《道德真經廣聖義》Vol. 1
About this page. The original text of 《道德真經廣聖義》 Vol. 1 (Dongshen 洞神部, 51 volumes) is shown in Classical Chinese as transmitted in the Kanripo (Kyoto University) edition. An English interpretation of the 13 passages on this page accompanies it: select a passage or press “Interpretation” to show it. All texts in English
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Source textInterpretation
The Broad Explanations of the True Meaning of the Dao De Jing, Volume One
A Plain-Language Interpretation
Written by Du Guangting, Master Guangcheng of the Tang
Preface to the Explanatory Commentary on the Scripture’s Main Meaning
The explanation of this scripture is divided broadly into two parts. First, it describes the circumstances and background behind the composition of the commentary at the emperor’s command; then it explains the main text section by section. Here we begin with the reason the commentary was commissioned.
In times of peace and leisure, our Great Tang emperor Xuanzong devoted himself to the wondrous gate—the approach to the subtle Dao. He regarded the Great Dao as the root of Heaven and Earth, and the Lord Lao (Laozi, revered as the Primordial Ancestor and Sage of the Mysterious Origin) as the founding sage of the Mysterious Teaching. Two scriptures, including the Dao De Jing, had been transmitted and expounded over many years. Their teachings had passed down from the time of Emperor Shun to the Zhou dynasty.
More than sixty scholars across the generations had written annotations and commentaries. On the principles of governing the state, the works of Yan Shi, Hegong, and Yang Biao were considered especially incisive. On the way of cultivating oneself, Songling and Xiang’er were difficult to surpass. Among the commentators were the Southern Dynasties emperors Wu and Jianwen of Liang, as well as Sengzhao, Kumarajiva, Zang, Tao, Gu, Meng, Xia, and others. In western Shu, Ren, Li, and the two Zhangs appeared in profusion, like stars across the sky. Others continued the work of their predecessors, praising or criticizing one another’s writings, yet none fully revealed the profound meaning. No one dared claim to have entered its innermost depths.
In the eleventh year of the Kaiyuan era (723), Emperor Xuanzong personally wrote a commentary on the Dao De Jing and issued this edict:
The edict says: “In ancient times, the Primordial Sage strove to set forth words on the Mysterious.”
Commentary: An “edict” is a written command of the Son of Heaven. The emperor issues edicts, proclamations, orders, and decrees. The empress, crown prince, and princes issue instructions and commands. All are documents through which a ruler commands ministers, or a superior commands those below.
“Say”: The Zilin explains that to speak words from the mouth is to “say”; it also says that opening the mouth and extending the tongue is to “say.” The Shuowen defines it as “words”: the character is formed from “mouth” and “yi” as its sound component, and represents breath emerging from the mouth as sound and forming words. Hence the phrase “the edict says.”
“Ancient” means former times; “was” means existed; “primordial” means beginning; and “sage” means endowed with the virtue of spiritual insight. This is the sense in which the Book of Documents calls wisdom and understanding “sagely.” “Strove” means exerted his utmost; “set forth” means composed and expressed; “mysterious” means profound and subtle; and “words” means literary expression. The meaning is that the Lord Lao, source of the Dao’s transforming power and sage of the primordial beginning, used his utmost virtue to reveal the subtle, nameless Dao. He established names and developed his words in order to revive the Mysterious Way and guide the work of governing. Because his principles are profound, they are called “words on the Mysterious”; because he stands before all the myriad sages, he is called the “Primordial Sage.”
The edict says: “He laid the foundations of the true tradition.”
Commentary: “Foundations” means beginnings. “True” means pure and without admixture. “Tradition” means the honored lineage.
The edict says: “He opened the way for later generations.”
Commentary: “Opened” means to make accessible; “guided” means to advance and reach understanding. “Later” refers to the future, and “generations” to descendants and those who come after. This means that these two chapters of the Dao De Jing have been handed down to guide and enlighten the descendants of later ages.
Classic: The Broadly Illuminating Meaning of the True Scripture of the Dao and Its Virtue
Scripture:
It was transmitted to rulers of later generations, widely transforming the human and celestial realms, and forever expounding its profound and wondrous teachings.
Edict: The writings left behind are indeed still here, but their essential meaning has often been misconstrued.
Explanation: “Left behind” means preserved. After the Lord Lao had completed his mysterious transformations and ascended to the Nine Heavens of Purity, the true scripture he had written was transmitted to the world, revered by a hundred kings and preserved for all ages. “Indeed” means true and trustworthy: a classic that cannot be altered. “Essential” means pure and profound; “meaning” refers to the principles in the scripture. “Often” means to a great degree; “misconstrued” means distorted or misunderstood. The passage says that people have yet to plumb the scripture’s subtle, profound, and pure principles. Although many schools have offered explanations and commentaries, these have still often been mistaken. This refers to the meaning of the edict that follows.
