Introduction

This verse makes a clear call to a specific way of being virtuous. Nothing in it is particularly new reading, yet the directness brings forth the message in a way we haven’t seen before.

Most translations open with the mysteriously enigmatic line, “The heavy is the root of the light.” This is arrived at by taking the first definitions of the characters. However, in the context of the verse, it is nonsensical.

This verse does not discuss opposites giving rise to each other, as in verse 2. It discusses a critical dimension, a Noble Virtue, for how we must act. Releasing our fixation on yin and yang and the desire to present mystique, the same characters also have definitions of “prudence” and “ease,” respectively. This seems much more cogent and reflects a cross-cultural spiritual truth.

See what you think.

Translation

Prudence is the root of ease,
Stillness rules over anxiety.

This is why Weavers,
act all day without
leaving the container of Prudence.

Although surrounded by the senses,
transcend into clarity.

How can you master your domain,
if you are unsettled in yourself?

Inattentive, one loses the root.
Anxious, one loses the throne.

Commentary

Prudence is the root of ease,
Stillness rules over anxiety.

Why are things that make perfect sense rarely the way we naturally behave? Of course, behaving prudently brings about an easy life. Things go well when we are moderated and deliberate in our choices. At worst, knowing we did our best and staying measured in our approach supports us in dealing with whatever comes. Yet, for whatever reason, humans associate freedom with a devil-may-care attitude, envying those who can act spontaneously to “follow their bliss.” Sure, that can sometimes be great and may work for a while. But rarely does such a lifestyle sustain itself to a true happy ending.

Likewise, anxiety has an energy that demands action. So we act, usually without prudence, to alleviate the pressure. We often do things that create more activity for ourselves and distract us from what needs to be done. We can also act on fears of what may be instead of what is, causing infinitely more chaos and trouble for others and ourselves. As bad as it feels, the best thing we can do for our anxious minds and bodies is to slow down, regulate the system, find stillness, and begin again.

This is why Weavers,
act all day without
leaving the container of prudence.

Prudence means “to govern oneself through the use of reason.” It points to making sensible decisions based on what is real and obvious in the current situation for the betterment of all involved. Adopting this attitude as a norm is essential to weaving the way. Without prudence, we impulsively pursue pleasures, speak from unchecked emotions, and pre-emptively manage our fears. Having personal experience in all three of those modes of behavior, I don’t recommend them.

Although surrounded by the senses,
transcend into clarity.

What drives anxiety? Sensory input. Which, in the Daoist conception, includes thoughts and emotions. The very nature of our sensing system is to provide us with the necessary information and stimulus to take action in ways that benefit our organism, the so-called “animal” nature. Humans have the capacity for higher-order executive functions like strategic and tactical planning, delayed gratification, and disidentification from sensory experience. As far as we know, we are the only organism to have developed the capacity for such a refined degree of self-reflective awareness and, therefore, access to higher intellect and states of consciousness.

When we take advantage of this innate capacity to transcend the “lower” functions of the mind, clarity (prudence) emerges.

How can you master your domain,
if you are unsettled in yourself?

It’s tempting to take this as a cute rhetorical device because it’s so obvious. But when I stop and reflect on this, I recognize just how frequently I seek to settle myself by managing my environment instead of the other way around. That’s a big wake-up call to the kind of task Weaving the Way is.

Inattentive, one loses the root.
Anxious, one loses the throne.

The verse ends by mirroring its beginning. Pay attention so you can move from your power. You give up your sovereignty if you allow your pleasures and fears to pull you around. Take Prudence as a noble virtue so you can navigate the storm of life without losing your way.