Line by Line - Verse 52, Line 3

When the mother is found, we know what her children should be.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

Knowing the mother, on also knows the sons.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Having its mother
We can know her children
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

If you know the mother,
you know the children.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

Here is how Derek Lin understands this line:

The children of this mother are nothing less than all of existence. This includes us, so we, too, are the children of the Tao. When we realize that we come from this universal source and must eventually return to it, we begin to see reality more clearly. This clarity leads to greater understanding about life itself.

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