e　that　pervades　the　Cosmos。　Within　the　living　body；　cells　are　created；　dissolved；　and　recreated　continuously；　this　is　the　way　of　Nature；　the　way　of　transformation。
  14
  Look　for　it…it　is　invisible；
  Listen　for　it…it　is　silent；
  Try　to　grasp　it…it　is　not　solid。
  Its　nature　is　bodiless；
  Yet　it　is　the　essence　of　body。
  Its　darkness　is　the　source　of　light；
  Its　infinitude；　the　ground　of　time。
  It　is　the　Formless　One
  From　which　all　forms　arise。
  Pursue；　and　it　eludes　you；
  Follow；　and　it　vanishes。
  Thought　cannot　hold　it；
  But　you　can抰　think　without　it。
  It　is　the　thread　of　all　being；
  The　origin；　the　pulse　of　time。
  It　is　the　wave　upon　the　strand　of　life：
  Pervading；　defining；　nourishing。
  15
  The　one　who　wrote　these　bone…old　words
  Set　out　to　draw　the　veil　of　Mystery
  From　the　truth　of　his　moment。
  It　was　impenetrable　to　logic；
  But　the　subtle　dance　of　verse
  Could　pierce　the　appearance；
  And　neutralize　the　profundity。
  He　was　cautiously　humble；
  As　if　walking　on　ice。
  Ever　conscious　of　danger；
  He　approached　his　undertaking
  With　watchful　reserve；
  Like　a　visitor　to　far…off　shores：
  Pliant；　like　ice　in　the　spring；
  Malleable；　like　fresh　yew；
  Open；　like　a　mountain　valley。
  In　utter　stillness；　he　watched　himself
  As　if　he　were　a　murky　pool　of　water；
  Until　his　mud　had　settled
  And　clarity　had　been　restored。
  He　learned　to　shed　excess；　and　to　seek　fulfillment
  Solely　through　diminishment。
  In　renouncing　want；　he　received　abundance　in　his　old　age；
  In　surrendering　advantage；　he　shredded　the　wisdom　of　his　era
  And　thus　transformed　it。
  Under　the　guidance　of　the　Sage；　I　have　recast　this　poem　as　a　description　of　Lao　Tzu　himself；　and　his　approach　to　exploring　the　Tao　through　this　marvelous　set　of　teaching　poems。　This　is　really　a　very　short　step　from　traditional　translations；　which　have　Lao　Tzu　describing　the　experiences　of　〃ancient　Masters。〃　Clearly；　Lao　Tzu　is　not　in　the　camp　that　deifies　ancient　masters；　and　he　would　certainly　be　horrified　at　his　own　deification　at　the　hands　of　religious　Taoists　in　the　centuries　after　him。
  This　was　revealed　to　me　in　a　meditation　image　as　I　began　the　work　of　this　rendering　of　the　Tao　Te　Ching：　I　saw　Lao　Tzu　standing　uncomfortably　on　a　very　high　pedestal　of　glistening　ivory。　I　approached　the　pedestal；　looked　up　at　him；　and　then　kicked　hard　at　the　base　of　the　pedestal；　which　shattered；　collapsing　the　whole。　The　old　philosopher　came　tumbling　down　but　landed　on　his　feet。　He　smiled；　reached　out　his　hand　toward　me；　and　said；　〃thanks。〃　This　meditation　（aside　from　providing　me　a　great　laugh）　taught　me　a　great　deal　about　how　to　approach　a　new　rendering　of　the　Tao　Te　Ching；　and　it　also　taught　me　that　Lao　Tzu　is　still　very　much　present　in　consciousness；　and　that　he　remains　available　to　help　and　to　teach梟ot　as　a　god　or　a　legend　of　an　old　and　revered　book；　but　as　a　living；　conscious　presence。　In　reference　to　this　poem　in　particular；　the　Sage　showed　me　that　Lao　Tzu　had　unconsciously　written　a　sort　of　inner　autobiography　in　verse；　and　that　this　is　how　I　could　present　it　in　English。
  Everyone；　without　exception；　has　the　inner　wherewithal　to　experience　art　and　nature　this　way梛ust　look　within　make　that　peculiar　connection　with　the　Tao　that　only　you　can　make　with　it。
  16
  While　sitting　in　stillness；
  Connect　with　the　Cosmic　Harmony。
  By　clearing　the　space　within；
  In　steadfast　quietude；
  Let　your　true　self　observe
  The　numberless　compressions　of　consciousness：
  How　they　arise　and　recede；
  Coming　into　being　and　blooming；
  Retreating　at　last　toward　the　Cosmic　Origin。
  Return　to　the　root；　to　the　primal　nature；
  Is　the　way　of　all　beings。
  Let　your　awareness　contemplate
  The　eternal　cycle　of　return；
  And　your　insight　will　deepen　in　this。
  The　understanding　that　is　nurtured
  On　the　dispersion　of　ignorance
  Perpetually　broadens　its　perspective。
  To　embrace　the　way　of　return；
  To　feel　the　immutable　equality　of　being；
  Nurtures　equanimity　and　justice。
  To　live　in　the　Tao　means　abiding　in　the　eternal…
  Perceiving　completely；　with　all　one抯　being：
  Life　is　never　exhausted；
  It　is　only　delusion　that　dies。
  This　poem　again　reveals　Lao　Tzu's　familiarity　with　the　I　Ching；　for　it　evokes　and　draws　upon　Hexagram　24　of　that　text；　which　is　called　〃Returning。〃　To　the　poet（s）　of　the　I　Ching；　揜eturning？is　about　feeling　the　cycle　death…and…life　in　every　moment；　in　the　same　way　that　beauty　and　truth　become　one　within　an　open　heart。
