第五十二章

天下有始，以为天下母。既得其母，以知其子；既知其子，复守其母，没身不殆。塞其兑，闭其门，终身不勤。开其兑，济其事，终身不救。见小曰明，守柔曰强。用其光，复归其明，无遗身殃，是为习常。

The world had a beginning, which is the mother of the world. Once you know the mother, you can know her children. Once you know the children, return and hold to the mother, and you will be free from danger all your life. Block the openings, shut the doors, and to the end of life you will not be exhausted. Open the openings, meddle in affairs, and to the end of life you will not be saved. Seeing the small is called clarity; keeping to the soft is called strength. Use your light, return to clarity, and you will not bring calamity upon yourself. This is called practicing the eternal.

白话译文

天下万物有一个开始，这个开始就是天下万物的母体。既然知道了母体，就能认识万物；既然认识了万物，再回去守住母体，终身不会有危险。堵塞那些感官的孔穴，关闭那些欲望的大门，终身不会有劳累之苦。打开那些感官的孔穴，去忙于各种事务，终身不可挽救。能察见细微叫做明达，能守住柔弱叫做强壮。运用道的光明，返回到内在的明达，不会给自身招来灾祸，这就叫做承习常道。

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