Vessels　are　made　of　perceptible　clay；　but　it　is　their　imperceptible　hollow　that　is　useful。
  The　imperceptible　holes　which　make　the　doors　and　windows　of　a　house；　are　its　essentials。
  It　is　the　imperceptible　that　produces　effects　and　results。
  12
  Colours　blind　the　eyes　of　man。　Sound　makes　him　deaf。　Flavours　exhaust　his　taste。
  Hunting　and　racing；　by　unchaining　savage　passions　in　him；　madden　his　heart。　The　love　of　rare　and　difficult…to…obtain　objects　pushes　him　to　efforts　that　harm　him。
  Therefore　the　Sage　looks　to　his　stomach；　and　not　his　senses。　renounces　this；　in　order　to　embrace　that。　（He　renounces　what　causes　wear；　in　order　to　embrace　what　conserves）。
  13
  Favour；　because　it　can　be　lost；　is　a　source　of　worry。　Greatness；　because　it　can　be　ruined；　is　a　source　of　fear。
  What　do　these　two　sentences　mean？　The　first　means　that　the　care　required　to　keep　in　favour；　and　the　fear　of　losing　it；　fill　the　mind　with　worry。
  The　second　points　out　that　ruin　generally　comes　from　caring　too　much　for　one's　own　greatness。　He　who　has　no　personal　ambition　does　not　have　to　fear　ruin。
  He　who　is　only　concerned　about　the　greatness　of　the　empire　（and　not　that　of　himself）；　he　who　only　desires　the　good　of　the　empire　（and　not　his　own　good）；　to　him　the　empire　should　be　confided　（and　it　would　be　in　good　hands）。
  14
  Looking；　one　does　not　see　it；　for　it　is　invisible。　Listening；　one　does　not　hear　it；　for　it　is　silent。　Touching；　one　does　not　feel　it；　for　it　is　impalpable。
  These　three　attributes　must　not　be　separated；　for　they　designate　one　and　the　same　being。
  This　being；　the　Principle；　is　not　light　above　and　dark　below；　as　are　opaque　material　bodies。　Like　a　slender　thread；　it　unwinds　itself　（as　continuous　existence　and　action）。　It　has　no　name　of　its　own。　It　goes　back　as　far　as　the　time　when　there　were　no　other　beings　but　itself。
  It　has　no　parts；　from　in　front　one　sees　no　head；　from　behind　no　rear。
  It　is　this　primordial　Principle　that　has　ruled；　and　rules；　all　beings　right　up　to　the　present。　Everything　that　has　been；　or　is；　since　the　ancient　origin；　is　from　the　unwinding　of　the　Principle。
  15
  The　ancient　Sages　were　subtle；　abstract；　profound；　in　a　way　that　cannot　be　expressed　in　words。
  Therefore　I　am　going　to　use　illustrative　comparisons　in　order　to　make　myself　as　clearly　understood　as　possible。　They　were　circumspect　like　on　who　crosses　an　ice…covered　river；　prudent　like　one　who　knows　that　his　neighbours　have　their　eyes　on　him；　reserved　like　a　guest　in　front　of　his　host。
  They　were　indifferent　like　melting　ice　（which　is　neither　one　thing　nor　the　other）。　They　were　unsophisticated　like　a　tree　trunk　（the　rough　bark　of　which　conceals　the　excellent　heartwood）。　They　were　empty　like　a　valley　（with　reference　to　the　mountain　that　form　it）。　They　were　accommodating　like　muddy　water；　（they；　the　clear　water；　not　repelling　the　mud；　not　refusing　to　live　in　contact　with　the　common　people；　not　forming　a　separate　group）。
  （To　seek　purity　and　peace　by　separating　from　the　world　is　to　overdo　things。　They　can　be　found　in　the　world）。　Purity　is　to　be　found　in　the　trouble　（of　this　world）　through　（interior）　calm；　on　condition　that　one　does　not　let　the　impurity　of　the　world　affect　oneself。　Peace　is　to　be　found　in　the　movement　（of　this　world）　by　one　who　knows　how　to　take　part　in　this　movement；　and　who　is　not　exasperated　through　desiring　that　is　should　be　stopped。
  He　who　keeps　to　this　rule　of　not　being　consumed　by　sterile　desires　arising　from　his　own　fancy；　will　live　willingly　in　obscurity；　and　will　not　aspire　to　renew　the　world。
  16
  He　who　has　reached　the　maximum　of　emptiness　（of　indifference）　will　be　firmly　fixed　in　peace。
  Innumerable　beings　come　out　（from　non…being）；　and　I　see　them　return　there。　They　spring　forth；　then　they　all　return　to　their　root。
  To　return　to　one's　root；　is　to　enter　into　the　state　of　rest。　From　this　rest　they　emerge　for　a　new　destiny；　and　so　it　goes　on；　continually；　without　end。　To　recognize　this　law　of　immutable　continuity　（of　the　two　states　of　life　and　death）；　is　wisdom。　To　ignore　it；　is　foolish。　Those　ignorant　of　this　law　cause　misfortune　（through　their　untimely　interference　in　things）。
  He　who　knows　that　this　law　weighs　heavily　on　beings；　is　just　（treats　all　beings　according　to　their　nature；　with　equity）；　like　a　King；　like　Heaven；　like　the　Principle。
  In　consequence　he　lasts　until　the　end　of　his　days；　not　having　made　himself　any　enemies。
  17
