道德經 - 第二十二章
曲則全，枉則直，窪則盈，弊則新，少則得，多則惑。
是以聖人抱一為天下式。
不自見，故明；
不自是，故彰；
不自伐，故有功；
不自矜，故長。
夫唯不爭，故天下莫能與之爭。
古之所謂曲則全者，豈虛言哉！
誠全而歸之。
Daodejing - Chapter Twenty Two
If you want to become whole, let yourself be partial.
If you want to become straight, let yourself be crooked.
If you want to become full, let yourself be empty.
If you want to be reborn, let yourself die.
If you want to be given everything, give everything up.
The master, by residing in the Dao, sets an example for all beings.
Because he doesn't display himself, people can see his light.
Because he has nothing to prove, people can trust his words.
Because he doesn't know who he is, people recognise themselves in him.
Because he has no goal in mind, everything he does succeeds.
When the ancient masters said if you want to be given everything, give everything up, they weren't using empty phrases.
Only in being lived by the Dao, can you be truly yourself.
References
- The above translation is based on the translation by poet, translator, scholar and anthologist, Stephen Mitchell. His reading of the work can be found on the following YouTube video: Tao Te Ching, The Book Of The Way by Lao Tzu: https://youtu.be/t109UFLSQhk?t=1976
- This chapter on the above video starts at 32.56 and ends at 34.50.
- You can find the complete 81 chapters of Daodejing in Chinese and English (James Legge version) in the ctext.org website: https://ctext.org/dao-de-jing
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