Chapter 11

三十輻共一轂，當其無，有車之用。

Thirty spokes share one hub; precisely because the center is empty, there is the use of the cart.

埏埴以為器，當其無，有器之用。鑿戶牖以為室，當其無，有室之用。故有之以為利，無之以為用。

Clay is shaped into a vessel; precisely because the center is empty, there is the use of the vessel. Doors and windows are cut out to make a room; precisely because the center is empty, there is the use of the room. Therefore "being" provides the benefit, but it is "non-being" that does the real work.

五色令人目盲，五音令人耳聾，五味令人口爽，馳騁畋獵令人心發狂，

The five colors blind a person's eyes, the five tones deafen a person's ears, the five flavors dull a person's palate, galloping and hunting make a person's mind wild,

難得之貨令人行妨。

and goods that are hard to obtain lead a person's conduct astray.

是以聖人為腹不為目，故去彼取此。

Therefore the sage seeks only to fill his belly and not the pleasures of the eye; he rejects the one and chooses the other.

寵辱若驚，貴大患若身。何謂寵辱若驚？寵為下，得之若驚，失之若驚，是謂寵辱若驚。

Favor and disgrace both bring alarm, and great misfortune is valued as one's own body. What does it mean that favor and disgrace bring alarm? Favor is something lowly: getting it brings alarm, and losing it brings alarm; this is what is meant by favor and disgrace bringing alarm.

何謂貴大患若身？

What does it mean to value great misfortune as one's own body?

吾所以有大患者，為吾有身，

The reason I have great misfortune is that I have this body;

及吾無身，

when I no longer have this body,

吾有何患？故貴以身為天下，若可寄天下；

what misfortune could I have? Therefore, one who values his own person as he values the world may be entrusted with the world;

愛以身為天下，若可託天下。

one who cherishes his own person as he cherishes the world may be given charge of the world.

視之不見名曰夷，聽之不聞名曰希，搏之不得名曰微。此三者，不可致詰，故混而為一。

Look for it and you cannot see it: it is called the formless (yi); listen for it and you cannot hear it: it is called the soundless (xi); reach for it and you cannot grasp it: it is called the subtle (wei). These three cannot be pursued to the end; they are originally blended together as one.

其上不皦，其下不昧。繩繩不可名，復歸於無物。是謂無狀之狀，無物之象，

Above, it is not bright; below, it is not dark. Unbroken, it cannot be named, and in the end it returns again to the state of having no form. This is called the shape of the shapeless, the image of the thing-less,

是謂惚恍。

and is also called the indistinct and vague.

迎之不見其首，隨之不見其後。執古之道，以御今之有。

Meet it and you cannot see its head; follow it and you cannot see its tail. Hold fast to the Dao of antiquity to manage the things of the present,

能知古始，是謂道紀。

and you can know the primordial beginning; this is called the thread of the Dao.

古之善為士者，微妙玄通，深不可識。夫唯不可識，故強為之容。豫焉若冬涉川，

In ancient times those who were good at practicing the Dao were subtle, profound and penetrating, so deep that they could not be fathomed. Precisely because they could not be fathomed, I can only reluctantly describe them: cautious, like crossing a river in winter;

猶兮若畏四鄰，

alert, like guarding against the prying of neighbors on all sides;

儼兮其若容，渙兮若冰之將釋，敦兮其若樸，曠兮其若谷，混兮其若濁。

dignified, like a guest; yielding, like ice about to melt; sincere and simple, like uncarved wood (pu: wood not yet worked, a figure for the original state not yet carved by human artifice); open, like a deep valley; murky, like muddy water not yet cleared.

孰能濁以靜之徐清？孰能安以久動之徐生？

Who can be still in the midst of the murk and let it slowly clear? Who can stir in the midst of calm and let life slowly emerge?

保此道者不欲盈，

One who keeps this Dao does not seek to be full,

夫唯不盈，故能蔽不新成。

and precisely because he does not seek to be full, he is able to preserve what is old and not rush to complete anything.

致虛極，守靜篤。

Attain utmost emptiness; hold firmly to stillness.

萬物並作，吾以觀復。

All things grow together, and from them I watch their cycle of return.

夫物芸芸，各復歸其根。歸根曰靜，是謂復命。復命曰常，

Things flourish in multitudes, and each returns again to its root. Returning to the root is called stillness; stillness is called returning to one's destiny. Returning to one's destiny is called the constant,

知常曰明。不知常，妄作兇。

and knowing the constant is called enlightenment. Not knowing the constant and acting recklessly leads to disaster.

知常容，

Knowing the constant, one can be all-embracing;

容乃公，

being all-embracing, one can be impartial;

公乃全，

being impartial, one can be complete;

全乃天，

being complete, one accords with heaven;

天乃道，

according with heaven, one accords with the Dao;

道乃久，

according with the Dao, one can last long,

沒身不殆。

and for one's whole life will be free of danger.

太上，下知有之，

With the best ruler, the people only know that he exists;

其次，親而譽之，

with the next best, the people love and praise him;

其次，畏之，

with the next, the people fear him;

其次，侮之。

with the worst, the people despise him.

信不足焉，有不信焉。

When the ruler's good faith is insufficient, the people naturally do not trust him.

悠兮其貴言，功成事遂，百姓皆謂：我自然。

The best ruler is relaxed and at ease and rarely issues commands; when his work is done and affairs are accomplished, the people all say: we are just as we were meant to be. (Ziran: being so of oneself, as one originally is; not "nature" in the sense of the natural world.)

大道廢，有仁義；

When the great Dao is abandoned, then there is talk of humaneness and righteousness;

智慧出，有大偽；

when cleverness appears, then there is great hypocrisy;

六親不和，有孝慈；國家昏亂，有忠臣。

when the six family relations are not in harmony, then filial piety and kindness are displayed; when the state is in chaos, then loyal ministers are displayed.