Honor for Dao and esteem for de [teh] is never compelled, it is always spontaneous.
Therefore Dao gives life to them, but de [teh] nurses them, raises them, nurtures, completes, matures, rears, protects them.
Tao gives life to them but makes no claim of ownership; de [teh] forms them but makes no claim upon them, raises them but does not rule them. This is profound vitality (de [teh]).
Interpretation:
The "teh" or "te" of an object is often described as its "virture." Another way to look at "teh" would be "natural purpose." This definition may help in the understanding of the above passage, since all things, even things that we find to be without virtue do serve the purpose that is natural to their being.
Stanza one separates out four states of being, the self created by Tao, the self created by natural purpose, the physical self and the energy that flows through all of the above.
Stanza two can be seen to be saying that honor and respect for the nature of things is natural within.
The third stanza observes that the Dao itself gives rise to all things (including teh) but that teh may be defined separately as the driving force that completes the unique shape of each thing.
We see again in the fourth stanza the much repeated message that Dao and now also teh do these things spontaneously and without desire to own or possess. It is this selflessness that give teh such unlimited power.
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