Translation by Sifu John A. Fey
1 harmonizing great resentments and injuries requires a soft but steady equilibrium
2 but even in a gentle balancing of the scales some friction and pain will always remain
3 harmony can still be reached if the sage wise man doesn't push for complete unity
4 the sage wise man comes to understand that flawless justice
is impossible
so he holds an even temperament instead
5 great knowledge comes from the left hand holding something broken and flawed
6 accept the small inequities
7 a bodymind embracing the tao way of life doesn't need perfection
a bodymind rejects the tao way of life striving for perfection
8 remember
heaven lends its strength to those who follow the natural laws of the universe
1 BODY: When helping others, be gentle and patient.
2 BODY: No matter how gentle and patient you are, however, the process can still be painful and difficult for all concerned.
3-4 BODY: Perfection is an affront to the Tao.
Searching for it interferes with your connection to the Tao Source and severely limits your spiritual growth.
Do not insist on perfection and be happy with essential correctness and dynamic balance.
5 MIND: Something that is essentially correct has more potential for unlocking the intuitive and spiritual than something that strives for perfection. Imperfection in our own selves is the supreme mystic opportunity.
6 MIND: Accept imperfection.
7-8 MIND and BODY: The meaning of the translation is plain, yet a paraphrase may clarify it even more. As children, we embraced the Tao and played with no sense of judgment or outcome, and we created our wonder-world of play freely. Unfortunately, as we grew older, others often told us that our play wasn't quite good enough. We became less free and our world became less wonderful. As a result, we rejected the Tao by limiting our sense of self and our playful endeavors.
We cut ourselves off from the creative power of Heaven. To reclaim it and restore the natural order of life, we have but to freely play and create anew.