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Dao De Jing Introduction Table of content – The Way and Its Power

The naturalist, individualist and politic doctrine of Lao-tse exhibited in 81 poetic and obscure texts. Tr. Waley (en), Lau (en), Julien (fr) and Wilhelm (de).

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Daodejing I. 11.

Section Dao – Chapter XI

We put thirty spokes together and call it a wheel;
But it is on the space where there is nothing that the usefulness of the wheel depends.
We turn clay to make a vessel;
But it is on the space where there is nothing that the usefulness of the vessel depends.
We pierce doors and windows to make a house;
And it is on these spaces where there is nothing that the usefulness of the house depends.
Therefore just as we take advantage of what is, we should recognize the usefulness of what is not.

Waley 11

世人只知道“有”的作用, 而不知道“无”的作用。三十根车辐尽管彼此不相连接, 却可以形成车毂, 而有车。
一扇门窗, 也是利用了“有”与“无”的转换而起到了保暖和通风的作用。
一间房屋, 因为里面空无, 因而产生了居住作用。
由此可见, “有”之所以能给人们带来便利, 是由于无的配合产生的作用。

白话翻译

Thirty spokes share one hub.
Adapt the nothing therein to the purpose in hand, and you will havethe use of the cart.
Knead clay in order to make a vessel.
Adapt the nothing therein to the purpose in hand, and you will havethe use of the vessel.
Cut out doors and windows in order to make a room.
Adapt the nothing therein to the purpose in hand, and you will havethe use of the room.

Thus what we gain is Something, yet it is by virtue of Nothing thatthis can be put to use.

Lau 11

Trente rais se réunissent autour d'un moyeu. C'est de son vide que dépend l'usage du char.
On pétrit de la terre glaise pour faire des vases.
C'est de son vide que dépend l'usage des vases.
On perce des portes et des fenêtres pour faire une maison. C'est de leur vide que dépend l'usage de la maison.
C'est pourquoi l'utilité vient de l'être, l'usage naît du non-être.

Julien 11

Dreißig Speichen umgeben eine Nabe:
In ihrem Nichts besteht des Wagens Werk.
Man höhlet Ton und bildet ihn zu Töpfen:
In ihrem Nichts besteht des Töpfe Werk.
Man gräbt Türen und Fenster, damit die Kammer werde:
In ihrem Nichts besteht der Kammer Werk.
Darum: Was ist, dient zum Besitz.
Was nicht ist, dient zum Werk.

Wilhelm 11

Dao De Jing I. 11. (11) IntroductionTable of content
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The Way and Its Power – Dao De Jing I. 11. – Chinese off/onFrançais/English
Alias Daode Jing, Dao De Jing, Tao Te Ching, Tao Teh Ching, le Tao-tö-king, Lao-Tzu Te-Tao Ching, the Laozi, Lao Zi, the Lao Tze, le Lao-tseu, The Book of the Way and its Virtue, the Way and its Power.

The Book of Odes, The Analects, Great Learning, Doctrine of the Mean, Three-characters book, The Book of Changes, The Way and its Power, 300 Tang Poems, The Art of War, Thirty-Six Strategies
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