃living；　teeming　darkness；〃　for　this　is　the　space　in　which　we　can　truly　feel　the　Tao；　through　our　every　bodily　cell。　The　words　that　we　use　can　point　us　toward　this　〃shimmering　darkness〃　of　understanding；　especially　when　we　ask　the　teaching　aspect　of　the　Cosmic　Consciousness；　which　Lao　Tzu　calls　the　Sage；　to　help　us。　But　the　words　are　not　themselves　the　immanence；　thus　there　is　no　such　thing　as　〃holy　writ。〃
  2
  Ego　is　the　mud　thrown　into　Nature抯　water：
  It　lusts　for　beauty　and　reviles　ugliness。
  It　projects　a　stain　that　was　never　there。
  It　grasps　after　the　Good；
  And　thus　affirms　Evil。
  Yet　in　the　eye　of　the　universe；
  The　formed　and　the　formless
  Create　and　support　each　other。
  The　light　and　the　dark　dance　and　mingle
  Like　the　breath　of　lovers。
  Erase　the　division：　act　but　don抰　strive。
  Teach　but　do　not　peddle　pedantry。
  The　Sage　guides　without　speaking；
  Works　through　us　in　innocence；
  Free　of　demand　or　expectation。
  Thus　is　its　work　made　great…
  Enduring。
  In　this　poem；　Lao　Tzu　asks　us　to　step　out　of　the　realms　of　division　and　opposition；　by　examining　ourselves　through　the　projections　that　we　may　have　accepted　from　the　forces　of　collective　acculturation。　Here　the　poet　asks　a　question　that　will　appear　several　more　times　in　different　metaphorical　guises　throughout　the　Tao　Te　Ching：　〃is　it　necessary　to　live　on　a　treadmill　of　fortune；　sliding　from　one　polar　opposite　to　another；　and　struggling　to　be　on　the　right　side　at　the　right　time？〃　Is　this　how　the　Cosmos　truly　works？
  Then；　as　he　always　does　in　his　poems；　Lao　Tzu　offers　us　an　alternative　inner　model：　one　of　complementarity；　represented　in　the　images　of　dance　and　love。　Lao　Tzu　discards　the　notion　of　some　inherent　cosmological　conflict　of　polar　opposites　and　presents　instead　a　picture　of　Nature　as　the　commingling　and　transformation　of　complementary　principles；　each　of　which　honors　its　natural　complement　while　retaining　its　individuality。　There　is　no　need　to　attach　to　beauty　and　reject　ugliness；　to　elevate　virtue　and　repress　evil；　for　these　divisions　do　not　adhere　to　the　Cosmic　Whole。
  Lao　Tzu　saw　beauty　and　truth　as　so　deeply　connected　as　to　be　identical梒omplementary　principles　in　mutual　embrace。　Two　thousand　years　later；　the　great　English　poet　John　Keats　felt　the　same　reality；　and　sang　of　it　in　another　timeless　verse。
  3
  If　you　create　the　great；　and　elevate　it；
  You　will　lose　your　self。
  Become　attached　to　your　belongings
  And　you　open　the　inner　door　to　thieves。
  Let　the　Sage　guide　you：
  Clear　out　your　inner　space；
  And　your　own　truth　will　arise。
  Wear　down　attachment　and　division
  And　you　strengthen　your　will。
  Be　led　to　shed　the　crust　of　knowledge；
  Cut　through　the　cycle　of　want
  And　reject　all　that　you　have　been　told　to　know。
  Follow　the　way　of　inner　action：
  In　the　course　of　disburdenment；
  There　is　healing。
