二章

　　天下皆知美之为美，斯恶已；皆知善之为善，斯不善矣。有无相生，难易相
成，长短相形，高下相盈，音声相和，前后相随，恒也。是以圣人处无为之事，
行不言之教，万物作而弗始，生而弗有，为而弗恃，功成而弗居。夫唯弗居，是
以不去。

Chapter 2. Abstraction

When beauty is abstracted

Then ugliness has been implied;

When good is abstracted

Then evil has been implied.

So alive and dead are abstracted from nature,

Difficult and easy abstracted from progress,

Long and short abstracted from contrast,

High and low abstracted from depth,

Song and speech abstracted from melody,

After and before abstracted from sequence.

The sage experiences without abstraction,

And accomplishes without action;

He accepts the ebb and flow of things,

Nurtures them, but does not own them,

And lives, but does not dwell.