41
WHEN a wise scholar hears the Tao,
He practises it
diligently.
When a mediocre scholar hears the Tao,
He wavers between
belief and unbelief.
When a worthless scholar hears the Tao,
He
laughs boisterously at it.
But if such a one does not laugh at
it,
The Tao would not be the Tao!
The wise men of old have truly said:
The bright Way looks dim.
The progressive Way looks
retrograde.
The smooth Way looks rugged.
High Virtue looks
like an abyss.
Great whiteness looks spotted.
Abundant Virtue
looks deficient.
Established Virtue looks shabby.
Solid Virtue
looks as though melted.
Great squareness has no corners.
Great
talents ripen late.
Great sound is silent.
Great Form is
shapeless.
The Tao is hidden and nameless;
Yet it alone knows how to render
help and to fulfill.
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