《道德真經廣聖義》Vol. 20

The Extended Commentary on the True Scripture of the Dao and Its Virtue, Volume Nineteen: A Plain-Language Reading

Author: Master Du Guangting of Guangcheng, Tang dynasty

Commentary on Chapter 21, “The Form of Vast Virtue” (following the previous chapter’s discussion of fear and of rejecting worldly learning as though it were darkness)

The previous chapter explains how one may stand apart from ordinary people. This chapter explains that by following the Dao and the ultimate truth, one can perceive the beginning of all things. The opening two lines, “The form of vast Virtue,” show that a person of Virtue follows the Dao. The ten lines beginning “The Dao, as a thing” unfold the essence and truth of the wondrous source. The five lines beginning “From ancient times” distinguish the names used in its application and conclude with the Virtue that brings things into being.

Commentary: The previous chapter presents worldly learning as an impediment and, by contrast, shows the path of renouncing it. This chapter explains that the ultimate Dao is extraordinary and elusive, and points to where one may dwell in truth. To reach the origin and beginning of all things, one can rely only on the ultimate Dao.

“The form of vast Virtue: it follows only the Dao”

Note: “Vast” means great; “follows” means conforms to. The question is posed: What is the bearing of a person of great Virtue? The answer is that such a person’s conduct follows only the Dao of utmost emptiness.

Explanatory commentary: “Vast” means great, “follows” means conforms to, and “form” means bearing. To clarify how a practitioner conforms to the ultimate Dao, the text asks: What is the bearing of a person of great Virtue? Such a person’s bearing follows only the Dao of utmost emptiness.

Commentary: The Dao has no name; only through De (Virtue) does it become manifest. De has no independent source; it comes into being from the Dao. The realized person can follow the Dao, and then De becomes evident. Thus the text says that a person of great Virtue can only follow the Dao. An emperor who rules the world relies on following the Dao to occupy the highest position; to govern all within the realm, one must embrace the Dao and establish the supreme standard. That is why the Canon of Documents, in its “Canon of Yao” and “Canon of Shun,” says, “It is said: examining the ancient ways…” This means following and examining the Dao of antiquity.

“The Dao, as a thing, is only elusive and indistinct”

Note: This explains the Dao followed by those of vast Virtue. It is neither existent nor nonexistent; its all-pervading function is difficult to name. Hence it is called “elusive and indistinct.”

Explanatory commentary: This describes the form of the wondrous source of utmost emptiness: it is the Dao followed by those of vast Virtue. The wondrous source of utmost emptiness is provisionally named the Dao. What is the movement and form of the Dao as a thing? The text says that this wondrous source is neither existent nor nonexistent, and is difficult to name. If one calls it existent, it is silent and without form; if one calls it nonexistent, it seems tranquil yet somehow present. Since its presence and absence are difficult to name, it is called “elusive and indistinct.”

Note: This chapter is a Tang-dynasty commentary on Chapter 21 of the Dao De Jing. Du Guangting develops his interpretation in three layers: first explaining individual terms, then connecting the lines of the classic, and finally relating them to emperors’ “examination of antiquity” and to cultivation through “following the Dao.” Here, “elusive and indistinct” does not mean confused; it describes the Dao’s state between existence and nonexistence, beyond the reach of words.

Plain-Language Interpretation

Meaning: “Misty and indistinct” is neither simply nonbeing nor simply being. We cannot say that it truly exists, nor that it is entirely absent. We may say that it “exists” because it responds to circumstances and arises to meet things. Yet we cannot call it only “nonbeing,” because its transformations are manifold and its responses to things inexhaustible.

Meaning: “Dao” (the Way) is a name given in reference to “emptiness and nonbeing.” Because through emptiness and nonbeing it opens a way for all things, it is called Dao: nothing is beyond its reach, and nothing proceeds without passing through it. If one clings to “being,” one becomes obstructed by things and can no longer remain open to all. Dao takes emptiness and nonbeing as its substance, and so is not obstructed. All things find passage through it, just as they do along what we call a “road.” It is still and without substance, yet it covers the heavens and supports the earth; the sun shines and the moon looks down; the four seasons of cold and heat, growth and decline, and the movement of the myriad forms all proceed through Dao. So it cannot be called “nonbeing.” Yet if we investigate its activity and examine how things come into being, we see no deliberate effort in it and cannot know how it transforms things. So it cannot be called “being.” Thus we say it is “being within nonbeing, nonbeing within being.” Since it cannot be pointed to and fixed with a name, it is called “misty and indistinct.”

