Introduction

This verse makes a clear call to a specific way of being virtuous. Nothing in it is particularly new reading, yet the directness brings forth the message in a way we haven’t seen before. 

Most translations open with the mysteriously enigmatic line, “The heavy is the root of the light.” This is arrived at by taking the first definitions of the characters. However, in the context of the verse, it is nonsensical. 

This verse does not discuss opposites giving rise to each other, as in verse 2. It discusses a critical dimension, a Noble Virtue, for how we must act. Releasing our fixation on yin and yang and the desire to present mystique, the same characters also have definitions of “prudence” and “ease,” respectively. This seems much more cogent and reflects a cross-cultural spiritual truth. 

See what you think.

Translation

Prudence is the root of ease,
Stillness rules over anxiety.

This is why Weavers,
  act all day without
    leaving the container of Prudence.

Although surrounded by the senses,
  transcend into clarity. 

How can you master your domain,
  if you are unsettled in yourself?

Inattentive, one loses the root.
Anxious, one loses the throne.   

Commentary 

Prudence is the root of ease,
Stillness rules over anxiety. 

Why are things that make perfect sense rarely the way we naturally behave? Of course, behaving prudently brings about an easy life. Things go well when we are moderated and deliberate in our choices. At worst, knowing we did our best and staying measured in our approach supports us in dealing with whatever comes. Yet, for whatever reason, humans associate freedom with a devil-may-care attitude, envying those who can act spontaneously to “follow their bliss.” Sure, that can sometimes be great and may work for a while. But rarely does such a lifestyle sustain itself to a true happy ending.