Opposites

TTC 2:

When beauty is abstracted
Then ugliness has been implied;
When good is abstracted
Then evil has been implied.

So alive and dead are abstracted from nature,
Difficult and easy abstracted from progress,
Long and short abstracted from contrast,
High and low abstracted from depth,
Song and speech abstracted from melody,
After and before abstracted from sequence.

The sage experiences without abstraction,
And accomplishes without action;
He accepts the ebb and flow of things,
Nurtures them, but does not own them,
And lives, but does not dwell.

     We often speak of opposites when discussing Tao and use them for explaining the world around us. The opposites are not in conflict but work together in harmony; they are of the same pole. The extreme can be reached on either side, but at some point it will change toward the opposite side. Day and night is a prime example of this movement. If one stops to notice the changes and the opposites, as well as how they coexist, they will see how simple everything is. There is no need to impart yourself, there is no change needed. Just notice and understand.