23

Nature doesn’t dwell on things,
Therefore its violence doesn’t perpetuate itself—
Its cyclones peter out,
Its rainstorms lash and then depart.
Even if we wanted to exacerbate Nature’s tumult, we could not.
Therefore one who comports himself in a natural way,
Will spontaneously adopt the quiet virtue of nature,
Just as one who opposes naturalness,
Will find himself ever buffeted by turmoil.

Man is an extension of nature,
Therefore he who lives in accordance with it
Helps to extend its patterns onto the world.
In so doing, he acts as an agent for Tao.

This works both ways:
One who behaves unnaturally
Acts as an impediment to Tao
And hinders its unfolding.