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The incomplete become whole the crooked become straight the hollow become full the worn-out become new those with less become content those with more become confused sages therefore hold on to one thing and use this to guide the world not considering themselves they appear not displaying themselves they shine not flattering themselves they succeed not parading themselves they lead because they don’t compete no one can compete against them the ancients who said the incomplete become whole came close indeed becoming whole depends on this

CHUANG-TZU says, “Lao-tzu said everyone else seeks happiness. He alone saw that to be incomplete was to become whole” (Chuangtzu: 33.5).

WU CH’ENG says, “By exploring one side to its limits, we eventually find all sides. By grasping one thing, we eventually encompass the whole. The caterpillar bends in order to straighten itself. A hollow in the ground fills with water. The renewal of spring depends on the withering of fall. By having less, it’s easy to have more. By having more, it’s easy to become confused.”

WANG PI says, “As with a tree, the more of it there is, the farther it is from its roots. The less of it there is, the closer it is to its roots. ‘More’ means more distant from what is real. ‘Less’ means closer.”

WEI YUAN says, “One is the extreme of less. But whoever uses this as the measure for the world always finds more.”

LU HUI-CH’ING says, “Only those who find but one thing can act like this. Thus to have less means to be content. The reason most people cannot act like this is because they have not found one thing. Thus, to have too much means to be confused.”

LI HSI-CHAI says, “The reason sages are able to be chief of all creatures is because they hold on to one thing. Holding on to this one thing, they never leave the Tao. Hence, they do not observe themselves but rely instead on the vision of others. They do not talk about their own strengths but rely instead on the strengths of others. They stand apart and do not compete. Hence, no one can compete against them.”

HSUAN-TSUNG says, “Not observing themselves, they become whole. Not displaying themselves, they become upright. Not flattering themselves, they become complete. Not parading themselves, they become new.”

TZU-SSU says, “Only those who are perfectly honest can realize their nature and help others do the same. Next are those who are incomplete” (Chungyung: 22–23).

MENCIUS says, “We praise those who don’t calculate. We reproach those who try to be whole” (Mencius: 4A.21).

HO-SHANG KUNG says, “Those who are able to practice being incomplete keep their physical body whole. Those who depend on their mother and father suffer no harm.”

Lao-tzu’s path to wholeness is through incompleteness, but an incompleteness so incomplete that he is reduced to one thing. For the wording of lines eight through thirteen, as well as line sixteen, I have followed Mawangtui B. Lines nine through twelve appear in slightly different form in verse 24. In the last line, my use of ch’eng (become), in place of the usual ch’eng (honest), is based on Tunhuang texts s.6453 and p.2584, as well as on the Suichou and Chinglung editions, and also on Chu Ch’ien-chih’s observation that ch’eng (honest) appears nowhere else in the Taoteching, while ch’eng (become) occurs seventeen times. The interpolation of “honest” was apparently influenced by the passage from Tzu-ssu’s Chungyung quoted above. Note that the images in the first six lines are also used to refer to the moon.