So indistinct, so misty; within it are images.

Note: “Indistinct” means nonbeing; “misty” means being. What begins to show itself is called an image. From nonbeing, being descends, and within it all the images of things begin to appear.

Commentary: This explains the descent from origin to manifestation. “Indistinct” means nonbeing; “misty” means being; what begins to show itself is called an image. The wondrous origin contains no thing, and so is called indistinct; in giving rise to transformation and taking on form, it is called misty. Thus, from nonbeing, being descends, and within it all the images of things begin to appear: this is the descent from origin to manifestation.

Meaning: What proceeds from above to below is called “descent.” The Dao of wondrous origin emerges from emptiness and nonbeing; the substance of emptiness and nonbeing is clear and light, and abides above. It gives rise to and transforms the myriad kinds of things, setting the divine workings of the Dao into motion within wondrous nonbeing and bringing forth wondrous being. Wondrous being blends and transforms, descending from above into the human world, where images of things begin to appear. Wondrous nonbeing is the origin; wondrous being is its manifestation. The origin remains calm and enduring, while the manifestation sustains life and sets things in motion. In this sense, all the images of things are born from the Dao, and all forms are children of the Dao.

So misty, so indistinct; within it are things.

Note: “Things” refers to the phrase above, “the Dao as a thing.” From being one returns to nonbeing and comes back again to the Dao; hence the words “within it are things.”

Commentary: “Things” refers to the phrase above, “the Dao as a thing,” meaning wondrous origin. Wondrous origin descends and gives rise to things, whose images begin to appear. Through cultivating one’s nature and returning to De (Virtue/Power), one returns to having no things—no things.

“It is the Dao itself”

Meaning: “Thing” is the basis of wondrous nonbeing; “image” is the trace of wondrous being. When the basis gives rise to traces, the Dao brings forth the myriad things. When one follows the traces back to the basis, the myriad things return to the Dao. This describes a return from wondrous being to wondrous nonbeing: without beginning or end, it is forever giving birth and transforming.

Commentary: When people cultivate their nature and return to De without leaving the wondrous basis, they naturally attain the supreme Dao of “returning to nonbeing and merging with the hidden.” That is why the text says, “Within it is a thing”—this refers to the wondrous thing. This is the return from traces to the basis.

Meaning: What one receives from the Dao is called nature; what stirs and shifts within nature is called emotion. Those who can gather in their emotions, cut off distracting thoughts, and return to their nature and source are people of utmost De. The basis of utmost De is the wondrous Dao, so cultivating one’s nature and returning to De naturally leads back to nonbeing. What emotion moves toward is “being”; gathering emotion in and returning to the basis is “nonbeing.” To cut off deluded emotions and return to one’s true nature is to fulfill one’s nature and De. De is a step on the path of progress toward the Dao. This is how one returns to the hidden Dao. “Hidden” means being in accord; the wondrous thing is the Dao itself. Thus, gathering the traces and returning to the basis means drawing in the traces of being and returning to the basis of Wuwei (non-action).

“Vast and hidden, within it is essence”

Note: It is hazy between being and nonbeing, remote, hidden, and profound. When emptiness reaches its utmost, it gives rise to life. Cultivating one’s nature and returning to De, gathering the traces and returning to the basis, the wondrous thing abides within nonbeing. Remote, hidden, and profound beyond measure, it contains and nurtures transformation. Within it is the utmost essence; hence the words, “Within it is essence.”

Meaning: At first, the wondrous basis gives rise to what follows, moving from nonbeing toward being. Then the traces are gathered and returned to the basis, moving from being back to nonbeing. These two lines speak, albeit inadequately, of beginning and end, for fear that people will cling to the two paths of “being” and “nonbeing.” Cling to being, and one will inevitably fall into nonbeing; cling to nonbeing, and one will inevitably fall into being. Stuck on either side, one fails to understand the gateway of the Middle Way. So the text reveals, “Within it is essence, utterly real and trustworthy,” making clear that the wondrous Dao is ever-present, without beginning or end. To understand these mysterious words is to accord with the Middle Way.

