Passage Two

天下皆知美之為美，斯惡已。

皆知善之為善，斯不善已。

故有無相生，難易相成，長短相較，高下相傾，音聲相和，前後相隨。

是以聖人處無為之事，行不言之教；萬物作焉而不辭，生而不有。

為而不恃，功成而弗居。

夫唯弗居，是以不去。

Literal Translation(By D. W. Kreger)
Heaven below it is known that beauty acting beautiful reveals ugly side
It is known that good acting good reveals not good side
Thus, being and non-being mutually exist
Difficult and easy, mutually experience
Long and short, mutually contrast
Top and bottom, mutually position
Voice and Sound, mutually synchronize
Before and after, mutually sequence
Therefore, Shaman employs non-action to contend
Practice, not words, have they to teach
Ten thousand things come and go, yet not disrupt
Give-birth, yet not possess
Act, yet not expect
Work accomplished, yet no claim 
Workers only with no claim
Therefore are sustainable



Common Interpretations
As soon as beauty is known by the world as beautiful, it becomes ugly.
As soon as virtue is being known as something good, it becomes evil.
Therefore being and non-being give birth to each other.
Difficult and easy accomplish each other.
Long and short form each other.
High and low distinguish each other.
Sound and tone harmonize each other
Before and after follow each other as a sequence.
Realizing this, the saint performs effortlessly according to the natural Way without personal desire, and practices the wordless teaching thru one’s deeds.
The saint inspires the vitality of all lives, without holding back.
He nurtures all beings with no wish to take possession of.
He devotes all his energy but has no intention to hold on to the merit.
When success is achieved, he seeks no recognition.
Because he does not claim for the credit, hence shall not lose it.



My Interpretations
Once something has been determined, it’s opposite must also be true.
One trait will always reveal the existence of the other trait.
If something is determined as ‘good’ it can also be viewed as ‘bad’.
If something is determined as ‘beautiful’ it can also be viewed as ‘ugly’.
With all things being relative, determining anything is only a matter of realising the opposite.
Something is only ‘difficult’ when determined as ‘not easy’ (and vice-versa).
Something is only ‘long’ when determined as ‘not short’ (and vice-versa).
Something is only ‘high’ when determined as ‘not low’ (and vice-versa).
Something is only known as ‘before’ when ‘after’ has been determined.
Each of these are not the Great Dao,
They are human constructs, labels, for us to make sense of the Universe,
The Universe itself has no need for labels and designations.
With the realization of that which is only human construct,
One can come closer to understanding the Natural Dao.
Things like ‘desire’, ‘aspiration’ and the ‘need for supremacy’ are not the way.
The Master works with the Dao, not against it.
He puts no effort in and nothing is left undone.
The Master doesn’t try to control or manipulate.
He doesn’t hold back and is not lazy, but doesn’t want to claim credit.
When the task is done and the goal achieved, he want’s no recognition.
The task was about the task, not about him.