  This　is　an　accurate　summation　of　the　theme　of　Chapter　16　of　Lao　Tzu　as　well；　for　it　is　what　the　poet　means　by　〃the　dispersion　of　ignorance；〃　and　〃it　is　only　delusion　that　dies。〃
  Also　in　Hexagram　24；　the　original　text　of　the　Judgment　says；　〃to　and　fro　goes　the　way。〃　This　is　the　dance　of　form　and　non…form　described　by　Lao　Tzu　in　this　poem：　forms　arise　and　recede；　they　are　born；　flourish；　and　then　retreat　to　their　Cosmic　Origin。　And　indeed；　〃life　is　never　exhausted；〃　for　this　return　to　non…form　is　followed　by　transformation　back　into　form　as　the　dance　of　consciousness　endlessly　perpetuates。　We　can　truly　experience　this　Cosmic　Principle　of　returning；　by　〃clearing　the　space　within〃　in　meditation；　and　by　separating　ourselves　from　the　rigid　prejudice　of　ignorance　and　false　belief。　This　process　of　allowing　inner　clarity　to　develop　opens　understanding　and　〃nurtures　equanimity　and　justice。〃　It　is　a　self…perpetuating　and　deeply　nourishing　inner　experience　that　never　seems　to　run　its　course；　but　is　always　complete　in　itself；　each　time　we　allow　it　to　arise。
  Chapter　16　is　a　deeply　moving　poem。　It　is　a　literary　meditation　on　death…as…life：　forthright；　dignified；　and　utterly　free　of　false　sentiment　or　ideology。　To　inwardly　perceive　the　Cosmic　principle　of　returning　is　to　see　beyond　the　realm　of　the　apparent；　it　is　the　natural　and　most　nourishing　movement　of　the　human　heart。
  17
  The　truly　developed　self
  Is　ever　aware　of　the　Cosmic　Presence。
  Another　may　abide
  In　love　and　praise　of　it；
  Still　another　might　fear　it；
  And　finally　there　are　those
  Who　hold　it　in　contempt。
  Trust　is　not　built　on　faith；
  It　is　nurtured　on　experience。
  One　following　the　Sage　uses　words　sparingly；
  And　lets　his　natural　action　speak；
  His　work　is　not　enslaved　to　a　goal…
  Its　accomplishment　is　his　statement。
  Then　progress　happens
  As　if　no　one　had　tried。
  18
  Wherever　the　cosmic　order　is　neglected；
  Goodness　and　morality　are　born。
  When　the　heart抯　awareness　is　repressed；
  The　intellect　is　led　into　hypocrisy。
  When　the　family　loses　its　natural　harmony；
  The　rules　of　duty　and　honor　are　enforced。
  When　the　natural　society　is　disrupted；
  The　dragon　of　state　arises；
  And　powerful　leaders　take　over。
  Separation　from　the　Cosmic　Whole　is　misfortune　because　it　starves　the　true　self　in　a　suffocating　act　of　oppression。　This　can　happen　at　an　intimately　individual　level　（within　the　heart）；　among　a　family；　or　within　an　entire　society　of　people；　and　the　result　is　the　same：　a　forced　and　false　limitation　of　the　natural　self；　the　natural　family；　or　the　natural　society。　The　I　Ching　refers　to　this　type　of　oppression　as　〃galling　limitation〃　in　Hexagram　60；　Limitation。　It　adds　that　this　〃galling　limitation　must　not　be　persevered　in。〃
  Lao　Tzu　reminds　us　that　when　the　cosmic　order　is　repressed；　families；　communities；　and　nations　are　then　turned　into　food…chain　style　hierarchies梡ower　structures　supported　by　rigid　and　superficial　notions　of　morality；　intelligence；　duty；　reward；　and　obligation。　An　entire　spectrum　of　sacrificial　self…images　arises　from　these　ideas：　images　of　the　obedient　spouse；　the　sacrificing　parent；　the　hero　in　society；　and　the　honor　of　god；　country；　family；　or　of　the　self　as　defined　in　the　context　of　the　collective；　and　the　forced　duties　that　this　honor　demands。　In　the　next　poem；　Chapter　19；　and　several　others；　Lao　Tzu　encourages　us　to　destroy　self…images梐s　individuals；　families；　and　nations梑y　ridding　ourselves　of　the　false　ideas　that　feed　them。　As　he　suggests　in　Chapter　19；　we　all　have　the　〃inner　discernment〃　to　detect　deceit　and　oppression；　once　we　nurture　and　use　that　natural　ability；　we　can　then　simply　release　ourselves　of　the　ideas　that　further　oppression。
  19
  Separate　from　spirituality；
  Extinguish　wisdom；
  And　there　will　be　benefit　for　all。
  Discard　all　pretence
  To　piety　and　benevolence；
  And　the　people　will　help　one　another。
  Close　the　academies；
  Extirpate　the　feudal　rites；
  And　sorrow　will　be　annihilated。
  Banish　investment　vehicles；
  Impoverish　the　profit…takers；
  And　there　will　be　neither　thieves　nor　frauds。
  These　are　the　ornaments　of　my　teaching；
  But　hardly　the　essence；　which　is　this：
  Rely　upon　your　inner　discernment；
  Return　to　your　original　purity；
  Wear　down　your　ego；
  Break　out　of　the　circle　of　desire。
  20
  Shut　down　your　intellect；　and　answer：
  Between　yes　and　no；