There is also an explanation from the perspective of generation: the image of the hazy and indistinct is the clear, empty Qi (vital energy), which is heaven above; the thing of the hazy and indistinct is the dense, turbid Qi, which is earth below; and the hidden, profound essence is the Qi that harmonizes and balances. These three Qi interact to form the human being. Among the Three Powers, the human being is the most spiritually perceptive, with the intelligence and functions of heaven… (If the discussion continues with the Three Powers, the human body, and cultivation, it can follow this same line of thought: Qi, essence, and nature correspond to the Dao.)

Key points

• Wondrous nonbeing and wondrous being: The Dao’s essence is formless and is called “nonbeing”; when it manifests as the myriad forms, it is called “being.” Cultivation gathers in the myriad forms and returns to the formless.
• Nature and emotion: The unchanging original nature is called “nature”; thoughts stirred by attachment are called “emotion.” Gathering in emotion does not mean suppressing it; it means cutting off delusion and returning to the source.
• “Within it is a thing” and “within it is essence”: These do not refer to a physical object. They mean that within the ineffable essence of the Dao there is an essence that is real, trustworthy, and something one can rely upon—the utmost essence, true Qi, or original source.
• The Middle Way: To avoid clinging to either being or nonbeing, and to perceive essence and trustworthiness within the hazy and hidden, is to accord with the Dao.

The Earth follows the Dao—all things depend on the Earth to come into being—and nothing fails to take shape; the Earth itself, too, is born of wondrous Qi. If one lets one’s nature run wild and follows one’s desires, one departs from the root and is extinguished. If one cultivates one’s nature and returns to De, one may attain the Dao and rise beyond the ordinary. The harmonious Qi, balanced and peaceful, is endowed within the body; cultivate it and it remains. This is the meaning of “Its essence is most true; within it there is trust”: it is utterly genuine and utterly reliable.

Note: The essence in obscurity and darkness is neither borrowed nor mixed with anything false. It responds when moved by things, and its workings never fail; hence the words “within it there is trust.”

Commentary: The wondrous substance of the supreme Dao is neither false nor borrowed. Its transformations are supremely subtle, so its essence is most true. Its power to generate extends throughout all beings. Whatever moves things receives a response, without the slightest failure; hence the statement that “within it there is trust.”

Explanation: “Extends” means reaches and pervades; “failure” means deviation. The supreme Dao is subtle, wondrous, and mysterious. It cannot be grasped and sought as something existent, nor can it be likened to nothingness. Apart from this, nothing can be called the Dao. What, then, could it borrow or mix with? It may truly be called genuine. Its transforming power is at work everywhere; its capacity to respond to what moves it is inexhaustible. Thus it is supremely subtle and utterly trustworthy. The Book of Documents says, “The human mind is precarious; the Dao mind is subtle. Be discerning and be undivided.” This is the same idea.

From ancient times to the present, its name has never vanished

Note: From ancient times to the present, the Dao has generated the myriad things. Things receive the Dao’s function, and names arise from that function. The Dao’s generative function is the same in every age; therefore the names that arise from its workings have never vanished from ancient times to the present.

To discern the beginnings of all things

Note: “Discern” means to measure and examine; “beginnings” means origins. The supreme Dao, through its workings, measures and examines the origins of all things, allowing each to fulfill its part in the work of generation.

Commentary: The generative power of Dao and De is rooted in the trustworthiness of the true essence hidden in obscurity. It has no beginning or end and remains unchanged across past and present.

Explanation: “Unchanged” means not altered. The true Dao, hidden in obscurity, transforms and nurtures all beings. Things have beginnings and endings, but the Dao is beyond past and present. It is always the root of things, while the Dao itself is Wuwei (non-action).

Commentary: Thus things receive names from the Dao’s workings—for example, Heaven is clear and Earth is settled—and these names have endured from ancient times to the present. As the note says, the Dao’s generative function is the same in every age, so the names arising from its workings have never vanished. Through the trustworthiness of this true essence, the Dao measures and examines the origins of all things, enabling each to fulfill its part in the work of generation.

