Line By Line - Verse 11, Lines 1-2

The thirty spokes unite in the one nave;
but it is on the empty space (for the axle), that the use of the wheel depends.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

Thirty spokes share the wheel's hub;
It is the center hole that makes it useful.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Thirty spokes join in one hub In its emptiness,
there is the function of a vehicle
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

A wheel has spokes,
but it rotates around a hollow center.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

As I sit here before my computer keyboard, there is space -- a seeming nothingness -- that appears to exist between where my hands sit in my lap poised to type and the keys themselves. Yet, if I think about it, the space makes it possible for me to type these words.

If the space was filled by a solid substance, I would be blocked. I would be unable to raise my hands from my lap. I would be unable to strike any of the keys.

In fact, it is the nothingness of air and space that allows us to breath and move. Taken a step further, it is the void that makes life possible.

To view the Index page for this series to see what you may have missed or would like to read again, go here.