Tao Te Ching · Ch. 41

上士聞道,勤而行之;中士聞道,若存若亡;下士聞道,大笑之。不笑不足以為道。故建言有之:明道若昧;進道若退;夷道若纇;上德若谷;大白若辱;廣德若不足;建德若偷;質真若渝;大方無隅;大器晚成;大音希聲;大象無形;道隱無名。夫唯道,善貸且成。

Shàng shì wén dào, qín ér xíng zhī; Zhōng shì wén dào, ruò cún ruò wáng; Xià shì wén dào, dà xiào zhī. Bù xiào bù zú yǐ wéi dào. Gù jiàn yán yǒu zhī: Míng dào ruò mèi; Jìn dào ruò tuì; Yí dào ruò lèi; Shàng dé ruò gǔ; Dà bái ruò rǔ; Guǎng dé ruò bù zú; Jiàn dé ruò tōu; Zhì zhēn ruò yú; Dà fāng wú yú; Dà qì wǎn chéng; Dà yīn xī shēng; Dà xiàng wú xíng; Dào yǐn wú míng. Fú wéi dào, shàn dài qiě chéng.

When the best scholars hear of the Tao, they diligently practise it. When average scholars hear of it, they half believe and half doubt. When the lowest scholars hear of it, they laugh loudly. If they did not laugh, it would not be worthy of being the Tao. Hence the established sayings: The bright Tao looks dim; the advancing Tao looks like retreat; the smooth Tao looks uneven; the highest virtue looks like a valley; the greatest purity looks tarnished; the broadest virtue seems insufficient; the most solid virtue seems lax; the truest substance seems changeable; the greatest square has no corners; the greatest vessel takes longest to complete; the greatest music has the rarest sounds; the greatest form has no shape; the Tao is hidden and has no name. Yet the Tao alone is good at lending support and bringing to completion.

— Tao Te Ching 41

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