Chapter 39
- From ancient times, these are the things that have attained the One (the Tao):
Heaven, which through it is bright and clear; Earth, which through it is firm and steady; Spirits, which through it have their power; Valleys, which through it stay full; All creatures, which through it live; Princes and kings, who through it become the standard for all under heaven.
All of these come from the One.
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If heaven were not clear, it would soon tear apart; If earth were not steady, it would crack and crumble; Without their power, the spirits would fade; Without their fullness, the valleys would dry up; Without that life, creatures would die out; Princes and kings, without that moral influence, however exalted, would fall.
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So high status is rooted in humble status, and what stands tall is grounded in what lies low. That is why princes and kings call themselves “Orphan,” “Of little virtue,” and “Hubless wheel.” Isn’t this an admission that they find the foundation of their high standing in regarding themselves as lowly? When you list off the parts of a carriage, you never arrive at what makes it a carriage. They do not want to gleam like jade; they would rather be plain like an ordinary stone.
