One who is full of Tao
is like a newborn child.
Scorpions do not sting,
tigers do not attack,
eagles do not swoop.

Soft bones, gentle sinews—
yet the grip is strong.
No awareness of union,
yet essence flows naturally.
The baby cries all day
and never grows hoarse—
because it lives in perfect balance.

To live in harmony
is to know the Tao.
To know the Tao
is to see the eternal.
Pushing life too far,
forcing breath or strength—
this invites decay.

What grows rigid
is close to breaking.
What goes against the Tao
cannot last long.