[Note: I italicize phrases I borrow from the chapter, and link to phrases I borrow from other chapters to help tie chapters together. While making it more tedious to read, the Tao Te Ching is best pondered in the context of the whole.

I prefer the more literal, ‘What is perfectly embraced cannot be neglected’ over D.C.Lau’s ‘What is tightly held in the arms will not slip loose’. Neglecting to remember (and/or do) can be frustrating. This lays bare the simple cause: that which I truly want, I will embrace perfectly without question or thought. It happens to me naturally. All the rest is hot air and the wanderings of a discontent mind. Furthermore, what is more perfectly established than the biology my being rests upon, instinctive drives and all? Oh what a humiliating view until I see that this can be what is meant by returning to one's destiny. Just be what I am rather than struggling to be what I think I am (or should be)… what could be easier? Life is too short for anything other than that which is very easy to put into practice?

My word, in reading this over I can imagine how utterly hedonistic some of it sounds, especially sans its Taoist context. (e.g., Have little thought of self and as few desires as possible.) The question is, how does one have as few desires as possible and little thought of self without thinking one should? The great irony is that the more one tries to make 'it' so, the further away 'it' gets. This is just fighting fire with fire. So far I've found that only taking the lower position in total surrender works. Giving up is not a matter of trying, it is a matter of not trying. But, not out of laziness; it's more a matter of being fearless in being timid.

Alright, so how does one reach that fearlessness? Through treading the by-path of hedonism to some degree and for some time. To go right, one must first go left, which certainly makes life difficult for one seeking perfection. As my old favorite puts it, If you would have a thing weakened, you must first strengthen it…

The nearly literal:
What is perfectly established cannot be pulled out.
What is perfectly embraced cannot be neglected.
So too descendants offering sacrifice to ancestors never ceases.
Restore in the body and its virtue is true.
Restore in the family and its virtue is abundant.
Restore in the village and its virtue is long.
Restore in the nation and its virtue is abundant.
Restore in all under heaven and its virtue is universal.
Hence,
Use the body to observe the body,
Use the family to observe the family,
Use the village to observe the village,
Use the nation to observe the nation,
Use all under heaven to observe all under heaven.
How can we know all under heaven is like that?
By using this.

The even more nearly literal:
good (be adept in, perfect) build (establish) not pull out.
good (be adept in, perfect) hold (embrace) not shed (cast off, neglect).
children and grandchildren (descendants) use (take, according to, so as to, as well as) offer sacrifices to ancestors not cease
of repair (mend, cultivate, trim) in ( at, to, from, by) body its virtue be true.
of repair (mend, cultivate, trim) in ( at, to, from, by) family its virtue be abundant.
of repair (mend, cultivate, trim) in ( at, to, from, by) village its virtue be long.
of repair (mend, cultivate, trim) in ( at, to, from, by) nation its virtue be abundant.
of repair (mend, cultivate, trim) in ( at, to, from, by) all under heaven its virtue be universal.
hence (reason cause)
use (take, according to, so as to, as well as) body observe body,
use (take, according to, so as to, as well as) family observe family,
use (take, according to, so as to, as well as) village observe village,
use (take, according to, so as to, as well as) nation observe nation,
use (take, according to, so as to, as well as) all under heaven observe all under heaven.
we why can know all under heaven like that?
use (take, according to, so as to, as well as) this.