《道德真经注(河上公)》

The Dao De Jing Commentary (Heshang Gong), Chapter One: Embodying the Dao

The Dao that can be spoken of

“The Dao that can be spoken of” refers to teachings such as the classical arts and systems of government and education: principles explained to people and put into practice by them.

Is not the constant Dao.

It is not the eternal, original “constant Dao.” The true constant Dao nourishes the spirit through Wuwei (non-action) and brings peace to the people by avoiding unnecessary affairs. It keeps its radiance within and hides its traces from view. It cannot be praised or displayed through worldly fame, profit, or achievements.

A name that can be named

A “name” that can be spoken aloud is usually one of wealth, honor, or renown that sets someone above others.

Is not the constant name.

It is not the ever-true, abiding “constant name.” A constant name should be like a baby who cannot yet speak, an egg still unhatched, a bright pearl still enclosed in its shell, or fine jade still buried in stone: light is clearly present within, while outwardly it seems dull and unaware.

The nameless is the beginning of Heaven and Earth;

“The nameless” refers to the Dao. The Dao has no fixed form, so it cannot be called by an ordinary name. “Beginning” means the Dao’s root: from emptiness it exhales and absorbs Qi (vital energy), spreading and nurturing transformation. The origin from which all of Heaven and Earth arise comes from here.

The named is the mother of the myriad things.

“The named” refers to Heaven and Earth. Heaven and Earth have directions and visible forms, as well as Yin-Yang and firmness and softness; only then do they have names that can be applied to them. Calling them the mother of the myriad things means that Heaven and Earth contain and nurture a single Qi, transforming it to bring forth all things and help them grow to maturity, just as a mother nourishes her children.

The Commentary on the True Classic of the Dao and Its De (Heshang Gong): A Plain-Language Reading

On “Having No Desires” and “Having Desires”

Therefore, one must constantly remain free of selfish desires in order to perceive the “mystery” of the great Dao. Here, “mystery” means the key or essential principle: the One. The Dao acts through the One and becomes manifest and named; it unfolds in words so that people can distinguish right from wrong.

If one constantly harbors desires, one can only observe where worldly affairs converge and where they come to rest. “Convergence” here means a final destination or place of return.

“Having no desires” and “having desires” are two conditions that arise from the same human mind; they differ only in name. Those described as having no desires aim to preserve themselves over the long term, while those described as having desires often endanger their bodies and lose their lives.

Together, the two may also be called “the dark and profound.” The dark and profound is Heaven. People with desires and those without them are all born by receiving Qi (vital energy) from Heaven.

“Darkness upon darkness” means that within Heaven there is another Heaven, and that Qi may be abundant or scant. Those who receive Qi that is balanced and nourishing may become sages and worthies; those who receive Qi that is disordered and polluted are more likely to become greedy and lustful.

“The gateway to all mysteries” refers to understanding that within Heaven there is another Heaven, and that Qi differs in abundance and scarcity. To set aside feelings and desires and preserve balance and harmony is to enter the gateway to the essential principles of the great Dao.

Chapter Two: “Nurturing the Body”

When people throughout the world proclaim and flaunt something as “beautiful,” they have often already planted the seeds of disaster.

When they all treat a certain course of action as “good” and compete for fame and achievement, they are in fact creating the roots of conflict and wrongdoing.

Thus, being and nonbeing give rise to one another: seeing being, one can hold to nonbeing. Difficulty and ease complete one another: seeing difficulty, one can act with ease. Long and short set each other in relief. High and low shift into one another: seeing what is high, one can dwell below. Notes and sounds answer and harmonize with one another.

Here, Heshang Gong uses the flaunting of “beauty” and “goodness” to introduce the principle that opposites arise together and complement one another. This prepares the way for the later teachings of Wuwei (non-action) and dwelling below, which are central to nurturing the body.

What is proclaimed above is always echoed below. Once those in positions of authority speak or make their views known, those below naturally follow suit.

Those before and behind respond to one another and continue in sequence.

Therefore, the sage attends to affairs through Wuwei (non-action): following the Dao and not forcing things through private intentions.

The sage teaches without words, guiding others by being in accord with the Dao and setting an example through personal conduct.

The myriad things arise and act on their own. The sage does not obstruct them or force them to stop according to his own wishes.

The vital energy gives life to the myriad things but does not claim them as its own.

The Dao acts without expecting a reward or relying on its own accomplishments.

When a task is complete and success achieved, the sage steps aside instead of clinging to position and power.

Precisely because the sage does not remain in the position of accomplishment,

his blessings and Virtue remain with him and do not depart. This also means that if something is not put into practice, others cannot follow it; if it is not explained clearly, others will struggle to understand it quickly. The six statements above differ in rank and length, like a source opening and giving rise to many streams. The streams change in countless ways, each stirring and affecting the others.

Calming the People, Chapter Three

“Do not exalt the worthy” refers here to those whom the world calls worthy and capable: people skilled in eloquence and conspicuous in their literary flair, who depart from the Great Dao and resort to scheming, valuing ornament over substance. “Do not exalt” means not elevating them with stipends or honoring them with official rank.

When the people do not compete for fame and profit, this is simply natural.

The ruler does not covet rare treasures and precious goods: gold may be cast aside in the mountains, and pearls and jade sunk in the depths.

When those above guide the people through purity and stillness, there will be no greedy thieves below.

Do not let people see things that can stir desire—for example, discard the music of Zheng and keep flatterers at a distance.

Then the mind will not be clouded and thrown into disorder by misguided desires.

The sage’s way of governing a country follows the same principle as cultivating the self.

Empty the mind: remove cravings and sweep away confusion.

Fill the belly: abide by the Dao and hold to the One, nourishing the Five Spirits—the inner substance of Jing, Qi, Shen, and other vital forces.

Weaken the will: temper excessive ambition and scheming so the mind does not chase after external things.

Be gentle and yielding, humble and self-effacing; do not occupy positions of power or contend for authority.

Strengthen the bones

Cherish Jing and use it sparingly; when the marrow is full, the bones become strong. In Daoist self-cultivation, this means valuing Jing and Qi and not dissipating them carelessly, so the marrow may be replenished and the bones made firm.

Always keep the people free from cleverness and desire

Return to simplicity and preserve sincerity. Keep the people from chasing clever schemes or craving desires, so they may return to simplicity and preserve their sincere nature.

Make those who are clever dare not act

Think deeply and do not speak lightly. Let those who pride themselves on cleverness and skill in manipulation not dare to act rashly; be thoughtful yourself and do not speak without due consideration.

Act through Wuwei (non-action)

Do not act contrivedly; let your actions follow what is natural and reasonable. Govern by Wuwei: avoid forced contrivance and act in accordance with nature and ordinary principle.

Then nothing will remain ungoverned

When De (Virtue/Power) is deep and generous, the people will be at peace. Then nothing will be beyond good governance; the people will naturally settle into peace through the influence of deep De.

Chapter Four: The Source Is Unfathomable

The Dao is empty, yet in use

“Empty” means centered and receptive. The Dao conceals its name and hides its renown; its action lies in maintaining the middle way, without partiality or excess.

Perhaps it is never filled

“Perhaps” means “always.” The Dao is always humble and receptive, never self-satisfied or full to overflowing.

Deep as an abyss, it seems the source of all things

The Dao is deep as an abyss, seeming to be the source and root of all things.

Blunt its sharpness

“Sharpness” means pressing forward. When people eagerly pursue fame and achievement and show off their edge, they should restrain themselves. Follow the Dao by not displaying yourself.

Untangle its knots

“Knots” are grievances and disputes. Reflect on the Dao’s Wuwei to dissolve resentments and entanglements.

Soften its glare

Even if you have unusual insight, keep it subdued, like a light that does not dazzle. Do not use your cleverness to unsettle others.

Become one with its dust

Share the plainness of ordinary people; do not set yourself apart or make a show of being different.

Serene, it seems to endure

Remain clear, quiet, and deep, holding to oneness; in this way you can endure for a long time without perishing.

I do not know whose child it is

Laozi says: “I do not know from whom the Dao was born.”

It seems to have existed before the Lord

The Dao seems to have been there before the Lord of Heaven—existing before all honorific titles and images of rulership.

Selected Annotations on the True Scripture of the Dao and Its Virtue (Heshang Gong)

The Dao Existed Before the Celestial Emperor

General meaning of the original: The Dao existed before the Celestial Emperor appeared, showing that the Dao came into being before Heaven and Earth. Even today, it remains calm and clear, undisturbed and untroubled. This is meant to guide people in cultivating themselves by following the Dao.

Chapter Five: The Use of Emptiness

Heaven and Earth are not benevolent; they treat the myriad things as straw dogs. The sage is not benevolent; he treats the people as straw dogs.

Heaven and Earth bring forth and transform the myriad things without personal affection or favor, allowing them to follow their natural course. Heaven and Earth give life to the myriad things, of which humans are the most precious. Yet Heaven and Earth regard all things as they would straw dogs used in ritual offerings—without expecting anything in return.

The sage likewise nurtures the people without using personal favors to win them over, following Heaven and Earth by allowing things to take their natural course. The sage regards the people as straw dogs, too, without demanding that they repay him according to any particular ritual code.

Is not the space between Heaven and Earth like a bellows? It is empty, yet never exhausted; when it moves, more issues forth.

The space between Heaven and Earth is empty, and harmonious Qi flows through it, allowing the myriad things to grow naturally. If people can cast off desires, avoid rich flavors, and purify the Five Viscera, their Shen can dwell in peace.

A bellows is a leather bag used in ancient times to blow air onto a fire. It is hollow inside and can produce a flow of air. The space between Heaven and Earth is like the opening of such a bellows: empty within, yet not thereby depleted; with every motion and pulse, more Qi flows out. The substance of the Dao is empty, yet its wondrous workings are inexhaustible.

Too many words bring repeated exhaustion; better to hold to the center.

Excessive activity harms the spirit, and too much speech harms the body. Rash use of the tongue inevitably brings trouble. Better to hold to the middle way, nurture De within, nourish the spirit, cherish Qi, and speak sparingly.

Chapter Six: Forming the Image

The valley spirit never dies; this is called the Mysterious Female.

“Valley” means nurturing. When people can nurture their spirit, it does not die. Here, “spirit” refers to the spirits housed in the Five Viscera: the liver stores the Hun, the lungs the Po, the heart the Shen, the spleen the Yi, and the kidneys the Jing and Zhi. If all five viscera are injured, the five spirits will depart.

This undying spirit is called the Mysterious Female: the profound and hidden source that gives birth to the myriad things like a mother, often used as a metaphor for the substance of the Dao and its gateway.

Enduring as Heaven and Earth

This passage explains why Heaven and Earth endure, using them to offer a lesson to the world.

Heaven and Earth endure because they do not live for themselves: they are not selfishly seeking their own survival.

They alone can endure because they remain still and follow their natural course, giving without seeking repayment. They are unlike people, who strive relentlessly for gain, look only to their own prosperity, and even take what belongs to others to enrich themselves.

Thus they can endure.

Because they do not seek to live for themselves, they can endure without coming to an end.

Therefore, the Sage puts himself last:

He looks after others first and himself afterward.

Yet he is placed first;

the people of the world hold him in esteem and honor him as an elder.

He holds his own person apart:

He treats himself modestly and others generously.

The Mysterious Female (continuation from the previous passage)

The way to avoid death lies in the Shen (spirit and awareness) concealed deep within the body: the liver stores the Hun, the lungs the Po, the heart the Shen, the spleen the Yi, and the kidneys the Jing and Zhi. When the Five Organs are completely damaged, the five spirits depart.

This is the Mysterious Female.

The way to avoid death lies in the Mysterious Female. Mysterious corresponds to Heaven and, in the human body, to the nose; Female corresponds to Earth and, in the body, to the mouth. Heaven nourishes people with the Five Qi, which enter through the nose and are stored in the heart. The Five Qi are subtle and pure; they transform into spirit, intelligence, voice, and the Five Natures. Their ghost is called the Hun. The Hun is male, governs coming and going through the nose, and connects with Heaven; therefore the nose is Mysterious. Earth nourishes people with the Five Flavors, which enter through the mouth and are stored in the stomach. The Five Flavors are substantial and turbid; they transform into the body, bones and flesh, blood and vessels, and the Six Emotions. Their ghost is called the Po. The Po is female, governs coming and going through the mouth, and connects with Earth; therefore the mouth is Female.

The Gate of the Mysterious Female is called the root of Heaven and Earth.

The root is the source of original Qi. The two gates, the nose and mouth, are where the original Qi of Heaven and Earth flows in and out.

Continuous, as if present:

Breathing through the nose and mouth should be continuous and subtle, seeming neither fully present nor absent, neither quite there nor quite gone.

Use it without strain:

When using Qi, remain relaxed and at ease; do not make it hurried or exhausting.

(This passage belongs to Chapter Seven: Concealing the Light, and connects with the earlier guidance to be “continuous” and “without strain.”)

Chapter Seven: Concealing the Light

(The chapter’s central teaching is to restrain one’s sharpness, remain soft, and act in harmony. This accords with the way of using Qi described as “continuous, as if present.”)

The sage is able to endure because the people cherish him as they would a parent, revere him as they would a spirit, and protect him as they would an infant. That is why his life can endure.

The sage is cherished by the people and protected by spirits not because he favors his own private interests. On the contrary, it is precisely because he is impartial and selfless.

Thus it is said, “He can fulfill his own interests.” Ordinary people harbor private intentions because they want to benefit themselves. The sage appears selfless, yet thereby brings benefit to himself. This is the meaning of “because he is selfless, he can fulfill his own interests.”

