Tao Te Ching

Chapter 6
[Original text]

The world is not benevolent [1], and treats everything as a straw dog [2]; the sage is not benevolent, and treats the people as a straw dog.

Between the heaven and the earth, is it like a slender [3]?Emptiness and unyielding [4], movement and more out.

Talking too much [5] is not as good as keeping the center [6].

【Note】

[1] Ren: the heart of benevolence.Here it means that there is no will or emotion, just existing naturally.

[2] Strain dog: A dog made of grass fed to livestock, which is a humble metaphor.Straw dogs were mainly used in ancient sacrificial offerings, and were highly valued during the offering, but became useless after the offering and were discarded at will.

[3] 橐 (tuó) 籥 (yuè): Bellows, an ancient utensil for blowing wind and blowing fire.

[4] Qu: "jué" is pronounced here, which has a similar meaning to "jue", meaning lack.

[5] Poor: poor, exhausted, desperate.

[6] Middle: It agrees with the previous "chong", which means "cup", which means a state of extreme tranquility.

【Analysis】

Heaven and earth do not have human thinking, so they have no benevolence. They regard all things in the world as dogs on the altar, which are pricked with grass fed to livestock, and let them be self-prosperous and self-defeating; As a dog on the altar tied with grass for livestock, let it fend for itself.

Between heaven and earth, is it like a bellows that blows wind into a furnace?It looks empty inside, but it is not lacking. The more it is stirred up, the more the wind inside will disperse outward.

Reflecting on a person's words and deeds, it is often because he talks too much and drives himself to a dead end. Instead of doing this, it is better to keep his inner peace and keep his words in his heart, but he can get more.

【Explanation by Famous Artists】

Mr. He Shang:
The nature bestows the earth, not benevolence, let nature be.All things are born in heaven and earth, and human beings are the most precious. Heaven and earth treat them like grass, dogs and animals, and do not expect them to repay them.The sage loves and nourishes the people, he does not show benevolence, he follows the heaven and the earth and lets nature go.The sage regards the people as grass, dogs and animals, and does not blame their courtesy.

There is emptiness between the heaven and the earth, and harmony prevails, so all things are self-generated.If a person can get rid of lust, taste, and clear the five internal organs, then the gods will live there.There is emptiness in the scorpion, so it can have a voice.When you speak of emptiness and nothingness, when you are exhausted, shake it and make your voice sound better.

Too many things harm the gods, too much talk harms the body, and the mouth is open, and there is bound to be disaster.It's better to keep virtue in the middle, cultivate the spirit, and express love and hope.

(End of this chapter)