But　the　problem　is　that　ego　tends　to　wander。
  The　Cosmic　Way　is　straight　and　easy；
  But　people　seem　compelled
  By　distraction　and　complexity。
  The　palace　in　the　capital
  Is　bathed　in　opulence；
  While　the　fields　without　lie　barren；
  And　the　granary　is　left　untended。
  They　array　themselves　in　lustrous　gowns
  And　gleaming　weapons　at　their　sides。
  They　eat；　but　are　not　nourished；
  They　drink；　yet　thirst　consumes　them。
  Their　lives　are　bloated　with　the　stuff　of　wealth。
  Extravagance　is　a　thief；
  The　true　self　is　its　victim：
  Is　this　the　way　of　Tao？
  I　doubt　it。
  One　who　follows　the　Tao　is　ready　to　explore　his　entire　being；　in　all　its　depth　and　variety。　But　one　who　treads　the　stark　road　of　ego　becomes　trapped　in　side…paths　and　dead…ends　that　close　off　understanding　in　a　cycle　of　want；　frustration；　and　unceasing　effort。　The　more　you　grasp　for；　the　more　you　obtain；　the　more　you　obtain；　the　more　you　feel　you　need；　and　the　more　your　true　self　is　taken　from　you：　thus；　〃extravagance　is　a　thief。〃
  Lao　Tzu　uses　the　final　stanza　to　create　a　play　on　words；　which　cannot　be　exactly　reproduced　in　English。　He　uses　the　word　〃tao；〃　which　means　〃thief；　robber〃　to　say　that　extravagance　is　a　〃tao〃　which　robs　one　of　Tao。　For　this　version；　I　decided　to　simply　insert　a　slightly　different　word…play　in　the　closing　couplet；　again　on　the　word　Tao　（pronounced　〃dow〃）；　so　that　the　answer　to　Lao　Tzu's　rhetorical　question；　〃is　this　the　way　of　Tao？〃　is；　〃I　dow…ed　it。〃　The　point　of　this　is　not　merely　to　copy　Lao　Tzu's　pun；　nor　to　make　the　reader　laugh　（after　all；　any　joke　that　has　to　be　explained　never　was　a　joke）；　but　rather　to　show　that　Lao　Tzu　was　not　a　self…conscious　or　moralistic　thinker。　Even　when　he　has　a　serious　point　to　make；　as　he　does　here；　he　does　it　without　bombast　or　moral　assault。
  54
  With　a　firm　inner　foundation；
  You　cannot　be　toppled。
  An　embrace　is　all　the　grasp　you　need
  To　be　safe　within。
  An　offering　of　simple　honor；
  From　the　children　of　the　past
  To　the　children　of　the　present
  Supports　the　children　of　the　future。
  Why　do　you　cultivate　your　image
  When　your　natural　being　is　already　full？
  Why　aggrandize　your　family　pride
  When　the　perfection　of　family　is　complete？
  Why　meddle　with　your　community
  When　its　natural　form　is　imperishable？
  Why　do　you　fight　to　enrich　your　nation
  When　its　simple　order　is　abundance？
  Why　divide　and　oppose　earth　and　heaven
  When　the　purity　of　their　union　is　unalterable？
  Therefore；　examine　yourself
  To　become　your　Self。
  Examine　your　home
  To　become　a　family。
  Examine　your　village
  To　become　a　community。
  Examine　the　state
  To　become　a　nation。
  Examine　the　world
  To　become　one　with　Being。
  How　do　I　know
  That　this　is　the　way　of　Nature？
  Because　I　asked　It；
  From　within　my　deepest　self。
  55
  One　whose　inner　strength　is　full　and　clear
  Seems　like　one　who抯　just　arrived
  From　another　world。
  To　him；　the　bee　has　no　sting；
  The　serpent；　no　venom。
  To　him；　the　wild　beasts
  Have　no　teeth　or　claws。
  To　him；　predatory　birds
  Present　no　menace。
  His　skeleton　seems　weak；
  His　muscles　tender；
  Yet　he抯　got　a　grip　like　a　vise。
  He　appears　to　lack　experience
  In　the　dance　of　sexual　relations…
  Yet　his　genitals　are　fully　formed；
  And　he　knows　how　to　use　them。
  People　yell　every　day；
  Never　seeming　to　get　hoarse。
  But　his　peace　is　unshakeable…
  Its　source　is　the　Enduring　Harmony。
  Knowing　the　eternal　is　called
  The　subtle　illumination。
  Thus　is　his　body抯　life
  The　only　blessing　he　needs。
  So　how　could　we　speak
  Of　controlling　the　mind；
  Or　directing　chi　to　further　violence？
  The　pursuit　of　power　soon　exhausts　itself：
  Such　strength　is　not　from　Tao。
  Whatever　is　not　from　Tao
  Is　already　dead。
  Here　the　poet　imagines　a　being　who　has　just　arrived　from　another　world；　and　how　such　a　one　may　be　entirely　unconscious　of　the　fears　and　pretences　of　humans。　In　this　he　finds　a　metaphor　for　the　follower　of　Tao　who　has　developed；　or　rather　revealed；　his　true　inner　self。　We　are　reminded　of　the　stark　imagery　of　Chapter　20；　where　the　contrast　is　drawn　between　himself　and　the　followers　of　the　collective。　There　we　met　the　poet　himself梬eak；　naive；　strange；　dull；　and　separate梔ivorced　from　the　world　of　purchase　and　competition；　of　power　and　control；　of　pursuit　and　its　incipient　fear。　For　himself；　Lao　Tzu　can　only　explain　that　he　is　indeed　different；　for　he　〃drinks　from　the　breast　of　the　Sublime　Mother。〃
