The master traveller
leaves no tracks.
The master speaker
leaves no words to dispute.
The master accountant
uses no tallies.
The master locksmith
needs no bolts,
yet no one can open what he has closed.
The master binder
uses no knots,
yet nothing can undo what he has joined.

The sage saves people
and never abandons them.
He cares for all things
and discards nothing.
This is called
“concealing the light of his way.”

The skilled guide is a teacher to the unskilled.
The unskilled are tools for the skilled.
If you do not honour your teacher,
and if you do not cherish those who assist you,
you may lose your way —
no matter how wise you seem.

This is the deepest mystery.