Lao Zi 40 is a reflection on a chapter in the philosophical (or perhaps religious) text Dao De Jing (Classic of the Way and Virtue) attributed to Lao Zi (the Old Master – or this can be taken as the personal name of a legendary thinker). The chapter comprises four sentences, and this very short piece comprises four corresponding movements.
I. Reversion (40″)
反者道之動 (Reversion is the Dao’s action or Turn back to go on.)
II. Yielding (45″)
弱者道之用 (Yielding is the Dao’s means or Yield to have effect.)
III. Things (50″)
天下萬物生於有 (The myriad things under heaven inhere in being.)
IV. Being and Non-Being (15″)
有生於無 (Being inheres in non-being.)