Chapter 2

The world knows beauty as beauty,

So there is then ugliness.

The world knows good as good,

So there is then the bad.

As is and is-not create each other,

The hard and easy define each other,

The long and short delimit each other,

The high and low depend on each other,

Voice and music harmonise with each other,

Last and next follow each other.

So the wise adhere to action through non-action,

And communicate the teaching without words.

From the Way come the myriad creatures

Yet it imposes no authority.

It gives them life without possession.

It benefits them but asks no thanks.

It does its work but claims no merit.

Because it claims no merit

Merit is never lacking in it.