One might  interpret  this  passage  as a set of

　　   guidelines  suggesting  how  to reconcile  the  dual

　　   perspectives, later discussed  as the worldviews  of

　　   the  worldling  and  the Sage.  The worlding  is not

　　   totally  wrong  in  his  or her  perceptions, merely

　　   excessively  limited, a limitation  inherent  in the

　　   temptation to name, to verbalize, to define reality,

　　   thus bringing  it into our sphere  of influence  and

　　   control.  Another  image from chapter  38 serves  to

　　   clarify the relationship  between these two views in

　　   an appropriately poetic way:

　　　　  Those who have  foreknowledge  are [merely]  the

　　　　  flower of Tao,

　　　　  And the beginning of human folly.

　　　　  Accordingly, the accomplished  person  holds  to

　　　　  what is thick,

　　　　  And does not reside in what is thin;

　　　　  Holds  to the fruit  and does not reside  in the

　　　　  flower.

　　　　  Therefore, prefers the one and avoids the other.

　　   The  flower  prefigures  the fruit, as the worldling

　　   does  the  Sage.  But  no fruit  is forthcoming  if,

　　   dazzled by the flower's beauty, we pluck it from the

　　   branch and

　　   ────────────

　　   (19) Lu Ji, Wen Xuan, 17/4b/p.309. as quoted by Yu,

　　　　 p.35.

　　　　　　　　　　　　  P.353

　　   interrupt (wei) the natural cycle.

　　　　  The  key  word  in  the  lines  describing   the

　　   "manifest  forms"  versus  the "hidden  wonders"  is

　　   "contemplate"  (kuan).  Usually  this  character  is

　　   simply translated  as "see".  Yet it connotes  much,

　　   much more  than  mere  seeing;  it is a very special

　　   species  of seeing. Etymologically  it contains  two

　　   components-a  heron beside  an eye on two feet, that

　　   is, human vision. The encoded message, then, implies

　　   something unique about how this bird see.  The egret

　　   is  a water  bird  that  has  a very  characteristic

　　   survival  skill-it  stands perfectly  still for long

　　   periods  of time.  Rather  than  clumsily  splashing

　　   about the shallows  on its ungainly legs frightening

　　   its prey, it waits  unobtrusively, non-threateningly

　　   for the fish to come  to it, and then  strikes  with

　　   its long beak.(20)