Explanation: The earlier passage explains that Heaven covers and Earth supports, while the Sun shines and the Moon looks down: all accord with the Dao, and things receive names from the Dao’s workings that endure through every age. Through the trustworthiness of the true essence, the Dao examines the origins of all things and enables each to come into being. This is the meaning of “discern the beginnings of all things.”

General Meaning of the Scripture

These effects—the clarity of Heaven, the tranquility of Earth, the fullness of the valleys, and the life of all things—are names and functions bestowed by the Dao (the Way). These names and functions have remained unchanged from ancient times to the present. Utmost trustworthiness and utmost subtlety likewise endure through all ages. The Dao does not boast of its achievements to all beings; each thing receives its own generation and growth. The Dao’s function appears only amid the many forms of life, yet how could they see its beginning or end? The Dao is the lord of transformation and nurture: profound and wondrous!

The Passage on “the Beginning of All Things”

How do I know that “the beginning of all things”—the source from which the myriad things arise—is like this? I know it by this alone.

Note

I know because all things receive the Dao’s wondrous function and are thereby generated.

Commentary: Further Examination

Let us examine the question more closely: How do I know that the origin of all things draws its substance from the Dao? The Dao must survey and guide them, enabling each to fulfill its function of coming into being. That is why things are as they are.

The answer is: “By this.” All things in the world today receive the Dao’s wondrous function and are generated; this is how we know.

Meaning

The Dao gives life to the myriad kinds of beings and surveys all things. It is the root of things and the source of transformation. Through the Dao, Heaven is clear, Earth is tranquil, all things come to life, and the sun and moon shine. Since this is so, how do we know it? Because the Dao is supremely subtle and trustworthy, unchanged from ancient times to the present: things receive life from the Dao, and the Dao is their root.

Thus, the greatest De (Virtue/Power) resides in Heaven and Earth, and the brightest images are found in the sun and moon. Emperors and kings model themselves on Heaven by following the Dao. They possess all under Heaven and hold the highest place within the realm; they nurture the myriad beings like children and stand foremost among all things. In stillness, they model themselves on Earth; their ceremonial robes model themselves on Heaven; their official institutions model the four seasons; and their clear use of rewards and punishments models autumn and summer. They also embody the Dao’s purity and stillness and follow its Wuwei (non-action). With utmost benevolence they care for the people, and with utmost trustworthiness they set an example. In this way, all beings come to know the Dao as their beginning, let go of what is secondary, and return to the source; they know the Dao as their ancestor and seek to return to simplicity and recover their original plainness. Then the great enterprise can be secured, and the Dao’s mysterious transformation can flourish.

Bending, One Is Preserved — Chapter 22

Commentary: The preceding chapter explained following and yielding: the Dao is supremely real, and therefore can survey the beginning of all things. This chapter explains holding to the One as a model: by not contending, one can bend and be preserved. The first six lines show the practice of being sincere and whole; the next two identify the sage’s conduct and make it clear; the following four restate the meaning of bending and being preserved; and the passage beginning “Therefore, only…” concludes that by not contending, one is sure to be preserved and return to the source.

[Meaning]

The preceding section has already explained the wondrous Dao and its power to spread transformation and bring forth life. Here the text points to the teaching of “wholeness through harmony” and explains how to practice it: by yielding, accepting the lowly place, and setting aside what is worn or shabby, one’s light can grow through humility. It takes “holding to the One” as its model and will show how the few can govern the many. One must cast off the habits of self-display and self-righteousness, overcome the faults of self-importance and self-praise, and preserve oneself with utmost sincerity. Who could rival one who does not contend?

Yield, and you will remain whole

[Commentary] Yielding oneself in order to meet what is required brings wholeness.

[Explanation] “Yield” means to bend and comply. If a person can bend and comply, without opposing things, they can preserve themselves whole. Hence the saying, “Yield, and you will remain whole.”

