Under heaven all can see beauty as beauty only because there is ugliness. All can know good as good only because there is evil. Therefore having and not having arise together. Difficult and easy complement each other. Long and short contrast each other. High and low rest upon each other. Voice and sound harmonize each other. Front and back follow one another.

In ancient times, those who followed the Way did not try to give people knowledge thereof, but kept them ignorant.

Pain and happiness are simply conditions of the ego. Forget the ego.

To conquer others is to have power, to conquer yourself is to know the way.

Harmony is called the eternal. Knowing the eternal is called clarity.

Those who know do not talk. Those who talk do not know.

When cleverness emerges There is great hypocrisy.