第五十二章 Dao De Jing · Chapter 52

Know the world through its source, guard the senses, and keep to the soft.

天tiān下xià有yǒu始shǐ，以yǐ为wéi天tiān下xià母mǔ。

The world has a beginning, which is the mother of the world.
既jì得dé其qí母mǔ，以yǐ知zhī其qí子zǐ，

Having found the mother, one knows the children;
既jì知zhī其qí子zǐ，复fù守shǒu其qí母mǔ，

knowing the children, one holds again to the mother,
没mò身shēn不bù殆dài。

and to the end of one's life there is no danger.
塞sè其qí兑duì，

Close the openings,
闭bì其qí门mén，终zhōng身shēn不bù勤qín。

shut the doors, and all your life you will not be worn out.
开kāi其qí兑duì，

Open the openings,
济jì其qí事shì，终zhōng身shēn不bù救jiù。

busy yourself with affairs, and all your life you cannot be saved.
见jiàn小xiǎo曰yuē明míng，守shǒu柔róu曰yuē强qiáng。

Seeing the small is called clarity; keeping to the soft is called strength.
用yòng其qí光guāng，复fù归guī其qí明míng，

Use the light and return to clarity,
无wú遗yí身shēn殃yāng，是shì为wéi习xí常cháng。

bring no harm upon yourself: this is called following the constant.

Words in this chapter

Words in chapter 52, with pinyin and meaning
Word	Pinyin	Meaning
天下	tiān xià	all under heaven, the world
有	yǒu	to have, to possess
始	shǐ	the beginning
以	yǐ	to take (as)
为	wéi	to be, to count as
母	mǔ	mother
既	jì	once, already
得	dé	to get, to obtain
其	qí	its, his, their
以	yǐ	in order to
知	zhī	to know
子	zǐ	child, offspring
复	fù	again
守	shǒu	to keep, to guard
没	mò	to the end of
身	shēn	oneself, the person
不	bù	not
殆	dài	danger, peril
塞	sè	to block, to close
兑	duì	openings (of the senses)
闭	bì	to close, to shut
门	mén	gate
终身	zhōng shēn	all one’s life
勤	qín	to wear out
开	kāi	to open
济	jì	to add to, to busy oneself
事	shì	affairs, work
救	jiù	to save, to help
见	jiàn	to see
小	xiǎo	small
曰	yuē	is called, to say
明	míng	clarity, insight; clear
柔	róu	soft, supple
强	qiáng	strong
用	yòng	to use
光	guāng	light, brightness
复归	fù guī	to return again
无	wú	not have, without, no
遗	yí	to bring upon, leave
殃	yāng	calamity, harm
是	shì	this
习	xí	to follow, practice
常	cháng	constant, eternal

Compare: James Legge (1891)

(The Tao) which originated all under the sky is to be considered as the mother of them all.

When the mother is found, we know what her children should be. When one knows that he is his mother's child, and proceeds to guard (the qualities of) the mother that belong to him, to the end of his life he will be free from all peril.

Let him keep his mouth closed, and shut up the portals (of his nostrils), and all his life he will be exempt from laborious exertion. Let him keep his mouth open, and (spend his breath) in the promotion of his affairs, and all his life there will be no safety for him.

The perception of what is small is (the secret of clear-sightedness; the guarding of what is soft and tender is (the secret of) strength.

Who uses well his light,
Reverting to its (source so) bright,
Will from his body ward all blight,
And hides the unchanging from men's sight.

Public domain. Source: Wikisource.

Meaning of chapter 52

Chapter 52 traces the world back to its source, the mother, and advises guarding the senses and keeping to the soft.

The first lines use the image of mother and children. The world has a beginning, which is the mother of the world; having found the mother, one knows the children, and knowing the children, one holds again to the mother and is not in danger to the end of one's life. The mother recalls chapter 1, where the named is the mother of the myriad things, and chapter 25.

The middle lines are about the senses. Close the openings (兑) and shut the doors, and all your life you will not be worn out; open them and busy yourself with affairs, and you cannot be saved. Chapter 56 repeats the first pair. The chapter then defines two terms: seeing the small is called clarity (明), and keeping to the soft (柔) is called strength. It ends with using the light and returning to clarity, which is called following the constant. Wang Bi's text writes 习常; other editions have 袭常, like 袭明 in chapter 27, and the site reads both as following or practicing the constant.

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Meaning of chapter 52