Study Guide

Tao Te Ching Chapter 32

By Lao Tzu

Chapter 32

The Tao is eternally nameless, says Chapter 32. (Sounds like a lot of other chapters, right?)
It's important for rulers to hold onto to it.
If they do, everything will be in harmony and good fortune will come to all.
There will be no need to force things to be good; they just will be good.
Next, we're warned about names.
We have to know when to stop naming things.
If we know when to stop, then we avoid danger.
The chapter ends by again comparing the Tao to water, saying that it's like streams that flow into rivers that flow into oceans.