Lao Tzu Tao Discourses - Verse 42

The Tao gives birth to the One.
The One gives birth to two.

Two gives birth to three.
And three gives birth to the ten thousand things.

The ten thousand things have their backs in the shadow
while they embrace the light.

Harmony is achieved by blending the breaths of these two forces.
People dislike the words “alone,” “helpless,” “worthless,”

yet this is how Princes describe themselves.
So it is that sometimes a thing is increased

by being diminished and diminished by being increased.
What others teach I also teach:

“A violent person will not die a natural death.”
I shall make this the basis of my teaching.

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