(The following comments are on passages from “Changing One’s Nature” 8 and “The Highest Good Is Like Water.”)

The highest good is like the nature of water.

Water is skilled at nourishing all things: in the sky it becomes mist and dew; on the earth it becomes springs and streams.

Yet water does not contend with anything for superiority. It always stays in low, damp, and muddy places where others do not wish to dwell. For this reason, it is closest to the Dao (the Way).

In choosing where to dwell, one should be like water: water flows down naturally from among the plants and trees, moving with yielding softness and willingly staying below.

In the heart, one should be like a deep pool: water is deep and empty; the pool is profound and clear.

In relating to others, one should be like water: all things depend on water to live, yet water joins only with what is empty and does not contend with what is full.

In speech, one should be like water and keep faith: water reflects shapes and shadows without distorting what is real.

In governance, one should be like water and govern well: there is no filth that it cannot wash away; it is clear and level.

In handling affairs, one should be like water and act skillfully: it can be square or round, and takes its shape from what it encounters, whether straight or crooked.

In action, one should be like water and respond skillfully to the seasons: it disperses in summer and freezes in winter, moving in accord with the order of the four seasons and never against Heaven’s timing.

Precisely because water does not contend—it stops when blocked and flows when its course is opened, yielding completely to external conditions—it never invites resentment.

That is the nature of water. For this reason, no one under Heaven resents it.

Chapter Nine: Practicing Humility

To keep holding something while filling it to the brim is not as good as stopping in time.

If you hold a vessel and keep filling it until it overflows, it is better to stop early. “Brimful” means full, and “stop” means to cease. A vessel filled to the brim will surely tip over, so it is better to stop at the proper point.

To hammer and sharpen something is not something one can maintain for long.

If you hammer and grind an object until it is sharp, it cannot remain that way for long. “Hammer” means to beat and shape. Once it has been sharpened, it will often later be discarded and left unused.

When a hall is filled with gold and jade, no one can keep it safe.

When a house is piled high with gold, silver, and precious stones, no one can guard it securely. Excessive desire harms the spirit, and too much wealth weighs down the body.

To become wealthy and powerful, then grow arrogant, is to bring disaster upon oneself.

When people become wealthy yet grow arrogant and self-indulgent, they invite misfortune. The wealthy should help the poor, and the powerful should show care for those of lower status. If instead they become arrogant and unrestrained, disaster is sure to follow.

When one’s work is accomplished and one’s name established, to withdraw is the Way of Heaven.

If people accomplish their work and establish their reputation but do not withdraw and yield their position, they will meet with harm. This is the constant Way of Heaven. It is like the sun passing its zenith and moving west, the moon becoming full and then waning, things flourishing and then declining, and joy at its height giving way to sorrow.

Chapter Ten: What Can Be Done

Carry the hun and po,

The “hun and po” are the soul and spirit. A person carries them in the body and can live only because of them, so they should be cherished and nurtured. Joy and anger can scatter the hun; sudden fright can harm the po. The hun resides in the liver and the po in the lungs; fine wine and rich food can also harm the liver and lungs. When the hun is calm, the will holds to the Dao without confusion, and the po is at peace, one can live longer.

Can you embrace the One and never let it depart?

Only by embracing and holding fast to the “One,” keeping it from leaving the body, can one endure over time. “One” refers to the state of single-mindedly holding to the Dao; Heshang Gong often used it as a metaphor for the body’s vital essence and Qi, or the virtue of holding to the One.

Long Life through Embracing the One

If people can always hold fast to the One without departing from themselves, they can live for a long time. The One is the Great Harmony of refined Qi (vital energy) brought forth through the Dao (the Way) and De (Virtue/Power), and so it is called the One. Its renown spreads throughout the world: Heaven gains the One and becomes clear and bright; Earth gains the One and becomes tranquil; a ruler gains the One and the world is set in order. Within the body, it is embodied in the heart; outwardly, it appears in one’s conduct. When it is extended to others, it is De. All these are called the One. To speak of “the One” is to mean a mind devoted to a single purpose, without divided intentions.

Concentrate the Qi and Become Pliable

When one holds fast to the refined Qi with undivided attention and without confusion, the body can accordingly become pliant and yielding.

Like an Infant

When the mind is free of distracting thoughts and calculations, and one is not preoccupied with worldly affairs and government business, the spirit will not dissipate.

Cleanse the Mysterious Mirror

One should cleanse the mind so that it is pure and clear. The mind dwells in a hidden, mysterious realm from which it can observe and know all things; this is why it is called the “Mysterious Mirror.”

Without Flaws

(The “not” in the passage above may be a missing character, meaning:) If one does not do this, the spirit will not depart. Another meaning is to avoid sexual misconduct and remain without flaws.

Love the People and Govern the State

In self-cultivation, receiving refined Qi preserves the body. In governing the state, caring for the people brings the state peace.

Wuwei (Non-action)

In self-cultivation, breathe in refined Qi without letting the ears hear it—that is, breathe so subtly and quietly that no sound can be heard. In governing the state, extend the benefits of De without making those below feel that anything has been deliberately imposed.

The Opening and Closing of Heaven’s Gate

“Heaven’s Gate” refers to the Purple Tenuity Palace at the North Pole. “Opening and closing” refers to the cycles of beginning and ending and the movements of the Five Nodes. In self-cultivation, Heaven’s Gate refers to the nostrils: opening is exhaling, while closing is inhaling.

Can You Be Like the Female?

In self-cultivation, one should be quiet and yielding like the female. When responding to change in governing the state, one should harmonize with things as they arise, without rushing to speak first or echo others.

Bright and Clear in All Directions

The Dao and De shine like the sun and moon, reaching throughout the world and beyond in all eight directions. Thus, though unseen and unheard, they shine clearly in all ten directions, radiant and brilliant.

Can you attain “unknowing”? That is, can you avoid relying on cleverness and acting or judging recklessly? At this level, no one can claim to speak for the Dao to all under Heaven, or to have said everything there is to say about it. The Dao is abundant, yet no one can possess it or exhaust it in words.

The Dao gives birth to the myriad things and nourishes and sustains them.

It brings the myriad things to life, yet does not claim them as its private property.

It acts upon the myriad things and transforms them, yet does not rely on its deeds to demand a reward.

It nourishes the myriad things over time, yet does not rule or carve them up for people to use as they please or fashion into objects.

This is called “Mysterious De.” The profound mystery of the Dao’s De cannot be seen directly. The Sage speaks this way to help people understand how the Dao operates unseen.

“On Usefulness,” Chapter Eleven of the Dao De Jing and the commentary of Heshang Gong

In an ancient cart, thirty spokes are fitted into a single hub, following the count of thirty days in a month. The hub has a hole at its center, allowing all the spokes to come together. In cultivating oneself, one should likewise clear away desires and empty the five organs—the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys—so that Shen (spirit) can dwell in them.

What matters is “nothingness”: the hub is hollow at its center, allowing the wheel to turn; the cart’s interior is empty, allowing people to sit inside and carry things. What is called Wuwei (non-action) and emptiness is precisely what makes a thing useful.

Mix clay and shape it into a vessel for holding food and drink.

The vessel is useful because its interior is empty and can hold things.

Cut out doors and windows and build a house.

The doors and windows, and the empty space within, make it possible for people to enter, leave, and live there.

Thus, what exists provides convenience: a vessel can hold things, and a house can shelter its inhabitants. People fear that their houses might be destroyed; they should also fear that the Shen within them—their spirit and vitality—might dissipate if their bodies decay and perish.

It is “nothingness,” emptiness, that enables what exists to function. Emptiness can receive and resonate with the myriad things, so it is said that the formless can govern the formed. The Dao is this very emptiness.

“Restrain desire; perish.” These three characters may be a chapter heading or a fragment left over from textual editing; this passage may be missing in Heshang Gong’s edition. In context, however, they remain closely tied to the principles of restraining and abandoning desire, and maintaining emptiness so that nothingness can be put to use.

What is called “emptiness” is that which can contain and respond to all tangible things. Thus it is said that “nothingness” can govern “form.” The Dao is emptiness.

Chapter Twelve: Examining Desires

General meaning of the scripture: The five colors blind the eyes; the five tones deafen the ears; the five flavors dull the palate. Racing about and hunting in the fields make the heart run wild; rare goods damage people’s conduct.

Commentary by Heshang Gong:

Coveting seductive, dazzling colors depletes Jing and Qi and harms the eyesight, so that one can no longer see the realm of “colorlessness.”

Indulging in the five tones scatters the harmonious Qi in the heart, leaving one unable to hear the wondrous sound of “soundlessness.”

“Dull” means to lose one’s sense. Pursuing the five flavors alone makes one unable to taste the “flavor of the Dao,” which goes beyond food and drink.

The human spirit naturally delights in stillness. Riding at speed and hunting in the fields, with breath growing ragged, scatters the spirit and makes the heart run wild.

“Damage” means harm. Coveting gold, silver, pearls, and jade draws the will along with desire, leaving it insatiable. Such conduct harms the body and brings disgrace to one’s name.

Thus the sage nourishes the belly—guarding the nature of the five viscera and nourishing the inner Shen—rather than indulging the eyes, giving free rein to the desires of the eyes and ears. The sage guards the five innate natures and lets go of the six emotions, restrains the will and Qi, and nurtures the spirit. The eyes are not allowed to roam and look indiscriminately, for such looking causes Jing and Qi to leak outward. Therefore, the sage abandons the eyes’ deluded gaze and chooses the belly’s nourishment of the spirit.

Chapter Thirteen: Weariness with Shame

General meaning of the scripture: Favor and disgrace alike cause alarm; regard great calamity as gravely as one regards one’s own person. What is meant by favor and disgrace? Favor is honor and distinction; disgrace is shame. Disgrace places one in a low position. Receiving favor causes alarm, and losing favor causes alarm.

Commentary by Heshang Gong:

Whether the body receives favor or disgrace, both disturb it.

“Regard great calamity as gravely as one’s own person” means to fear great calamity as one would fear for one’s own life and family. When calamity threatens the person, both favor and disgrace cause alarm.

Ask yourself: What do favor and disgrace each mean? Favor is honor and distinction; disgrace is shame.

Disgrace is a low position, the state of having lost favor.

Receiving it causes alarm: Receiving favor and honor causes alarm. When occupying a high position, one should be as cautious as if facing danger; one should be honored without becoming arrogant, and wealthy without becoming extravagant.

Losing it causes alarm: Losing favor and honor likewise causes alarm.

The Shock of Favor and Disgrace (continued)

“Loss” means losing favor and falling into disgrace. “Shock” means fearing that disaster will strike again. This is what is meant by saying that both favor and disgrace cause alarm and fear.

As explained above, one is alarmed when receiving favor and alarmed when losing it.

What does it mean to regard great trouble as precious as one’s own body?

The Heshang Gong commentary poses the question: Ask yourself in turn, “The reason I suffer great trouble is that I have this body.”

Having a body means worrying and laboring, and fretting over hunger and cold. Indulging one’s desires invites misfortune. If I had no body, what troubles would I have? Suppose I could be without a body, naturally unite with the Dao, rise lightly into the clouds, move freely in and out, and share the Dao’s spiritual powers—what troubles would I have then?

Therefore, one who values the body as one values the realm may be entrusted with the realm; one who cherishes the body as one cherishes the realm may be entrusted with the realm.

The Heshang Gong commentary explains: If a ruler values only himself and treats the people as worthless, then even if he seeks to rule the realm, he can occupy that position only temporarily; the realm cannot truly be entrusted to him. But if he cherishes his own person not for selfish desires, and instead wishes to serve as a parent to the people, then by ruling the realm with such Virtue, he may be entrusted with the people’s lives and livelihoods and remain free from blame for a long time.

Praising the Mystery, Chapter Fourteen

Look, but do not see it: it is called Yi (without color, invisible). Listen, but do not hear it: it is called Xi (without sound, inaudible). Grasp, but do not obtain it: it is called Wei (without form, impossible to hold).

These three—Yi, Xi, and Wei—cannot be pursued to their limits or fully understood.

The Classic: Commentary on the True Scripture of the Dao and Its Virtue (Heshang Gong)

Scripture:

“The three” refers to Yi, Xi, and Wei. “They cannot be pursued to the end by questioning” means that they have no color, sound, or shape. The mouth cannot explain them fully, and writing cannot record them completely. They must be received in stillness and sought within the spirit; they cannot be attained by asking questions.

Thus the three merge and become one.

To merge is to unite. So the three names come together as one.

“What is above it is not bright” means that the One in heaven is not obscured; its radiance shines through, and above and below it there is no limit.

“What is below it is not dim” means that the One beneath heaven is not obscured; nowhere is it dark.

“Continuous and unnamable”: “Continuous” means that its movement and operation have no end. “Unnamable” means that it is not a color that can be distinguished as blue-green, yellow, red, white, or black; it is not a sound that can be identified by the five notes—gong, shang, jue, zhi, and yu; and it is not a form that can be measured by length, shortness, size, or smallness.

“Returning again to the state of no thing”: “Thing” refers to material substance. In the end, the myriad things return to a state without substance.

“This is called the form of the formless”: the One has no fixed shape, yet it can give shape to the myriad things.

“The image of no thing”: the One has no material substance, yet it can establish images for the myriad things.

“This is called indistinct and elusive”: the One seems both present and absent, and is difficult to grasp or see.

“Approach it, and you do not see its beginning”: the One has neither beginning nor end, and cannot be anticipated or grasped. Set aside desires, and the One will naturally return.

