Dharma & Dao

Tao Te Ching · Chapter 52 of 81

Chapter 52

modern paraphrase of James Legge's 1891 translation

Modern paraphrase. This is an AI-generated retelling in contemporary English (model: claude-opus-4-7). It is not the James Legge translation. The original is one click away.

  1. The Tao, the origin of everything under heaven, should be regarded as the mother of all things.

  2. Once you have found the mother, you know her children. Once you know you are her child and hold fast to what belongs to the mother in you, you will be free from danger all your life.

  3. Keep your mouth shut and close your nostrils, and you will live without strain to the end of your days. Open your mouth and busy yourself with affairs, and you will never be safe.

  4. Seeing what is small is true clear-sightedness; guarding what is soft is true strength.

  5. Whoever uses his light well, turning back to its bright source, will keep his body from harm, and conceal the changeless from sight.

For younger readers — books on this tradition

Browse the full library →