Thirty spokes share the wheel's hub;
It is the center hole that makes it useful.
Shape clay into a vessel;
It is the space within that makes it useful.
Cut doors and windows for a room;
It is the holes which make it useful.
Therefore profit comes from what is there;
Usefulness from what is not there.

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THE USE OF NOTHING

The thirty spokes of a carriage wheel uniting at the nave are made useful by the hole in the center, where nothing exists.

Vessels of molded earth are useful by reason of their hollowness.

Doors and windows are useful by being cut out.

A house is useful because of its emptiness.

Existence, therefore, is like unto gain, but Non-Existence to use.



This reminds me of the purpose of meditation. The idea is to empty the mind, empty the Ego, so that it becomes a suitable vessel for God (Tao). In other words, empty it of things like emotions and thoughts so it can become more useful to the Soul. The Soul will then in turn direct our actions through Virtue which gives us Peace.

Travis