Therefore the Sage is all the time in the most perfect way helping men, he certainly does not turn his back on men; Is all the time in the most perfect way helping creatures, he certainly does not turn his back on creatures. This is called resorting to the Light. Truly, the perfect man is the teacher of the imperfect; but the imperfect is the stock-in-trade of the perfect man.
— Tao Te Ching, Chapter 27