“Follow it, and you do not see its end”: the One leaves no trace, and cannot be caught even by pursuing it.

“Hold to the Dao of old to govern what exists today”: the sage holds to the Dao that has existed since ancient times, governing the myriad things through the One and understanding that even today one should hold to the One.

“To know the beginning of old: this is called the guiding principle of the Dao.” When people know that the One existed from the earliest beginnings of antiquity, they are said to understand the guiding principle of the Dao.

Manifesting Virtue, Chapter Fifteen

Those in ancient times who were skilled in practicing the Dao,

Commentary on the True Classic of the Dao and De (Heshang Gong), Chapter 34: “Making the Dao Clear”—A Plain-Language Interpretation

Able to Be Weak, Able to Be Strong

Key point in the original: Being able to be weak and being able to be strong express the same idea as being able to contend and being able to refrain from contending. Weakness and strength, humility and arrogance are opposites that can nevertheless be unified.

Plain-language interpretation: Being able to appear weak as well as strong follows the same principle as being able to contend or not contend. Weakness and strength, humility and arrogance seem opposed, but they can be brought together within the Dao (the Way).

Respectful Self-Discipline Brings Lasting Peace

Key point in the original: Respectful self-discipline allows peace to endure. Those who uphold it can preserve their wealth and rank for a long time.

Plain-language interpretation: Only by being respectful inwardly and keeping yourself in check can you remain at peace over time. Wealth and rank, too, are less likely to slip away when supported by this kind of self-discipline.

The Dao Is Hidden Within; Even a Small State Can Use It to Build Wealth

Key point in the original: The Dao is hidden within things. Even a small state lacking De (Virtue/Power) can use it to accumulate wealth and build storehouses. Viewed on a larger scale, a sage who acts in accordance with it can see the source from which all things arise.

Plain-language interpretation: The Dao is concealed within things. Even a small state with little virtue can rely on it to gather wealth and build up reserves. From a broader perspective, a sage who acts in accordance with the Dao can see the root from which all things come into being.

Vast and Profound; Those Who Force Their Way Fail

Key point in the original: The Dao is vast, expansive, and profound, and cannot be exhausted. This is why so many who force their way forward fail.

Plain-language interpretation: The Dao is vast and profound, with no final limit that can be reached. That is why people who insist on forcing things through often fail.

Great Wisdom Seems Foolish

Key point in the original: People think I am foolish, and indeed I seem foolish. Truly foolish! By not claiming wisdom and appearing foolish, one reveals the wisdom one possesses. Real understanding is present in this: one knows it oneself, and those who understand can confirm it.

Plain-language interpretation: Others may think you are foolish, and you may indeed seem a little “foolish.” By not thinking of yourself as clever or putting your cleverness on display, you reveal genuine wisdom. You know it yourself, and it stands up to the judgment of those who understand.

Blend with the Light and Dust; Remain Among the People

Key point in the original: Follow the worthy and do not place yourself above others. Blend with the light and dust, hidden among the people.

Plain-language interpretation: Keep company with the worthy and do not reach for a higher position. Let your radiance soften; be like everyone else, moving among the people without drawing attention to yourself.

Great Skill Seems Clumsy

Key point in the original: Devote yourself to benefiting things rather than taking credit for yourself. This is why true great skill seems clumsy.

Plain-language interpretation: Work to benefit people and things without claiming credit. That is why the greatest skill can look like clumsiness.

Do Not Be Burdened by Outward Achievements

Key point in the original: Return to the work of putting things in order, unmoved by outward display. Let the heart and mind remain joyful, without being burdened by external accomplishments. Still, even someone of great substance and simplicity cannot be certain of avoiding failure.

Plain-language interpretation: Return to ordinary, practical matters and do not let outward display lead you around. Your heart can remain peaceful and joyful, free from the burden of fame and achievement. Of course, even a person of solid, unadorned nature cannot be guaranteed a life without setbacks.

Yielding Preserves; Stiffness Perishes

Key point in the original: Yielding allows one to survive; rigidity leads to ruin. Bending down allows growth; spreading one’s wings too far invites harm. Thus, yielding brings wholeness, and what is bent can become straight; those who are modest can be fulfilled, and those with few desires can gain.

Plain-language interpretation: The ability to yield helps you stay whole; unbending rigidity can lead to ruin. Keeping low allows you to grow, while soaring too conspicuously can bring harm. So yielding preserves you, and what is bent can become straight. Those who want little can find themselves fulfilled.

Subtle Words, Profound Meaning; Few Understand

Key point in the original: The words are subtle and their meaning profound, but few people understand them.

Plain-language interpretation: The principle is subtle and its meaning far-reaching; very few people truly understand it.

Those Who Possess De Attain It

Key point in the original: When a person of De and benevolence attains this principle, a wise ruler can support them, and lasting stability can endure even as times change. If a petty person follows it while in hardship, they will suffer fewer robberies, and concealed wrongdoing will be exposed. The words of Confucius can be used to confirm the Way of Heaven from the opposite direction: do not seek the spotlight or contend for fame and merit.

Plain-language interpretation: When a virtuous person comes to understand this principle, a worthy ruler can support them, and stability can endure through changing times. If a petty person follows it while in difficulty, they are less likely to suffer theft or robbery, and hidden misdeeds are more likely to come to light. Confucius’s words offer another way to confirm the Way of Heaven: do not stand in the spotlight or compete for fame and credit.

The chapter’s central idea, in one sentence: Making the Dao clear means understanding the interplay of weakness and strength, yielding and firmness, and finding it in quiet concealment and service to others; great wisdom seems foolish, and blending with the light and dust—without contending or seeking attention—is the way to endure.

Those who hold fast to this way of longevity do not seek excess and abundance.

Precisely because they do not seek abundance, they can preserve what is old and avoid chasing after new achievements. Preserving the worn means concealing glory and brilliance; new achievements mean valuing fame and merit.

Returning to the Root, Chapter Sixteen

Attain the utmost emptiness.

“Attain” means to reach. The Daoist practitioner casts aside emotions and desires, quiets the Five Viscera, and reaches the state of utmost emptiness.

Hold firmly to stillness.

Maintain quietude and act with earnestness.

The myriad things arise together.

“Arise” means to grow. The myriad things all begin to grow.

From this, I observe their return.

This means: from this I observe that all things each return to their own root. People, too, should value their own root.

All things flourish in profusion.

“Flourish in profusion” describes the dense, tangled growth of flowers and leaves.

Each returns to its root.

This means that all things wither and fall, then return to their roots and come to life again.

Returning to the root is called stillness.

Stillness here refers to the root. The root is quiet and yielding, humble and lowly; therefore it does not perish.

Stillness is called returning to life.

To be still is called returning to one’s nature and life, and thus one can avoid death.

Returning to life is called constancy.

Returning to life keeps a person from dying; this is the constant law by which the Dao operates.

Knowing constancy is called clarity.

To know what the Dao constantly follows is called clarity.

Not knowing constancy, one acts recklessly and brings calamity.

Not knowing what the Dao constantly follows and scheming recklessly leads one to lose spiritual clarity and invite calamity.

Knowing constancy, one is all-embracing.

Knowing what the Dao constantly follows, one can cast off emotions and desires and become all-embracing.

Being all-embracing, one is impartial.

Being all-embracing makes one fair and selfless, so that no evil can intrude.

Being impartial, one becomes a king.

Being fair and selfless, one can become king of all under Heaven. In cultivating oneself, one should likewise be upright and all-embracing.

Plain-Language Interpretation

When nothing is excluded from one’s embrace, one is fair and impartial, and no evil can prevail.

When the heart can embrace everything without favoritism, one becomes fair and impartial, and all manner of perverse influences find it difficult to cause harm.

Fairness leads to kingship.

One who is fair and impartial can become ruler of all under Heaven. In cultivating oneself, one should remain upright, keeping the body focused and calm; then the myriad spirits will gather within.

Kingship leads to Heaven.

When one fulfills the role of a ruler, De (Virtue) can extend everywhere, and the spirits will connect with the Way of Heaven.

Heaven leads to the Dao.

When De connects with the Way of Heaven, one becomes one with the Great Dao.

The Dao leads to endurance.

Only by becoming one with the Great Dao can one endure.

Though the body perishes, there is no danger.

When fairness, kingship, communion with Heaven, and unity with the Dao are all fully realized, one’s De is vast and profound. Free of calamity and fault, one is like someone who vanishes together with Heaven and Earth yet remains unharmed, never suffering harm throughout life.

The above is Heshang Gong’s commentary on the final lines of Chapter Sixteen. Volume One of the Commentary on the True Scripture of the Dao and De ends here; Volume Two begins separately. What follows consists mostly of notes comparing textual editions—for example, noting that a particular edition changes one character on the basis of another. These are not explanations of the text’s meaning, so they are not discussed here one by one.

The highest kind of ruler, the nameless sovereign of high antiquity, governed the world so that the people merely knew he existed, without feeling they had to serve him. This shows how simple and genuine the customs of the time were.

The next kind of ruler was one whom the people drew near to and praised, because his Virtue was visible and his kindness deserved praise.

The next kind was one whom the people feared, because he governed them by imposing punishments and laws.

The next kind was one whom the people despised. His prohibitions were too numerous and his orders too cumbersome, making it impossible for people to submit sincerely. They responded by deceiving and slighting him.

When a ruler lacks trust in the people, the people deceive him. When a ruler breaks faith with the people, they respond with distrust and, in turn, deceive him.

The highest kind of ruler acts with care and does not issue orders lightly. He treasures his words, fearing that he might go against the Dao (the Way) and lose his natural character.

When matters are settled, achievements complete, and peace restored throughout the world, the people all believe that everything came about naturally. They do not know that the ruler’s De (Virtue/Power) was profound; instead, they think that things simply ought to be this way.

The Decline of Worldly Customs, Chapter Eighteen

Only when the Great Dao was abandoned did benevolence and righteousness appear.

When the Great Dao prevailed, dutiful children naturally arose in families, and loyal, trustworthy people naturally arose in the state. Benevolence and righteousness did not need special promotion. Once the Great Dao was abandoned and no longer practiced, rebellious acts followed, and benevolence and righteousness became precepts that had to be proclaimed.

When cleverness and calculation arose, great hypocrisy followed.

When rulers valued words and ornamentation over Virtue, those below responded with deceit and hypocrisy.

Only when relations among relatives grew discordant did filial devotion and affection stand out.

Commentary on the True Classic of the Dao and De (attributed to Heshang Gong), in plain language

Only when close family ties are severed and relatives are at odds do filial devotion and parental care become especially conspicuous as people support and raise one another. Only when the state is in turmoil do loyal ministers emerge. When government orders cannot be carried out, those above and below resent one another, and treacherous people contend for power and profit, loyal ministers appear to help save the ruler. The point is this: when all under Heaven is at peace, people do not notice “benevolence”; when everyone is free of desire, they do not notice “well-being”; when each person keeps to a pure and disciplined life, they do not notice “integrity.” Thus, in an age of the Great Dao, labels such as filial devotion, parental care, benevolence, and righteousness fade away. It is like the stars whose light cannot be seen when the sun and moon shine at their brightest.

Returning to Simplicity, Chapter 19

“Cut off sagehood” means ending the contrived institutions associated with sages, returning to the beginning, and holding fast to what is fundamental. The Five Emperors carved images, and Cang Jie created written characters; these were still inferior to the Three Sovereigns’ use of knotted cords to record events, when there was no writing and all under Heaven governed itself.

“Cast off cleverness” means abandoning clever tricks and calculating schemes, and returning to Wuwei (non-action).

“The people’s benefit will increase a hundredfold” means that the people’s well-being will greatly increase: farming will be properly cultivated, and public service will be free of self-interest.

“Cut off benevolence and cast off righteousness” means ending the clever manipulation within a certain kind of “benevolence” and abandoning the showy reverence associated with a certain kind of “righteousness.”

“The people will return to filial devotion and parental care” means that filial devotion and parental care will naturally return among the people. This shows that the transformation through De (Virtue/Power) is pure and genuine.

“Cut off craftiness” means ending deceitful cleverness, because it disrupts what is genuine.

“Cast off profit” means abandoning the pursuit of private gain, blocking the road to greed and closing the gates to the powerful.

“There will be no thieves or bandits” means that those above teach fairness, while those below have no selfish or deviant intentions; then thieves and bandits will disappear.

“These three” refers to the three kinds of things that the passage above says to cut off and cast away.

“These teachings alone are inadequate as ornament” means recognizing that embellishments and institutions alone are not enough. They cannot transform the people, so people must be given something to which their hearts can return. What they can return to is described in the following lines.

“See the plain and hold to the uncarved block”: “See the plain” means holding to simplicity and keeping faith with what is genuine, without valuing embellishment. “Hold to the uncarved block” means presenting simplicity to all under Heaven so that people can take it as a model.

“Reduce selfishness and lessen desire”: “Reduce selfishness” means being upright and free of self-interest; “lessen desire” means knowing what is enough and not grasping for more.

Different Customs, Chapter 20

“Cut off learning” means ending the pursuit of learning that is false and contrary to the Dao (the Way), along with its embellishments.

“Free from worry” means that when showiness is removed, there is no distress.

Passages from the Commentary of the Riverbank Duke on the True Classic of the Way and Its Virtue: A Modern Interpretation

“What is the difference between a respectful ‘yes’ and a casual ‘ah’?”

When answering, how far apart are “yes,” spoken with respect, and “ah,” offered merely to flatter?