Edict: Even when its guiding aim is distilled, it still falls short of Shu Yan’s work.
Explanation: “Distill” means to select and synthesize; “guiding aim” means its direction and purpose, while “culmination” is where its principles converge. Shu Yan refers to the immortal Yan Junping, who lived in Shu and wrote the fourteen-volume Guiding Meaning of the Dao and Its Virtue while working in a marketplace. The work was vast and expansive, and was praised in its time. Yang Ziyun (Yang Xiong), of the Shu capital, said during the Han dynasty that Shu Yan’s understanding of the Dao and its Virtue was “profoundly hidden.” This meant that his insight was deep and his mysterious Virtue concealed, beyond the grasp of ordinary people—and yet his work still had shortcomings. People of the time held that the text of the Dao and its Virtue consisted of only five thousand words, while works explaining its guiding meaning approached tens of thousands. To expand it for the world was considered rich and comprehensive, but in its treatment of the principles it suffered from excessive elaboration and prolixity. Hence the saying, “Even Shu Yan’s work still falls short.”
Edict: When its chapters and passages are excerpted, the commentary from the Lord by the River may leave things out.
Discussion of the meaning: “Excerpt” means to select and distinguish; “chapter” refers to a section shaped by editorial judgment, and “passage” to a stretch of speech ending at a pause. “From” means “by” or “according to.” The Lord by the River is Heshang Gong. The immortal Lord Ge Xuan’s Preface and Instructions on the Scripture of the Dao and Its Virtue says that Heshang Gong’s personal name is unknown. During the reign of Emperor Xiaowen of Han, he built a thatched hut by the riverbank and often read Laozi’s Scripture of the Dao and Its Virtue. Today, beside the Yellow River in Shanzhou, there is a temple to Heshang Gong; to the left of the road stands the Terrace from which Emperor Wen of Han gazed toward the immortals. People of the time did not know the Lord’s name. They often saw him making straw sandals for a living, and because he lived by the river, they called him Heshang Gong, the Lord by the River. “May leave things out” means that, in the view of the sacred pronouncement, the revered scripture of the Dao and its Virtue encompasses the myriad methods and governs the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity. It contains the foundations for governing a state and managing a household, as well as the essentials for cultivating the self and practicing the Dao. The commentaries of Heshang Gong and others may have omitted some of its principles.
What was incomplete in the commentaries above was that Heshanggong divided the text into eighty-one chapters, confining it to the number “nine times nine” and thereby losing the Sage’s boundless, far-reaching vision of Wuwei (non-action). Hence it is said that, since Heshanggong’s time, some commentaries have become rather cursory.
Imperial Proclamation: The other commentators gradually declined and are not worth counting one by one.
Explanation: “The others” refers to the more than fifty commentators besides Yan Zun of Shu and Heshanggong. “Gradually” means becoming increasingly distant; “minute” means petty; and “count” means to reckon. Although Yan Zun’s work still has points open to debate, it can be discussed with the Chongxuan school. Heshanggong’s commentary, though occasionally brief, is sufficient to point toward the most subtle meaning. The other commentators stray ever further from the Sage’s intent and become ever more minute in their accounts of the Dao; they cannot be measured against the Sage’s teaching, and were never matters that the Sage’s intent required us to count one by one.
Imperial Proclamation: Then will the subtle meaning of my Xuanyuan teachings fall into ruin and oblivion?
Explanation: “My” is the emperor’s self-reference. “The subtle meaning of Xuanyuan” refers to the profound teachings of the Daode Jing and the Book of Changes. The Sage laments that no one has yet fully penetrated and adequately explained the hidden meanings of the Daode Jing or the profound mysteries that run through it. Since Yan Zun of Shu and Heshanggong, commentators have grown ever more distant from the Sage, and their accounts of the Dao ever more inadequate. How could we allow these teachings to fall into ruin and oblivion, unrevealed and unpromoted in our own age?
Imperial Proclamation: I am truly of meager gifts and little virtue, yet I am ever moved by this text. Humbly, I have inherited the blessings bestowed by those who came before; I fear that I may fail to uphold the principle of Wuwei.
Explanation: “I” means the emperor. In ancient times, people commonly addressed one another as “you” and referred to themselves as “I”: in the Zhuangzi, for example, Yunjiang and Hongmeng use “I” to refer to themselves. After Qin Shi Huang established the rule, only the Son of Heaven could call himself “I”; officials and commoners were forbidden to presume to do so. “Meager” means that the Dao has not been widely extended; “little” means that De has not been fully cultivated. These are humble words expressing the Sage’s own view of himself. He is constantly moved by this scripture and fears that its profound principles may be suppressed and lost, leaving people unable to awaken. Yet I have inherited the mysterious protection of the sacred ancestors and occupy the supreme position over all under Heaven. How could I allow the writings on Wuwei to be blocked from circulation and the teachings of the Dao and De to remain obscured? “Those who came before” refers to Laozi’s legacy, which bestowed blessings and brought glory to the sacred Tang dynasty. The son of a bowmaker or a chariot maker does not neglect the craft handed down by his forebears; even a household that gathers firewood worries about carrying its load. How much more, then, should one whose sagely virtue shines alongside that of Yao and Yu, and whose sacred writings surpass those of the ancients, carry forward the work of refining the mysteries of the Dao, so that they may shine brilliantly through the ages?
