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Tao Te Ching · 28 of 81 · tr. James Legge

Chapter 28

Who knows his manhood's strength, Yet still his female feebleness maintains; As to one channel flow the many drains, All come to him, yea, all beneath the sky. Thus he the constant excellence retains; The simple child again, free from all stains. Who knows how white attracts, Yet always keeps himself within black's shade, The pattern of humility displayed, Displayed in view of all beneath the sky; He in the unchanging excellence arrayed, Endless return to man's first state has made. Who knows how glory shines, Yet loves disgrace, nor e'er for it is pale; Behold his presence in a spacious vale, To which men come from all beneath the sky. The unchanging excellence completes its tale; The simple infant man in him we hail. The unwrought material, when divided and distributed, forms vessels. The sage, when employed, becomes the Head of all the Officers (of government); and in his greatest regulations he employs no violent measures.
Themes
◇Childlike Innocenceanthropology

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

[auto] The text repeatedly emphasizes returning to the state of the 'simple child' or 'infant man' as the ideal spiritual condition.

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◇Divine Simplicitytheology

The doctrine that God has no parts, divisions, or composite attributes; pure undivided being.

[auto] The 'unwrought material' and 'simple child' imagery reflect a state of undivided, uncomplicated being.

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◇Kingdom Withinanthropology

The claim that the divine realm is present inside the individual, accessible without external mediation.

[auto] The sage keeps himself within the 'black's shade' and embodies excellence internally rather than seeking external glory.

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◇Mystical Unionsoteriology

The merging of the individual soul or self with the divine, transcending personal identity.

[auto] The sage becomes a vessel to which all come, implying a merging with the universal flow or Tao.

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◇Opposites Transcendedanthropology

The dissolution of binary oppositions (male/female, inner/outer, above/below) as a mark of spiritual completion.

[auto] The passage explicitly describes integrating opposing forces like male/female and white/black into a unified state of excellence.

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◇Paradox As Teachingethics

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

[auto] The passage relies on paradoxical statements, such as knowing strength yet maintaining feebleness, to convey wisdom.

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◇Return To Sourcesoteriology

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

[auto] A central theme is the 'endless return to man's first state' and maintaining the 'unchanging excellence' of the origin.

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◇Self Knowledgesoteriology

The recognition of one's own true divine nature as the primary path to liberation; 'know thyself' as soteriology.

[auto] The repeated phrase 'Who knows' indicates that recognizing one's own nature is the prerequisite for spiritual attainment.

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◇Unity Of Beingtheology

The doctrine that all existence is ultimately one substance or one divine reality; non-duality as a theological claim.

[auto] The metaphor of many drains flowing into one channel suggests the underlying unity of all existence beneath the sky.

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◇Wu Weipraxis

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 explicitly describes the sage employing 'no violent measures' in governance, which aligns perfectly with the definition of effortless, non-coercive action.

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Related passages · 2 parallels
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 165 (part 2)
“The more perfect the man, the more compliant he is, even towards his fellows; we must temper our importance, not thrusting insolently beyond what our nature warrants; we must allow other beings, also, their place in the presence of the Godh…”
Both passages emphasize humility, simplicity, and the importance of maintaining a connection with a higher principle or divine order. They advocate for a return to a more natural, unadorned state and warn against the dangers of excessive pride or self-aggrandizement.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 167
“Section 11 11. Now, in the first place, if the Soul has not actually come down but has illuminated the darkness, how can it truly be said to have declined? The outflow from it of something in the nature of light does not justify the asserti…”
Both passages emphasize humility, simplicity, and the importance of maintaining a connection with a higher principle or divine essence. They advocate for a return to a more natural, unadorned state and caution against arrogance and self-exaltation.