When the highest students hear of the Tao,
they practise it with devotion.

When average students hear of the Tao,
they keep it sometimes,
and lose it sometimes.

When the lowest students hear of the Tao,
they laugh out loud.
If it weren’t laughed at,
it wouldn’t be the Tao.

As the old sayings go:

The brightest Tao seems dim.
The one who advances appears to fall behind.
The smooth path looks uneven.
True virtue is hidden low.
Great beauty seems plain.
True wealth feels like having little.
Strong virtue seems weak.
Clear truth seems uncertain.
The greatest shape has no form.
The best vessel takes the longest to make.
The loudest sound is silent.
The grandest image is only a shadow.

The Tao is hidden
and without a name,
yet it gives all things what they need
and brings them to wholeness.