Imperial Proclamation: Whenever I have leisure for quiet repose, I question the gateway to the mysteries; whatever insights come to me, I set down in notes and commentary.
Explanation: (The explanation of this passage from the proclamation should continue here.) During moments of quiet repose, the emperor questioned the subtle principles at the gateway to the mysteries. He then composed notes and commentary from the insights he gained. This is the origin of the Guangshengyi discussed below.
A Plain-Language Interpretation
On the approach to commentary
Commentaries from different scholars do not necessarily establish distinct schools of thought. This book chiefly fills gaps and clarifies points that earlier commentaries left incomplete or did not explain fully.
Explanation of the meaning: After attending to the myriad affairs of government, the Sage enters deeply into the mysterious and subtle. In stillness and silence, he seeks the truth and probes the wondrous principles, hoping to accord with what is most subtle in the Dao (the Way). The Sage’s intent in explaining passages of the Daodejing such as “emptiness and stillness” arises from his own mind and accords with the teachings of the ancestral masters. “Jian” and “biao” mean to present and submit a memorial; “jie” and “zhu” mean to explain and annotate. The Sage still embraces the virtue of humility and does not wish, like Lü and Zuo Qiuming, to establish a school of thought of his own. He merely completes what remains unclear or missing in the commentaries of others.
Edict One: Now that the work has been completed and the brush laid down, opinions should be sought widely from nobles, ministers, officials, common people, and the Daoist and Buddhist traditions.
Explanation of the meaning: “The brush laid down” means that the meaning of the classic has been made clear, the writing has been completed, and no more is being written. This is called laying down the brush. It is like the time when Confucius returned from the state of Wei to Lu and revised the Spring and Autumn Annals on the basis of records kept by Lu’s historians. The work covers the twelve dukes, from Duke Yin to Duke Ai, over 242 years, and praises or criticizes historical events. In the spring of the fourteenth year of Duke Ai, in the Wuwu year, a hunt took place in the western suburb of Daye. Chu Shang, the charioteer of the Shu Sun clan, captured a qilin. Thinking it an ill omen, he presented it to the official in charge of the game. Confucius saw it and said, “That is a qilin,” then accepted it. The qilin, along with the phoenix and the other five numinous creatures, is an auspicious sign of a ruler’s virtue. Now a qilin had appeared at the wrong time: the omen had failed to find its proper place. The Sage was moved by this, and so he laid down his brush at the passage about “capturing the qilin.” It was an ending born of emotion. Here, “laying down the brush” has a meaning close to that in Confucius’s case, but the work did not end out of grief over the qilin. Rather, it expresses the Sage’s humility: he issues an edict seeking capable and learned people, from princes and ministers to the Daoist and Buddhist traditions, to offer broad discussion and further elucidate the meaning.
Explanation of the meaning: Bu Shang, styled Zixia, was a disciple of Confucius. The Analects, in “Bayi,” records Zixia asking Confucius, “What does ‘Her artful smile is charming; her beautiful eyes are clear; plain silk is the ground for bright colors’ mean?” Confucius replied, “In painting, the plain ground is laid down before the colors.” Zixia asked, “Then does ritual come afterward?” Commentators explain that the first two lines of this poem appear in the second stanza of “Shuo Ren” in the Odes of Wei and praise Zhuang Jiang. The line that follows…
“Pànqiàn” describes a woman whose beauty is captivating. This is an analogy: though Zhuang Jiang was beautiful, she could govern herself through ritual propriety. It is like painting and embroidery: first, the five colors are arranged and set off against one another to form a pattern; then white is used to distinguish the spaces between them, bringing each part clearly into view. A pattern made by embroidery is called “embroidery,” and one made by painting is called “painting.” The Master (Confucius) was pleased that Zixia, on hearing the words “In painting, the plain ground comes last,” understood that beauty must be governed by ritual propriety. So he said, “Then ritual propriety comes last?”
“Zuo” refers to Zuo Qiuming. The Master wrote the Spring and Autumn Annals, and Qiuming composed a commentary on it. Whenever there was an error in the classic, Qiuming corrected it. Sometimes the classic came first and the events followed; sometimes the events came first, and the classic concluded the point. With Qiuming, the Spring and Autumn Annals was like an illness treated by a skilled physician’s needle. The imperial edict invited a gathering of talented men to jointly expound the profound principles, just as Zhongni did with Zixia. The Spring and Autumn Annals relied on Qiuming and did not reject frank words, seeking only to advance what was good. With an open mind, it awaited worthy counsel and offered generous rewards to seek it out. This shows the utmost sincerity with which the enlightened sage welcomed advice. Rewards encourage virtue and also repay merit.
