Chapter 19

The infant or child as symbol of the unfallen, undivided spiritual state; return to primordial simplicity.

[auto] The emphasis on 'simple views' and 'courses plain and true' aligns with the mystical ideal of returning to an unfallen, undivided state of simplicity.

Eckhart's Abgeschiedenheit/Gelassenheit — radical letting-go of will, image, and grasping that opens the soul to God; distinct from inner_silence (quietness) and from material renunciation, and adjacent to Sufi tark and Buddhist non-grasping as a practice rather than a metaphysical claim.

The call to renounce wisdom, benevolence, and gain reflects a radical letting-go of grasping and constructed values to open receptivity to natural order.

Using apparent contradiction, reversal, or riddle to destabilise ordinary understanding and induce insight.

[auto] The passage centrally employs the paradox that renouncing wisdom and benevolence leads to greater social harmony and true virtue.

Critique of outward religious observance that lacks inner transformation; form without substance.

[auto] It critiques artificial virtues ('names') that veil a lack of worth, advocating for plain and true conduct instead.

The spiritual danger of attachment to material possessions; wealth as a spiritual obstacle.

[auto] The text explicitly calls for discarding 'scheming for gain' to eliminate thieves and robbers.

The soul's journey back to its divine origin, reversing the fall into matter through stages of purification or illumination.

[auto] The passage advocates returning to 'olden ways' and becoming 'again' filial and kindly, implying a restoration of a primordial natural state.

Effortless action aligned with the spontaneous flow of the Dao; non-coercive, non-striving conduct that yields results without forcing — the sage acts without acting.

[auto] The passage advocates renouncing artful contrivances and scheming in favor of simple, plain courses, embodying effortless action aligned with the Dao.