Mother of All Things
The universe had a beginning
Called the Mother of All Things.
Once you have found the Mother
You can know her children.
Having known the children,
Hold tightly to the Mother.
Your whole life will be preserved from peril.
Open up the openings,
Multiply your affairs,
Your whole life will become a burden.
Those who see the small are called clear-headed;
Those who hold to gentleness are called strong.
Use the light.
Come home to your true nature.
Don't cause yourself injury:
This is known as seizing truth.
Chapter 52 of the Tao Te Ching, a collection of verses about Tao "the Way," the indivisible unity of life traditionally ascribed to the great Chinese mystic Lao Tzu, who lived perhaps in the sixth century B.C.