Line by Line - Verse 16, Line 12

and he who is king-like goes on to be heaven-like.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

Being royal, you will attain the divine.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Sovereign is Heaven
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

(No corresponding line)
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

It follows that, when we move beyond viewing the world through the myopic lens of the ego-derived concept of self, we come closer to the way of Tao.

Unlike the human mind, nature does not act through intent. There are no grand plans or strategies. There are no maps or blueprints. There are no checklists or cost-benefit analyses. There are no tricks, ploys or subterfuge.

Nature has no need to think of what to do next; it simply does.

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