The Valley Spirit, The Completion of Material Forms, The Infinitude of Creative Effort, The Mysterious Female, 成象
"The Spirit of the perennial spring is said to be immortal, she is called the
Mysterious One.
The Mysterious One is typical of the source of heaven and earth.
It is continually and endlessly issuing and without effort."
- Translated by
Dwight Goddard and
Henri Borel, 1919,
Chapter 6
"The Spirit of the Depths is immortal; it is called the Azure Heaven and the
Mother Earth.
The passage through which these Two Influences emerge and enter is called the
root of the visible creation.
They are ceaseless in action as though permanent, and may be drawn upon without
ever being exhausted."
- Translated by
Frederic H. Balfour, 1884, Chapter 6
Valley Spirit, Gu Shen, Concept, Chapter 6
Walking the Way: 81 Zen Encounters with the Tao Te Ching
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Tao Te Ching: Zen Teachings on the Taoist Classic
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"The valley spirit that doesn't die we call the dark
womb
as real as gossamer silk and yet we can't exhaust it.
The valley spirit that doesn't die we call the dark womb the dark womb's mouth
we call the source of creation as real as gossamer silk and yet we can't exhaust
it."
- Translated by
Red Pine, Chapter
6
"The spirit of the valley does not die
It may be known as the mysterious feminine
The gateway of the mysterious feminine
May be known as the source of heaven and earth
Endless, continuous, seeming to exist
To practice this is not effort."
- Translated by
Bradford Hatcher,
2005, Chapter 6
"The valley spirit does not die.
It is called the dark and mysterious female.
The portal of the dark and mysterious female is called the root of heaven and
earth.
It has a kind of wispy continuity as though existing.
Use it without exertion."
- Translated by
Patrick E. Moran,
Chapter 6
"The Spirit of the Valley never dies.
It is called the Mysterious Female.
The gate of the Mysterious Female is the source of Heaven and Earth.
Ever-abiding, always existing,
It can be used, but never exhausted."
- Translated by
Keith H. Sutton,
Chapter 6
Translation and elucidation by Hua Ching Ni
Translated by Brian Walker
Translated by Arthur Waley
Translated by Lionel and and Herbert Giles
By Eva Wong
"The valley spirit never dies.
It is the unknown first mother,
whose gate is the root
from which grew heaven and earth.
It is dimly seen, yet always present.
Draw from it all you wish;
it will never run dry."
- Translated by
T. McCarroll, Chapter 6
"The valley spirit never dies.
It's named the mystic woman.
And the gate of the profound woman is the root that heaven and earth sprang
from.
It's there within us all the while;
draw upon it as you will,
you can never wear it out."
- Translated by
T. Byrn, Chapter 6
"The mystery of the valley is immortal;
It is known as the Subtle Female. The gateway of the Subtle Female
is the source of Heaven and Earth.
Everlasting, endless, it appears to exist.
Its usefulness comes with no effort."
- Translated by
R. L. Wing, Chapter 6
Valley Spirit, Gu Shen, Concept, Chapter 6
Translated by Eva Wong 
Translated by Philip Ivahoe
By James Miller
Translated by Stephen Bokencamp
By Alexander and Annellen Simpkins
Translated by Thomas Cleary
By Livia Kohn
"The valley spirit is not dead:
They say it is the mystic female.
Her gateway is, they further say,
The base of heaven and earth.
Constantly, and so forever,
Use her without labor."
- Translated by
Raymond Blakney, 1955, Chapter 6
"The valley spirit not dying
is called the mysterious female.
The opening of the mysterious female
is called the root of heaven and earth.
Continuous, on the brink of existence,
to put it into practice, don't try to force it."
- Translated by Thomas Cleary,
Chapter 6
"The spirit of emptiness is immortal.
It is called the Great Mother
because it gives birth to Heaven and Earth.
It is like a vapor,
barely seen but always present.
Use it effortlessly."
- Translated by
John McDonald, Chapter 6
By Alexander Simkins
By Derek Lin
By Ming-Dao Deng.
By Benjamin Hoff.
By Ming-Dao Deng
Translated by Thomas Cleary
"Like the sheltered, fertile valley,
the meditative mind is still,
yet retains its energy.
Since both energy and stillness,
of themselves, do not have form,
it is not through the senses
that they may be found,
nor understood by intellect alone,
although, in nature, both abound.
In the meditative state,
the mind ceases to differentiate
between existences,
and that which may or may not be.
It leaves them well alone,
for they exist,
not differentiated, but as one,
within the meditative mind."
- Translated by
Stan Rosenthal, Chapter 6
"The concept of Yin is ever present.
It is the Mystic Female from whom
the heavens and the earth originate.
Constantly, continuously, enduring always.
Use her!"
- Translated by
C. Ganson, Chapter 6
Tao Te Ching
Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching
Translated by Livia Kohn
Dao De Jing: The Book of the Way
"The heart of Tao is immortal
the mysterious fertile mother of us all.
of heaven and earth,
of every thing
and not-thing.
Invisible yet ever-present,
You can use it forever without using it up."
- Translated by
Brian Walker, Chapter 6
"Like a riverbed, the heart is never filled It is an ineffable female Whose entrance is the source of the World; Tao is ever present within it: Draw upon it and it will never fail." - Translated by Peter Merel, Chapter 6
Valley Spirit, Gu Shen, Concept, Chapter 6
"The valley spirit never dies
Call it the mystery, the woman.
The mystery,
the Door of the Woman,
is the root
of earth and heaven.
Forever this endures, forever.
And all its uses are easy."
- Translated by Ursula K. Le Guin, Chapter 6
By Hu Xuzehi
Annotated translation by Victor Mair 
By Ha Poong Kim
By Hans-Georg Moeller 
By Roger T. Ames and David T. Hall
By Wes Burgess
By Arthur Waley
"The valley spirit dies not, aye the same; The female mystery thus do we name. Its gate, from which at first they issued forth, Is called the root from which grew heaven and earth. Long and unbroken does its power remain, Used gently, and without the touch of pain." - Translated by James Legge, 1891, Chapter 6
"The valley spirit dies not, aye the same; The female mystery thus do we name. Its gate, from which at first they issued forth, Is called the root from which grew heaven and earth. Long and unbroken does its power remain, Used gently, and without the touch of pain." - Translated by Stephen McIntyre, 2009, Chapter 6
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