56. Mysterious Unity｜Tao Te Ching

知（zhī）者（zhě）不（bù）言（yán），（）言（yán）者（zhě）不（bù）知（zhī）。（）

Those who truly understand do not speak lightly; those who keep talking do not truly understand.

The point is not to reject all speech, but to distinguish understanding from display. Real insight tends to make a person careful with words.

塞（sāi）其（qí）兑（duì），（）闭（bì）其（qí）门（mén），（）挫（cuò）其（qí）锐（ruì），（）解（jiě）其（qí）分（fēn），（）和（hé）其（qí）光（guāng），（）同（tóng）其（qí）尘（chén），（）是（shì）谓（wèi）玄（xuán）同（tóng）。（）

Restrain the openings of the senses, close the doors of distraction, blunt sharp edges, untangle divisions, soften the glare, and mingle with the dust. This is called profound unity.

By not being pulled outward or setting oneself apart through sharpness and display, one can loosen divisions and live in accord with the ordinary world.

故（gù）不（bù）可（kě）得（dé）而（ér）亲（qīn），（）不（bù）可（kě）得（dé）而（ér）疏（shū）；（）不（bù）可（kě）得（dé）而（ér）利（lì），（）不（bù）可（kě）得（dé）而（ér）害（hài）；（）不（bù）可（kě）得（dé）而（ér）贵（guì），（）不（bù）可（kě）得（dé）而（ér）贱（jiàn）。（）

Therefore, such a person cannot be won over by intimacy or rejected through distance; cannot be moved by benefit or harmed by injury; cannot be raised by honor or lowered by disgrace.

One who embodies profound unity is not controlled by closeness and distance, gain and harm, or status, because identity no longer rests on these outward distinctions.

故（gù）为（wèi）天（tiān）下（xià）贵（guì）。（）

Therefore, such a person is valued by all under heaven.

The value lies not in rank or fame, but in freedom from outward judgments and an ability to live in harmony with others.

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56. Mysterious Unity

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