rectly　or　implicitly）　referred　to　as　a　搉ew　age　freak？or　a　搕ree…hugging　lunatic？　People　who　don抰　know　what　true　self…development　is　about　will　inevitably　make　fun　of　those　who　attempt　it。　But　as　Lao　Tzu　would　remind　us；　〃how　could　it　be　the　Tao　if　it　didn't　make　them　laugh？〃
  The　list　of　curious　epigrams　making　up　the　second　half　of　the　poem　is　another　example　of　the　seemingly　odd　deportment　of　one　following　the　Cosmic　Way。　The　lantern　light；　which　is　also　mentioned　in　Chapter　58；　is　a　metaphorical　image　for　understanding　that　is　not　garish　or　overbearing：　it　faintly　glows；　but　never　shines。
  This　points　up　another　natural　beauty　of　Lao　Tzu's　paradoxical　approach：　because　it　reaches　into　the　bypaths　and　recesses　of　consciousness；　the　Cosmic　Way　is　actually　more　efficient；　since　it　is　more　thorough。　This　is　why　Lao　Tzu　can　later　say；　in　Chapter　53；　that　〃the　Cosmic　Way　is　straight　and　easy。〃　Similarly；　natural　strength　may　seem　weak　to　the　superficial　view；　because　it　departs　from　displays　of　power　and　persuasion；　natural　virtue　may　seem　unimpressive　to　a　cursory　perspective；　because　it　retreats　from　ideas　of　stiff　morality　and　egocentric　shows　of　compassion　（what　is　called　〃idiot　compassion〃　in　the　writings　of　Chogyam　Trungpa）。
  In　fact；　there　always　seems　to　be　something　lacking　in　the　action；　speech；　and　behavior　of　one　involved　in　following　the　Sage；　because　what　is　lacking　is　ego！　Ego；　and　its　linear　rigidities　and　angularities　of　belief；　certainty；　and　power。
  Nestled　among　these　observations　of　the　poet　is　another　and　related　insight；　that　〃the　most　enduring　truths　are　mutable。〃　How　can　truth　be　enduring　and　mutable　at　the　same　time？　Because；　Lao　Tzu　points　out；　that　is　its　nature：　truth　is　a　personal　matter；　an　organic；　growing　form　of　living　consciousness　that　never　reaches　a　point　of　fixed　certainty。　Anything　that　is　hard；　fixed；　and　sealed　in　certainty　is　already　dead　and　inert梩his　is　an　observation　that　Lao　Tzu　repeats　throughout　the　book；　as　in；　for　example；　Chapter　76。　Fixed　insight　loses　vision；　absolute　and　unchanging　truth　is　no　longer　true；　because　it　is　no　longer　alive。
  This　is　exactly　why　it　is　such　an　advantage　（a　〃practical　virtue〃）　that　the　Tao；　and　its　teaching　consciousness；　the　Sage；　are　〃silent　and　concealed。〃　Its　silence　gives　it　mutability梩he　capacity　to　take　a　natural　shape　within　each　individual　personality；　its　concealment　gives　it　an　amorphous　flexibility；　which　again　makes　it　the　unique　and　private　inner　experience　appropriate　to　each　person　who　approaches　it　in　sincere　steadfastness。
  42
  From　out　of　the　Cosmic　Consciousness
  Arose　the　One。
  Then　from　the　One　came　Two。
  And　from　Two　came　Three。
  From　the　great　Three　came
  The　endless　compressions　of　Being。
  Each　compressed　form　bears　yin　behind
  And　holds　yang　before　it。
  At　the　still　point　in　the　center
  These　complementary　energies　merge；
  And　harmony　is　thus　realized。
  Why　does　hatred　fill　the　hearts　of　men
  At　the　sight　of　poverty　and　solitude；
  When　the　greatest　leaders　make　these　their　name？
  Perhaps　increase　and　loss
  Are　not　always　what　they　seem。
  Perhaps　life　and　death
  Are　not　truly　opposed。
  Here　is　a　teaching　that　others　before　me　have　known：
  To　conceive　death　as　against　Nature…
  As　a　cold　termination　of　Life…
  Is　the　distorted　perspective
  Of　a　violent　inner　tyranny。
  A　correct　knowledge　of　death
  Is　itself　the　father　of　all　understanding。
  This　is　all　I　have　to　teach。
  Here　is　one　of　Lao　Tzu's　paradoxical　and　oft…misunderstood　verses。　Of　particular　interest　is　the　apparent　reference　to　royalty's　time…honored　habit　of　making　a　pretence　of　orphan　birth　or　poverty：　how　does　this　justify　a　neutral　attitude　toward　impoverishment　and　loneliness？
  When　he　writes　about　〃poverty　and　solitude；〃　Lao　Tzu　is　making　a　metaphorical　statement　about　the　inner　meaning；　and　sometimes　the　outer　perception；　of　the　way　of　diminishment；　which　he　refers　to　throughout　the　book。　Poverty；　in　this　context；　is　about　making　ego　poor；　and　isolating　its　false　ideas　and　ideological　rigidities：　this　creates　the　understanding　that　makes　the　leadership　of　the　true　self　possible。　It　is　then　that　the　bipolar　lies　of　ideology　are　revealed；　and　the　natural　principle　of　complementarity　awakens　to　awareness。　Life　and　death　are　not　enemies梟o　more　so　than　are　winter　and　summer；　or　the　two　sides　of　your　brain。
