Meaning: Knowing well what is bright, yet settling in the position of darkness.

Source: "Laozi·Chapter 28" - Spring and Autumn Period·Laozi

Original text: Knowing the male and guarding the female are the streams of the world. It is the stream of the world, and everlasting virtue is inseparable. Permanent virtue is inseparable and returns to the baby. Knowing its glory and guarding its disgrace will be the valley of the world. For the valley of the world, constant virtue is sufficient. Constant virtue is enough, return to simplicity.

Knowing what is white and guarding what is black is the way of the world. It is the style of the world, and it is always virtuous. Changde is not too virtuous, and returns to Wuji. The simple powder is used as a weapon, and when a sage uses it, he becomes an official, so the great system cannot be cut off.

Interpretation: Knowing well what masculinity is, yet maintaining the position of femininity, willing to be the stream of the world. If you are willing to be a stream in the world, your eternal virtue will not be lost and you will return to the state of innocence like a baby. He knows very well what brightness is, yet he settles for the position of darkness and is willing to set a pattern for the world.

Be willing to be a model for the world, maintain the same eternal virtues, and return to the inexhaustible truth. He knows well what glory is, yet he keeps his humble position and is willing to be the valley of the world.

Only when you are willing to be the valley of the world can you have sufficient eternal virtue and return to the original simplicity and innocence of nature. Utensils are made from simple and primitive things, and if people with integrity follow the simplicity, they will be the best among all officials. Therefore, perfect politics is inseparable.

The meaning of this sentence is to teach people how to live in the world. They must understand right and wrong, and pretend to be dull on the outside. They neither praise nor criticize the world, and look at the world in silence and smile. It has the same effect as "great wisdom is like foolishness", which is actually the way to hide in the market.

This sentence comes from Chapter 28 of "Laozi": "Knowing what is white and guarding what is black is the way of the world."

"Tao Te Ching" was written by Laozi in the Spring and Autumn Period ( Li Er)'s philosophical works, also known as "The Tao Te Ching", "Laozi", "Five Thousand Words", and "Laozi's Five Thousand Essays", is a work written by the pre-Qin scholars in ancient China before the division of the family. What Zi Suo believes in is an important source of Taoist philosophical thought.

The Tao Te Ching is divided into two parts. The original text is the "De Jing" and the "Tao Jing". "De Jing", divided into 81 chapters.

Extended information

Lao Tzu said, "Knowing the whiteness and guarding the humiliation will be the valley of the world." This sentence is also a famous saying that people are quite familiar with. "Humiliation" is a borrowed word, and the original word means black spot, or by extension, ambiguity.

If you are aware of the brightness but are content with the darkness, you can become the valley of the world. Kawagu is a metaphor, and we can understand it as the place where people hope to return. This describes a state of mind in life. It seems that we can make some plays here and expand on several principles contained in it.

First of all, we must admit the bright side. Some people understand Laozi and see that Laozi denies Shengman, so they reject Shengman, or even turn a blind eye.

Lao Tzu once said, "If you hold on to the surplus, it will not be as good as it is; if you keep it sharp, you will not be able to maintain it forever." He really persuades people to "retire after success." But if you still turn a blind eye when it is full, it is obvious that this person feels a bit "unteachable". We should maintain an objective and sober pragmatic attitude towards this. Only by confirming the current situation realistically can the problem be solved.

Secondly, "Keep the humiliation." Knowing that it is bright, or even in a dazzling state, then you need to make an appropriate choice. Although it does not necessarily have to be according to what Lao Tzu said, but His words are a good reminder. Again, know its transformation.

China.com - Interpretation of Lao Tzu: Know the whiteness and protect the humiliation, which is the valley of the world.