Line By Line - Verse 11, Line 8

and what has not that for (actual) usefulness.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

Usefulness from what is not there.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

That which is empty is used to create functionality
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

but we use nothing.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

For anything to move, there must be space. You can't roll a wheelbarrow through your basement if the room is filled with junk. You can't turn the handle of a coffee grinder if the handle is impeded. Neither you nor I can dance in an elevator jam-packed with people.

By the same token, if my heart is filled with fear and hate, there is no room for compassion or love. I rob myself of the possibility of stretching out my being to experience new concepts or sensations.

Emptiness provides us with the expansiveness to be the most human.

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