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Section 2

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天下皆知美之为美，
Tiānxià jiē zhī měi zhī wéi měi，
 When people recognize beauty as beauty,
斯恶矣；
Sī è yǐ；
 Ugliness arises.
皆知善之为善，
Jiē zhī shàn zhī wéi shàn，
 When people recognize goodness as good,
斯不善矣。
Sī bù shàn yǐ。
 Evil arises.
故有无相生，
Gù yǒu wú xiāng shēng，
 Being and non-being create each other.
难易相成，
Nán yì xiāng chéng，
 Hard and easy complete each other.
长短相形，
Cháng duǎn xiāng xíng，
 Long and short define each other.
高下相倾，
Gāo xià xiāng qīng，
 High and low depend on each other.
音声相和，
Yīn shēng xiāng hé，
 Sound and silence harmonize each other.
前後相随。
Qián hòu xiāng suí。
 Before and after follow each other.
是以圣人处无为之事，
Shì yǐ shèngrén chǔ wúwéi zhī shì，
 Therefore, the sage takes action without striving,
行「不言」之教。
Xíng ‘bùyán’ zhī jiào。
 And teaches without speaking.
万物作焉而不辞，
Wànwù zuò yān ér bù cí，
 The ten thousand things arise without reject,
生而不有，
Shēng ér bù yǒu，
 They come into being but are not owned,
为而不恃，
Wéi ér bù shì，
 They act but do not rely on reward,
功成而弗居。
Gōng chéng ér fú jū。
 They achieve but do not dwell on success.
夫唯弗居，
Fū wéi fú jū，
 Because they do not dwell on success,
是以不去。
Shì yǐ bù qù。
 It endures.