The edict said: “As for fawning ministers who consider themselves sages, fortunately, there are no such people here.”
The explanation says: “Fawning ministers who consider themselves sages” refers to the passage in the “Jiongming” chapter of the Book of Documents: “Servants and ministers fawn, and afterward consider themselves sages.” When worthy men are in service, there are naturally no fawning ministers. When an enlightened and wise ruler governs with folded hands, how could there be the fault of considering oneself a sage? Indeed, there are no such people here.
The edict said: “Boasting by displaying a book in the marketplace is also a petty practice. Since there are no taboos, speak frankly.”
The explanation says: “Boasting by displaying a book in the marketplace” refers to Lü Buwei of old. As Qin’s prime minister, he was enfeoffed as a marquis with ten thousand households, and his influence surpassed all others in the realm. He gathered scholars to write a book, and when it was finished, displayed it in the marketplace, declaring, “Anyone who adds or removes a single character will be rewarded with a thousand pieces of gold.” The work was called the Lüshi Chunqiu, and was much vaunted at the time. Now that the sage ruler’s writings have been completed, he has sought out talented and learned men, opened the way for frank speech, and extended a grace that allows words to be spoken without reserve. By comparison, boasting through a book displayed in the marketplace is indeed a petty practice. Lü Buwei later incurred the First Emperor’s displeasure and was banished to Shu.
The edict said: “Do not let those who come after mock me and compound my lack of virtue.”
“Non-Virtue” means having lost the Virtue of Wuwei (non-action). Once the profound teachings and hidden meanings of the Mysterious Scripture had been fully expounded, the emperor again issued a proclamation inviting broad contributions. He then promulgated an edict of praise and encouragement. Who, beyond the Nine Regions and within the Eight Extremities, would not look up with gratitude and turn toward the enlightened court, where the utmost Dao was honored?
The following year, the emperor wrote commentaries on the scripture on four stone pillars, which were erected at Xing Tang Abbey on the left avenue and Jin Xian Abbey on the right avenue. He also ordered the military governors and prefects of every province to erect stone platforms at the scenic sites of Longxing Abbey and Kaiyuan Abbey, so that the teachings might be passed down forever. The emperor then composed this commentary and had it proclaimed throughout the realm. His edict stated: “The five thousand words on Dao and De are indeed a teaching for the household. In governing the state, they bring about peace and stability; in cultivating the self, they accord with longevity. They encompass the myriad teachings without equal, and stand above the Six Classics as foremost. The Daode Jing should therefore be elevated to the first place among the Nine Classics, above the Zhouyi. The Dao and De, the Zhouyi, and the Zhuangzi shall together form the study of the Three Mysteries. The Zhuangzi shall be titled the True Scripture of Southern Florescence; the Wenzi, the True Scripture of Penetrating Mystery; the Liezi, the True Scripture of Emptiness and Untrammeledness; and the Gengsangzi, the True Scripture of the Cavernous Numinous. Candidates may present these works in the civil examinations under the same rules as those for the Mingjing examination. In the biography of Laozi, Han Fei is to be treated separately and not included in the same account.”
The reasons for the foregoing imperial commentary and edict have now been fully explained. We now turn to the explanation of the main text. The discussion falls broadly into two parts: first, an explanation of the commentary’s title; second, an analysis of the text itself. We begin with the first, explaining the title:
“Commentary on Laozi’s Daode Jing.” The title of the commentary is the title of the scripture itself, which will be discussed below. The word “commentary” means to clear away obstacles and open a path. The scripture contains many meanings, subtle and profound. Although its annotations have been completed, the meaning of its wording has not been exhausted. This commentary was therefore composed to open up what is obscure and difficult, clarify the subtle and mysterious, and explain its meanings so that readers may grasp them. This is why it is called a commentary. The word may also mean “to arrange in order”: it organizes the meanings of the scripture so that they are easier to understand. Some call such a work a “collection,” since it gathers and compiles material; others call it a “record,” since it sets down and preserves what has been said. These names were adopted at different times, but all refer to works that encompass the meanings and principles of a text.
“To explain and interpret the title” means to clarify it. Before we can explain the scripture through commentary, we must first clarify its title. “Title” means the heading at the beginning, which directs the reader’s attention. In classics and other books, in records and biographies, and in histories and chapters, a heading is placed first so that the work can be recognized at a glance. This is the general sense of the term.
“Title” means to set out the main points and make the central meaning clear. “Explanatory gloss” refers to teaching that follows the scripture and explains it sentence by sentence.
