Line by Line - Verse 55, Line 12

And in the knowledge wisdom finds its throne.
All life-increasing arts to evil turn;
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

Knowing constancy is enlightenment.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Knowing constancy is said to be clarity
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

And if you know constancy,
you've been enlightened.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

here's how John Heider explains this line in relation to the verse as a whole.

Think of excitement as tension that comes when stimulation meets resistance. The exciting experience ends when the stimulation stops or when a person wears out.

But the vitality of enlightenment is a continuous flow. It meets no resistance and goes on and on without stress.

Excitement is rooted in passing desires. Vital energy springs from the eternal.

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