Tao Te Ching Ch 11

The Door of all Wonders: 

The Commentary on the Tao Te Ching

by Nirguna C.K. Lam

 Chapter 11

Thirty spokes join in one hub.

In its emptiness, there is the function of the cart.

Knead clay to make a container.

In its emptiness, there is the function of the container.

Cut out doors and windows to make a room.

In its emptiness, there is the function of the room.

Thus what we gain is something solid,

yet it is by virtue of emptiness that the solid can be put to use.

Review

    This Chapter tells us the relation between something and nothing, solid and emptiness:

“Thus what we gain is something solid,

yet it is by virtue of emptiness that the solid can be put to use.”

    People mostly see something in solid forms and may neglect its space to contain the solid. Without space, our whole world cannot exist. All the creation needs space. The sky is the large space when we look up and see. The space is so obvious and so appealing to us, though it also seems far away from us. People mostly see the material and neglect something non-material which is even more important than material. Chinese people think that our world is made of five elements, i.e. gold (metal), wood, water, fire and earth. These five elements are all materials which can be touchable and tangible, while we do not include the non-material aspect in our understanding of the creation of our world. Indians also think that our world in material level is made of five elements but a bit different from the Chinese concept. These five elements are earth, water, fire (or light), air and space. All creatures including the whole universe are formed by different combinations of these five elements. Chinese people have not attached any importance to the space as an element in non-material sense while Indian philosophy stresses on it very much. Here in the Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu stresses on the emptiness so much as to remind what Chinese philosophy badly needs to be aware of. Lao Tzu explains with three examples that the wheel of the cart needs space to be made and function, a container made by clay needs to make hollow inside, a room with windows and doors also need space for holding all belongings and people living in it. This space is the emptiness. Without emptiness, only material substances cannot work, thus Lao Tzu says:

“Thirty spokes join in one hub.

In its emptiness, there is the function of the cart.

Knead clay to make a container.

In its emptiness, there is the function of the container.

Cut out doors and windows to make a room.

In its emptiness, there is the function of the room.”

    This emptiness closely resembles the Truth (Tao) which is said by Lao Tzu in the previous Chapters:

“Tao is empty. When utilized, it is not filled up.*

So deep! It seems to be the source of all creatures.”

(Chapter 4)

*Another translation: "Truth is like emptiness. Its uses will never be exhausted." The Truth, Tao, is like a big container which can never be filled up, therefore, its use will never be exhausted. 

“The space between the Heaven and the Earth, is not like a bellow?

Empty, and yet never exhausted.”

(Chapter 5)

    The Truth which is called Tao is like the space for all creatures. This space is so subtle that it can never be exhausted. Without this space, nothing can function which is explained in this Chapter. Material must be accompanied with non-material; then it can work out its function. People only see the material as something visible and tangible to us, but may easily neglect something non-material, invisible and intangible to us, i.e. our spiritual life. Without spirituality, material living cannot be kept in proper.

    Buddhism also tells us the same. The Buddhist scripture, the Heart Sutra also describes the emptiness as the Ultimate Reality we need to realize and experience. This emptiness is completely free from any sorrow and delusion but full of wisdom and light. Our material life with our physical body cannot neglect this emptiness; otherwise, we will be suffocated by all the material stuff without air to breathe.

    People always want to gain something more and more, and seldom know that to have nothing is also needed. Therefore,  Lao Tzu explains to us that our instruments cannot lack emptiness, so is our whole life. To make use of the emptiness is to know the relation between Something and Nothing, Being and Non-being. When we see our world, we can see both, not only the beings and something.

“Thus what we gain is something solid,

Yet it is by virtue of emptiness that the solid can be put to use."