  Then；　here　in　Chapter　55；　the　〃alien〃　metaphor　is　even　more　vividly　raised；　so　that　it　is　almost　reified：　the　subject　of　this　poem　is　one　who　simply　has　no　inner　discourse　with　the　values　and　fears　of　the　collective；　yet　the　positive　bounty　that　comes　of　that　separation　is　made　clear。　This　person　is　strong；　sexually　able　and　（presumably）　active；　secure　in　the　consciousness　that　〃his　body's　life　is　the　only　blessing　he　needs。〃　He　has　no　need　of　new　age　gimmicks梞ind　control；　self…improvement；　or　the　nurturing　of　physical　power　through　the　manipulation　of　the　life　force　within　him。　This　person　has　all　he　needs　in　his　physical　being　and　its　freedom　from　the　constraints　and　self…conscious　fears　bred　by　ideologies　and　systems　of　religion　or　other　forms　of　group　belief。　This；　indeed；　is　his　〃subtle　illumination〃：　he　is　beyond　the　fixation　with　appearances；　his　understanding　reaches　past　collective　perception；　past　the　pursuit　of　power；　beyond　intellect　and　deep　into　the　realm　of　his　feeling　nature。
  One　note　on　translation　must　be　added；　since　this　rendering　departs　significantly　from　traditional　texts；　where　the　phrase　chih　tzu　is　taken　to　symbolize　the　follower　of　Tao　as　an　infant　or　baby。　I　was　guided　to　see　that　phrase　as　a　compound　that　actually　entails　a　play　on　words　with　Lao　Tzu's　own　name　（the　same　character　can　mean　both　〃baby〃　and　〃philosopher〃）；　the　meaning　of　the　whole　being　〃one　who　is　newly　arrived。〃　From　there；　it　was　no　great　stretch　of　imagination　to　see　that　the　poet　was　thinking　of　a　person　or　being　who　had　appeared　on　earth　from　another　world。　This　image　seems　to　better　resonate　with　the　descriptions　that　follow　it；　and　to　emphasize　the　unique　inner　separation　discussed　above。　It　also　places　an　appropriate　context　on　the　line　chung　jih　hao　erh　pu　sha；　which　is　normally　taken　to　refer　to　the　baby　that　cries　all　day　without　getting　hoarse。　Clearly；　Lao　Tzu　would　not　wish　for　us　to　draw　such　a　comparison　between　a　wailing　infant　and　one　who　is　said　（in　the　very　next　line）　to　possess　an　〃unshakeable　peace。〃　Indeed；　there　is　no　subject　specified　for　whoever　is　crying　or　yelling；　I　found　that　it　made　the　most　inner　sense　as　a　comparison　between　the　noise　of　the　collective　and　the　peace　of　the　one　in　harmony　with　himself　and　his　Origin。
  56
  Understanding　doesn抰　talk　a　lot；
  A　lot　of　talk　lacks　understanding。
  Can　you　be　guided　by　silence？
  Can　you　shut　down　your　outer　senses？
  Can　you　blunt　your　jagged　edges？
  Can　you　let　the　inner　knots　unravel？
  Can　you　let　your　brilliance　be　dimmed？
  Can　you　merge　with　the　dust　of　the　earth？
  This　is　called　揾armonizing　light　and　dark。？br》　In　this；　you　possess　no　one；
  But　are　loved　by　many。
  You　are　equally　immune
  To　attraction　and　revulsion。
  You　are　equally　receptive
  To　profit　and　to　loss。
  You　are　unmoved　by　fame；
  And　yet　you　attract　honor。
  Because　you　make　no　claim；
  You　can　be　free　of　disgrace。
  Thus　are　you　lovingly　received
  Into　the　Heart　of　Nature；
  Forever。
  One　of　the　wonders　of　this　little　book　of　poems　is　how　Lao　Tzu　was　able　to　hammer　so　lightly　at　the　same　themes；　and　with　such　delightful　variation　in　expression；　so　that　each　repetition　is　fresh　and　uniquely　nourishing。　The　themes　here　presented　should　be　quite　familiar　by　now　to　one　who　has　read　the　poems　in　order　to　this　point：　the　intrinsic　value　of　dispersing　excess　in　speech　and　action；　the　fulfillment　that　comes　of　dimming　down　the　outer　senses　and　turning　within　toward　one's　feeling　nature；　the　deep　love　that　is　drawn　to　one　who　abandons　claim　and　possession　on　others；　and　the　natural　grace　that　arises　in　one　who　is　〃unmoved　by　fame。〃
  In　many　traditional　renderings　of　this　verse；　it　is　presented　as　a　teaching　on　sitting　meditation：　be　quiet；　close　off　your　senses；　be　soft　and　still　as　you　settle　your　inner　dust。　This　is　a　very　good　approach；　but　perhaps　only　to　half　the　poem；　as　it　were。　I　have　been　guided　to　see　this　verse　as　Lao　Tzu's　teaching　on　living　as　meditation：　how　the　inner　values　and　practices　that　we　usually　think　of　as　meditation　（sitting　down　and　being　open；　still　and　silent）　can　become　a　way　of　life。　After　all；　meditation　that　is　not　continued　into　life　has　nothing　of　value　over　an　afternoon　nap。
  I　think　that　Lao　Tzu　would　like　us　to　learn　to　disperse　the　division　between　the　practice　of　meditation　and　the　activity　of　daily　living。　Meditation　is　not　properly　a　means　of　escape　or　relaxation　from　the　rat　race　beyond　the　chai