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Chapter 42 Summary

Get out the microscope, because we’re going through this poem line-by-line.

  • This chapter digs into the concept of yin and yang.
  • Basically, these are the two opposing forces within the Tao that work in harmony to keep everything rolling along.
  • (That's a seriously basic definition. Click here for way more detail.)
  • In the beginning, there was only the one Tao, but then it split into yin and yang, which then split into everything there is.
  • If we want to live healthy lives, we have to find the balance between yin (humble female energy) and yang (more aggressive male energy).
  • In life, we have to see what we've gained in our losses and what we've lost in our gains.
  • It's all a balance, and one that's constantly shifting back and forth.