Translation: Tao Te King – Chapter 28. Becoming a child

Chapter 28. Becoming a child

He who being a man, stays a woman, becomes a conduit of the universe.

Picture of a painting portraying Laozi
“Drop it like a Tzar.” ~ Snoop Lamb. “Ja mon. I always do.” ~ Laozi “Can I have that Bentley when you’re done with it?” ~ Apotheker Jubohi – PD life+70 uploaded by Kungkan.

As he is a conduit of the universe the eternal virtue never parts with him.

He becomes a small child again.¹

He who has come to the light yet stays in the dimness becomes a model for the universe.²

He being a model for the universe the eternal virtue never dismisses him.

He returns to omniperfection.

He who knows honor while continues to remain in the humility becomes the valley of the universe.

He being the valley of the universe he is filled with the eternal virtue. He returns to the first essence.

The first essence is that which in multitude causes innumerable things.³

A wise man understands this and becomes the wisest of all rulers.

A liberal-minded government is one that does not despise or insult anyone.


  1. Mr. Ervast: “Every mystic knows that Christ is born in him only when his soul is cleaned to immaculate cleanness. In other words: Godly desire awakes in a human only when his mind is manly free and his sense is womanly clean and gentle.”
  2. Mr Ervast: “The spirit is always humbly mysterious in that sense that it always hides behind matter and form.”
  3. Mr. Ervast: “Each of which is useful in its own way.”

Own translation from 1925 Finnish translation by Pekka Ervast (ISBN 951-8995-01-X) with kind permission of Ruusu-Ristin Kirjallisuusseura ry.

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