Chapter 5: straw dogs

Heaven and earth are not humane, 

treating the myriad things as straw dogs. 

The sage is not humane,

treating the people as straw dogs.

The space between heaven and earth is like bellows, empty and yet inexhaustible;

move it and even more comes out.

It is a better thing to hold the center.

Laozi, Tao Te Ching.