11𝌐無用

道德經 Dao De Jing [Tao Te Ching]

Chapter 11: The Use of What Has No Substantive Existence

	繁體 Trad ↔ 简体 Simp	Legge's Translation	Susuki's Translation	Goddard's Translation
	無用	The Use of What Has No Substantive Existence	The Function of the Non-Existent	The Value of Non-Existence
1	三十輻共一轂，當其無，有車之用。埏埴以為器，當其無，有器之用。鑿戶牖以為室，當其無，有室之用。	The thirty spokes unite in the one nave; but it is on the empty space (for the axle), that the use of the wheel depends. Clay is fashioned into vessels; but it is on their empty hollowness that their use depends. The door and windows are cut out (from the walls) to form an apartment; but it is on the empty space (within), that its use depends.	Thirty spokes unite in one nave and on that which is non-existent [on the hole in the nave] depends the wheel's utility. Clay is moulded into a vessel and on that which is non-existent [on its hollowness] depends the vessel's utility. By cutting out doors and windows we build a house and on that which is non-existent [on the empty space within depends the house's utility.	Although the wheel has thirty spokes its utility lies in the emptiness of the hub. The jar is made by kneading clay, but its usefulness consists in its capacity. A room is made by cutting out windows and doors through the walls, but the space the walls contain measures the room's value.
2	故有之以為利，無之以為用。	Therefore, what has a (positive) existence serves for profitable adaptation, and what has not that for (actual) usefulness.	Therefore, existence renders actual but non-existence renders useful.	In the same way matter is necessary to form, but the value of reality lies in its immateriality.(Or thus: a material body is necessary to existence, but the value of a life is measured by its immaterial soul.)

繁體 Trad ↔ 简体 Simp

Legge's Translation

Susuki's Translation

Goddard's Translation

無用

The Use of What Has No Substantive Existence

The Function of the Non-Existent

The Value of Non-Existence

三十輻共一轂，當其無，有車之用。埏埴以為器，當其無，有器之用。鑿戶牖以為室，當其無，有室之用。

The thirty spokes unite in the one nave; but it is on the empty space (for the axle), that the use of the wheel depends. Clay is fashioned into vessels; but it is on their empty hollowness that their use depends. The door and windows are cut out (from the walls) to form an apartment; but it is on the empty space (within), that its use depends.

Thirty spokes unite in one nave and on that which is non-existent [on the hole in the nave] depends the wheel's utility. Clay is moulded into a vessel and on that which is non-existent [on its hollowness] depends the vessel's utility. By cutting out doors and windows we build a house and on that which is non-existent [on the empty space within depends the house's utility.

Although the wheel has thirty spokes its utility lies in the emptiness of the hub. The jar is made by kneading clay, but its usefulness consists in its capacity. A room is made by cutting out windows and doors through the walls, but the space the walls contain measures the room's value.

故有之以為利，無之以為用。

Therefore, what has a (positive) existence serves for profitable adaptation, and what has not that for (actual) usefulness.

Therefore, existence renders actual but non-existence renders useful.

In the same way matter is necessary to form, but the value of reality lies in its immateriality.(Or thus: a material body is necessary to existence, but the value of a life is measured by its immaterial soul.)