Commentary on Chapter Two of the Dao De Jing By Candice L. Babook
When people under Heaven label something as beautiful then thereby the idea of ugliness comes into existence. When people believe something or someone is good then the non-good (bad) comes into existence. Thus, being and non-being produce one another. Heavy and light establish one another. Long and short determine each other. Before and after follow each other. Hence the sages dwell in effectiveness without planning a course of action. Their teachings are wordless. People come into their midst and the sages reject none; while at the same time the sages have no desire to possess people. Sages generate, but do not hold on to anything; they are effective and do not claim merit. When their work is done they move on. Because of this, the sages are not abandoned by the Sacred. Page 14 — Empty Vessel
ADOBE STOCK PHOTOS Laozi Statue, Qingdao, China
In the second chapter of the Dao De Jing, the author(s) is reflecting upon the dual nature of reality as experienced by most people. Either consciously or unconsciously, this is the world we interact with; duality is the fundamental ground in which humankind lives and acts. Symbolically, this is referenced by our having two eyes.
