道生一，一生二，二生三，三生万物。

万物负阴而抱阳，冲气以为和。之所恶，唯孤、寡、不谷，而王公以为称。

故物或损之而益，或益之而损。

人之所教，我亦教之。

强梁者不得其死，吾将以为教父。

The Tao produced One; One produced Two; Two produced Three;

Three produced All things. All things leave behind them the Obscurity

(out of which they have come), and go forward to embrace the

Brightness (into which they have emerged), while they are harmonised

by the Breath of Vacancy.

What men dislike is to be orphans, to have little virtue, to be as

carriages without naves; and yet these are the designations which

kings and princes use for themselves. So it is that some things are

increased by being diminished, and others are diminished by being

increased.

What other men (thus) teach, I also teach. The violent and strong

do not die their natural death. I will make this the basis of my

teaching.