Tao te ching LI : La virtù che nutre
Il Tao le fa vivere,
la virtù le alleva,
con la materia dà loro la forma,
con le vicende dà loro la completezza.
Per questo le creature tutte
venerano il Tao e onorano la virtù:
venerare il Tao e onorare la virtù
nessuno lo comanda ma viene ognor spontaneo.
Quindi il Tao fa vivere,
la virtù alleva, fa crescere,
sviluppa, completa, matura,
nutre, ripara.
Le fa vivere ma non le tiene come sue opera ma nulla s’aspetta,
le fa crescere ma non le governa.
Questa è la misteriosa virtù.
52
The world’s beginning is its mother.
To have found the mother
Is also to know the children.
Although you know the children,
Cling to the mother.
Until your last day you will not be harmed.
Seal the openings, shut the doors,
And until your last day you will not be exhausted.
Widen the openings, interfere,
And until your last day you will not be safe.
Seeing the small is called clarity.
Holding on to the weak is called strength.
Use the light to return to clarity.
Then you will not cause yourself misery.
This is called following the eternal.
