n　display。　These　are　sure…fire　ways　of　stimulating　materialistic　desire；　which　is　a　bottomless　pit。
  While　the　sages　empty　people's　hearts　of　desires　and　weaken　their　ambitions　for　fame；　glory；　or　material　wealth；　they　would　also　pay　particular　attention　to　the　basic　needs。　As　rulers；　the　sage　kings　would　see　to　it　that　the　people　do　not　go　hungry　and　enjoy　good　health。　As　teachers；　the　sages　would　give　people　teachings　that　provide　spiritual　sustenance　and　promote　spiritual　health。
  When　people　follow　the　way　of　the　sages；　the　few　who　scheme　and　plot　will　find　themselves　unable　to　utilize　their　repertoire　of　clever　ploys。　The　governance　of　the　sages　leaves　no　room　for　their　contrived　tactics；　and　everything　falls　into　place　peacefully　and　naturally。
  Notes
  The　process　described　in　this　chapter　…　showcasing　certain　things　as　valuable　and　thus　stimulating　demand　…　is　the　basis　of　advertising　and　modern　consumerism。　Every　day　we　see　an　endless　parade　of　colorful；　shiny　products　in　front　of　us；　enticing　us　and　encouraging　purchase。　Not　enough　money？　No　problem！　All　major　credit　cards　are　accepted。　Buy　it　now　and　pay　no　interest　until　next　year。　This　is　a　limited…time　offer；　so　call　now！
  The　trouble；　as　many　people　have　already　discovered；　is　that　the　pleasure　of　materialistic　pursuits　is　fleeting。　We　can　buy　many　things；　but　never　lasting　satisfaction。　We　can　be　surrounded　by　many　of　the　colorful　and　shiny　products　and　still　feel　a　profound　sense　of　emptiness。
  The　solution　to　this　cannot　be　found　on　the　Home　Shopping　Network　or　in　the　Sears　Catalog。　It　is　not　available　by　mail　order　or　on　the　Internet。　You　will　not　see　it　at　the　shopping　mall　or　your　local　stores。　It　isn't　a　colorful　and　shiny　product。　In　fact；　it　isn't　a　thing　at　all。
  Ultimately；　it　is　what　people　really　want　and　need。　But　because　it　isn't　a　thing；　it　does　not　look　enticing；　nor　does　it　encourage　purchase　or　anything　else。　It　cannot　be　showcased　or　paraded　in　front　of　people　…　so　some　of　them　may　never　find　it。　It　cannot　be　put　on　a　credit　card　and　there　is　no　financing　available。　It　doesn't　costs　anything　…　so　those　who　do　find　it　may　assume　it　has　no　value　and　cast　it　aside。　They　may　find　it　only　to　let　it　slip　through　their　fingers。
  To　those　who　know　what　it　is；　no　explanation　is　necessary。　To　those　who　do　not；　no　explanation　will　suffice。　Such　is　the　nature　of　the　Tao。
  Translation
  Quite　a　few　translators　render　〃hard…to…obtain　goods〃　as　〃rare　goods。〃　This　is　close；　but　not　quite　the　same　thing。　The　former　is　the　literal；　word…for…word　translation；　the　latter　is　an　interpreted　meaning。
  Goods　that　are　difficult　to　acquire　may　simply　have　a　high　price　tag；　they　are　not　necessarily　〃rare〃　in　the　sense　of　being　uncommon　or　hard　to　find。　For　instance；　diamond　rings　are　expensive　and　therefore　relatively　hard　to　get；　but　they　are　readily　available　and　quite　easily　found　for　most　people。
  In　this　chapter；　Lao　Tzu　is　talking　about　high…value　items　（such　as　jewelry）　that　are　hoarded　and　thus　become　the　target　of　thieves。　There　is　no　need　to　bring　in　the　additional　context　of　rarity　into　the　mix。　Doing　so　introduces　a　subtle　distortion　in　the　translation；　which　should　be　avoided　if　at　all　possible。
  4
  The　Tao　is　empty
  Utilize　it；　it　is　not　filled　up
  So　deep！　It　seems　to　be　the　source　of　all　things
  It　blunts　the　sharpness
  Unravels　the　knots
  Dims　the　glare
  Mixes　the　dusts
  So　indistinct！　It　seems　to　exist
  I　do　not　know　whose　offspring　it　is
  Its　image　is　the　predecessor　of　God
  The　Tao　is　like　an　empty　container　that　you　can　fill　with　water　and　utilize。　Yet　no　matter　how　much　you　do　this；　it　will　never　be　filled　up　because　its　capacity　has　no　limit。　It　is　a　bottomless　container；　it　is　infinitely　deep。
  Despite　the　emptiness　of　the　Tao；　its　function　is　inexhaustible。　This　emptiness　is　not　the　same　as　〃nothingness；〃　for　the　infinite　depths　of　the　Tao　conceal　the　seeds　of　Creation。　There　appears　to　be　nothing　in　the　Tao；　and　yet　it　contains　everything。
  The　Tao　is　eternal。　It　outlasts　everything。　After　millions　of　year；　even　the　tallest；　sharpest　mountain　peaks　will　be　reduced　to　gentle　rolling　hills。　After　billions　of　years；　even　the　brightest　stars　will　burn　out　and　shine　no　more。　In　the　course　of　time；　all　problems　will　be　resolved　one　way　or　another。　The　proudest　achievements　of　mankind　will　be　reduced　to　dust。
  The　Tao　is　what　we　call　the　source　of　everything。　It　is　indistinct　…　we　cannot　see　it　clearly；　nor　can　we　understand　it　completely。　We　do　not　know　how　the　Tao　came　to　be；　or　if　it　came　from　anywhere　at　all。　Does　the　ultimate　source　have　a　source？　We　simply　cannot　say。
