Chapter 2

天下皆知美之為美，斯惡矣；
皆知善之為善，斯不善矣。
故有無相生，難易相成，長短相形，高下相傾，音聲相和，前後相隨。
是以聖人處無為之事，行不言之教。
萬物作焉而不辭，生而不有，為而不恃，功成而弗居。
夫唯弗居，是以不去。

When all the world knows beauty as beauty, there is already ugliness;
when all know good as good, there is already what is not good.
So being and nonbeing give birth to each other, hard and easy complete each other, long and short shape each other, high and low lean on each other, tone and voice answer each other, front and back follow each other.
That is why the sage keeps to the work of non-action and practices the teaching without words.
The ten thousand things rise, and he does not turn them away; he gives life but does not possess, acts but does not presume, finishes the work but does not dwell in it.
Precisely because he does not dwell in it, it does not leave him.