宙合
The Cosmic Conjunction
左操五音，右執五味，懷繩與準鉤，多備規軸，減溜大成，是唯時德之節。
In the left hand hold the five tones; in the right hand hold the five flavors; carry in the bosom the plumb-line, level, and hook; prepare compasses and axles in abundance; reduce the flow and achieve the great completion — this is the rhythm of timely virtue. In spring gather the living; in autumn gather the ripe; in summer dwell in shade; in winter dwell in warmth — the virtue of the great worthy endures. Do not consult with the cunning; do not store up with the fawning; do not nurture the violent; do not heed the slanderous. Do not broaden what is improper; do not employ what is petty. Heaven and earth form the pouch of all things; the cosmic conjunction forms the pouch of heaven and earth.
Notes
This is one of the most cryptic and philosophically dense chapters in the Guanzi, blending Daoist metaphysics with political philosophy. The 'cosmic conjunction' (宙合) refers to the meeting-point of time and space where the ruler must position himself.