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Tao Te Ching · Ch. 34

大道氾兮,其可左右。萬物恃之以生而不辭,功成而不有。衣養萬物而不為主,常無欲,可名於小;萬物歸焉而不為主,可名為大。以其終不自為大,故能成其大。

Dà dào fàn xī, qí kě zuǒ yòu. Wàn wù shì zhī yǐ shēng ér bù cí, gōng chéng ér bù yǒu. Yī yǎng wàn wù ér bù wéi zhǔ, cháng wú yù, kě míng yú xiǎo; Wàn wù guī yān ér bù wéi zhǔ, kě míng wéi dà. Yǐ qí zhōng bù zì wéi dà, gù néng chéng qí dà.

The great Tao flows everywhere — to the left and to the right. All things depend on it for their life, and it refuses none of them. It accomplishes its work and claims no merit. It clothes and nourishes all things and does not act as their master. Always without desire, it may be called small; yet all things return to it and it does not claim to be their master — it may be called great. Because it never makes itself great, it is able to achieve its greatness.

— Tao Te Ching 34

Source: Wang Bi edition (Chinese) + Hanyu Pinyin transliteration

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