守中章第五 

天地不仁，以萬物為 芻狗；聖人不仁，以百姓為芻狗。天地之間，其猶 橐龠乎﹖虛而不屈，動而愈出。多言數窮，不如守中。 

5. Nature

Nature is not kind;

It treats all things impartially.

The Sage is not kind,

And treats all people impartially.

Nature is like a bellows,

Empty, yet never ceasing its supply.

The more it moves, the more it yields;

So the sage draws upon experience

And cannot be exhausted.

天地無私，不會偏愛親近萬物，反而把萬物當做草狗。聖人無私，不會偏愛親近百姓，反而把百姓當做草狗。天地之間，就像是風箱一樣，中間空虛而永遠也不會窮盡，愈動它的出風就愈多。言語過多那麼反而讓法度走向絕路，不如守住中虛無為之道。