Verse 42
Tao gives life to the one
The one gives life to the two
The two gives life to the three
The three give life to ten thousand things
All beings support yin and embrace yang
and the interplay of these two forces
fills the universe
Yet only at the still-point,
between the breathing in and the breathing out,
can one capture these two in perfect harmony
People suffer at the thought of being
without parents, without food, or without worth
Yet this is the very way that
kings and lords once described themselves
Who knows what fate may bring—
one day your loss may be your fortune
one day your fortune may be your loss
The age-old lesson that others teach, I also teach—
"As you plant, so you reap"
"As you live, so you die"
Know this to be the foundation of my teachings
The one gives life to the two
The two gives life to the three
The three give life to ten thousand things
All beings support yin and embrace yang
and the interplay of these two forces
fills the universe
Yet only at the still-point,
between the breathing in and the breathing out,
can one capture these two in perfect harmony
People suffer at the thought of being
without parents, without food, or without worth
Yet this is the very way that
kings and lords once described themselves
Who knows what fate may bring—
one day your loss may be your fortune
one day your fortune may be your loss
The age-old lesson that others teach, I also teach—
"As you plant, so you reap"
"As you live, so you die"
Know this to be the foundation of my teachings
