Achieve that Which Really Matters
If you give away your power
To experts, possessions, or thoughts,
Your body will weaken.
If you trade your health for money,
You’ll want to trade it back one day.
The alchemist leads his life
By emptying his mind,
Filling his belly, decreasing his desires,
And strengthening his bones.
In this way, he loses material possessions,
But he gains his health and peace of mind.
By giving up clever desires,
He doesn’t spend energy
Chasing passing fads.
Practicing non-doing,
He achieves that which really matters.
The Tao doesn’t see
Right and wrong.
All things have equal weight
To heaven and earth.