Chapter8— The Placid and Contented Nature
Chapter 8 of the Tao Te Ching, often titled 'The Virtue of Water,' serves as a pivotal meditation on the nature of true excellence within the Daoist tradition. By employing water as a central metaphor, this section explores how the highest form of virtue is characterized by selfless benefit, adaptability, and a willingness to occupy humble positions that others might reject. Situated early in the text, it establishes a foundational ethic of non-contention and receptivity that permeates the subsequent teachings on governance and personal cultivation.
About this translation
The most influential English translation ever made. Sometimes archaic, but the standard PD English text.
Translators commissioned by King James I of England, 1604–1611
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