The sage wears coarse clothes, concealing jade.

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

The inner is the foundation of the outer. The still is master of the restless. The Sage travels all day yet never leaves his inner treasure.

When the people of the world all know beauty as beauty, There arises the recognition of ugliness. When they all know the good as good, There arises the recognition of evil.

Good walking leaves no track behind it.

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

The weak overcomes the strong. The soft overcomes the hard. Everybody in the world knows this, still nobody makes use of it.