Shape clay into a vessel; It is the space within that makes… - Laozi

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Shape clay into a vessel;
It is the space within that makes it useful.
Cut doors and windows for a room;
It is the holes which make it useful.
Therefore benefit comes from what is there;
Usefulness from what is not there.

Laozi

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tao-te-ching taoism chinese-wisdom

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About Laozi

老子 Lǎozi (c. 6th – 5th century BC) was a Chinese monist philosopher; also called Lao Zi, Lao Tzu, Lao Tse, or Lao Tze. The Tao Te Ching (道德經, Pinyin: Dào Dé Jīng, or Dao De Jing) represents the sole document generally attributed to Laozi.

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Also Known As

Pen Names: Dan Li • Er Li • Tan Li

Alternative Names: Ancient Boy • Ancient Master • Old Boy • Old Lord • Old Master • Sage Ancestor • Venerable Master • Hsuan Yuan Huang Ti • Hsuan Yuan Huang-ti • Hsuan-yuan Huang-ti • Lao Chun • Lao Chun Tzu • Lao Chun-tzu • Lao Dan • Lao Jun • Lao Jun Zi • Lao Junzi • Lao Kiune • Lao Tan • Lao Tse • Lao Tsee • Lao Tseu • Lao Tsu • Lao Tze • Lao Tzse • Lao Tzu • Lao Tzŭ • Lao zi • Lao ʒze • Lao-chene-tsee • Lao-chun • Lao-chun-tzu • Lao-kiune • Lao-tan • Lao-tse • Lao-tsee • Lao-tsu • Lao-tze • Lao-tzse • Lao-tzu • Lao-tzŭ • Lao-ʒze • Laochun • Laocius • Laodan • Laojun • Laojunzi • Laotan • Laotse • Laotsee • Laotsu • Laotze • Laotzse • Laotzu • Laotzŭ • Li Boyang • Li Dan • Li Er • Li Erh • Li Po-yang • Li Tan • Lâo ʒze • Lâo-ʒze • Sheng Tsu Kao Shang Ta Tao Chin Ch'ueh Hsuan Yuan T'ien Huang Ta Ti • Sheng Tsu Kao Shang Ta Tao Chin Ch'üeh Hsüan Yüan T'ien Huang Ta Ti • Sheng Tsu Kao Shang Ta Tao Chin Chueh Hsuan Yuan Tien Huang Ta Ti • Sheng Tsu Kao Shang Ta Tao Chin Chüeh Hsüan Yüan Tien Huang Ta Ti • Sheng Tsu Ta Tao Hsuan Yuan Huang Ti • Sheng Tsu Ta Tao Hsuan Yuan Huang-ti • Sheng Tsu Ta Tao Hsüan Yüan Huang Ti • Sheng Tsu Ta Tao Hsüan Yüan Huang-ti • Sheng-tsu • Sheng-tsu Kao Shang Ta-tao Chin-ch'ueh Hsuan Yuan T'ien-huang Ta-ti • Sheng-tsu Kao Shang Ta-tao Chin-ch'üeh Hsüan Yüan T'ien-huang Ta-ti • Sheng-tsu Kao Shang Ta-tao Chin-chueh Hsuan Yuan Tien-huang Ta-ti • Sheng-tsu Kao Shang Ta-tao Chin-chüeh Hsüan Yüan Tien-huang Ta-ti • Sheng-tsu Kao-shang Ta-tao Chin-ch'ueh Hsuan-yuan T'ien-huang Ta-ti • Sheng-tsu Kao-shang Ta-tao Chin-ch'üeh Hsüan-yüan T'ien-huang Ta-ti • Sheng-tsu Kao-shang Ta-tao Chin-chueh Hsuan-yuan Tien-huang Ta-ti • Sheng-tsu Kao-shang Ta-tao Chin-chüeh Hsüan-yüan Tien-huang Ta-ti • Sheng-tsu Ta-tao Hsuan Yuan Huang-ti • Sheng-tsu Ta-tao Hsuan-yuan Huang-ti • Sheng-tsu Ta-tao Hsüan Yüan Huang-ti • Sheng-tsu Ta-tao Hsüan-yüan Huang-ti • Shengzu • Shengzu Dadao Xuan Yuan Huangdi • Shengzu Dadao Xuanyuan Huangdi • Shengzu Gao Shang Dadao Jinque Xuan Yuan Tianhuang Dadi • Shengzu Gaoshang Dadao Jinque Xuanyuan Tianhuang Dadi • T'ai Shang Hsüen Yüan Huang Ti • T'ai Shang Hsüen Yüan Huang-ti • T'ai-shang Hsuan Yuan Huang-ti • T'ai-shang Hsuan-yuan Huang-ti • T'ai-shang Hsüen Yüan Huang-ti • T'ai-shang Hsüen-yüan Huang-ti • Tai Shang Hsuan Yuan Huang Ti • Tai Shang Hsuan Yuan Huang-ti • Tai Shang Hsüen Yüan Huang Ti • Tai Shang Hsüen Yüan Huang-ti • Tai-shang Hsuan Yuan Huang-ti • Tai-shang Hsuan-yuan Huang-ti • Tai-shang Hsüen Yüan Huang-ti • Tai-shang Hsüen-yüan Huang-ti • Taishang Xuan Yuan Huangdi • Taishang Xuanyuan Huangdi • Xuan Yuan Huangdi • Xuanyuan Huangdi

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The Buddha Confucius Zhuang Zhou Bruce Lee Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Additional quotes by Laozi

Where the Mystery is the deepest is the gate of all that is subtle and wonderful.

The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao; The name that can be named is not the eternal name. The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth. The named is the mother of ten thousand things. Ever desireless, one can see the mystery. Ever desiring, one can see the manifestations. These two spring from the same source but differ in name; this appears as darkness. Darkness within darkness. The gate to all mystery.

Time is a created thing. To say 'I don't have time,' is like saying, 'I don't want to.

Shape clay into a vessel; It is the space within that makes it useful. Cut doors and windows for a room; It is the holes which make it useful. Theref… - Laozi

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