Daodejing Part Twenty One

LYRICS: The highest virtue follows the Way, Empty and open, it does not stay. The Way is a shadow, a flicker, a trace, A form without form, a vanishing place. Elusive, shifting, unseen yet near, Something is there — though nothing is clear. Vague and dim… yet forms arise, From the unseen into the eyes. Within the formless — something moves, Within the silence — something proves. Hidden deep, beyond all sight, Truth is born in darkest night. Dark and deeper than thought can go, There lies the seed that all things grow. Invisible essence, quiet and true, Giving birth without a view. No name to hold, no shape to claim, Yet all that lives returns the same. Deep and hidden… yet always there, The root of all beyond compare. Within the formless — something moves, Within the silence — something proves. Hidden deep, beyond all sight, Truth is born in darkest night. From ancient time to the present breath, Its name remains in life and death. Nameless origin, source of the real, Nothing to grasp, yet all we feel. All beginnings arise from this, The silent ground, the hidden abyss. How do I know where all begins? By this — the void that dwells within. Within the formless — something moves, Within the silence — something proves. Hidden deep, beyond all sight, Truth is born in darkest night. Vague… and dim… yet ever true… Formless source in all we do… Dark… and deep… yet full of light… Hidden truth beyond all sight… From the void… all things arise… From the void… no thing dies… DAODEJING PART TWENTY ONE: The grandest forms of active force From Dao come, their only source. Who can of Dao the nature tell? Our sight it flies, our touch as well. Eluding sight, eluding touch, The forms of things all in it crouch; Eluding touch, eluding sight, There are their semblances, all right. Profound it is, dark and obscure; Things' essences all there endure. Those essences the truth enfold Of what, when seen, shall then be told. Now it is so; 'twas so of old. Its name - what passes not away; So, in their beautiful array, Things form and never know decay. How know I that it is so with all the beauties of existing things? By this...