← The Dao De Jing
Chapter 6
The Valley Spirit Does Not Die
谷神不死
The Text
谷神不死，是谓玄牝。玄牝之门，是谓天地根。绵绵若存，用之不勤。
The valley spirit does not die; it is called the mysterious female. The gate of the mysterious female is the root of heaven and earth. Continuous, on and on, it does not labour — use it, and it never wears out.
Reading it
The lowest place, the valley, outlasts everything above it. The gate of the mysterious female is the old word for where things come into the world. What keeps giving without strain is easy to overlook precisely because it never fails.
最低处的东西最长久。从不失手的活计，恰恰因为它从不失手而最容易被忽略。
Practice for the week
Find the person in your house or workplace whose work never gets noticed because it never breaks. Thank them.
找到家里或单位那个活儿从不出错、也从没人注意的人。谢谢他。