[Meaning] The way to govern the self begins with governing the heart; the heart can be brought into order only through the Dao. When one attains the Dao, the heart is at peace; when one loses it, the heart is in turmoil. A heart at peace is humble and yielding, while a troubled heart falls into conflict. Humility and yielding mean bending oneself and accommodating others; conflict means dressing up one’s own conduct while finding fault with others. Those who bend themselves and accommodate others do not oppose things, and things in turn accommodate them. When one yields, others are preserved whole, and they will surely preserve one in turn. Not contending with things is the way to preserve oneself. The Book of Documents says: “If the myriad regions have faults, the blame rests with me alone; if I alone have faults, they should not be laid upon the myriad regions.” This is the way rulers bend themselves and take responsibility for their own conduct.

Bend, and you will become straight

[Commentary] Bending oneself to give another room to stand brings straightness.

[Explanation] “Bend” means to accept being wronged by others; “straight” means being able to correct what is crooked. In the meaning of the Spring and Autumn tradition, to correct what is crooked is called “straight.” Though a person does not oppose others, others may still wrong them. If they can bear the indignity, the other person will surely feel ashamed and correct their own conduct. In this way, one’s straightness can correct what is crooked. Hence the saying, “Bend, and you will become straight.”

[Meaning] A heart that has attained the Dao does not oppose things. When others wrong it, it can bear the indignity, and they will surely feel ashamed and correct their own conduct. Consider Lian Po and Lin Xiangru, who both served Zhao. Lian Po held a lower rank than Lin Xiangru and angrily declared, “I have rendered service to the state, yet I rank below Lin Xiangru. I find this shameful.” Whenever he saw Lin Xiangru on the road, he would insult him. When Lin Xiangru heard of this, he would always turn his carriage aside to avoid him. His attendants were puzzled and asked, “The Chancellor fears neither powerful Qin nor Lian Po. Why is that?” Lin Xiangru replied, “Qin dares not treat Zhao lightly because it fears that General Lian and I stand together. If General Lian and I meet and two tigers fight, neither may survive. I avoid him because the state’s urgent needs come first, and private grievances come after.” Later, when Lian Po heard this, he bared his shoulders, carried thorny branches, and came to apologize. In the end, they became friends who would lay down their lives for each other. This is an example of “bending oneself” and thereby enabling the other person to set themselves straight.

Plain-Language Commentary on the Scripture

Once a tiger takes up a fighting stance, it is often difficult for both sides to come through unharmed. The crisis in Zhao and the advantage gained by Qin were just such a situation. I—referring to a figure like Lin Xiangru—yielded and kept out of the way in order to protect the state. How could I have done so for personal gain? I have heard that later someone—like Lian Po—came to apologize with his chest bared and thorns on his back. This was because, under the force of that example, he had no choice but to reflect on himself and put his conduct in order. Such is the effect of using what is “straight” to correct what is “crooked.”

“Setting the Crooked Straight” (on the meaning of “using the straight to correct the crooked”)

In the winter of the seventh year of Duke Xiang of Lu, in the tenth month, Han Jue, a high minister of Jin known as Han Xianzi, retired in old age. His son Han Wuji, known as Muzi, had a disabling illness and was about to be appointed his heir. Han Jue declined, saying: “The Book of Odes says, ‘How could I not rise early and stay up late? The road is thick with dew.’ It also says, ‘If one does not attend in person, the common people will not trust him.’ I, Wuji, lack ability. Would it not be more fitting for me to step aside? Please appoint Han Qi instead.”

Han Qi went on an outing with Tian Su, who said: “You cherish benevolence. The Book of Odes says, ‘Be respectful and dutiful in your office; love what is upright and straight. The spirits will hear you and grant you great blessings.’ Caring for the people is Virtue; being upright is what is correct. ‘Setting oneself straight’ means putting one’s own heart in order. ‘Setting the crooked straight’ means using what is upright to correct another person’s distortions. Harmony, benevolence, Virtue, and uprightness—when all four are present, one is fully human. Then the bright spirits will hear, and great blessings will descend. Would it not be fitting to appoint him?”

On the day gengxu, Han Qi was sent to pay a court visit to Han Xianzi, who then firmly requested retirement. The Marquis of Jin considered Han Wuji benevolent and appointed him a Grandee of the Ducal Clan.

