Chapter 55 · The Infant's Undivided Virtue

Tao Te Ching (Legge, 1891) · chapter title added by Learn the Dao

Learn the Dao: a quiet practice for learning the thing that can’t be known.

The chapter’s first line

He who has in himself abundantly the attributes (of the Tao) is like an infant.

Free. No account needed to start.

This chapter in plain modern English — David Kooi’s rendering ↓

He who has in himself abundantly the attributes (of the Tao) is like an infant. Poisonous insects will not sting him; fierce beasts will not seize him; birds of prey will not strike him. (The infant's) bones are weak and its sinews soft, but yet its grasp is firm. It knows not yet the union of male and female, and yet its virile member may be excited;--showing the perfection of its physical essence. All day long it will cry without its throat becoming hoarse;--showing the harmony (in its constitution). To him by whom this harmony is known, (The secret of) the unchanging (Tao) is shown, And in the knowledge wisdom finds its throne. All life-increasing arts to evil turn; Where the mind makes the vital breath to burn, (False) is the strength, (and o'er it we should mourn.) When things have become strong, they (then) become old, which may be said to be contrary to the Tao. Whatever is contrary to the Tao soon ends.

Learn this chapter by heart, one line at a time.

Read a chapter. Recite the next line from memory. The app shows you, gently, what you missed — then has each line ready again around when it would start to slip.

Your recall of a later line — for example

Whatever is contrary to the — missed Tao soon ends

The dotted words are the ones you missed.

Try this chapter’s first line ↑

Free. No account needed to start.

Chapter 55, in a second rendering

Complete as a Newborn

Dao De Kooi — an original rendering by David Kooi

Someone really full of this is like a newborn. Wasps don't sting it, snakes don't bite, animals don't claw at it. Its bones are soft, its grip is tight. It doesn't know the first thing about sex and it's bursting with life anyway - that's how complete it is. It can cry all day and never go hoarse - that's how in tune it is. Know that tune and you've got the thing that lasts. Know what lasts and you've got some light. Force the pace of your life and it turns on you. Strong-arm your own breath and you call it being tough - but everything that peaks too hard ages fast. That's off the Dao, and off the Dao ends early.

Next · Chapter 56He who knows (the Tao) does not (care to) speak (about it)…Read chapter 56 →

Read the whole chapter end to end →How the practice works →