Chapter 11 of the Laozi

Chinese Text

三sān十shí辐fú共gòng一yī毂gǔ, 当dāng其qí无wú, 有yǒu车chē之zhī用yòng.
埏shān埴zhí以yǐ为wéi器qì, 当dāng其qí无wú, 有yǒu器qì之zhī用yòng.
凿záo户hù牖yǒu以yǐ为wéi室shì, 当dāng其qí无wú, 有yǒu室shì之zhī用yòng.
故gù有yǒu之zhī以yǐ为wéi利lì, 无wú之zhī以yǐ为wéi用yòng.
 

Translation

Thirty spokes converge upon a single hub. It is on the space where there is nothing that the usefulness of the cart depends.
Clay is shaped to make a vessel. It is on the space where there is nothing that the usefulness of the vessel depends.
Doors and windows are cut out to make a room. It is on the space where there is nothing that the usefulness of the room depends.
Therefore, benefit comes from what is, but usefulness arises from what is not.

Notes

A: In antiquity, each cart wheel was composed of thirty spokes; this arrangement recalled (lit. "imitated") the days of the moon. The hub (B) being hollow, it receives the axle that moves the wheels, allowing the cart to roll on the ground. If the cart (E) were not provided with a hollow hub that allows the axle to turn, it could not roll on the ground.

E: If vessels did not have an inner cavity, they could not contain anything.

E: If a house did not have the emptiness of doors and windows that allow people to enter and exit, and let in daylight, it could not be inhabited.

E: The utility of carts, vessels, and houses arises, for all people in the empire, from their existence or possession. The use of the cart depends on the movement of the axle (within the hollow of the hub); the use of vessels depends on their ability to contain; the use of a house depends on its ability to let people enter and exit and allow light to penetrate. These various uses themselves depend on emptiness (that is, the hollow parts of the hub, vessels, and houses). This is why 老子 Lǎozǐ says: Usefulness depends on emptiness. I note, adds commentator E, that although 老子 Lǎozǐ mentions being and non-being (the existence of these objects and their emptiness) several times in this chapter, if one seeks his purpose, one will recognize that he starts from being (what exists) to brilliantly show how non-being (emptiness) is worthy of esteem. Now, no one ignores that being (what exists) is useful, and that usefulness depends on non-being (emptiness). But all people neglect this truth and do not take the trouble to perceive it. This is why 老子 Lǎozǐ uses various metaphors to bring it fully to light.