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23. Sparse Words

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English translation

Few words accord with what is natural. A violent wind does not last all morning, and a sudden downpour does not last all day.

Nature’s fiercest outbursts are brief. Human commands and pronouncements, when excessive or forceful, are unlikely to have lasting effect either.

What brings these things about?

The question points back to the wind and rain and invites us to consider, on a larger scale, why intense forces cannot last.

Heaven and earth.

Even the violent wind and rain produced by heaven and earth come to an end, showing that extreme intensity naturally spends itself.

If even heaven and earth cannot sustain such force for long, how much less can human beings?

Human power is more limited still, so action driven by relentless force cannot be maintained indefinitely.

Therefore, among those who devote themselves to the Way, one who follows the Way becomes one with the Way; one who follows its virtue becomes one with virtue; one who follows loss becomes one with loss.

What people repeatedly align their conduct with gradually shapes who they are and the results they encounter.

One who is aligned with the Way is gladly received by the Way; one aligned with virtue is gladly received by virtue; one aligned with loss is likewise received by loss.

Direction and outcome answer each other. Choosing the Way, virtue, or loss is not merely an idea; it produces a corresponding pattern of life.

Where trustworthiness is lacking, distrust arises.

When trust is absent, first examine whether one’s own words and actions are dependable. Trust is built through consistent conduct, not demanded from others.

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