Use justice to rule a country. Use surprise to wage war. Use non-action to govern the world.

Clay is moulded to make a vessel, but the utility of the vessel lies in the space where there is nothing. . . . Thus, taking advantage of what is, we recognize the utility of what is not.

That the soft overcomes the hard, and the yielding overcomes the resistant, is a fact known by all, but practiced by few.

The nameless is the beginning of Heaven and Earth. The named is the mother of all things.

Therefore the Sage embraces Unity, and is a model for all under Heaven. He is free from self-display, therefore he shines forth; from self-assertion, therefore he is distinguished; from self-glorification, therefore he has merit; from self-exaltation, therefore he rises superior to all. Inasmuch as he does not strive, there is no one in the world who can strive with him.

Clay is used to make vases, but it is the emptiness they contain that makes them useful.

The Way of the Sage is to act but not to compete.