The empty boat

He who rules men lives in confusion. 
He who is ruled by men lives in sorrow.
The Tao therefore desires
Neither to influence others
Nor to be influenced by them.
The way to get clear of confusion
And free of sorrow
Is to live with Tao
In the land of the great void. 
If a man is crossing a river
And an empty boat collides with his own skiff, 
Even though he be a bad-tempered man, 
He will not become very angry. 
But if he sees a man in the boat
He will shout at him to steer clear. 
If the shout is not heard, he will shout again
And yet again, and begin cursing.
Yet, if the boat were empty 
He would not be shouting and not be angry. 
If you can empty your own boat, 
Crossing the river of the world, 
No one will oppose you. 
No one will seek to harm you. 
He who can free himself from achievement and from pain
Descends and is lost amid the masses of men. 
He will flow like Tao, unseen. 
He will go about like life itself, 
With no name and no home. 
Simple is he without destination. 
To all appearances he is a fool. 
His steps leave no trace. 
He has no power. 
He achieves nothing. 
He has no reputation. 
Since he judges no one, no one judges him. 
Such is the perfect man. 
His boat is empty.

~Zhuangzi