Chapter 20: Different from the Common Ways · Abandoning Learning

Abandon learning

Give up learning that does not arise from the true Dao (the Way), along with embellishments that do not accord with the Dao.

And you will be free of worry

Cast off superficial refinements, and there will be no troubles.

What is the difference between a respectful “yes” and a casual “ah”?

How great is the difference between these two ways of responding? The Riverbank Duke criticizes rulers of his time for valuing outward embellishment over substance.

What is the difference between praise and condemnation?

Here, “praise” means approval, while “condemnation” refers to frank remonstrance. How far apart are loyal counsel and corrupt talk? This criticizes rulers who detest honest advice and appoint treacherous officials.

What people fear, one cannot help but fear

What people revere is the Daoist who upholds the Dao. What people fear is a ruler unwilling to abandon superficial learning and embellishment. One must remain mindful of what is to be feared: favoring those who flatter and deceive, and killing the worthy, will inevitably bring disaster.

How chaotic it is—seemingly without end!

The world is in disorder, yet people still want to learn more perverse embellishments, as though there were no end to them.

The crowd is bustling and excited

People give themselves over to the excitement, with desires in abundance.

Like feasting on an ox at a great sacrifice

Like the famished yearning for an abundant sacrificial feast, they are never satisfied.

Like climbing a terrace in spring

In spring, Yin and Yang unite and all things stir to life. Climbing a terrace to gaze into the distance, one’s mind moves along with all things, appearing lustful and unrestrained.

I alone am still and quiet, before any stirrings appear

I alone remain calm and detached, before desire shows any sign.

Like an infant who has not yet learned to smile

As pure and unspoiled as an infant who has not yet learned to speak or respond by imitating a doll.

Adrift, as though with nowhere to return

I drift idly, as if there were nowhere to rely on or call home in some remote backwater.

Everyone else has more than enough

The crowd has wealth to spare for extravagance, and cleverness to spare for deceit.

I alone seem bereft

I alone seem cast aside, as though I have nothing enough.

Ah, the heart of a fool—that is mine!

This is the heart of a “fool”: I do not compete with the world in cunning and deceit.

The Bearing of Great De

The bearing of great De

“Great” means large, or supremely great. A person of profound De has a heart broad enough to contain all things. They can endure insult and lowliness, and conduct themselves with humility and openness.

Following only the Dao

“Only” means exclusively. A person of great De does not follow worldly conventions, but acts in accordance with the great Dao.

The Dao as a Thing

The Dao as a thing is indistinct and elusive

The Dao is present throughout all things, indistinct and elusive, coming and going without fixed form.

Indistinct and elusive, yet within it there is something

Though the Dao is elusive, within it there is the One, the source of a single Qi. It brings forth and transforms life, taking material form through Qi.

Elusive and indistinct, yet within it there is an image

Within the indistinct and elusive, there is also an image that can be sensed.

I Alone Seem Dull (The Heart of a Fool)

How foolish my heart seems!

I do not go along with ordinary people. I keep to the One without wavering, and my heart is as simple as a fool’s.

So pure and undivided

Purely one, without distinctions.

Everyone is bright and clear; I alone seem dull

Everyone else is sharp and discerning, while I seem dim and unclear.

Everyone is keen and alert; I alone am subdued

Everyone else is quick and calculating, while I remain subdued, making no rash judgments or calculations.

Vast and boundless, like the sea

I am vast and open, like a great river flowing toward an unknown end.

Drifting, as if with nowhere to stop

I drift and float, as if flying and rising, with no place to rest; my thoughts dwell in the wondrous realm of Shen.

Everyone has something to accomplish; I alone am stubborn and seem inferior

Everyone else has things they set out to do. I alone keep to Wuwei, seeming foolish and unable to keep up.

I alone differ from others, and cherish being nourished by the Mother

“Being nourished” means making use of and practicing; the “Mother” is the Dao. I alone prize putting the Dao into practice.

(The passages above continue the chapter on “Emptying the Heart,” together with related lines before and after it.)

Plain-Language Interpretation

(Continuing from the previous chapter) The Dao (the Way) is deep and obscure, without fixed form or trace, yet within it alone reside the patterns and images that all things follow.

“How deep and far-reaching, how dark and hidden!” Though the Dao is mysterious and unseen, within it is vital energy (Qi) that is substantial and real. The spirits communicate with one another, and Yin-Yang meets and converges there.

“That vital energy is truly real” means that the wondrous workings of Jing (essence), Qi, and Shen (spirit) within the Dao are genuine, not contrived or embellished.

Restating the meaning of the same line, Heshang Gong explains: within it there is indeed substance and reality; the spirits approach one another, and Yin-Yang converges.

“That vital energy is truly real” means that the wondrous workings of Jing, Qi, and Shen are real and not empty appearances.

“Within it there is trustworthiness.”

The Dao conceals its achievements and keeps its fame out of sight, yet trustworthiness is present within it.

“From ancient times to the present, its name has never departed.” Here, “from” means beginning at; from antiquity until today, the Dao has always been present and has never vanished.

“To survey the beginnings of all things.” “Survey” means to receive; “beginnings” means origins. The Dao gives all things what they receive in order to come into being; all things begin by receiving Qi from the Dao.

How do I know that the origins of all things are like this? Through these insights into the Dao. (Conclusion of Chapter 21)

Chapter 22: Increase Through Humility

“Yield, and you will remain whole.”

Only by yielding to others, going along with them, and not insisting on having things one’s own way can you preserve yourself.

“Bend, and you will become straight.”

“Bend” means to accommodate. If you humble yourself and make room for others, over time you will gain integrity and ease in your own affairs.

“Be low, and you will be filled.”

Water gathers in low-lying places; when people are humble, Virtue (De) gathers around them.

“Wear down, and you will be renewed.”

Willingly accept a lesser, disadvantageous position and let others have the benefits first. People throughout the world will respect you, and in time you will renew and revitalize yourself.

“Have little, and you will gain.”

By taking little for yourself, you gain more. Heaven’s Dao protects the Virtue of humility, and the spirits also benefit those who are open and receptive.

“Have much, and you will be confused.”

When wealth is abundant, people become muddled about how to preserve it; when learning is abundant, they can lose their way among all they have heard.

“Therefore, the sage holds to the One and becomes a model for the world.”

“To hold” means to maintain; “model” means a standard to follow. The sage maintains the One, the undivided source from before differentiation, and thus understands the myriad affairs of the world, becoming a standard for all to follow.

Not showing oneself, one is therefore clear-sighted

The sage does not rely only on his own eyes to see what lies a thousand miles away. He uses the eyes of everyone under Heaven, and so sees clearly and understands how things work.

Not insisting on one’s own view, one is therefore recognized

The sage does not cling to his opinions, assume he alone is right, and dismiss others. This is why his virtue can shine in the world.

Not taking credit for oneself, one therefore achieves merit

“Taking credit” means boasting or claiming something as one’s own. The sage’s transforming influence spreads throughout the world, yet he does not claim the credit for himself. That is why he truly benefits the world.

Not esteeming oneself, one therefore endures

“Esteeming oneself” means regarding oneself as superior or precious. The sage does not consider himself noble or inflate his own importance, and so he can endure without falling into danger.

Precisely because he does not contend, no one under Heaven can contend with him

This means that among all people under Heaven, whether worthy or unworthy, no one can compete for victory with a person who does not contend.

Was it empty talk when the ancients said, “Yield, and you will remain whole”?

The ancients said that yielding and being pliant allow one to remain whole. Could this really be empty talk?

The saying handed down from antiquity—that yielding and accommodating allow one to remain whole—is surely no idle claim

The old saying passed down through the generations teaches that yielding and speaking gently allow one to remain whole. Stated plainly, this is no empty claim.

Thus, one truly remains whole and returns to what was given

“Truly” means in fact, or in a concrete sense. Those who practice the way of yielding and accommodating genuinely preserve their bodies intact, returning them unharmed, as they were given by their parents.

Chapter Twenty-Three: Emptiness and Nonbeing

Few words accord with nature

“Few words” can mean speaking little, speaking with care, and not being fond of talking at length. Treasuring one’s words and not speaking recklessly accords with the Way of nature.

A whirlwind does not last all morning; a sudden downpour does not last all day

A whirlwind is a fierce wind, and a sudden downpour is a violent rainstorm. What is fierce cannot last; what is violent cannot endure.

Who brings these about? Heaven and Earth

Who causes these whirlwinds and downpours? Heaven and Earth—nature itself.

Even Heaven and Earth cannot make them last

Even the fierce winds and sudden downpours produced by Heaven and Earth cannot continue from morning until evening.

How much less can human beings?

How much less can human beings? Human impatience and forcefulness are even less likely to last.

The wondrous power of Heaven and Earth can combine to produce fierce winds and torrential rain, yet even they cannot make the rain and wind rage from morning until evening. How much less can a person expect to reach the state of the Dao in a mere moment?

So those who make the Dao their calling should act with the quiet steadiness of the Dao, not with the haste of fierce winds and torrential rain.

“Dao” here refers to those who are devoted to the Dao. To be in accord with the Dao means that one’s actions are consistent with it.

“De” refers to those who possess De (Virtue/Power). To be in accord with De means that one’s actions are consistent with it.

“Loss” refers to those who cling only to their own opinions and thereby lose the support of others. To be in accord with loss means that one’s actions are consistent with that kind of loss.

Those who are in accord with the Dao find that the Dao readily joins with them; those who are in accord with De find that De readily joins with them; and those who are in accord with loss find that loss readily joins with them. When trust is lacking, a ruler who fails to show trust toward those below will receive distrust in return.

This means that all things return to their own kind: sounds answer one another, clouds follow the dragon and winds follow the tiger, water flows toward damp places, and fire burns dry things. These are the natural patterns of things.

Chapter 24 (Hardship and Favor)

Standing on tiptoe makes you unsteady; striding over others will not take you far.

Those who are always trying to display themselves cannot see clearly. Those who insist they are right and dismiss others cannot make their true reputation shine.

Those who boast of themselves accomplish nothing. Those who insist on their own correctness and exclude others will be obscured by everyone, unable to make themselves shine.

(The passages above all express the same idea: rushing ahead, boasting, trusting only one’s own view, insisting on one’s own correctness, and taking credit for oneself all run counter to the Dao and cannot last.)

Those who think they are always right and refuse to listen to others will be jointly obscured by everyone, unable to make themselves known.

Those who boast of their own achievements fail to gain recognition for them. If they constantly praise their own deeds and claim all the good reputation for themselves, others will no longer give them the credit they deserve.

Those who are self-important and think themselves great cannot last.

Those who take pride in themselves and consider themselves superior cannot endure for long.

From the perspective of the Dao (the Way), such people are like “leftover food” and “burdensome conduct.”

“Burdensome” means superfluous and cumbersome. If people who are self-important and boastful take charge of governing a state, they will levy taxes day after day and claim excessive salaries, like gluttons engaging in needless excess.

All things will despise them.

Such people hold positions of authority and, at every turn, seek to harm others. Therefore, all things fear and despise them.

For this reason, people who have the Dao do not remain in such a state.

This means that people who have the Dao do not live in such a country for long.

The Image of the Origin, Chapter 25

There was something formed in a state of chaos, existing before Heaven and Earth.

This refers to the Dao. The Dao has no form or appearance; it is a chaos from which all things arise, and it existed before Heaven and Earth.

Silent and empty, standing alone and unchanging,

“Silent” means without sound; “empty” means without visible traces. “Standing alone” means having no companion or counterpart. “Unchanging” means that its transformations follow a constant pattern.

It circulates and operates without becoming exhausted.

The Dao moves through Heaven and Earth and enters everywhere. It does not scorch within Yang Qi, nor decay when lodged within Yin Qi. It pervades all places without danger.

It can be regarded as the root of all under Heaven.

The Dao nourishes the vital essence of all things, as a mother nourishes her children.

I do not know its name, so I use the written word “Dao” to refer to it.

I cannot see the Dao’s form and do not know what to call it. Seeing that all things arise from the Dao, I use the written word “Dao” to refer to it.

If forced to give it another name, I would call it “Great.”

Not knowing its name, I am forced to call it “Great.” It is high without anything above it, vast without anything beyond it, and encompasses everything; therefore it is called great.

Great, it is also called “Going Forth,”.

On the “Great”

What is called “Great” is not always above, like Heaven, nor always below, like Earth. It can also depart and move through things, with no fixed abode. People can only give it a name as best they can, and call it “Great.” It rises higher than anything else and extends beyond all outer bounds. Nothing lies beyond its capacity to contain, so it is called Great.

The Great Is Called “Passing Away”

The Great is also called “Passing Away,” meaning departure and movement. Though Great, it is not always above like Heaven or always below like Earth. It passes on and moves through things, with no fixed place.

Passing Away Is Called “Far”

“Passing Away” is also called “Far.” This means reaching without limit, spreading essence and Qi throughout Heaven and Earth, and penetrating everywhere.

Far Is Called “Returning”

“Far” is also called “Returning.” Far does not mean going outward endlessly to the very limit; it also means returning within the human body.

The Four Great Ones and the King

Thus the Dao is great, Heaven is great, Earth is great, and the king is also great. The Dao is great because it encompasses Heaven and Earth and contains all things. Heaven is great because it covers all things. Earth is great because it bears all things. The king is great because he governs the four directions and commands all within them.

Within the four directions of Heaven and Earth are the “Four Great Ones,” and the king is one of them.

The Four Models

Human beings model themselves on Earth: they should follow Earth’s example of stillness and gentleness. By farming the land, one obtains the Five Grains; by digging into it, one finds sweet springs. Earth labors without complaint and accomplishes its work without boasting.

