All under heaven see beauty as beauty
only because they also see ugliness.
All see good as good
only because they also know what is not good.

Thus, being and non-being give birth to one another;
difficult and easy complement one another;
long and short measure one another;
high and low lean upon one another;
tone and voice blend in harmony;
before and after follow one another.

Therefore the sage dwells in non-action,
and teaches without words.
All things arise, and she does not turn them away.
She gives life, yet claims no possession.
She acts, yet takes no credit.
When her work is done, she does not dwell on it.
Precisely because she does not dwell on it,
it is never lost.