Learning the way means not wasting time;
diligent practice, over and over, is required.
We never know what we’re after at first —
just an abstract idea.
Step by step, we get a handle on things,
we learn to bear all kinds of burdens,
even worry.
When our heart is empty the light of Tao shines within us,
yet this radiance should not be displayed.
The sublime has all manner of power;
acknowledging this allows us to enlighten the lost.
A slim and willowy lady is what the gentleman sought,
but not all women are submissive.
In the end they walk their own different ways.
Clouds and mud divide our lonely boats.
Quiet emptiness,
drifting like clouds without direction:
coming and going without hindrance.
This is the true Way.
Real power is empty, without image.
Like buddha-nature, its blessings are sublime:
no sound, no form, no color.