Chapter 2 (translated by Derek Lin)
When the world knows beauty as beauty, ugliness arises
When it knows good as good, evil arises
Thus being and non-being produce each other
Difficult and easy bring about each other
Long and short reveal each other
High and low support each other
Music and voice harmonize each other
Front and back follow each other
Therefore the sages:
Manage the work of detached actions
Conduct the teaching of no words
They work with myriad things but do not control
They create but do not possess
They act but do not presume
They succeed but do not dwell on success
It is because they do not dwell on success
That it never goes away
Basically what is being said is that everything in life is perceived in comparison and contrast, or dualistically. The act of nonduality is the practice of acceptance and detachment. It is learning to live in the flow. In life we have beliefs of what is right/wrong, good/bad, etc. When we are too attached to these ideas, which may or may not be beneficial for you, suffering arises because we perceive we are on the wrong path.
There are many ways to look at life, some are easier and more effective than others and some or consciously chosen while often many are not. For example, and first of all: unless you consciously recognize your beliefs, where they come from, if they are true or beneficial for your values, you are not living with awareness and intentionally. You would be merely reacting to a belief system assigned to you, which is probably outdated and not serving your current situation. However, we need a belief system to exist in this world, so once you consciously live with your idea of a healthy belief system, it’s still important to be fluid and adaptable to what life brings you along the way. We are forever dynamic energetic beings.
When we realize that at essence all things are energy, we can move in alignment with its rhythm, without attachment to constructs and ideas because they too waver in and out of perception.
