十一

>三十輻,共一轂,
當其無,
有車之用。

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。

老子


"The thirty spokes unite in the one nave;
but it is on the empty space (for the axle),
that the use of the wheel depends.

Clay is fashioned into vessels;
but it is on their empty hollowness,
that their use depends.

The door and windows are cut out (from the walls) to form an apartment;
but it is on the empty space (within),
that its use depends.

Therefore, what has a (positive) existence serves for profitable adaptation,
and what has not that for (actual) usefulness."

Unless noted otherwise, all quotations of classical texts and accompanying translations come from the Chinese Text Project

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