Straw Dogs
Translation by Tree Buffalo
The world is indifferent, and treats everything like the temporary straw dogs they are.
The wise person is also indifferent, and treats everyone like the temporary straw dogs they are.
The space between the world and its straw dogs is like a bellows, producing sound from silence and feeding fire with air.
The more you pump it, the more comes out.
But too much sound produces silence, and too much air blows out the fire.
Instead, let the silence enhance your sound, and the wind fan your embers.
Read some of the first English translations of Chapter 5 here.