Earth models itself on Heaven. Heaven is unassuming and still; it gives without seeking repayment and nurtures all things without demanding anything in return.

Heaven models itself on the Dao. The Dao is pure and speaks little. It sets essence in motion through Yin Qi, and all things grow of themselves.

The Dao models itself on the natural. Its nature is simply to be so of itself; it takes nothing else as its model.

Chapter Twenty-Six: “Esteeming De”

Weight is the Root of Lightness

Weight is the root of lightness. If a ruler is not dignified, he will not be respected; if one cultivates the self without valuing what is fundamental, one will lose one’s spirit. The flowers and leaves of plants are light, so they wither easily; their roots are weighty, so they endure.

Stillness Is the Master of Agitation

Stillness is the master of agitation. If a ruler is not calm, he will lose his authority; if the body is not calm, it will be in danger. The dragon can transform because it is still; the tiger meets an early death because it is restless.

Commentary on the True Classic of the Dao and Its Virtue by Heshanggong: Skillful Use, Chapter 27 (excerpt and interpretation)

Thus the sage, traveling outside all day, never leaves behind the “baggage wagon.” Heshanggong explains “baggage” as stillness and weightiness: the noble person follows the Dao throughout the day while keeping inwardly calm and steady, without frivolity or rash action.

Though splendid palaces are available for comfortable lodging, the sage keeps aloof and stays away, not dwelling in them. “Glorious palaces” refers to the royal halls, while “secluded quarters” refers to the residence of the consorts. To remain aloof is not to be bound by honor, favor, or ease.

How is it that the ruler of ten thousand chariots—“how” here expressing grief at the ills of the age—regards himself as lighter than the world? The ruler is supreme, yet if he acts frivolously and impetuously in his own person, this is what Heshanggong criticizes: rulers of the time were extravagant, wanton, frivolous, and licentious, thereby losing their vital energy.

Lightness causes one to lose one’s ministers: when a ruler is frivolous and licentious, his ministers lose heart; when one cultivates oneself with frivolity and rashness, one loses Jing (essence). Agitation causes one to lose one’s place as ruler: an agitated ruler loses the throne; when the human body is agitated, it loses Shen (spirit).

Skillful Use, Chapter 27

One skilled at walking leaves no tracks from a cart: those skilled in following the Dao seek it within themselves. They need not descend from the hall or go out the door, and so leave no tracks.

One skilled at speaking leaves no flaw: choosing one’s words before speaking makes it difficult for anyone under Heaven to point out one’s faults.

One skilled at calculation needs no counting rods: by using the Dao to calculate affairs, one keeps to the One without wavering. One has little to calculate, and can know the result without counting rods.

One skilled at closing a door needs neither bolt nor key, yet no one can open it: by using the Dao to close off desires and preserve Shen, one makes oneself impossible for outsiders to open.

One skilled at binding needs neither rope nor restraint, yet no one can undo the knot: using the Dao to bind things means binding the heart, not tying ropes.

Therefore, the sage is always skilled at saving people—bringing them back to the Dao—and abandons no one. This is called “skilled at saving people.” The sage is always skilled at saving things and wastes nothing. This is called “skilled at saving things.” Thus both “saving people” and “saving things” are called skillful.

A good person is a teacher to those who are not good; those who are not good are a lesson for the good. If one does not honor one’s teacher or value one’s lesson, then even the wise are foolish. This is the way to keep the wondrous essentials deeply concealed.

This concludes Chapter 27.

The sage often teaches people loyalty and filial piety in order to preserve their lives and their original nature.

Therefore, the sage abandons no one. Instead, people of different ranks each find their proper place.

The sage is always adept at rescuing and protecting the myriad things, and so abandons nothing. Following the four seasons—the sequence of spring, summer, autumn, and winter—the sage protects the myriad things and keeps them from injury and harm. The sage does not look down on stones and favor fine jade, but treats them equally. This is called “embracing clarity”: carrying forward and putting into practice the principles of clear understanding. The sage’s skill in rescuing and protecting people and things is the clarity that accords with the Great Dao.

A good person is a teacher to one who is not good. One who is good at practicing goodness is held up by the sage as an example to others. One who is not good, in turn, is a resource for the good person. “Resource” means something that can be relied on or put to use: when someone acts badly, this offers an opportunity to teach them to do good, so that they too can be of use.

If you do not honor your teacher, you will have no support; if you do not value those who can be guided, you will have no way to carry out your teaching. Even if such a person thinks they are clever, they remain deeply confused. This is called “essential subtlety”: only by understanding this can one be said to grasp the subtle Way.

Returning to the Uncarved: Chapter 28

Know the masculine and prominent, yet hold to the feminine and humble, and you can become the valley of the world. Here, “masculine” is a metaphor for what is honored and prominent, while “feminine” represents what is lowly and yielding. Even when people know they are honored and prominent, they should hold to humility and gentleness, setting aside strength and the urge to prevail in favor of yielding and modest retreat. Then the people of the world will turn to them, like waters flowing into a deep valley.

Become the valley of the world, and constant De will never leave you. When a person is humble like a deep valley, De can endure within them. In this way, they can return to infancy—a state symbolizing simplicity and unknowing, untouched by worldly desires.

Know what is bright and manifest, yet hold to what is dim and obscure, and you can become the model for the world.

An Accessible Interpretation of the True Scripture of the Way and Its Virtue, with Commentary by Heshanggong

Know the white, keep to the black, and become a model for the world

Heshanggong’s commentary:

“White” represents outward brightness, intelligence, and clear understanding; “black” represents a quiet inner life, with depths kept out of sight. Even when people know themselves to be intelligent and able to see clearly, they should still preserve this by remaining silent—as if in darkness, unable to see anything, or as if dull-witted, never assuming they know anything. Only then can they become a model for the world to follow, with De (Virtue/Power) always abiding in them.

Become a model for the world, and constant De will not err

If people can become a model for the world, De will remain within them and will no longer stray or go wrong.

Return to the limitless

When De no longer errs, people can live long lives and return to what is boundless and without limit.

Know honor, keep to disgrace, and become a valley for the world

Heshanggong’s commentary:

“Honor” represents rank and glory; “disgrace” represents lowliness and defilement. Though people know they possess rank and glory, they should preserve them by willingly accepting lowliness and defilement. Then the world will turn toward them, like water flowing into a deep valley.

Become a valley for the world, and constant De will be complete

“Complete” means settled and at rest. If people can become a deep valley for the world, De will be settled within them.

Return to the uncarved block

Once more, bring yourself back to simplicity, without pursuing ornamentation.

When the uncarved block is divided, it becomes vessels

Heshanggong’s commentary:

When the myriad things divide from their original simplicity, they become all kinds of implements. When the Dao is divided, it transforms into spirits, the sun and moon, and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water).

When the sage uses it, it becomes the head of the officials

When the sage is appointed, they become the head of all officials.

Therefore, great making does not cut apart

When the sage uses the Great Dao to shape and govern the world, nothing is harmed. In self-cultivation, the sage uses the Great Dao to shape desires without damaging the spirit.

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Opening passage on “Wuwei”

If you wish to take the world and act upon it

If you wish to seize the world and rule it, then govern the people through deliberate action and forceful effort—(Heshanggong turns here to criticize reckless action; the discussion continues with the following lines, beginning “I see that this cannot be done…”).

I understand now: this happens only when there is no other choice. The Way of Heaven dislikes complexity and disorder, and the human heart dislikes excessive desire.

The world is sacred and cannot be governed through force. “Vessels” refers to implements; human beings are wondrous beings in the world. Their nature favors quiet, so they cannot be governed through forced action.

Forced rule ruins the original nature of things. Forced control and instruction cause people to lose their genuine simplicity and give rise to deceit and hypocrisy.

Thus, some things move ahead while others follow: those below follow the conduct of those above them. Some are warm while others are cold; some are strong while others are weak; some are secure while others are in danger. Heshang Gong uses these opposite changes to explain that a ruler should not govern the state or cultivate himself through forced action.

Therefore, the sage sets aside excess, extravagance, and arrogance. “Excess” means craving sights and sounds; “extravagance” means indulging in fine clothing and food; “arrogance” means building magnificent palaces, terraces, and pavilions. By setting aside these three practices, settling in what is balanced and harmonious, and practicing Wuwei (non-action), the people of the world will naturally be transformed.

Frugality in the Use of Arms, Chapter Thirty

Those who assist a ruler through the Dao (the Way) do not use military force to dominate the world. A ruler who is guided by the Dao does not deploy weapons and armor, but follows the Way of Heaven and practices De (Virtue/Power); enemies will naturally submit.

Military action readily brings retribution. Those who undertake it should reflect on themselves rather than blame others.

Where armies have been stationed, brambles and thorns grow. This means that farming has been abandoned, and the fields are left uncultivated and untended.

After a Great Army Has Passed, There Will Surely Be Years of Famine

Heaven responds to warfare with a killing force that first harms the crops. When the crops are gone, people suffer too. Thus, after a great army has gone on campaign, there are often years of famine and hardship.

The Good Use Force Only to Accomplish Their Aim

Those skilled in warfare stop once they have acted decisively and achieved their aim. They do not regard the use of force as something admirable.

They Do Not Dare to Seek Strength

They do not act decisively in order to win a reputation for being “powerful.”

Act Decisively Without Pride

Even when acting decisively, remain humble and do not boast of greatness.

Act Decisively Without Bragging

After acting decisively, yield the credit to others and do not praise your own achievements.

Act Decisively Without Arrogance

Arrogance means treating others with contempt. Act decisively, but do not be arrogant or contemptuous toward others.

Act Decisively Only When There Is No Alternative

Decisive action must come from complete sincerity. Do not force others into a position where they have no choice.

Act Decisively Without Resorting to Force

Act decisively, but do not use powerful troops and strong armor to invade or oppress others.

When Things Reach Their Height, They Grow Old

When plants reach their full growth, they wither and fall. When people reach their prime, they decline and grow old. This shows that “strength” cannot last.

This Is Called Being Contrary to the Dao

To wither, grow old, and die is like failing to follow the proper way.

Those Who Do Not Follow the Dao Meet Their End Early

Those who do not follow the Dao decline as soon as they reach their height and die early. Even the strong cannot rely on strength forever.

(The following lines, including “Those who do not follow the Dao meet their end early,” repeat the same point in the commentary. They can be understood together: those who rely on strength and fail to follow the Dao cannot endure.)

Laying Down Arms, Chapter 31

Fine Weapons Are Instruments of Ill Omen

“Fortunate” means good. Weapons can agitate the spirit and disrupt the harmony of Qi, so they are not instruments of good people and should not be glamorized.

All Things May Abhor Them

When weapons are used, they cause harm, and so all things tend to abhor them.

Therefore, One Who Has the Dao Does Not Reside There

A person who has the Dao does not live in a state that delights in using weapons.

In Daily Life, the Noble Value the Left

In ordinary life, the left is valued, signifying a preference for gentleness and weakness.

In Warfare, the Right Is Valued

In warfare, the right is valued, signifying a preference for force and strength. This means that the way of warfare runs contrary to the noble person’s way in daily life: what each regards as valuable is different.

Weapons Are Instruments of Ill Omen, Not Instruments for the Noble

Weapons are instruments of ill omen, not things the noble hold dear.

Use Them Only When There Is No Alternative

Use them only when there is no other choice.

On Warfare and Funeral Rites

The text says: In times of decline and disorder, if someone wants to harm the people but claims to use military force to protect themselves, they are mistaken.

“Calm simplicity is best” means not coveting territory or plundering other people’s possessions.

“Victory is no cause for celebration” means that even when one wins a battle, one does not regard victory as something admirable or as a gain.

“To celebrate it is to delight in killing” means that treating victory in war as a good thing is tantamount to taking pleasure in killing people. To be skilled at winning and take pleasure in it is called “delighting in killing.”

“One who delights in killing cannot achieve their aims under Heaven” means that a ruler who takes pleasure in killing cannot truly succeed or win the people’s hearts. For a ruler to wield life and death despotically and kill the innocent without cause is especially taboo.

Funeral Rites and Left and Right

“For auspicious affairs, the left is honored; for inauspicious affairs, the right” means that the left is honored in auspicious matters, since it symbolizes the place of life; the right is honored in misfortune and funerals, since it belongs to Yin and is associated with killing and death.

“The lower-ranking general stands on the left; the supreme general stands on the right” means that the lower-ranking general, though of lesser rank, occupies the Yang position on the left. The supreme general, though of higher rank, occupies the right because he presides over executions.

“This means arranging it according to funeral rites”: The supreme general stands on the right, following funeral custom. Funeral rites give prominence to the right because the dead belong to Yin.

“When many people have been killed, mourn and weep for them” means that mass killing should be met with grief and tears. One should blame oneself for lacking De, being unable to transform the people through the Dao and instead harming the innocent.

“When victory is won, treat it according to funeral rites”: In ancient times, after a victory, the general took the place of the chief mourner, dressed in plain clothes, and wept. The noble person prizes De and regards military force as inferior, resorting to punishment only when there is no alternative to dispelling calamity. They take no pleasure in it, but treat it as a funeral. The author also laments that later generations waged war without end, and grieves over it.

Chapter 32: Sagely De (Opening)

“The Dao is always nameless”: The Dao can be Yin or Yang, expand or contract, exist or perish; therefore, it has no fixed name.

“Though the uncarved block is small”: The uncarved block—raw wood that has not been shaped, a state of original nature—may seem insignificant… (The commentary ends here; the discussion continues in another volume.)

