Line by Line - Verse 28, Line 3

As to one channel flow the many drains,
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

Be the stream of the universe!
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Be the watercourse of the world
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

power will flow through you.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

Derek Lin's translation echoes Alan Watts who wrote the book, "Tao: The Watercourse Way." Here is what Lin has to say about this line.

The watercourse of the world is a converging point, the nexus for the exchange of energy among people. To play this role, we need to know not only the importance of being dynamic and proactive but also how to handle people with courtesy and diplomacy.

Aah, the yin and the yang!

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