“The Hollow Becomes Full”

Commentary: By holding to the Virtue of humility and yielding, one is continually brought to fullness.

Explanation: “Hollow” means low-lying or sunken; “full” means filled to overflowing. This is a metaphor. Water gathers and fills a hollow in the land; when a person maintains humility and yields, their Virtue grows radiant. By being willing to bend and yield, and content to remain in a low place, one is preserved, becomes upright, and reaches fullness. Hence the saying, “The hollow becomes full.”

Meaning: “The Way of the Earth takes from what is full and pours into what is humble” refers to hills and valleys: high places gradually sink, while low places rise in turn. Thus what overflows is altered, and the influence of humility spreads. What is full will be changed, so one cannot rely on being high; what is humble spreads in all directions, so what is low can endure. Water flows into a hollow in the earth and fills it; Virtue gathers around a humble person and makes it flourish.

“Practicing humble restraint” means that in every gesture of deference, advance, and withdrawal, one is cautious and humble, does not violate the rules, and acts in a gentle, yielding way. Virtue then gathers around such a person, just as water gathers in a hollow in the earth. Being able to bend and yield, and being “hollow,” are all metaphors for keeping one’s heart low. Being preserved, becoming straight, and becoming full are all metaphors for the increase of one’s Virtue. A ruler who governs the state by accepting what is impure and bearing what is unwanted, while honoring the worthy and treating those below with courtesy, will draw people from near and far; the state will then prosper.

Note: Han Xianzi, Han Wuji, Han Qi, Tian Su, and Grandee of the Ducal Clan are names of aristocratic lineages and official positions in the state of Jin during the Spring and Autumn period. “Setting the crooked straight” and “practicing humble restraint” are terms commonly used in Daoist thought and ritual learning; their meanings have been clarified in context above, while proper names have been left unchanged.

The Broadly Expounded Meaning of the True Scripture of the Dao and Its Virtue

Scriptural text: “What is worn becomes new.”

Commentary: If you hold to what is worn and humble—placing yourself low and living simply—your virtue will renew itself day by day.

Explanation: “Worn and humble” means willingly taking a lowly position that others would rather avoid. Bending yourself, yielding your own advantage, and staying in low places all mean putting yourself below others. If you live this way, others will esteem you and put you first, and your virtue will improve with each passing day. That is why the text says, “What is worn becomes new.”

Further meaning: Ordinary people do not want to accept a lowly, difficult, or humiliating situation. But if I choose it and place myself there, people will praise me. Those who cultivate the Dao do what others will not do, learn what others will not learn, find peace where others cannot, take joy in what others dislike, do what others refuse to do, and attain what others cannot attain. Their conduct is marked by humility, stillness, and simplicity. In this way, the light of De shines and the Dao is fulfilled; their virtue can be said to renew itself day by day.

Scriptural text: “By taking little, one gains.”

Commentary: Hold fast to Oneness and do not depart from it; then you will not lose it.

Scriptural text: “By taking much, one is confused.”

Commentary: Too many contrived methods lead to confusion.

Scriptural text: “Therefore, the sage holds to Oneness and makes it the pattern for all under Heaven.”

Commentary: The sage holds fast to simplicity and singleness of purpose, and so becomes a model for all under Heaven.

Explanation: “Little” means choosing to take little for yourself. If you take little, you lose nothing; hence the text says “gain.” If you take much, you are bound to compete; hence it says “confusion.” The same is true of self-cultivation and cultivating the Dao: one must hold fast to purity and Oneness, preserving one’s original simplicity. Seeking widely among different paths invites disorder and confusion. A sheep is lost because the road branches; a life is lost, one may well say, because one pursues too many directions. Thus the sage never departs from Oneness and can serve as a model for all under Heaven. “Pattern” means a standard or example.

Further meaning: An honest person can divide up wealth fairly; this means that they take little for themselves. One who takes little is not greedy. Without greed, people do not compete; when people do not compete, one gains. One who takes much is bound to feel wronged; when resentment arises, so does conflict. Others may then take what one has, and one ends up losing. This is the source of confusion.