The term explanatory gloss reflects the fact that Chinese characters were formed according to different principles. According to legend, writing began when cloud patterns in heaven condensed into forms, while Cangjie, the legendary inventor of writing, created characters on earth by observing the shapes of birds’ and animals’ footprints. Characters are generally divided into six categories. The first is pictographs, such as “sun” and “moon.” The second is indicative characters, such as “above” and “below.” The third is loan characters, such as “come,” whose original meaning was related to “going” but which was borrowed to express coming and going. The fourth is phono-semantic compounds, such as “river” and “stream.” The fifth is compound ideographs, such as combining “stop” and “weapons” to form “martial,” “person” and “speech” to form “trust,” and opposites to form “lack.” The sixth is derivative cognates, such as “examine” and “old,” or “left” and “right.” Because characters were formed with different purposes, their meanings and principles can be understood only through explanation and glossing. The “Explanatory Glosses” in the Erya and the glosses on the Book of Songs belong to this tradition.
Subcommentary (clarifying the principles and explaining each passage)
The meaning of “imperially composed” has already been explained above. The phrase “the sage who composed this account, and the imperially composed subcommentary” refers to Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, revered as the thirty-sixth-generation descendant of the Supreme Lord Lao. He was the third son of Emperor Ruizong and the sixth emperor of the Tang dynasty. Historical records say that he had a dragon-shaped mark on his forehead and other auspicious features: a strange leaf-like growth emerged from his horns, an omen corresponding to an age of peace and prosperity and to the destiny of the renchen year. His mother was Empress Dowager Dou, posthumously honored as Zhaocheng Shunsheng. He was born in Luoyang, the Eastern Capital, on the fifth day of the eighth month of the first year of Wuzhou’s Chuigong era (the yiyou year), which was the wuxu day. From childhood he was intelligent and perceptive. As he grew up, he was generous, kind, and filial, devoted to learning and skilled in writing, as well as brave and decisive. He excelled especially in regular and clerical script, and was also skilled at riding and archery. On a leap-month dingmao day he was made Prince of Chu. In the tenth month of the second year of the Tianshou era, on the wuxu day, he established his own household and was granted a princely office with staff. In the second year of the Changshou era he was made Prince of Linzi and lived in Xingqing Ward. In the second year of the Jinglong era he became deputy prefect of Luzhou. At that time, many auspicious signs appeared in Luzhou: a figure embracing and wearing the moon; a doubled halo; a deer crossing a river; a red dragon resting on the ground; ears of auspicious grain joined together; a yellow dragon ascending the city wall; a sacred cave opening of its own accord; a children’s song coming true; the reappearance of a yellow dragon; a red carp leaping through the waves; two plum trees growing together; a sacred divining plant, the yarrow stalk, standing upright; auspicious vapors in the sleeping quarters; purple vapors at the mouth of a pot; traces left by a giant on Mount Fulong; the manifestation of Qi associated with Xia Yu; a golden bridge of the sage; and a divine being conveying blessings. These and other signs, nineteen in all, were recorded in the histories. In the first year of the Tanglong era he entered the palace, put Empress Wei to death, suppressed the turmoil, and brought Emperor Ruizong to the throne. In the first year of the Kaiyuan era, he ascended the throne from his positions as Chancellor and Prince of Ping. He reigned…
In the fourteenth year of the Tianbao era (755), the emperor abdicated in favor of the crown prince. In the first year of the Baoying era (762), the emperor died at the age of seventy-eight. As for the meaning of “imperially composed”: “imperial” means that the emperor personally undertook the work; “composed” means making or establishing something, as in the saying “establishing rites and creating music.”
The explanation of the title has now been completed, and we turn to the main text. What follows can be divided broadly into two sections: first, an overview of the text’s central aims; second, an explanation beginning with the opening passage. The overview itself has two parts: the “teaching” being expounded, namely the two words “Dao” and “De,” and the “teaching” that expounds it, namely the word “Jing.” These are explained in detail below, in the discussion of the title.
The two words “Dao and De” illuminate the source from which Heaven and Earth generate the myriad things, as well as the subtle principles for governing the state and cultivating oneself. Nothing lies outside their scope. In ancient times, the immortal Ge Xuan addressed the King of Wu, Sun Quan, saying: “The Daode Jing contains the most subtle principles between Heaven and Earth. It encompasses the Way of Heaven, the way of humanity, and the way of the spirits. It is vast enough to include everything and fine enough to penetrate everywhere; it should be followed.” From this perspective, its central aims can be broadly grouped into thirty-eight points.
First, it teaches governing the state through Wuwei (non-action). The Jing says: “Cast aside cleverness and cunning, and the people will benefit a hundredfold. Cast aside benevolence and righteousness, and the people will return to filial devotion and kindness. Cast aside craft and profit, and thieves and robbers will disappear.” It also says: “In loving the people and governing the state, can you practice non-action?” And: “I practice non-action, and the people transform themselves naturally.”
