Words to return to.
A little space to read them.
谷神不死，是謂玄牝。玄牝之門，是謂天地根。
綿綿若存，用之不勤。
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.
The Chinese text follows our sister site, Longhu Mountain. The English is James Legge’s public-domain translation, first published in 1891, transcribed from the Project Gutenberg edition. Paragraph numbering is omitted; wording, parenthetical explanations and period language are retained. Chinese readings vary between editions.
The Tao Te Ching is traditionally attributed to Laozi. Its date and authorship are debated. Chapter titles are reading aids; they are not part of the ancient Chinese chapter text. The reflection boxes on this site are contemporary editorial questions, distinct from the translation.
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Read in order.
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Names, origins and the language of the Dao.
Images of yielding, flexibility and quiet persistence.
The usefulness of emptiness and the practice of less.
Character, leadership and a life beyond accumulation.