This serves as a lesson in cultivating the Dao. The methods of cultivation are many, but attaining the Dao depends on holding to Oneness. If you hold to Oneness without losing it, you can attain the Dao by ordering your own life; if you govern a state in this way, you can practice Wuwei (non-action). Through Wuwei, all things are transformed; each thing then rests in peace. That is why the sage holds to Oneness as the model for all under Heaven.

In ordering one’s life, one should not multiply one’s concerns; in cultivating the Dao, one should not multiply one’s methods. When concerns multiply, countless anxieties consume one’s life. Can life remain unharmed? If ten thousand people bend their bows and shoot at one swan, can the swan escape being hit?

Summary: “What is worn becomes new” teaches that living humbly and simply renews one’s virtue day by day. “By taking little, one gains; by taking much, one is confused” teaches that taking little prevents loss, while pursuing too many paths brings disorder. The sage holds to Oneness as a model for all under Heaven: in cultivating oneself and governing the state, remain focused rather than seeking in every direction, lest one lose the way like a sheep at a fork in the road or lose one’s life by pursuing too many paths.

This passage is mainly saying that greedily seeking everything and putting oneself at the center of every matter only carries one farther and farther from the Dao (the Way). By contrast, restraining the self, remaining humble, and yielding to circumstances allow De (Virtue/Power) and achievement to emerge fully.

First, one should not “cultivate through too many schools at once.”

If the paths of cultivation are too numerous—the teachings of the mysterious traditions countless, the volumes of alchemical texts vast—yet one person tries to take on the methods of many sages all at once, the result is often this: the body grows exhausted from rushing about in the world, while the mind and spirit become inwardly confused and unsettled. Thus one is said to be moving ever farther from the Dao.

The same applies to governing a state. When orders come from too many quarters, with inconsistent commands and tangled responsibilities, the feudal lords are unwilling to submit. When laws and decrees are too dense and fussy, the hearts of the people fall apart. If the three ministers of a state each pursue their own approach, it is naturally hard to govern. It is like assigning nine shepherds to ten sheep: too many hands make the flock harder to manage. It is also like losing sheep and blaming the many branching paths. Things often fail not because there are too many paths, but because reasoning is unclear and management too complicated. The principles of cultivating the Dao and governing a state are connected.

Second, “Not displaying oneself, one becomes clear.”

When a person does not keep fixing attention on their own strengths or showing off, and often sets aside personal wishes to adapt to people and circumstances, De can be preserved, and clarity comes of itself.

If one displays one’s own excellence, it is easy to compete with others and hard to yield and adapt. By yielding and adapting without promoting oneself, one’s De becomes increasingly complete and evident. When De is complete, the body is complete; when the body is complete, Qi (vital energy) is complete; when Qi is complete, Shen (spirit) is complete. A person whose Shen is complete is clear and open both inwardly and outwardly, able to see into vast realms. This kind of “clarity” is not showing off one’s cleverness. It is becoming more evident by not displaying oneself.

Third, “Not insisting on being right, one becomes manifest.”

When a person does not insist that “I alone am right,” and is willing to yield so that others may flourish, integrity emerges naturally.

A person who assumes they are always right must be inwardly attached, and will find it hard to set aside their own position and follow others. By yielding and following others without clinging to one’s own rightness, integrity becomes more evident, and goodness shines more clearly. When De is broad, all things turn toward it. As De grows brighter and greater, its “manifestation” is not something produced by boasting about oneself.

Fourth, “Not claiming credit, one achieves merit.”

When a person does not boast of achievements or seize credit, but consistently remains humble and yielding, others are less likely to compete with them for credit, and the achievement instead accrues to them—just as water inevitably gathers in low places. This is why the text says, “therefore one achieves merit.”

The overall message is this: fewer schools, less self-importance. Avoid scattered study, self-display, insisting on being right, and claiming credit. This is the path of self-cultivation and effective action that the Guangsheng Yi emphasizes here.

By not boasting of one’s merits, one accomplishes much

Meaning: To praise oneself is called “boasting.” Those who are given to self-praise must harbor a desire to compete and cannot lower themselves in humility. When someone can lower themselves, remain humble, and refrain from boasting of their goodness, that goodness becomes evident and bears fruit. Those who accomplish good works benefit people and bestow blessings on things; wherever their goodness reaches, who would not gladly follow them? The achievements of one who does not boast are therefore great. Yan Hui said, “I hope to refrain from boasting of my goodness.” The Book of Documents says, “If you do not boast, no one under Heaven will contend with you over merit”—that is the meaning here.