Second, it teaches cultivating the Dao throughout the world. The Jing says: “Put it into practice throughout the world, and De will spread everywhere.” It also says: “Grasp the ancient Dao in order to master present-day affairs.” And: “Hold fast to the Great Dao, and all under Heaven will come to you.”
Third, it teaches governing the state through the Dao. The Jing says: “Govern the world by the Dao, and spirits will lose their power. It is not that the spirits have lost their power; rather, even powerful spirits will not harm people.” It also says: “When the world lacks the Dao, warhorses are bred in the countryside.”
Fourth, it teaches following Heaven’s way through having no affairs to manage. The Jing says: “Humanity follows Earth; Earth follows Heaven.” It also says: “The Dao is constantly in Wuwei, yet nothing is left undone. If the lords and kings can hold fast to it, the myriad things will transform themselves naturally.”
Fifth, it teaches not to look down upon the world because one is honored. The Jing says: “Only one who regards the self as more precious than the world can be entrusted with the world; only one who cherishes the self more than the world can be given the world.” It also says: “Why should the lord of a state with ten thousand chariots treat the world lightly?”
(Continuing from the previous passage) the ruler loses his position, and the ministers lose their proper roles; impatience leads to the loss of a ruler’s composure. It also says: The sage does not deliberately make himself “great,” and so he is able to accomplish greatness.
Sixth teaching: Do not exalt the worthy or prize rare treasures
The Jing says: Do not exalt the worthy, and people will not compete for reputation; do not prize rare goods, and people will not steal. It also says: Make “desirelessness” your desire, and do not value rare goods.
Seventh teaching: Guide the people through non-interference and freedom from desire
The Jing says: Always keep the people free from cunning knowledge and desire, so that those who delight in clever schemes will not dare act recklessly. Govern through Wuwei (non-action), and nothing will remain unguided. It also says: When I take no action, the people prosper of themselves; when I have no desires, the people return to simplicity of their own accord. It also says: Do not stir things up through desire, and all under Heaven will return to the right way of their own accord.
Eighth teaching: Regard all things with impartiality, and do not cling to fame or achievement
The Jing says: 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. It also says: Teach without words. It also says: Act without relying on what you have done, and when your work is complete, do not claim it as your own.
Ninth teaching: Do not be rigid or obstructed
The Jing says: Those who force things fail; those who cling to things lose them. It also says: Let go of excess, extravagance, and overindulgence. It also says: The sage has no fixed mind; he takes the people’s minds as his own.
Tenth teaching: Make humility the foundation
The Jing says: The noble has the lowly as its root; the high has the low as its foundation. It also says: The rivers and seas can become kings of the valleys because they are good at staying below them. It also says: Only one who can bear the humiliation of the state is fit to be its ruler; only one who can bear the state’s misfortune is fit to be king under Heaven. It also says: A great state should place itself below. It also says: One who is good at using people places himself below them. It also says: When a great state humbles itself before a small state, it can win the small state; when a small state humbles itself before a great state, it can be won over. All of these statements refer to the Son of Heaven.
Eleventh teaching: Lords of the feudal states should govern by the right way
The Jing says: Govern the state by the right way. It also says: Governing a state through clever schemes brings calamity upon it; refraining from such schemes brings it good fortune. It also says: The people are difficult to govern because there is too much cunning knowledge; that is why they are difficult to govern.
Twelfth teaching: Lords of the feudal states must not govern harshly or brutally
The Jing says: Governing a great state is like cooking a small fish: turn it little and disturb it little. It also says: When court orders are too numerous, the fields lie waste and the granaries stand empty. It also says: When government orders are overly strict and intrusive, the people are left depleted and diminished.
Thirteenth teaching: Lords of the feudal states should assist the Son of Heaven through the Dao and not exalt military force
The Jing says: Assist the ruler through the Dao; do not use military force to impose one’s might upon all under Heaven. It also says: Those who use force through warfare cannot prevail. It also says: Those skilled at defeating an enemy do not contend with it. It also says: Though there may be armor and weapons, there is nowhere to use them.
Fourteenth Teaching: The Feudal Lords Guide the People Through the Dao
The scripture says: Those in ancient times who were skilled in practicing the Dao were subtle and mysteriously attuned—they were profound and hard to fathom, yet understood how things worked. Their governance was quiet and unassuming, and their people were simple and sincere.
Fifteenth Teaching: The Feudal Lords Do Not Play at War or Abuse Force
The scripture says: Those who use troops often say, “I dare not take the role of attacker; I would rather take the role of defender. I dare not advance an inch, but would rather retreat a foot.” It also says: “When two armies face each other, the side that grieves is often victorious.” No calamity is greater than underestimating one’s enemy. Those skilled in serving as warriors do not flaunt their strength. They raise their arms, yet have no arms; they take up weapons, yet have no weapons—they need not literally throw punches or draw swords. This is the De of not contending.
