The Taoteching #2

All the world knows beauty
but if that becomes beautiful
this becomes ugly
all the world knows good
but if that becomes good
this becomes bad
the coexistence of have and have not
the coproduction of hard and easy
the correlation of long and short
the codependence of high and low
the correspondence of note and noise
the coordination of first and last
is endless
thus the sage performs effortless deeds
and teaches wordless lessons
she doesn’t start all the things she begins
she doesn’t presume on what she does
she doesn’t claim what she achieves
and because she makes no claim
she suffers no loss

Lao-tzu
from The Taoteching