A man fond of movement is like lightning flashing through the clouds, ephemeral. He flickers like a candle flame in the wind. On the other hand, a man devoted to quietude is like dead ashes or a blighted tree stump, bereft of all vitality.
Chapter 45 of the Dao De Jing reveals the philosophical essence of “ultimate simplicity in the Dao” through a dialectical lens. By exploring the unity of opposites between appearance and essence, it emphasizes “tranquility and non-action” as the fundamental principle for self-cultivation and governance.