第六章 Dao De Jing · Chapter 6
The spirit of the valley, the mysterious female, is the endless root of heaven and earth.
Text
-
谷神不死，
The spirit of abundance never dies,
-
是谓玄牝，
It is called the mystic female,
-
玄牝之门，
The opening of the mystic female,
-
是谓天地根。
Is called the root of the cosmos,
-
绵绵若存，
It infinitely seems to exist,
-
用之不勤。
Practice this without exertion.
Words in this chapter
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 谷神 | gǔ shén | the spirit of the valley |
| 不 | bù | not |
| 死 | sǐ | to die |
| 是 | shì | this |
| 谓 | wèi | to call, to be called |
| 玄 | xuán | mystery, mysterious |
| 牝 | pìn | female (animal) |
| 之 | zhī | of, 's (linking particle) |
| 门 | mén | gate |
| 天地 | tiān dì | heaven and earth |
| 根 | gēn | root |
| 绵绵 | mián mián | unbroken, continuing |
| 若 | ruò | like, as if |
| 存 | cún | to exist, endure |
| 用 | yòng | to use |
| 之 | zhī | it, them (object) |
| 勤 | qín | to wear out |
Compare: James Legge (1891)
The valley spirit dies not, aye the same;
The female mystery thus do we name.
Its gate, from which at first they issued forth,
Is called the root from which grew heaven and earth.
Long and unbroken does its power remain,
Used gently, and without the touch of pain.
Public domain. Source: Wikisource.
Meaning of chapter 6
Chapter 6 gives the Way two images: the spirit of the valley, which does not die, and 玄牝 (the mysterious female). A valley is empty and low, and water and life gather there; the female gives birth. The gate of the mysterious female is called the root of heaven and earth.
The chapter is short and rhythmic, almost a chant. Its last two lines describe something faint but unbroken: it seems barely to exist, yet using it never wears it out. 勤 here does not mean "diligent", as it does today, but "to wear out".
谷神, the valley spirit, has been read in many ways. Heshang Gong took 谷 as "to nourish", nourishing the spirit so as not to die, and the house English "spirit of abundance" leans that way. This site follows Wang Bi, who explains it as the empty center of the valley: an image of the Way's emptiness, not a deity. The female returns in chapter 10, and the valley in chapters 15 and 28.