第五十五章     知和曰常

含德之厚，比于赤子。蜂蠆虺蛇不螫，猛獸不據，攫鳥不搏。骨弱筋柔而握固。未知牝牡之合而全作，精之至也。終日號而不嗄，和之至也。知和曰常，知常曰明。益生曰祥。心使氣曰強。物壯則老，謂之不道，不道早已。

Knowing the Harmony

Hewho possess the virtues of the Tao,

Islike a newborn baby.

Poisonousinsects do not sting it,

Fiercebeasts do not seize it,

Birdsof prey do not strike it.

Itsbones are yielding, its muscles are relaxed,

Butits grip is firm.

They have never known the union of man and woman, but the organis fully formed, meaning that the vital essence is strong.

He may cry all day without becoming hoarse, This means that his(natural) harmony is perfect. To know harmony means to be in accord with theeternal. To be in accord with the eternal means to be enlightened.

To try to force life isominous. To force the vital essence with the mind is violence. After all thingsreach their prime, they begin to grow old, Which means being contrary to Tao.Whatever is contrary to Tao will soon perish. [譯文]

含德深厚的人，就如同出生嬰兒無私無欲的狀態一樣。 毒蛇不蟄他，猛獸不撲他，惡鳥不搏擊他。他骨弱筋柔，拳頭卻攥得很緊。他不懂陰陽交合之欲，小生殖器自然勃起。整天號哭，聲音卻不沙啞，這是其體內陰陽淳和的緣故。 知道陰陽平衡才真正明白萬物化生之根源；知道萬事萬物之根源才能做到一切了然于胸。有益于生靈的叫祥和。 后天心術主使和氣就注定要為物役而逞強。