Chapter 4, translated by Yuhui Liang
“
The Tao works like the greatest fountain,
it functions perfectly and never overflows.
All things spray out from it and return into it,
it seems to be the origin of them.
It blunts the sharpness of the powerful,
untangle the knot of the powerless;
softens the glare of the noble,
and stays with the humble.
Oh, it is hidden so deep that it seems not existing.
I do not know its source,
but I know it is the source of the Heavenly God.
— Laozi
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "The Tao works like the greatest fountain,
it functions perfectly and never overflows.
All things spray out from it and return into it,
it seems to be the origin of them.
It blunts the sharpness of the powerful,
untangle the knot of the powerless;
softens the glare of the noble,
and stays with the humble.
Oh, it is hidden so deep that it seems not existing.
I do not know its source,
but I know it is the source of the Heavenly God." in the context of "Chapter 4, translated by Yuhui Liang" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Laozi" (Quotes, Tao Te Ching)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Laozi
老子 Lǎozi (c. 6th – 5th century BC) was a Chinese monist philosopher; also called Lao Zi, Lao Tzu, Lao Tse, or Lao Tze. The Tao Te Ching (道德經, Pinyin: Dào Dé Jīng, or Dao De Jing) represents the sole document generally attributed to Laozi.
About Laozi
老子 Lǎozi (c. 6th – 5th century BC) was a Chinese monist philosopher; also called Lao Zi, Lao Tzu, Lao Tse, or Lao Tze. The Tao Te Ching (道德經, Pinyin: Dào Dé Jīng, or Dao De Jing) represents the sole document generally attributed to Laozi.
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