Sixteenth Teaching: The Feudal Lords Do Not Exalt Extravagance, but Lighten Taxes and Levies to Nourish the People
The scripture says: The people go hungry because those above them levy too much in taxes; that is why they are hungry. When people develop many clever skills and techniques, strange and harmful things arise.
Seventeenth Teaching: The Feudal Lords Do Not Display Their Authority or Sharp Weapons
The scripture says: Fish must not be taken from the deep pool; a state’s sharp weapons must not be casually displayed. Those skilled in practicing the Dao in ancient times did not make the people clever and crafty. Instead, they kept them simple and unassuming, with little cleverness—in the Daoist sense, they did not prize cunning, but valued simplicity.
Eighteenth Teaching: Govern the State and Cultivate the Self by Honoring and Practicing the Three Treasures
The scripture says: “I have three treasures, which I hold and preserve. The first is compassion; the second is frugality; the third is not daring to put myself ahead of all under Heaven.”
Nineteenth Teaching: In Cultivating the Self, Yielding Brings Wholeness; Remaining Soft Brings Victory
The scripture says: “Bent, one becomes whole. The soft overcomes the hard; the weak overcomes the strong.” The soft and weak overcome the hard and strong. The soft and weak belong to the way of life; the hard and strong belong to the way of death. Those who are overbearing and violent do not meet a good end.
Twentieth Teaching: Govern the Self Through Wuwei and Desirelessness
The scripture says: “Always remain free of desire, so as to observe the subtle.” Do not display things that arouse desire, so that the heart-mind is not thrown into disorder.
Twenty-First Teaching: Govern the Self by Preserving the Dao and Nourishing Qi to Fulfill One’s Life
The scripture says: “Attain the utmost emptiness; maintain profound stillness. Focus the Qi and become supple. Nourish the belly, not the eyes: let go of the former and take up the latter”—that is, value substantial inner nourishment rather than pursuing sights and sounds. “Know the white, yet keep to the black. Know the child, yet keep to the mother.” I alone differ from others: I value seeking nourishment from the mother, the source of the Dao. “It is continuous, seeming to remain; use it, and it is never exhausted.”
Twenty-Second Teaching: Govern the Self by Upholding Good and Rejecting Evil
The scripture says: “When all under Heaven recognize goodness as goodness, evil is already present.” Another version reads: “When all under Heaven recognize goodness, evil is already there”—when everyone competes to praise goodness, hypocrisy and opposition arise. This excerpt emphasizes the teaching of upholding good and rejecting evil. It should be read alongside the whole chapter, including the lines “The highest goodness is like water” and “I am also good to those who are not good.”
Classic: The Broad Commentary on the Supreme Sage’s True Scripture of the Dao and Its Virtue
Chapter 23: Teaching People to Order the Self: Making the Accumulation of De One’s Foundation
The Jing says: Once people take “beauty” as beautiful, the idea of ugliness arises along with it. Once everyone agrees on what is good, what is not good becomes fixed as well.
It also says: Always be skilled at helping people, and so abandon no one; always be skilled at helping things, and so abandon nothing.
It also says: A good person is the teacher of one who is not good.
It also says: Blunt the sharpness, untangle the confusion.
It also says: The highest goodness is like water.
Chapter 24: Teaching People to Order the Self: Devoting Oneself Diligently to the Dao
The Jing says: When people of the highest rank hear of the Great Dao, they diligently put it into practice.
It also says: Daring not to dare is what preserves life and allows it to endure.
Chapter 25: Teaching People to Order the Self: Letting Go of Fame and Achievement, and Not Becoming Immersed in Worldly Learning
The Jing says: Put an end to worldly learning, and there will be no troubles.
It also says: Once your work is complete and your name is established, withdraw yourself.
It also says: Achieve success without claiming it as your own.
It also says: Those who cultivate the Dao diminish themselves day by day, reducing selfish desires and clever schemes.
It also says: Which is closer to you, your reputation or your body?
Chapter 26: Teaching People to Order the Self: Not Coveting Worldly Gain
The Jing says: Which is more precious, the body or wealth? Which is more like a grave illness: gaining too much or losing everything?
It also says: Excessive thrift leads to great expense, and hoarding too much leads to great loss.
It also says: Rare goods corrupt people’s conduct and obstruct the right way.
Chapter 27: Teaching People to Order the Self: Putting an End to Empty Rivalry and Not Showing Off One’s Abilities
The Jing says: Those who do not show off their abilities are clear-sighted; those who do not boast of their achievements are effective; those who do not exalt themselves endure.
It also says: The most eloquent seem slow-witted; the most skillful seem clumsy.
It also says: Broad-ranging De seems insufficient.
It also says: The greatest sound seems silent—the soundless sound.
It also says: Those who know themselves are clear-sighted; those who overcome themselves are strong.
