Original Text
Thirty spokes converge at the hub, but it is the empty space that allows the axle to turn, enabling the wheel's function. Clay is shaped into vessels, but it is the hollow interior that allows them to hold things. A room is built with doors and windows, but it is the empty space that makes it livable. Thus, "having" provides convenience, while "not-having" fulfills its purpose.
Guide
People use the part of things that "is," yet do not realize that this utility is precisely created by "non-being." Being and non-being give rise to and complete each other, thus forming the myriad things in the world that can be utilized by humanity.
Analysis
The core issue of this chapter is "having creates benefit, not-having creates usefulness," which is the dialectical relationship between "not-having" and "having." Not-having and having are both contradictory and interdependent; without not-having, there is no having. This chapter aims to clarify the unity of opposites between having and not-having. We exist at the level of having, so when resolving contradictions, we must take not-having as the foundation. However, it must be pointed out that the not-having and having discussed here are two completely different concepts and categories from those in the first chapter.
Laozi uses the examples of a cart, a clay pot, and a house to illustrate his point, noting that these objects have tangible form, which is "being," yet the value they embody lies in their intangible space, which is "non-being." The relationship between being and non-being is the relationship between "benefit" and "use." Benefit is the prerequisite condition for use value, while use is the decisive factor of use value. The so-called "being and non-being give rise to each other" refers to the relationship between benefit and use, which are complementary and inseparable; where there is being, there is non-being, where there is solidity, there is emptiness, with no temporal priority or hierarchical distinction between primary and secondary. Laozi's examination of non-being as the main opposite is highly one-sided, for without the existence of tangible objects like wheels, pottery, or houses, where would the empty space exist? And how could it function? Thus, emphasizing the role of non-being one-sidedly is also unreasonable. However, when we approach problems, we must take non-being as the root and being as the branch, honoring the root while raising the branch. This is because we exist in the realm of being; only by holding onto its opposite, non-being, can we benefit being. If we take being as the root and govern being with being, it will accelerate the transformation of being into "non-being," which is not in line with dialectics.
Laozi's discussion on the dialectical relationship between nothingness and being holds great referential significance. In terms of self-cultivation, to achieve health and longevity, one must not merely emphasize treating the physical body with tangible delicacies; the root lies in attending to the intangible Dharma body. As long as the Dharma body is preserved, health and longevity become inevitable. The human body is like a house, and the Dharma body is its master; as long as the master does not leave, the house will not collapse.
In governing a nation, the foundation lies in sacred laws rather than capable rulers; with a highly developed political and spiritual civilization, the country will naturally maintain lasting prosperity and stability.
However, in real life, people often mistake the illusory nothing for something, generating unnecessary worries and sorrows over things that do not exist at all. For example, someone fantasizes about a gold nugget falling from the sky. Though originally penniless, they lie in bed pondering how to use this huge windfall. While others are out working hard, they remain in bed, immersed in beautiful fantasies. As days slip by, they still lie there dreaming, until they become skin and bones. Even on their deathbed, they still imagine a feast of delicacies on the table.
In real life, how should we correctly treat existence and non-existence? Only by always maintaining an attitude of emptiness, achieving merit without claiming credit, talent without arrogance, and strength without misuse, can we reach the state of using non-existence to embrace existence. Because existence and non-existence transform into each other, what we possess can instantly turn into nothing; only by holding an empty mindset and state when dealing with what we have can we truly possess them. Therefore, while we exist in the realm of having, we must take non-existence as the foundation when resolving contradictions.