The world has a beginning; the beginning gives rise to the Dao. It is regarded as the mother of all under Heaven. The Dao is the mother of all things in the world. Having known its mother, one also knows its son; the son refers to One. Having come to know the Dao oneself, one should also come to know the One. Having known its son, one returns to guarding its mother; having already known the One, one should return to guarding the Dao and revert to non-action. One's whole life will be free from peril. Block its openings; the openings refer to the eyes. The eyes do not gaze carelessly. Close its gate; the gate refers to the mouth. Cause the mouth not to speak recklessly. One's whole life will be without toil. A person should block the eyes from gazing carelessly and close the mouth from speaking recklessly; then one's whole life will not be filled with toil and hardship. Open its openings — to open the eyes to gaze at desires and passions. Advance its affairs; Ji means to increase or promote — affairs that increase desires and passions. One's whole life will not find salvation; disaster and chaos arise. To perceive the small is called clarity; when sprouts have not yet stirred and disaster or chaos has not yet appeared, to recognize it as small and see it clearly alone is called clarity. To guard softness is called growing strong; by guarding gentleness and weakness, one becomes increasingly strong and powerful. Use its light — use one's gaze outward to observe the benefits and harms of the times. Return to its clarity; one should return the brightness inward, not allowing one's spirit and energy to be dissipated. Leave no calamity for one's body; look inward to preserve the spirit, not allowing any leakage or loss. This is called following the constant Dao. If a person can practice this, it is called cultivating and practicing the constant Dao.