  When　you　clutch　something；　you　have　already　lost　it。　A　thief　can　〃read〃　attachment：　he　doesn't　have　to　see　what　it　is　you　are　carrying　to　know　it　is　valuable；　because　he　can　sense　your　anxiety　about　keeping　it　in　your　grasp。　The　irony　that　Lao　Tzu　is　pointing　out　here　is　that　attachment　actually　creates　and　perpetuates　separation；　because　it　attempts　to　override　the　natural　synergy　of　attraction　that　exists　between　us　and　what　is　truly　ours。　Of　course；　Lao　Tzu　is　not　an　ascetic　or　a　minimalist：　the　disburdenment　that　he　describes　in　the　final　stanza　is　the　very　inner　act　that　brings　us　the　gifts　and　possessions　that　truly　belong　to　us；　without　the　need　for　forced　protection　or　urgent　attachment。　The　inner　cleansing　he　proposes　to　us　is　the　process　that　prepares　the　ground　for　natural　possession。　This　theme　is　also　explored　in　the　I　Ching；　in　Hexagram　14；　Possession　in　Great　Measure。
  4
  Empty；　like　a　well；　is　the　Cosmic　Whole：
  Empty；　and　forever　inexhaustible。
  Endless　as　the　limitless
  Forms　of　creation；　drawn　through　Time…
  Before　its　birth；　beyond　its　reach…
  Softening　the　jagged　edges；
  Untangling　complexity；
  Dimming　the　garishness　of　excess
  With　the　soil　of　its　simplicity。
  So　dark；　so　empty…who　could　have　made　it？
  It　is　the　child　of　nothing；
  The　parent　of　us　all。
  Here　is　the　first　of　many　watery　metaphorical　expressions　found　throughout　the　Tao　Te　Ching。　Lao　Tzu　likens　the　Tao　to　a　well梔ark；　empty；　yet　containing　the　generational　spark　and　the　nourishment　of　all　being。　Water；　even　when　it　appears　still　to　our　eyes；　is　always　in　motion梬earing　down　the　sharp　and　jagged；　dissolving　what　is　obdurate；　softening　glare梞oving　freely　through　its　permutations　between　earth　and　sky；　light　and　dark。　Following　the　guideline　that　he　established　in　Chapter　1；　Lao　Tzu　describes　the　Cosmic　Whole　through　what　it　does。　But　as　for　what　it　is；　only　stepping　beyond　the　limits　of　reason　can　point　the　way：　it　is　the　emptiness　that　contains　everything。　It　flows　and　it　freezes；　it　evaporates　and　condenses；　it　merges　into　every　element　and　state　of　being。　It　is　the　quantum　darkness　from　which　light　freely　flows梩ry　to　move　it；　and　it　is　still；　try　to　stop　it；　and　it　will　always　be　moving。
  5
  Equality　is　the　Cosmic　Way：
  Good　and　evil　are　born　of　fantasy。
  The　Sage　is　neither　partisan　nor　punishing：
  No　one　is　special；　no　one　excluded。
  Consciousness　breathes；
  Expands　and　contracts。
  It　never　varies；　and　each　moment　is　unique。
  Work　with　this　and　understand；
  Talk　about　it；　and　you　lose　your　center。
  6
  The　valley　is　ever　open　and　alive；
  It　is　the　mother　of　consciousness。
  In　night…flower　darkness
  The　bounty　of　Nature　is　concealed
  Until；　looking　within；　we　see
  The　mystery　extinguished；　the　curtain　drawn
  From　the　heart　of　the　Mother　of　the　Cosmos。
  7
  Consciousness　is　eternal…but　why？
  Because　time　does　not　adhere　to　its　nature。
  Time　and　desire；　abstraction　and　attachment
  Cannot　touch　it。
  It　transforms；　completes；　and　teaches
  All　of　its　aspects；
  Within　life　and　beyond　death。
  The　Sage　remains　behind
  And　thus　it　stays　ahead。
  The　student　drops　his　ego
  And　thus　his　true　self　arises。
  Separation　and　division　of　being　are　overcome；
  Each　need　is　fulfilled
  As　each　excess　is　abandoned。
  8
  Like　water　is　the　Cosmic　Consciousness：
  It　nourishes　the　depths　of　everything　that　lives。
  It　flows；　it　settles；　it　abides　in　low　places。
  Keep　your　home　close　to　the　earth；
  Keep　your　thoughts　direct　and　simple；
  Keep　judgment　fair；　and　fluid　in　conflict；
  Keep　your　government　free　of　power；
  And　your　personal　affairs　in　harmony
  With　th