The Tao is an empty vessel; it is used, but never filled.
Oh, unfathomable source of ten thousand things!
Blunt the sharpness,
untangle the knot,
soften the glare,
merge with dust.
Oh, hidden deep but ever present!
I do not know from whence it comes.
It is the forefather of the gods.
Sit With This
Where in your daily life could you create more emptiness — in your schedule, your mind, your speech — and what might enter that space?
Western Commentary
Emptiness is not nothing — it is potential. A cup is useful because of the empty space within it. The Tao, Lao Tzu tells us, is inexhaustibly empty — it can always receive, always hold more. For the western mind trained to fill every moment with productivity and every shelf with possessions, this verse is an invitation to consider what becomes possible when you create space.