16

Inhabit the furthest peripheries of emptiness

and abide in the tranquil center.

There the ten thousand things arise,

and in them I watch the return:

all things on and ever on

each returning to its root.

Returning to the root is called tranquility,

tranquility is called returning to the inevitable unfurling of things,

returning to the inevitable unfurling of things is called constancy,

and to understand constancy is called enlightenment.

Without understanding constancy, you stumble deceived.

But understanding constancy, you’re all-embracing,

all-embracing and therefore impartial,

impartial and therefore imperial,

imperial and therefore heaven,

heaven and therefore Way,

Way and therefore enduring:

self gone, free of danger.