Chapter 31
The constant Way is without name.
Though the uncarved block is small, nothing under heaven can make it subservient.
If lords and kings could hold to it, the ten thousand things would naturally become guests who honor them.
Heaven and Earth unite with each other, and sweet dew descends; the people, without anyone commanding them, naturally distribute themselves in equilibrium.
When institutions begin, names arise; once names already exist, one must also know where to stop. Knowing where to stop is the means by which one avoids danger.
The Dao's presence in the world is like the relationship of streams and valleys to the rivers and sea.