Although the uncarved simplicity of the Dao (the Way) seems small, subtle, and formless, no one under Heaven dares treat it as a subordinate to be put to work—no one can use the Dao as a tool to wield at will.

If rulers and lords can hold fast to this uncarved simplicity of the Dao, all things will naturally gather around them, submit as guests, and respond to the transforming influence of De (Virtue/Power).

If the rulers and lords’ every action accords with the Dao of Heaven and Earth, Heaven will send down sweet dew and other auspicious signs.

Once the sweet dew and auspicious signs descend, all things will harmonize and find their proper measure on their own, without anyone needing to command them.

“Once the beginning is established, names arise”: the Dao itself has no name, yet it governs and encompasses all things that have names. It is formless, yet it governs what has form.

“Once names have arisen”: when things with names are complete, they tend to develop many desires and turn away from the Dao and De, bringing ruin to themselves and their reputations.

When people follow the Dao’s example and put De into practice, Heaven will know and observe them of its own accord.

Once Heaven knows them, the spirits will come to their aid, and they will no longer fall into danger or suffer destruction. (This sentence is repeated in the original; the meaning is the same.)

The Dao throughout the world responds to and harmonizes with people, like the waters of streams and valleys that eventually flow into the rivers and seas: they are connected and return to one place.

Chapter 33: Discerning De

Understanding what others like and dislike is called wisdom.

Knowing for oneself what is worthy and unworthy is called clarity—as when one listens inwardly for what makes no sound and looks within at what has no form, illuminating oneself.

Being able to overcome others is merely a matter of outward strength.

Being able to overcome oneself and cast off desires leaves no one under Heaven able to contend with you; this is called strength.

One who knows contentment is rich: by being content, one preserves good fortune and rank over time. That is true wealth.

One who strives to act has resolve. (Heshanggong does not elaborate on this sentence; it means to exert oneself in action and be resolved to follow the Dao.)

One who loses what they should hold to cannot endure. (According to the commonly transmitted version of chapter 33 of the Laozi, this should read, “One who does not lose their place endures”: only by not losing one’s inherent De and position can one endure. If the Heshanggong version reads “One who loses their place endures,” it may mean that losing one’s foundation makes endurance impossible; the versions should be compared.)

One who dies yet does not perish has long life: though the physical body dies, the name and reality of one who has united with the Dao and De do not perish. This is longevity.

A Commentary on the True Classic of the Dao and Its Virtue (Heshang Gong), in Plain Language

Earlier passage (on holding firm to one’s resolve and longevity)

If people can push themselves to stand firm and do good, they have set their hearts on the Dao. The Dao, in turn, looks favorably upon them and responds.

Only by “not losing one’s place” can one endure. When people restrain and care for themselves, neither squandering nor losing the vital essence bestowed by Heaven, their lives can be sustained for a long time.

“Dying without perishing is longevity”: By not looking carelessly, listening carelessly, or speaking carelessly, and by making fewer enemies and inviting less ill will in the world, one may enjoy a long life.

Chapter 34, “Letting Things Fulfill Themselves”

The Great Dao flows everywhere

The Dao is vast and boundless, spreading through everything like water. It seems to sink and float, to be present and absent. The eyes cannot see it, and words can scarcely describe it.

It can be on the left or the right

The Dao can be to the left or to the right. It is suited to every place and supports every thing; everything can proceed through it.

All things depend on it for life

“Depend” means to rely on or await: all things rely on the Dao to come into being and stay alive.

Yet it does not refuse them

The Dao neither turns anything away nor rejects it. Nor does it stop working after helping all things.

It accomplishes its work but does not claim ownership of it

The Dao brings all things to completion but does not take credit. Those who follow the Dao do likewise: even when they achieve something, they do not boast.

It loves and nurtures all things but does not rule them

The Dao cares for and nurtures all things, yet does not possess, dominate, or command them as human rulers do.

Ever without desire, it may be called small

The Dao remains in a state of desirelessness and non-contention. Its traces are subtle, quiet, and still; it seems almost small.

All things return to it, yet it does not rule them

All things return to the Dao and receive Qi from it to come into being. Yet the Dao does not impose prohibitions or forcibly govern them as a human ruler would.

It may be called great

All things come and go, each at ease in its own way. The Dao encompasses everything without claiming a place of honor; for this reason, it may be called supremely great.

Therefore, the sage never presents himself as great

For this reason, the sage never promotes himself as great.

And so he can achieve greatness

Precisely because he does not contend for the name of “great,” he can truly accomplish greatness.

Modern Interpretation

(Continuing from the previous chapter) The sage models himself on the Great Dao. He conceals his De and does not seek fame or inflate himself. This is why he can achieve greatness.

Commentary by Heshanggong: The sage puts the Great Dao into practice in his own life. Without saying much, he naturally transforms others, and all affairs are brought into order. This is how he achieves greatness.

Chapter Thirty-Five: Benevolence and De

Hold fast to the great image, and all under Heaven will come to you.

“Hold fast” means to keep to something; the “image” refers to the Great Dao. The sage holds fast to the Great Dao and governs the affairs of the world, and the people under Heaven turn their hearts toward him and come to him. Applied to self-cultivation, the bright spirits of Heaven descend and interact with you.

They come without harm, in peace, calm, and well-being.

When all things come to you without harming one another, the state is peaceful and prosperous. In self-cultivation, if you do not harm the spirits, the body remains secure and enjoys long life.

Music and fine food make travelers stop.

“Food” here means something delicious; “travelers” refers to the One, the undivided source. If people take the Dao as their joy and delight, the One will remain within them. The One departs from fullness and becomes empty, then suddenly seems to return like a passing traveler.

When the Dao is spoken aloud, it is bland and without flavor.

The Dao, when spoken, is bland and tasteless. It is unlike the Five Flavors: sour, salty, sweet, bitter, and pungent.

Look at it, but it is not enough to see.

“Enough” here means “able.” The Dao is formless. Unlike the Five Colors—blue-green, yellow, red, white, and black—it cannot be seen.

Listen for it, but it is not enough to hear.

The Dao cannot be heard like the Five Notes: gong, shang, jue, zhi, and yu.

Use it, and it cannot be exhausted.

“Exhausted” means brought to an end. Govern a state by the Dao, and the state will grow wealthy and its people prosper. Use it in self-cultivation, and life will be prolonged. It is never exhausted.

Chapter Thirty-Six: Subtle Illumination

(The commentary continues the preceding passage, “Use it, and it cannot be exhausted”: govern a state by the Dao, and the state will grow wealthy and its people prosper; cultivate yourself by it, and life will be prolonged. There is no end to its effects.)

If you would draw something in, you must first let it spread out.

First deliberately open it up and expand it, so that it reaches the extreme of extravagance and excess.

If you would weaken something, you must first let it grow strong.

First deliberately make it powerful, so that it ultimately meets with disaster.

Related passages from the Commentary on the True Classic of the Dao and De (Heshang Gong): A Plain-Language Interpretation

To bring something down, first help it rise

When you want to destroy something, you often first deliberately praise it and let it flourish. The aim is to raise it up so that it becomes arrogant and self-satisfied, eventually bringing danger upon itself.

To take something away, first give it in full

When you want to take something away, you often first give a great deal. Giving it in full is meant to make the other person proud and arrogant, and excessively greedy, until they spend all their attention and energy on status and acquisition.

This is called “subtle insight”

The methods described above, such as helping something flourish and giving to it, are subtle in their workings but clear in their effects: they seem to help on the surface, but in fact lead toward ruin.

The soft and weak overcome the hard and strong

The soft and weak can endure, while the hard and strong are often the first to perish.

Fish cannot leave the deep pool

If a fish leaves the deep pool, it is like a person who has abandoned strength for softness, and should not keep changing back again. “Cannot be duplicated” means one should not return to the old way of force and aggression.

The sharp instruments of the state should not be shown casually

“Sharp instruments” refers to the arts of statecraft and the powers of government. Those who govern the state should not casually reveal these methods to their ministers. A person cultivating themself should likewise not casually show the methods of the Dao to those who should not learn them.

Chapter 37: Governing

The Dao always seems to do nothing, yet nothing is left undone

The Dao takes Wuwei (non-action) as its constant way; it does not act recklessly.

If rulers can hold to the Dao, the myriad things will transform and grow of themselves

If rulers hold to the Dao, the myriad things will naturally transform and grow, taking them as their model. This seems like non-action, yet nothing is left undone; the myriad things will also naturally turn toward and emulate the rulers themselves.

If, after they have transformed and grown, a desire for contrived action arises

Once the myriad things have transformed and grown, and taken the rulers as their model, if anyone then wants to resort to schemes and artifice, the rulers should use the “nameless Uncarved Block”—that is, the Dao itself—to calm and restrain them.

The nameless Uncarved Block also keeps people from acting recklessly

When rulers use Dao and De to calm the people, they too will gradually lose the desire to act recklessly. In this way, the people are transformed through the Dao of stillness and purity.

All under Heaven will then settle of themselves

If this can be done, all under Heaven will naturally return to what is right and peaceful.

Volume Two of the Commentary on the True Scripture of the Dao and Its Virtue (Textual Notes)

This passage is not Heshang Gong’s line-by-line explanation of the scripture. It is a set of textual notes left by later editors of the Commentary on the True Scripture of the Dao and Its Virtue. The editors compare the “original edition” with the “facsimile Song edition” (a reproduction of a book printed in the Song dynasty), noting where characters should be changed, added, or removed. The notes read as follows.

“Of course” should read “knowing this to be so,” following the facsimile Song edition.

In “benevolence and righteousness are not seen,” the original edition omits the character “not.” Add it, following the facsimile Song edition.

“Deviant writing” appears as “writing” in the facsimile Song edition.

The phrase “by means of this” has a note in the facsimile Song edition: “this” refers to the present age. It means that all things today are born through the vital essence and energy within the Dao, and that every action depends on the Dao; otherwise, it would be wrong.

“Not contending” is mistakenly written as “not priding oneself” in the original edition. Correct it, following the facsimile Song edition.

“Runs through” appears as “passes through” in the original edition. Correct it, following the facsimile Song edition.

The original edition omits “without” from “without limit.” Add it, following the facsimile Song edition.

The original edition lacks the two characters “wishing to take.” Add them, following the facsimile Song edition.

The original edition has an extra character, “person,” after “forcefully taking hold and teaching it.” Remove it, following the facsimile Song edition.

The original edition omits “decisive” from “decisive and bold.” Add it, following the facsimile Song edition.

The original edition omits “that which is different” from “what is valued is different.” Add it, following the facsimile Song edition.

At “not coveting land, not seeking people’s wealth and treasures,” the original edition repeats the wording of the note in the next entry. Restore the correct text, following the facsimile Song edition.

The original edition omits “heaven” from “all under Heaven.” Add it, following the facsimile Song edition.

“what is received” is mistakenly written as “what is loved” in the original edition. Correct it, following the facsimile Song edition.

“encounter calamities and harm” appears as “pass through calamities and harm” in the original edition. Correct it, following the facsimile Song edition.

Items 8–11 and 12–15 were repeated in the transmission of the text. The collators made the same kinds of corrections in accordance with the facsimile Song edition.

Volume Three of the Commentary on the True Scripture of the Dao and Its Virtue

The title of Volume Three marks the beginning of the book’s third volume, which continues Heshang Gong’s commentary on the Dao De Jing.

Heshanggong’s Commentary on the Dao De Jing: On De, Chapter 38

Highest De does not display De

“Highest De” refers to rulers of the most ancient times, before rulers had names or honorific titles. Their De was so great that nothing could surpass it, so it is called Highest De. “Does not display De” does not mean that they lacked De. It means they did not use De to instruct or admonish the people. They simply followed nature and nurtured people’s lives. Their De was neither proclaimed nor displayed, hence the phrase “does not display De.”

And so they possess De

Their De accorded with Heaven and Earth. Their harmonious Qi flowed, all things flourished, and the people were thereby able to preserve their lives. This is what it means to “possess De.”

Lower De does not lose De

“Lower De” refers to rulers who had names and posthumous titles. Their De fell short of Highest De, so it is called Lower De. “Does not lose De” means that their De could be seen by others and their achievements could be spoken of.

And so they lack De

Because they had names and titles, their De existed in connection with those names and with their persons. It was not the nameless De that is one with Heaven and Earth.

Highest De acts without action, and has no purpose in acting

The ruler of Highest De followed the stillness of the Dao and made no arbitrary interventions or changes. Nor did he use titles or achievements to glorify himself.

Lower De acts, and acts with a purpose

The ruler of Lower De issued commands and carried out government affairs. He also acted to establish his own reputation and claim credit.

Highest benevolence acts, but has no purpose in acting

“Highest benevolence” refers to a ruler who put benevolent government into practice. Benevolence ranks highest among the Seven Virtues, such as benevolence, righteousness, and ritual propriety, so it is called Highest Benevolence. To act means to carry out benevolent deeds. Once the work was accomplished, the ruler did not claim the credit for himself.

Highest righteousness acts, and acts with a purpose

The ruler of Highest Righteousness made judgments and punished wrongdoing in the name of righteousness. Yet he considered his own interests in every action, even killing to establish his authority and taxing the people to support himself.

Highest ritual propriety acts, but receives no response

The ruler of Highest Ritual Propriety ranks it highest among the Seven Virtues, so it is called Highest Ritual Propriety. To act means to establish ritual rules and arrange ceremonial forms and ranks. Yet when form alone is emphasized, people do not respond. The text continues with “then they roll up their sleeves and force it upon them”: instead, one has to roll up one’s sleeves and impose it by force.