  In　the　early　days　（when；　in　human　affairs；　everything　still　conformed　to　the　action　of　the　Principle）；　subjects　scarcely　knew　that　they　had　a　prince　（so　discreet　was　the　action　of　the　latter）。　After　this　the　people　loved　and　flattered　their　prince　（because　of　his　good　deeds）；　but　later　on；　they　feared　him　（because　of　his　laws）；　and　scorned　him　（because　of　his　unjust　acts）。
  They　became　disloyal；　though　having　been　treated　disloyally。　They　lost　confidence　in　him　though　receiving　only　good　words　which　were　never　put　into　effect。
  How　delicate　was　the　touch　of　ancient　rulers。　When　everything　prospered　under　their　administration；　the　people　believed　they　had　done　everything　themselves；　of　their　own　free　will。
  18
  When　action　conforming　to　the　Principle　dwindles；　（when　men　cease　to　act　with　spontaneous　goodness　and　fairness）；　artificial　principles　of　goodness　and　fairness；　prudence　and　wisdom　（are　invented）。
  These　artificial　principles　soon　degenerate　into　politics。
  When　parents　no　longer　live　in　natural　harmony；　they　try　to　make　up　for　this　deficit　by　inventing　artificial　principles　of　filial　piety　and　paternal　affection。
  When　states　had　fallen　into　disarray；　they　invented　the　loyal　minister　stereotype。
  19
  Reject　（artificial；　conventional；　political）　wisdom　and　prudence；　（in　order　to　return　to　primal　natural　uprightness）。　and　the　people　will　be　a　hundred　times　happier。
  Reject　（artificial；　conventional）　goodness　and　fairness；　（filial　and　fraternal　piety）；　and　the　people　will　come　back　（for　their　well…being；　to　natural　goodness　and　fairness）；　to　spontaneous　filial　and　paternal　piety。
  Reject　art　and　gain；　and　evildoers　will　disappear。　（With　the　primordial　simplicity；　they　will　return　to　primordial　honesty）。
  Renounce　these　three　artificial　categories；　for　the　artificial　is　good…for…nothing。
  Be　attached　to　simplicity　and　naturalness。　Have　few　personal　interests；　and　few　desires。
  20
  Give　up　learning；　and　you　will　be　free　from　all　your　worries。　What　is　the　difference　between　yes　and　no　（about　which　the　rhetoricians　have　so　much　to　say）？　What　is　the　difference　between　good　and　evil　（on　which　the　critics　never　agree）？　（These　are　futilities　that　prevent　the　mind　from　being　free。　Now　freedom　of　mind　is　necessary　to　enter　into　relation　with　the　Principle）。
  Without　doubt；　among　the　things　which　common　people　fear；　there　are　things　that　should　be　feared；　but　not　as　they　do；　with　a　mind　so　troubled　that　they　lose　their　mental　equilibrium。
  Neither　should　one　permit　oneself　to　lose　equilibrium　through　pleasure；　as　happens　to　those　who　have　a　good　meal　or　view　the　surrounding　countryside　in　spring　from　the　top　of　a　tower　（with　the　accompaniment　of　wine；　etc。）。　I　（the　Sage）　seem　to　be　colourless　and　undefined；　neutral　as　a　new…born　child　that　has　not　yet　experienced　any　emotion；　without　design　or　aim。
  The　common　people　abound　（in　varied　knowledge）；　but　I　am　poor　（having　rid　myself　of　all　uselessness）　and　seem　ignorant；　so　much　have　I　purified　myself。
  They　seem　full　of　light；　I　seem　dull。　They　seek　and　scrutinize；　I　remain　concentrated　in　myself。　Indeterminate；　like　the　immensity　of　the　oceans；　I　float　without　stopping。
  They　are　full　of　talent；　whereas　I　seem　limited　and　uncultured。　I　differ　thus　from　the　common　people；　because　I　venerate　and　imitate　the　universal　nourishing　mother；　the　Principle。
  21
  All　of　the　beings　which　play　a　role；　in　the　great　manifestation　of　the　cosmic　theater；　have　come　from　the　Principle；　through　its　virtue　（its　unwinding）。
  The　Principle　is　indistinct　and　indeterminate；　mysterious　and　obscure。　In　its　indistinction　and　indetermination　there　are　types；　a　multitude　of　beings。　In　its　mystery　and　obscurity　there　is　an　essence　which　is　reality。
  From　ancient　times　until　the　present；　its　name　（its　being）　has　stayed　the　same；　all　beings　have　come　from　it。
  How　do　I　know　that　it　was　the　origin　of　all　beings？　。。。　（By　objective　observation　of　the　universe；　which　reveals　that　contingencies　must　have　come　from　the　absolute）。
  22
  In　the　old　days　they　said；　the　incomplete　shall　be　made　whole；　the　bent　shall　be　straightened；　the　empty　shall　be　filled；　the　worn　shall　be　renewed。　Simplicity　makes　for　success；　multiplicity　leads　one　astray。
  Therefore　the　Sage　who　holds　himself　to　unity；　is　the　model　for　the　empire；　（for　the　world；　the　ideal　man）。
  He　shines；　because　he　does　not　show　off。　He　imposes　himself　because　he　does　not　claim　to　be　right。　One　finds　merit　in　him；　because　he　does　not　brag。　He　increases　constantly　because　he　does　not　push　himself。
  As　he　does　not　oppose　himself　to　anyone；　no　one　is　opposed　to　him。
  The　axiom