執大象,天下往。
往而不害,安平大。
樂與餌,過客止。
道之出口,淡乎其無味,視之不足見,聽之不足聞,用之不足既。
The image is from https://www.jianshu.com/p/41011fdc9003
The whole world goes towards he who holds in his hands the Great Image (of the invisible Tao), where there will be no harm, but peace and ease.
Music and food will make passerby stop.
But though the Tao has no flavor, can’t be seen, nor be heard, its use is inexhaustible.
This chapter uses music and food to compare with Tao. The world loves both food and music, but there is the question about how many people know and practice the “Tao.” Therefore, Lao Tzu uses music and food to compare with Tao, to awaken the world and hope that the world will know the benefits of Tao more than music and food.
“Tao” is not spoken of by mouth. If “Tao” is spoken out of a mouth, it is light and tasteless; “Tao” is immaculate and full of silence in the universe, and though it can not be seen or heard it is inexhaustible. Inexhaustible and everything relies on it, this is the magic of “Tao”.