A Plain-Language Interpretation of the Commentary on the True Scripture of the Dao and Its Virtue (Heshang Gong)

[Laws and Decrees]

Laws, decrees, and institutions are what a ruler uses to govern the realm and command the people. The court’s operations and the duties of its officials are carried out through laws and decrees; the gold, silver, goods, and other resources the state needs are also collected and distributed through them.

[Those Skilled in Practicing the Dao]

Laozi says: Those skilled in practicing the Dao do not make a show of their actions as officials or ordinary people do, yet everyone can sense their De. Because they sincerely practice Wuwei (non-action: not forcing things or using the world to serve private desires), they do not rely on outward displays to win a reputation.

[Noncontention]

When one does not contend, one does not contend with others; when one does not contend with others, others will not contend with one. Then ruler and ministers alike preserve their original nature and use the constant Dao to govern and guide the realm.

[The Sage]

The sage does not simply accumulate private wealth for himself. Instead, he considers how to benefit others. Heaven then responds to his commands, Earth offers up its wealth, spirits bestow blessings, and the people can live longer.

[Having Given to Others]

Once one has helped others and given them benefits, the state and the clan will become prosperous as a result.

[Nurturing the People through De]

When the people are nurtured through De, they will not go astray. Once a task is accomplished, do not show off your reputation.

[Governing the State through Law]

When the state is governed by law, it can be set in order.

[Ordering the Family through Techniques]

When the family is put in order through tactics and methods, it can be well organized.

[Cultivating the Self through the Dao]

When one cultivates oneself through the Dao, the body can be at peace.

[Dividing the States (Chapter Title)]

When thickness and thinness contend, “division” prevails over “union”; when strength and weakness contend, “weakness” prevails over “strength.” (This passage means that clinging too strongly to one side and setting sides against each other can destroy the harmony that should have existed.)

The meaning of the scripture (Laozi, Chapter 39):

Heaven is clear and bright by keeping to the One; Earth is peaceful by keeping to the One; spirits are efficacious by keeping to the One; valleys are full by keeping to the One; all things can come into being by keeping to the One; and feudal lords and kings can bring order to all under Heaven by keeping to the One.

The Heshanggong commentary, expanded:

“To attain the One” means that each thing keeps to the root of its own Dao, grounding itself in the One—the root of Dao is one—and does not cling rigidly to a single aspect.

• Heaven attains the One and is clear: Heaven keeps to this One and can thereby display signs of clarity and brightness: the sun, moon, and stars, as well as the seasons and weather, appear distinct.
• Earth attains the One and is peaceful: Earth keeps to this One and can thereby remain stable and unmoving in disorder.
• Spirits attain the One and are efficacious: Spirits keep to this One and can thereby undergo countless transformations while seeming to act without effort.
• Valleys attain the One and are full: Valleys keep to this One and can thereby remain full and never dry up.
• All things attain the One and come into being: All things depend on Dao in order to take shape.
• Feudal lords and kings attain the One and become an ordering principle for all under Heaven: By keeping to this One, they can rule all under Heaven with fairness and balance.

“If they fail to maintain it” is a warning: it refers to the six things listed below—Heaven, Earth, spirits, valleys, all things, and feudal lords and kings. If they cling to a single aspect and do not adapt, calamities will follow.

• If Heaven has nothing by which to remain clear, it will likely split: Heaven should unfold through Yin-Yang and the alternation of day and night. If it seeks only stillness without end, it may split apart and cease to be Heaven.
• If Earth has nothing by which to remain peaceful, it will likely erupt: Earth should have high and low, firmness and yielding, seasonal cycles, and the movement of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). If it seeks only stillness without end, it may discharge and fall into chaos, ceasing to be Earth.
• If spirits have nothing by which to remain efficacious, their efficacy will likely cease: Spirits also pass through states of flourishing, decline, rest, and depletion. If they seek efficacy without end, that efficacy may run dry, and they will cease to be spirits.
• If valleys have nothing by which to remain full, they will likely be exhausted: Valleys should wax and wane, and be empty or full. If they seek fullness without end, they may dry up and cease to be valleys.
• If all things have nothing by which to come into being, they will likely perish: All things should be born and die in their proper time. If they seek only eternal life, without end, they may be wiped out and cease to be things.
• If feudal lords and kings have nothing by which to remain noble and elevated, they will likely fall: They should humble themselves, place themselves below others, and earnestly seek worthy people. If they seek only to stand above others in rank, they may be overthrown and lose their position.

Therefore, nobility must take lowliness as its root: The noble must take the humble as its foundation. (The original text typically continues with “the high must take the low as its foundation” and similar lines, but this edition’s commentary ends with “Therefore, nobility must take lowliness as its root.”)

Returning to the Root Is the Movement of the Dao

“Returning” means the root, the source. The Dao acts through this root and brings forth the myriad things; departing from the root leads to extinction.

“Weakness” means softness. It is the path the Dao ordinarily takes and the way it operates, which is why it endures.

All things under Heaven arise from “being”—the state of having form, a name, and existence. The myriad things come from Heaven and Earth, and Heaven and Earth themselves have form and standing. That is why they are said to arise from “being.”

Note: Heshang Gong’s commentary interprets “returning” as “root,” unlike later readings that commonly understand it as “opposition” or “cyclic return.” This translation follows the commentary’s original sense.

Being Emerges from Nonbeing

All things that exist emerge from “nonbeing.” The Dao itself has no form or name, so we say that being arises from nonbeing.

Heaven and Earth, the spirits and divine beings, even flying insects and wild animals—all come from the Dao. The Dao has no fixed form, which is why we say they “arise from nonbeing.” This also means that roots matter more than branches and leaves, the yielding overcomes the forceful, and humility is better than fullness.

Similarities and Differences, Chapter 41

When people of the highest attainment hear of the Dao, they diligently put it into practice.

When people of middling attainment hear of the Dao, they seem to have it and yet seem not to have it. In cultivating themselves, they still hope to hold on to it for a long time; in governing the state, they may even gladly act in accord with it. But once they step away and encounter wealth, beauty, and fame, they are led astray by desire and abandon the Dao.

When people of the lowest attainment hear of the Dao, they burst out laughing.

People of the lowest attainment are greedy and harsh, with many desires. Seeing the Dao’s apparent weakness, they think it frightening; seeing its plainness and lack of ornament, they think it lowly. So they laugh.

If the lowest people do not mock it, it cannot be called the true Dao.

Hence the saying handed down from of old (the ancients often expressed it this way):

The bright Dao seems dim. Those who truly understand the Dao appear outwardly dim, as though they cannot see through anything.

The advancing Dao seems to retreat. Those who wholeheartedly seek and advance along the Dao seem to be falling behind.

The level Dao seems ordinary. “Level” means even and commonplace. Those who embody the Great Dao do not make a point of being unconventional; they look much like ordinary people.

The highest De is like a valley. Those of the highest Virtue are like a deep valley: they are not ashamed to accept what is unclean, and they can contain and accommodate all things.

The purest white seems sullied. Those who are most pure appear as though they have been disgraced, because they do not show themselves off.

Vast De seems insufficient. Those whose Virtue is vast always feel that they have not yet done enough.

The greatest De (Virtue/Power) seems insufficient

The more expansive and profound a person’s De, the more they may seem outwardly awkward, unremarkable, and lacking in ability.

One who builds De seems to conceal it

Those who truly cultivate De tend to be restrained and understated in their conduct, as though keeping something hidden and avoiding display—even as though they were doing it in secret.

What is genuine in substance seems altered

Those whose inner nature is simple and sincere may at times appear outwardly mixed in color, with varying shades, rather than sharply defined or dazzling.

The greatest square has no corners

Those with an upright character and expansive De do not insist on sharp edges or confront others at every turn. They are free of a habit of being unnecessarily contentious.

The greatest vessel takes time to complete

Those capable of shouldering great responsibilities are like the great ritual vessels, such as the Nine Tripods and the Huli vessels: they cannot be made in haste, and their achievements often emerge only after long years of refinement.

The greatest sound is barely heard

The greatest sound is like thunder: it waits for its moment to break forth. The saying also describes those who preserve their Jing and Qi and speak little. Their influence reaches far without relying on clamor.

The greatest image has no form

Those who accord with the Dao and take Heaven and Earth as their model are simple and natural; they do not use outward appearance to call attention to themselves.

The Dao is hidden and nameless

The Dao lies deep and out of sight. No specific name can fully point to it or explain it.

Only the Dao is good at lending and bringing to completion

The Dao alone is most adept at “lending” people Jing and Qi and bringing all things to fulfillment: it grants the power of life and allows each person and thing to complete its own life.

The Dao’s Transformation, Chapter Forty-Two

The Dao gives rise to One

What first emerges through the Dao’s transformation is “One”: the Qi of undivided unity.

One gives rise to Two

This Qi then differentiates into Yin and Yang.

Two gives rise to Three

Yin and Yang combine and give rise to three kinds of Qi: harmonious, clear, and turbid, corresponding respectively to Heaven, Earth, and humanity.

Three gives rise to the myriad things

Heaven, Earth, and humanity together bring forth the myriad things: Heaven transforms, Earth bears, and humanity nurtures.

The myriad things carry Yin and embrace Yang

All things turn their backs to Yin and face Yang, much as plants and animals turn toward the sunlight to draw on the life-giving vitality of Yang.

Through the blending of Qi, harmony is achieved

All things contain original Qi within them, and only through balanced Qi can they remain gentle and endure. People store Qi in their chest and organs, and their bones contain marrow. Plants are hollow and allow Qi to pass through them. Harmonious Qi flows unseen within all things, enabling them to live long.

People dislike being called solitary, bereft, or unworthy, yet lords and princes use these names for themselves

People tend to dislike names such as “solitary,” “bereft,” and “unworthy”—humble names that suggest low status. Yet lords and princes use them to humble themselves, thereby showing their reverence for the Dao and esteem for De.

Note: Here, Heshang Gong draws on the idea in the Daodejing that “diminishing brings increase”: the more humble one is, the more one accords with the Dao.

“Alone and bereft” and “unworthy” are names that sound inauspicious, yet lords and rulers use them to refer to themselves. This is a way of occupying a humble position and emulating emptiness and gentleness.

Thus, at times things benefit by being diminished: pull something and it will not move; push it and it springs back. At other times, things are harmed by being increased. Pile something too high and it may collapse; greed for wealth and status may invite disaster.

What people teach is to cast off weakness and pursue strength. What I teach is the opposite: cast off strength and return to weakness.

“Forceful and overbearing” describes people who rely on brute force and throw their weight around. They often meet an untimely end. Such people do not believe in the mysterious Dao, turn away from De (Virtue), refuse the teachings of the classics, and value only power, acting by force. “Not dying a natural death” does not mean that they cannot die when their lifespan is complete. It means they are abandoned by Heaven, or killed by weapons or the law, and do not come peacefully to the end of their natural lives. Laozi intends to make “the forceful and overbearing” the first lesson in his teaching (“father of teaching” means “the beginning of instruction”).

Chapter 43 · The Use of the Partial

The softest thing in the world can pass through the hardest thing in the world. Water is the softest; metal and stone are the hardest. Yet water can pierce what is hard and flow everywhere.

What is called “nonbeing” refers to the Dao. The Dao has no fixed form, so it can enter and leave without obstruction, reach the realm of the spirits, and save all living beings.

From this I understand the benefit of Wuwei (non-action): I see that the Dao does not act willfully, yet the myriad things transform and grow of themselves. Thus I know that Wuwei benefits people.

“Teaching without words” means emulating the Dao by teaching not through speech but through one’s own example. The benefits of Wuwei follow the same principle.

Plain-Language Interpretation of the True Classic of the Dao and Its De (Commentary by Heshang Gong)

Follow the Dao and govern through Wuwei (non-action): In cultivating oneself, one can nourish the spirit. In governing the state, one can benefit the people without straining oneself or troubling them.

Few in the world can match this: Here, “the world” often refers to rulers and sovereigns. Few can equal the Dao’s way of Wuwei. Governing through Wuwei applies both to cultivating oneself and to governing the state.

Establishing Precepts (Chapter 44)

Which is closer to you, reputation or your own body?

Pursuing reputation often harms you and leads to setbacks.

Which matters more, your body or your wealth?

Too much wealth can end up harming you.

Which is more harmful, gaining or losing?

Excessive greed for profit leads to misconduct and brings misfortune upon you.

Excessive attachment inevitably brings great loss: Excessive attachment to beauty depletes the spirit; excessive attachment to wealth can invite misfortune. What one craves may be little, but what one loses is much. That is why it is called “great expenditure.”

Hoarding too much inevitably brings heavy loss: In life, one piles possessions in storehouses; after death, they are buried in tombs. While alive, one risks being robbed; after death, one risks having one’s tomb plundered.

Contentment prevents disgrace: A content person can put an end to greed for profit and cast off selfish desires, so the body is not brought to disgrace.

Knowing when to stop keeps you from danger: When you know to stop at the right time, wealth and profit do not burden body and mind, and sights and sounds do not disturb the ears and eyes. In this way, you avoid danger throughout your life.

One can endure: When people know when to stop and are content, they hold their own good fortune and prosperity in their hands. In self-cultivation, the spirit is not strained; in governing, the people are not troubled. Thus, one can endure.

Vast De (Chapter 45)

Great completion seems incomplete: This refers to a ruler whose Dao and De are fully realized. Such a ruler appears to have flaws, concealing fame and keeping praise in check, as though damaged and imperfect.