By not exalting oneself, one endures

Commentary: If people can long preserve what is worn and humble, without exalting or flaunting themselves, others will recognize their strengths.

Exegesis: This further explains “what is worn becomes new.” If people can preserve what is worn and humble, without exalting or flaunting themselves, others will surely yield to them. Their good conduct can then grow ever greater; hence, “one endures.”

Meaning: “Exalting” means relying on oneself. Those who rely on their own strengths must have a desire to boast and show off, and so cannot place themselves among what is worn and humble. If they can remain among what is worn and humble, others will surely recognize and praise them, and the beauty of their not exalting themselves will grow ever greater. The Book of Documents says, “If you do not exalt yourself, no one under Heaven will contend with you over ability”—that is the idea.

Because one does not contend, no one under Heaven can contend with one

Commentary: If one does not contend with other things, who could contend with one?

Exegesis: The practices of bending to remain whole, and the like, all involve yielding and following rather than contending. The soft and weak have already prevailed over the hard and strong, and humility draws things to itself. Since this is so, among all the people and things under Heaven, who could contend with one who does not contend? Thus it is said, “No one can contend with one.”

Meaning: Those who delight in contention are far from the Dao. The virtue of not contending is a great virtue. Earlier, the text presented bending to remain whole, being crooked yet upright, being low yet filled, and being worn yet renewed as four practices to cultivate. It then further explained that not displaying oneself, not asserting oneself as right, not boasting of one’s merits, and not exalting oneself are the fruits and rewards that follow. Those who practice these four ways are humble and gentle, and do not contend with other things. Therefore, no one under Heaven can contend with them, and they receive the rewards of the four forms of goodness: becoming clear, becoming manifest, accomplishing much, and enduring.

The saying of the ancients, “Bend and remain whole”—could it be empty words? Truly, one who is whole returns to this way

Commentary: The ancients spoke of bending to remain whole. Could this be false? In truth, one who can bend will surely remain whole; this is where reason leads.

Exegesis: This cites the ancients to conclude the teaching on bending to remain whole. From ancient times there has been this saying about bending to remain whole. Could it be that these words were spoken without any truth behind them? If one can yield and follow …

(The original appears to break off before the passage is complete. Its general meaning is that one who truly yields and seeks wholeness will be preserved, and reason will affirm this.)

Brief explanations of key terms:

• Boasting: Praising one’s own goodness.
• Exalting oneself: Relying on one’s own abilities and looking down on others; praising oneself.
• “What is worn becomes new”: By preserving what is old and unadorned and avoiding display, one can instead be renewed day by day. This belongs to the same sequence in the chapter as “being low yet filled.”
• “Bend and remain whole”: By yielding and following gently, one can remain whole. This is a central saying in chapter twenty-two of the Dao De Jing.

This passage elucidates the principle of the "Way of Bending to Attain Wholeness" (Ququan zhi Dao). Here, "bending" refers to an attitude of pliancy and humility, not to distortion or impropriety. The sage (referring to a leader of high moral virtue) upholds this approach of seeking completeness through gentleness to guide and transform the world.

When the world is well-governed, the sage does not deliberately display personal virtue, does not consider their actions absolutely correct, does not boast of achievements, nor flaunts their abilities. All things naturally submit to the sage's De (Virtue/Power), while the sage maintains a consistently humble and gentle demeanor. In this way, the virtue of "bending to attain wholeness" naturally manifests.

From ancient times to the present, this principle has remained clear, and its practice has proven effective—it is by no means empty rhetoric. If a ruler (leader) can maintain singularity of purpose and humility, return to authenticity, and preserve tranquility, they will inevitably demonstrate sincere and perfect virtue, ultimately achieving universal peace.

Note: The "Way of Bending to Attain Wholeness" is a key Daoist concept, referring to attaining perfection through pliancy and humility. "Embracing Oneness" (Baoyi) means maintaining a singular state of mind, while "upholding humility" (Huīqiān) signifies holding fast to modesty.