  All　we　can　say　with　certainty　is　that　the　Tao　embodies　the　principles　of　Creation。　Thus；　if　there　is　indeed　a　God　who　created　the　universe；　the　Tao　had　to　be　present　before　the　Creation　could　take　place。
  Notes
  The　Tao　is　empty；　utilize　it；
  It　does　not　fill　up。
  The　emptiness　of　the　Tao；　and　its　function　as　the　source　of　all　things　may　seem　like　a　contradiction　or　a　paradox；　but　this　idea　happens　to　coincide　with　the　latest　scientific　thinking　about　the　origin　of　the　universe。
  According　to　many　physicists　and　cosmologists；　the　Big　Bang　can　be　seen　as　a　singularity　event　where　you　actually　get　〃something〃　from　〃nothing。〃　MIT　professor　Dr。　Alan　Guth　expresses　it　this　way：　〃It　is　said　that　there's　no　such　thing　as　a　free　lunch。　But　the　universe　is　the　ultimate　free　lunch。〃
  Blunt　their　sharpness
  Unravel　their　knots
  Dull　their　glare
  Mix　their　dusts
  The　Tao　is　the　only　constant　feature　in　an　ever…changing　universe。　It　has　always　been　there　and　will　always　be　there。　It　is　entropy；　as　expressed　by　the　Second　Law　of　Thermodynamics。　As　time　marches　on；　energy　becomes　increasingly　randomized　and　dispersed；　and　all　things　tend　to　transition　from　orderly　states　to　disorderly　states；　everywhere　in　the　universe。
  5
  Heaven　and　Earth　are　without　bias
  And　regard　myriad　things　as　straw　dogs
  The　sage　is　without　bias
  And　regards　people　as　straw　dogs
  The　space　between　Heaven　and　Earth
  Is　it　not　like　a　bellows？
  Empty；　and　yet　never　exhausted
  It　moves；　and　produces　more
  Too　many　words　hasten　failure
  Cannot　compare　to　keeping　quiet
  Straw　dogs　are　literally　small　dog　figurines　made　from　straws。　They　were　used　in　ancient　times　for　rituals。
  Too　many　words　/　laws　quicken　defeat　/　failure
  Cannot　compare　to　keeping　quiet
  An　alternative　explanation　of　the　above　is　that　too　much　bureaucracy；　too　many　rules　and　regulations　quickly　leads　to　weakness　and　failure；　it　is　better　to　maintain　tranquility　and　non…action。
  This　is　an　often　misunderstood　passage　in　Tao　Te　Ching；　even　by　native　speakers　of　Chinese；　because　some　of　the　characters　have　a　completely　different　meaning　in　ancient　usage　than　in　modern　times。
  For　instance；　this　is　a　simple　character　meaning　〃middle；〃　so　many　scholars　assume　the　last　line　has　to　do　with　holding　to　the　center；　or　perhaps　holding　to　the　principle　of　moderation。　This　would　make　more　sense；　though；　if　the　previous　line　speaks　of　the　danger　of　extremes。　Now　that　we　understand　it　refers　to　the　maddening　〃noise〃　of　complex　and　bureaucratic　laws；　it　makes　far　more　sense　that　the　last　line　is　really　talking　about　silence　and　tranquility。
  6
  The　valley　spirit；　undying
  Is　called　the　mystical　female
  The　gateway　of　the　mystical　female
  Is　called　the　root　of　Heaven　and　Earth
  It　flows　continuously；　barely　perceptible
  Utilize　it；　it　is　never　exhausted
  The　spirit　of　the　valley　…　a　powerful　symbol　of　the　female　principle　…　is　eternal。　It　has　always　been　there　and　will　always　be。　We　can　call　it　the　mystical　female；　or　the　sacred　feminine。
  The　sacred　feminine　is　the　universal　source　of　life。　Therefore；　the　doorway　to　the　essence　of　the　mystical　female　is　what　we　can　call　the　root；　origin；　or　genesis　of　the　entire　world。
  This　essence　…　life　itself　…　is　a　continuous　flow。　We　tend　to　take　it　for　granted　and　not　pay　attention　to　it；　but　it　is　always　there。　And　it　does　not　matter　how　much　it　is　utilized　…　the　power　of　life　is　literally　inexhaustible。
  7
  Heaven　and　earth　are　everlasting
  The　reason　heaven　and　earth　can　last　forever
  Is　that　they　do　not　exist　for　themselves
  Thus　they　can　last　forever
  Therefore　the　sage：
  Places　himself　last　but　ends　up　in　front
  Is　outside　of　himself　and　yet　survives
  Isn't　it　all　due　to　his　selflessness？
  That's　how　he　can　achieve　his　own　goals
  To　be　〃outside　of　himself〃　in　this　context　means　to　be　unconcerned　with　one's　well　being；　to　disregard　one's　body　…　to　sacrifice　oneself。
  Here　we　have　another　example　of　the　Tao　paradox：　the　sage　can　advance　his　own　〃selfish〃　agenda；　by　being　totally　selfless。
  Lao　Tzu　himself　is　a　good　example　of　this。　He　was　content　to　be　a　humble；　unknown　philosopher；　he　never　sought　fame　and　recognition。　And　yet　here　we　are；　reading　his　words；　which　have　survived　the　last　twenty　five　centuries　and　will　continue　on　long　after　we　are　gone。
  8
  The　highest　goodness　resembles　water
  Water　greatly