Tao Te Ching道德经
Tao Te Ching/Chapter 11

The Use of What Is Not There

无之为用
Wú Zhī Wèi Yòng

Thirty spokes meet in a hub, and it is the hole that makes the wheel turn. Clay, doors and windows are useful because of what has been left out of them.

All 81 chapters11 of 81
4 sentences · 5 notes
三sān十shí辐fú,共gòng一yī毂gǔ,当dāng其qí无wú,有yǒu车chē之zhī用yòng。

1The thirty spokes unite in the one nave; but it is on the empty space (for the axle), that the use of the wheel depends.

埏shān埴zhí以yǐ为wéi器qì,当dāng其qí无wú,有yǒu器qì之zhī用yòng。

2Clay is fashioned into vessels; but it is on their empty hollowness, that their use depends.

凿záo户hù牖yǒu以yǐ为wéi室shì,当dāng其qí无wú,有yǒu室shì之zhī用yòng。

3The 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.

故gù有yǒu之zhī以yǐ为wéi利lì,无wú之zhī以yǐ为wéi用yòng。

4Therefore, what has a (positive) existence serves for profitable adaptation, and what has not that for (actual) usefulness.

Chinese commentary · 5 notes

The notes printed with this chapter in Chinese editions, kept in Chinese, for readers who come to the text that way.

1辐:车轮上的直棍,有如自行车的钢丝。三十辐,是一个车轮直棍的数目。

2毂(gǔ):即车轮中心穿车轴的圆木.北方叫它“车头”。

3埏(shān)埴(zhí):即用抟土和陶土做成饮食用的器皿。埏,借为“抟”,即抟土:埴,陶土。

4牖(yǒu):窗户。

5无:这一章三个“无”,均作“空虚”解。

All 81 chapters