Chapter 56: Those Who Know Don't Speak (第56章：玄德)

知者不言，言者不知。
塞其兌，閉其門；挫其銳，解其紛；和其光，同其塵。是謂玄同。
故不可得而親，不可得而疏；
不可得而利，不可得而害；
不可得而貴，不可得而賤。
故為天下貴。
☸

Translation

Those who know do not speak; those who speak do not know.

Close the mouth; guard the gates.
Blunt the sharpness; untie the knots.
Soften the glare; become one with the dust.
This is called Mysterious Oneness (Xuantong).

You cannot get close to it, nor can you keep it at a distance.
You cannot benefit it, nor can you harm it.
You cannot honor it, nor can you despise it.
Therefore, it is the most valuable thing in the world.

✦ ◆ ✦

📜 Liuren Perspective

This chapter defines the Internal State of the Master. "Those who know do not speak" (知者不言) is a rule of Spiritual Silence. In Liuren Fajiao, the true "Knowing" is a direct transmission from the Immortal Master that cannot be fully expressed in words. Boasting about one's knowledge only shows that the connection is superficial.

"Mysterious Oneness" (玄同) is achieved by "blunting the sharpness" of the ego and "softening the glare" of one's power. A practitioner lives "among the dust" of the common world, hidden and unassuming. This prevents them from being targeted by the "harm" or "despising" of others.

Because the master is one with the Dao, they are "Inaccessible" to worldly manipulation. They cannot be "honored" or "despised" because they have moved beyond these labels. This state of absolute independence and unity is the source of their value and power.

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