Chapter 28: Teaching People to Order the Self: Not Striving for Honor and Favor
The Jing says: Receiving favor and suffering disgrace both cause alarm and unease.
It also says: To be wealthy and noble yet arrogant is to bring disaster upon yourself.
It also says: Filling a vessel to the brim is not as good as stopping in time; hammering something until it is too sharp means it cannot last.
Chapter 29: Teaching People to Order the Self: Knowing Little and Speaking with Care
The Jing says: Knowing that you do not know is the highest understanding; not knowing yet believing you know is a sickness.
It also says: Too many words often exhaust the reasoning; it is better to hold to the middle way.
It also says: Promising too readily earns little trust; taking things too lightly brings many difficulties.
It also says: Block the openings of desire and close the paths of reckless action, and you can avoid a lifetime of toil and struggle.
Chapter 30: Teaching Those Who Have Left Home: The Dao Runs Counter to the World
The Jing says: The people of the world are bright and clear, while I alone am dim and confused. The people of the world are sharp and discerning, while I alone am dull and unresponsive.
It also says: “Bright…”
(The passage appears to continue after “bright.” If the full scroll includes further lines such as “The bright Dao seems dim,” they should be restored from the complete text. The explanation below addresses only the words provided.)
Those who leave home to cultivate the Dao deliberately go against the ways of the world. While worldly people pursue brilliance and display, cultivators of the Dao would rather remain in an unformed, unassuming state. While worldly people argue over right and wrong and scrutinize one another’s faults, cultivators of the Dao would rather remain silent and reserved. This develops ideas found in the Dao De Jing, such as “blending with the light and sharing the dust” and “I alone am different from others,” emphasizing the turn away from worldly custom and toward the Dao.
31. Teaching people to leave worldly concerns and nourish the spirit in pursuit of immortality
The scripture says: “The Valley Spirit never dies; this is called the Mysterious Female” (the source of life rooted in emptiness and gentleness). It also speaks of the way to deepen one’s roots, strengthen one’s foundation, and live long with clear sight, and says: “What is well established cannot be uprooted; what is well embraced cannot slip away.”
32. Teaching people to preserve life, nurture their allotted years, and keep them from fading away
The scripture says: “One who dies yet does not perish is long-lived.”
33. Teaching people to cultivate themselves by putting the self last and practicing Wuwei (non-action)
The scripture says: “By placing yourself behind, you come to the fore; by putting yourself outside, you endure.”
34. Teaching people to regulate the mind and meet the Dao through an empty heart
The scripture says: “Empty the heart; weaken the will.”
35. Teaching people how to conduct themselves in the world: blend your light with others and join in their dust
The scripture says: “Blend your light; join in the dust.” It also says: “The Great Dao flows everywhere; it can be found on either side.” And it says: “Wear coarse clothes, with jade held close within” (outwardly dressed in rough cloth, inwardly carrying a priceless treasure).
36. Teaching people to govern themselves by renouncing cravings and desires, respecting authority, and remaining humble
The scripture says: “The five colors blind the eye; the five notes deafen the ear; the five flavors dull the palate. Racing about and hunting make the heart run wild.” It also says: “When the people no longer fear authority, great authority will descend upon them.”
37. Teaching people to reduce what is excessive and replenish what is lacking
The scripture says: “Use what is abundant to serve what is insufficient.” It also says: “When you give to others, you have all the more; when you give to others, you possess all the more.”
38. Teaching people that embodying the Dao and cultivating themselves will surely bring its reward
The scripture says: “Traveling on land, one encounters neither rhinoceros nor tiger; entering an army, one is untouched by weapons.” It also says: “Because one has no place of death.”
These thirty-eight sections use different approaches to point out the scripture’s central meaning and the methods it teaches. In its broadest reach, this scripture encompasses everything; in its finest detail, it enters the space of a hair’s breadth. How could these thirty-eight sections alone exhaust its essentials? To preserve its teachings, they merely set out the general outline. Compared with the finest hair, they do not amount to even one ten-thousandth.
The Book of Rites says: “The Dao cannot be left for even an instant. What can be left is not the Dao.” A ruler without the Dao is like someone trying to see with neither eye; a minister without the Dao is like a chest and belly without the five organs; a household governed without the Dao is like a corpse, rigid and without breath. From this, we can see that people cannot do without the Dao. If one leaves behind verbal teaching and all pointing and explanation, the Dao is mysterious upon mysterious, wondrous beyond wonder. It may be apprehended by the spirit, but it cannot be conveyed in words.
Words have already conveyed the ultimate realm of the Dao.
Note: The text above is the general title of the first part. The chapter-by-chapter interpretation begins below.
Book title: Extensive Commentary on the True Scripture of the Dao and De, Volume One.
Source text: Kanripo 漢籍リポジトリ（KR5c0114）; Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Report an error / feedback