Original Text
Know the strong but abide by the weak, willing to be the stream of the world. Willing to be the stream of the world, eternal virtue will not be lost, and return to the pure and gentle state of an infant. Know what is bright but abide by the dark, willing to be the model of the world. Willing to be the model of the world, eternal virtue will not err, and return to the state of true simplicity. Know what is glorious but abide by the humble, willing to be the valley of the world. Willing to be the valley of the world, eternal virtue will be sufficient, and return to the original pure state of nature. The simple Tao disperses into all things; those who follow the Tao and use simplicity become leaders of officials. Therefore, a perfect political system is an indivisible whole.
Guide
To maintain constant virtue, one must both "know the male" and "keep to the female," "know the white" and "keep to the black," "know the glory" and "keep to the disgrace." That is, there must be both an active, advancing aspect and a humble, non-contending aspect. Only in this way can one return to simplicity and utilize all things. A correct system is also naturally formed and indivisible.
Analysis
The natural law of the Tao is that opposites give rise to each other, and extremes reverse. Those who embody the Tao deeply understand this principle, so they willingly place themselves in what the world considers the unfavorable side. In doing so, they eliminate the negative effects arising from being on the "favorable" side, maintaining a state of wholeness aligned with the Tao—the state of the "infant," the "limitless," and the "uncarved block." Understanding this truth, even when holding office, one can advance and retreat with ease. This is the principle that "great governance does not divide."
"Know the masculine, keep to the feminine, and become the valley of the world. Being the valley of the world, constant virtue will not depart, and you will return to the state of an infant." The masculine represents strength, the feminine represents softness. Returning to the state of an infant means reverting to a pure and innocent state like a newborn. Laozi believed that strength is a manifestation of action, which is not in accord with the Dao, while softness is a manifestation of non-action, which is in accord with the Dao. Therefore, he required people to adhere to softness, as only then could they align with the Dao. The phrase "gentle as water" is often used to describe a woman's beautiful character traits, because water is inherently soft and can carry all things in the world. If people can be as gentle as a stream, they will return to the natural state of an infant, which is in accord with the Dao.
"Know the white, yet keep to the black, and be a pattern for the world." The term "pattern" refers to the paradigm of the world, which is the essence of the world, also known as the "Way." In Laozi's view, only by deeply understanding what is bright while remaining content with the obscure can one become the paradigm for the world.
"Being the model for the world, constant virtue does not deviate, returning to the infinite." "Infinite" means boundless, without beginning or end. This sentence means: becoming the paradigm for the world, constant virtue will not err, and when constant virtue does not err, it returns to the primordial state of the universe. Through this, Laozi tells us that those who attain the Way should practice teaching without words, rather than imposing their views on others. He emphasizes not leading people's thoughts astray, which embodies Laozi's philosophy of governing by non-action.
"Know glory, yet keep to disgrace, and be a valley for the world. Being a valley for the world, constant virtue will be sufficient, and you will return to the uncarved block. The 'uncarved block' refers to the essence of natural things, which is the Dao and its virtue. This means that one who deeply understands honor yet abides in humility, willingly becoming the lowly valley of the world, will have constant virtue fulfilled; with constant virtue fulfilled, one returns to the state of simplicity and purity. It tells us that humans are born with desires. Craving glory and wealth is human nature: how can we prevent people from excessively seeking riches? Laozi believed that glory and wealth ultimately return to nothingness; only by understanding this truth can people remain calm and face external things with acceptance, reaching the realm of the great Dao. However, achieving completeness in the Dao does not mean the task is done; people must continue to uphold the principles of the Dao, otherwise the Dao will fall back into the cycle of arising from nothingness and returning to it."
When the uncarved wood is shaped into vessels, the sage uses them as officials and leaders, so the great governance does not cut apart. The great governance refers to the flawless political thought and system. Not cutting apart means inseparability, the harmony and unity between people and between humans and the world. Here, Laozi emphasizes the wholeness and indivisibility of the Tao. The law of the Tao is the endless cycle from nothing to being and back to nothing. Therefore, when cultivating the Tao, one should not practice only once but must cultivate ceaselessly. After achieving perfection, one must ensure that virtue does not disperse, preserving its integrity. If virtue disperses, the Tao will once again enter the cycle from nothing to being and back to nothing.