35: Elusive, But Never Exhausted

35

Hold on to the great image,
And the whole world follows,
Follows unharmed,
Content and completely at peace.
Music and food make the traveler halt.
But words spoken about the Way have no taste.
When looked at, there's not enough to see.
When listened to, there's not enough to hear.
When used, it is never exhausted.

Elusive, But Never Exhausted

The image that Lao Tzu refers to is Tao, the Way. The word he uses also means appearance, similarity, and likeness. One might call it an impression or a symbol. He wants to make clear that the elusive Tao is more than its image...

Here is my full commentary on this Tao Te Ching chapter:
Tao Te Ching Chapter 35 Translation and Commentary