All things spring up, and there is not one which declines to show itself; they grow, and there is no claim made for their ownership; they go through their processes, and there is no expectation (of a reward for the results).

A young bamboo shoot growing among mature bamboo in soft morning light. — AI-generated editorial illustration · Quotations

What does this quotation mean?

From Chapter 2 (James Legge translation) of The Tao Teh King. Read the surrounding argument as well as the excerpt; its historical language and philosophical assumptions shape its meaning.

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Source: The Tao Teh King , Chapter 2 (James Legge translation)

Edition: James Legge translation · Translated by James Legge

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From The Tao Teh King

Excerpt checked against the linked public-domain English edition. Korean rendering and context note by Quotations; not an authorized translation. Historical punctuation is retained; line breaks and editorial footnote markers are normalized.

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