| | Running does not require the use of hands, yet if the hands are bound, running cannot be swift; flying does not rely on the tail, but if the tail is bent, flight cannot be far. The usefulness of a thing necessarily depends on what appears useless. Therefore, that which makes things visible is itself invisible; that which causes the drum to sound is itself silent. Tasting a single piece of meat, one knows the flavor of the entire cauldron; hanging feathers and charcoal reveals dryness or dampness in the air; understanding the great through the small. Seeing a single leaf fall, one knows that the year is drawing to an end; observing ice in a jar, one understands how cold the world has become; reasoning about the distant from what is near. Three people huddled together shoulder to shoulder cannot step outside the door; one person following another can travel throughout the world. Feet tread the ground to leave a trail, and movement creates a shadow; this is simple yet difficult. King Zhuang killed Li Shi; Sun Shuao made a hat and washed his clothes. Duke Wen discarded the reed mat, which later turned moldy and black, so Jiu Fan resigned and returned home. Thus, when mulberry leaves fall, the old man grieves. Tripods are used daily yet not considered precious; the tripod of Zhou was never used for cooking but cannot be deemed worthless. Things indeed exist that, though seemingly useless, become useful. When the ground is level, water does not flow; when weights are equal, the balance does not tilt. The most sensitive things must respond to something; indeed, there are objects whose very uselessness constitutes their greatest use.
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