  In　this　context；　it　is　also　worth　noting　the　appearance　of　the　terms　〃yin〃　and　〃yang〃　in　the　text梩his　is　their　only　moment　on　Lao　Tzu's　poetic　stage。　It　is　worth　considering　that　these　terms　may　well　have　been　added　into　this　verse　by　subsequent　editors　or　commentators；　long　after　Lao　Tzu's　death。　These　words；　yin　and　yang；　have　become　so　well　known　that　they　hardly　need　translation　except　in　the　way　of　clarifying　the　mistaken　associations　that　have　been　laden　onto　them。　You　have　probably　encountered　this：　yang　is　light；　male；　strong；　creative；　active；　solar；　etc。；　and　yin　is　dark；　female；　weak；　passive；　lunar；　etc。　The　common　relationship　that　is　established　between　these　two　is　of　diametric　opposition；　or；　at　best；　of　a　rather　intransigent　or　reluctant　complementarity。
  This；　clearly；　is　not　Lao　Tzu's　meaning　in　using　these　terms　（if　Lao　Tzu　actually　wrote　them）；　nor　is　he　establishing　some　sort　of　cosmic　hierarchy　in　the　discussion　of　the　relationships　between　the　Cosmic　Whole；　the　One；　the　Two；　and　the　Three。　Lao　Tzu　has　no　interest　in　hierarchies：　this　entire　book　is　dedicated　to　the　inner　demolition　of　hierarchical　thought　and　belief。　Ask　either　a　mathematician　or　a　poet　whether　one　number　is　better　than　or　superior　to　another；　and　you　will　be　met　with　laughter。
  In　order　to　understand　Lao　Tzu；　we　will　have　to　disperse　some　of　our　notions　about　what　is　meant　in　the　relationship　between　one　that　gives　birth　and　the　one　that　is　born；　and　about　the　〃top　down〃　ordering　of　numerical　relationship　（i。e。；　number　one　is　〃above〃　number　two；　and　so　on）。　The　poet　speaks　of　the　Cosmic　Consciousness　as　being　beyond　form　and　number；　he　adds　that　from　this　Presence　came　the　One。　What　could　this　One　be？
  It　seems　we　need　to　recall　that　this　is　a　poem　about　death梟ot　about　death　as　the　termination　of　life；　but　as　transformation　between　form　and　non…form。　In　that　context；　it　appears　appropriate　to　consider　that　the　One　is　the　transformative　action　of　Tao梚ts　ability　to　continue　the　flow　of　life　in　energy…consciousness　that　is　transformed　from　one　state　to　another；　and　perhaps　back　again。　In　this　light；　we　can　also　think　of　the　Two　as　light　and　dark；　the　Cosmic　energies　of　form　and　non…form。　The　Three　must　then　be　a　mediating　Presence；　a　set　of　Cosmic　Principles　that　choreograph　the　dance　between　the　light　and　dark　energies　and　their　manifestations　in　the　〃endless　compressions　of　being。〃
  These　three　dancers　have　been　identified　by　Carol　Anthony　and　Hanna　Moog；　in　their　book；　I　Ching：　The　Oracle　of　the　Cosmic　Way　as　the　principles　of　Modesty；　Equality；　and　Uniqueness　（see　Part　I　of　that　text；　p。　39）。　These　are　the　〃great　Three〃　that　pervade　the　Cosmic　Harmonic　and　each　of　the　〃endless　compressions　of　being。〃　Each　compression　is　qualitatively　equal　to　all　the　others；　and　each　is　unique　in　its　autonomy。　This　is　why　the　principle　of　Modesty　is　natural　and　necessary：　Modesty　is　the　principle　discussed　in　Hexagram　15　of　the　I　Ching；　and　here　in　Lao　Tzu；　wherever　he　speaks　of　Te　（see；　for　example；　Chapters　38　and　39）。　The　principles　are　no　more　hierarchical　than　are　the　two　ventricles　of　your　heart　（which　one　do　you　prefer？）。
  Thus；　the　Cosmic　Consciousness；　in　its　spontaneous　expression　as　the　One；　the　Two；　and　the　Three；　along　with　the　numberless　forms　that　arise　from　it；　dances　to　its　own　pure　and　primordial　music。　Lao　Tzu　called　that　music　Tao；　it　can　also　be　named　Love。
  43
  Within　the　realm　of　Nature；
  The　gentle　horse　runs　free；
  While　more　intransigent　forms　stay　fixed。
  Non…being　is　able　to　infiltrate
  Where　there　isn抰　any　room。
  Thus　I　see　that　unforced　action
  Is　the　only　path　to　success；
  And　that　the　greatest　eloquence　is　silence。
  Action　free　of　noise　and　expectation：
  This　is　Nature抯　teaching；
  Which　but　few　have　truly　learned。
  Listen　to　your　own　true　nature；
  And　learn。
  A　horse　runs　without　inhibition　through　a　meadow梚t　doesn't　plan　its　run；　plot　its　course；　calculate　its　own　speed；　wonder　why　it　runs；　or　critically　compare　its　gallop　with　that　of　others。　It　doesn't　even　ask　whether　running　is　allowed；　or　whether　it　even　〃feels　like〃　running：　there　is　no　self…consciousness　in　the　act。　It　just　runs；　because　that　is　its　nature；　or　at　least　an　aspect　of　it。
  This　is　Lao　Tzu's　illustration　of　wu…wei；　the　principle　of　unforced　action。　It　is　a　hackneyed　concept；　and　was　particularly　disfigured　a　generation　ago　（one　might　say　it　was　〃beaten　to　death〃）　by　the　〃beat　generation。〃　Wu…wei　is　not　〃non…action〃　in　the　sense　of　passivity；　nor　is　it　action　that　is　carelessly　or　wantonly　initiated；　and　it　is　certainly　not　a　self…indulgent；　〃feel…good〃　type　of　energy。　Wu…wei　is　action　that　proceeds　from　true　nature；　〃