Its use is never exhausted: With this way of applying oneself, its effects do not decline or run out.

“Great fullness seems empty.”

This means that a ruler whose De and Dao are fully realized appears as though “empty”—humble despite holding an honored position, and restrained despite possessing great wealth.

“Its use is inexhaustible.”

When one’s intentions are like this, their effects do not run out.

“Great straightness seems crooked.”

“Great straightness” means keeping to the Dao and its standards with unwavering rectitude. “Seems crooked” means being willing to bend, rather than competing with worldly people.

“Great skill seems clumsy.”

“Great skill” means having many talents and abilities. “Seems clumsy” means appearing awkward and not daring to show off one’s abilities.

“Great eloquence seems hesitant.”

“Great eloquence” means having penetrating wisdom and no doubts. “Seems hesitant” means appearing tongue-tied and not speaking empty words at length.

“Restlessness overcomes cold.”

Here, “overcomes” means developing to an extreme. In spring and summer, Yang Qi rises and stirs rapidly, and all things flourish. When this reaches its extreme, it turns toward cold; cold brings withering and dispersal. This warns people against becoming forceful and impatient.

“Stillness overcomes heat.”

In autumn and winter, all things lie still beneath the earth (what the ancients called “beneath the Yellow Springs”). When stillness reaches its extreme, it turns toward warmth, and warmth is the source from which life begins to sprout.

“Clarity and stillness serve as the standard for all under Heaven.”

Those who can be clear and still can serve as the standard on which all under Heaven rely. By keeping to this centered correctness, one will never reach an end.

Moderating Desires, Chapter Forty-Six

“When the world is in accord with the Dao”

This refers to a ruler who follows the Great Dao.

“Warhorses are sent back to fertilize the fields.”

“Fertilize” means applying manure to farmland. Instead of using weapons and armor, warhorses are returned to agricultural work. In terms of self-cultivation, it also means restraining Yang essence to nourish the body.

“When the world is not in accord with the Dao”

This refers to a ruler who has lost the Dao.

“Warhorses breed in the outskirts.”

Warfare does not cease; warhorses breed even in the countryside. This is a sign of a world that has lost the Dao.

Warfare never ceases. Warhorses are born in the borderlands and remain far from home for a long time.

The greatest offense lies in indulging desires—here, craving women and sexual pleasure.

The greatest calamity lies in never knowing when one has enough: even after gaining wealth and status, one cannot restrain or deny oneself.

The greatest fault lies in greed for gain—coveting external things and profit without end.

Thus contentment in knowing what is enough is the way to preserve the true root of life. To remain content is to let no thought of greed arise in the heart.

Seeing Afar, Chapter Forty-Seven

Without leaving the doorway, one can know the affairs of the world. The sage knows the world without going out: by understanding others through one’s own body, and other households through one’s own household, one can thereby comprehend the world.

Without peering out through a crack in the window, one can see the Way of Heaven. The Way of Heaven and the human way are connected; Heaven and humanity respond to one another, and vital essence and Qi flow through both. If a ruler remains still and calm, the seasons and heavenly signs will naturally be orderly and clear. If the ruler has many desires, the atmosphere will become turbid and unsettled. Good and ill fortune, benefit and harm, are all brought upon oneself.

The farther one travels, the less one knows. Leaving one’s own home to observe another’s, and leaving one’s own body to observe another’s, the farther one looks, the less one sees.

Therefore, the sage travels throughout the world without setting out, and knows without making a distant journey; becomes known without seeing, without relying on personal observation; and accomplishes things without acting, without resorting to reckless intervention.

If the ruler esteems Wuwei (non-action), those below will have fewer troubles, households will be well supplied, and all things will naturally flourish.

Forgetting Knowledge, Chapter Forty-Eight

“Pursuing learning, one increases day by day”—in worldly studies, one’s knowledge and understanding grow day by day. (The Heshang Gong commentary usually contrasts this with the Daoist practitioner’s reduction of cleverness and desires, day after day. The text provided ends here, so only this line is explained.)

“Devoting oneself to the Dao, one diminishes day by day.”

Here, “learning” refers to the teachings of government and religion, and to the study of ritual and music. “Increasing day by day” means that people’s desires and artificial embellishments grow more abundant with each passing day.

“Devoting oneself to the Dao, one diminishes day by day.”

The “Dao” is the Dao as it is by nature. “Diminishing day by day” means that desires and artificial embellishments are gradually reduced and worn away.

“Diminish, and diminish again.”

“Diminish” means to lessen one’s desires. “Again” means to keep reducing them layer by layer, gradually letting them go.

“Until one reaches Wuwei (non-action).”

One should be calm and uncontrived, like an infant.

“Through Wuwei, nothing is left undone.”

Once desires have been cut off, De (Virtue/Power) accords with the Dao; then nothing is unsuitable, and nothing remains undone.

“Take the world by always having no affairs.”

Here, “take” means to govern. In governing the world, one should try to have as few affairs as possible, and avoid burdening the people with troublesome policies.

“When affairs arise, one cannot take the world.”

Once a ruler delights in stirring things up and making trouble, with oppressive and complicated policies and teachings, the people can no longer live in peace, and the world cannot be governed well.

Entrusting to De, Chapter 49

“The sage has no fixed mind.”

The sage values adapting to circumstances and following human feelings, as though holding no fixed opinions and having no selfish aims.

“He takes the people’s minds as his own.”

Whatever the people find convenient, the sage follows and puts into practice.

(The following lines, “The sage has no fixed mind” and “He takes the people’s minds as his own,” mean the same as above; they appear again in the Heshang Gong commentary edition.)

“Those who are good, I treat well.”

When the people act well, the sage treats them well in turn.

“Those who are not good, I also treat well.”

Even when the people act badly, the sage still uses goodness to influence them and guide them toward goodness.

“De is goodness.”

The people turn toward goodness under the influence of De, and the sage responds to them with goodness.

“Those who are trustworthy, I trust.”

When the people keep their word, the sage trusts them in turn.

“Those who are not trustworthy, I also trust.”

Even when the people are untrustworthy, the sage still uses trust to influence them and guide them to keep their word.

“De is trust.”

The people keep their word under the influence of De, and the sage responds to them with trust.

“The sage in the world is ever watchful and apprehensive.”

The sage is always cautious and fearful in the world, especially wary of becoming arrogant and extravagant after attaining wealth and status.

“He muddles his mind for the sake of the world.”

(The sage) blends his mind with the minds of the people, clinging to no personal opinions and sharing their concerns.

A sage governs the world by keeping the people’s minds simple and unformed, as though they were dull and unenlightened, without showing off their cleverness.

The people all entrust their ears and eyes to the sage. This means they yield the power to see and hear to the sage, who observes, listens, and makes decisions on their behalf.

The sage, in turn, cares for the people as if they were infants: cherishing and nurturing them without asking anything in return.

Chapter Fifty: Cherishing Life

Entering life and entering death

“Life” means that desires arise from the five organs—the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys—while the Hun-soul is at rest and the Po-soul is still. This is called life. “Death” means that desires surge into the chest and the spirit grows exhausted and confused. This is called death.

Three in ten

The categories of life and death each account for “three in ten.” This refers to the body’s nine apertures—the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and the two lower openings, among others—and the four gates, or key openings within the body. The signs of life are these: the eyes do not look about recklessly, the ears do not listen indiscriminately, the nose does not sniff at everything, the mouth does not taste indiscriminately, the hands do not grasp carelessly, the feet do not wander aimlessly, and Jing (essence) is not squandered. To do the opposite is to move toward death.

Moving into the realm of death

People want to seek life, yet act against it. In doing so, they have “three in ten” ways of bringing themselves into the realm of death.

Why is this so?

The question is: Why do people’s actions lead them into the realm of death?

Excessive devotion to life

Because they pursue life too fiercely and excessively, going against the Great Dao and violating Heaven’s will. They act recklessly within themselves, and so their actions lead them into the realm of death.

Those skilled in nurturing life

“Nurturing” means preserving and caring for life.

Traveling on land without encountering rhinoceroses or tigers

They naturally keep clear of danger, and harm cannot come near them.

Entering battle without wearing armor or carrying weapons

They do not delight in warfare or killing.

Rhinoceroses, tigers, and weapons

The rhinoceros has nowhere to gore them with its horn, the tiger nowhere to extend its claws, and weapons nowhere to pierce them with their blades. Those skilled in nurturing life do not contend with them, and so they are not harmed.

(The meaning of the earlier passage, from “traveling on land without encountering rhinoceroses or tigers” to “not delighting in warfare and killing,” is the same: they do not attract fierce beasts while traveling, nor do they brandish weapons in battle.)

Those who know how to preserve life cannot be harmed by tigers or rhinoceroses, and weapons cannot reach them.

Why is this so?

Because they have no place where death can take hold.

This means they do not incur the thirteen deadly situations. It is also said that spirits and deities secretly protect them, so weapons and wild beasts dare not harm them.

Nurturing De, Chapter 51

The Dao gives birth to all things.

De (Virtue/Power; here, the One, the concrete expression of the Dao) nurtures and sustains them. De is the One: it directs the spreading of Qi (vital energy) to nourish all things.

The One gives all things their form and appearance.

The One creates conditions such as cold and heat, enabling all things to grow and come to completion.

Thus, there are none among the myriad things that do not honor the Dao and value De. Wherever the Dao and De reach, they inspire awe and reverence.

The Dao’s honor and De’s value are not imposed by anyone’s command; all things respond to them as a matter of nature. The Dao does not issue orders to summon the myriad things, yet they respond of themselves, like a shadow following its form.

Thus, the Dao gives birth to all things, and De nurtures them. It makes them grow and brings them up, completes and ripens them, then nourishes and shelters them, preserving their lives and nature. A ruler governing the state, or a person cultivating the self, should act in the same way.

It gives birth to them but does not claim them as its own.

It acts but does not seek reward or rely on its accomplishments.

It nurtures them over time but does not dominate or harm them for its own gain.

This is called Mysterious De: the Dao’s beneficence is subtle and profound, beyond sight or touch, and expects no visible repayment.

All things under Heaven have an origin, and this origin is the Dao (the Way). The Dao should be regarded as the mother of all things under Heaven. It is the source of everything in the world.

Having come to know the mother, one must also come to know the child; the child is “the One.” Since you have come to know the Dao, you should also understand the One. Having come to know the child, one must also hold fast to the mother; since you have understood the One, you should hold fast to the Dao and return to the state of Wuwei (non-action). In this way, you will remain free from danger throughout your life.

Close your eyes and do not look about carelessly; shut your mouth and do not speak carelessly. Then you will not toil or suffer throughout your life. But if you open your eyes to gaze upon sensual pleasures and feed those desires, disorder will take root, and no remedy will be possible for the rest of your life.

To see the first signs of things before they become apparent, and of disorder before it takes shape, is called clarity. To hold fast to gentleness and weakness is called strength. If you turn your gaze outward to probe the gains and dangers of worldly affairs, then draw your radiance back inward and do not let your spirit leak away. Guard the spirit within, and do not allow your body and mind to be depleted; then you will not bring disaster upon yourself. This is called cultivating the constant Dao.

Further Evidence, Chapter Fifty-Three

If I possessed great wisdom, I would follow the Great Dao in governing and personally put into practice the teaching of Wuwei. What I would fear most is governing improperly and departing from the Dao.

Selected Passages from the Commentary on the True Classic of the Dao and Its Virtue (Attributed to the Old Man by the River)

(Continuing the meaning of “Wei”)

“Wei” means being alone and single-minded. The sage alone keeps a reverent and watchful heart, fearing that any deliberate action might stray from the true intent of the Dao. The sage wishes to encourage good conduct, yet worries that hypocrisy may arise alongside it; wishes to trust honest and upright people, yet worries that deceitful “loyalty” may take the opportunity to emerge.

The Great Dao is very level, yet people love paths

“Level” means flat and easy to travel. The Great Dao is naturally level and easy to follow, but people prefer crooked, uneven paths.

The court is exceedingly splendid

The court’s raised terraces, towers, and palaces are built in extravagant splendor.

The fields are exceedingly overgrown

Farmland lies neglected and untilled. It is not cultivated at the proper time, and the farming season is missed.

The granaries are exceedingly empty

The grain harvest has suffered, and the state’s storehouses and granaries are empty, with no reserves.

Wearing fine ornamentation

People prize outward adornment and place importance on a splendid appearance.

Girded with sharp swords

People prize force and martial prowess, and are extravagant as well.

Surfeited with food and drink, with wealth and goods in excess

Those in power overindulge in food and drink and crave pleasure, while wealth and goods pile up in excess. This is a case of having many desires and not knowing when to stop, not true abundance in due measure.

This is called the swagger of thieves

This is what is called the swagger of thieves. When the people are impoverished while the ruler has more than enough, it is often because that surplus has been obtained through plunder and oppression. The ruler then flaunts fine clothes and a sword, unaware that death, the ruin of the household, and harm to the family and clan may follow.

The swagger of thieves—how far it is from the Dao!

When a ruler acts this way, he is not in accord with the Dao. The phrase “how far it is” conveys the Old Man by the River’s sorrow and lament.

Chapter 54, “Cultivating and Observing,” opening passage

Those who are skilled at establishing things do not uproot them

“Establishing” means setting up or founding. Those who are skilled at cultivating themselves and their De in accord with the Dao establish foundations that cannot easily be uprooted. (From this line onward, the Old Man by the River discusses the meaning of “cultivating and observing.”)