《道德真經廣聖義》Vol. 29

The Broad and Sagely Commentary on the True Scripture of the Dao and Its Virtue, Volume Twenty-Eight (Jing Four)

Set down by Master Guangcheng, Du Guangting, of the Tang dynasty

Chapter Thirty-Four of the Dao De Jing: “The Great Dao Flows Everywhere”

Commentary: The preceding chapter discussed how guests submit to a ruler who possesses the Dao. Building on the ability to know oneself and master oneself, this chapter explains how to accomplish a great and flourishing enterprise: all things follow the Dao that forgets its achievements. It begins with “The Great Dao flows everywhere,” showing that it can move left or right and has no boundaries. It then says, “Its work is accomplished, yet it claims nothing,” explaining that neither smallness nor greatness can serve as a name for it. Thus the sage “does not regard himself as precious” and thereby accomplishes a great and flourishing enterprise.

The meaning is this: Having shown that a ruler who possesses the Dao gains long life and does not perish through knowing and mastering himself, the text now presents his conduct as mirroring the Great Dao: unimpeded, claiming no credit, relying on nothing, and not considering itself great. In this way, he can accomplish a great enterprise. “Flows everywhere” means that the Dao can move left or right and is not confined to one direction. A boundary marks the limits of a region; a field boundary divides land. The Dao brings the myriad things into being without refusing them or claiming them as its own, and is neither great nor small. The sage acts with perfect ease and does not regard himself as precious; thus he attains honor and greatness.

“The Great Dao flows everywhere; it can move left or right.”

Commentary: The Great Dao flows everywhere, bound to nothing, yet able to respond to things. It can move left or right, without favoring one side.

Exegesis: “Flows everywhere” describes something free from restriction or hindrance. The Dao, as a thing, is neither Yin nor Yang, neither soft nor hard. It flows freely, bound to nothing, and can accord with the many forms of things. It can move left or right and has no single designation. Thus Zhuangzi says, “The Dao has never had any boundaries.”

The meaning is this: The essential substance of the Great Dao condenses into the True One and disperses into the myriad transformations, flowing freely without attachment. It is like an empty boat, without a solid form. It is not murky and dark: it is not Yin. It has no blazing appearance and does not shine with clarity: it is not Yang. It hangs the heavens above and bears the earth below, strong and vigorous, moving like a dragon: it is not soft. It yields in harmony and adapts to things, reaching into the finest hairs: it is not hard. It can appear or disappear, become subtle or manifest, flowing freely without attachment. It carves and shapes things of every kind, doing everything needed to respond to the myriad forms. It reaches in every direction and extends through all realms, confined to no single place; it can move left or right. It runs through all things as one and serves as the pattern for the world, with no single designation. “It has never had any boundaries” means that it has no limits or divisions and disperses freely.

Plain-Language Interpretation

(On “all things return to stillness” and “from nothing further existing, the myriad differences arise and transform”)

When nothing is not still, all returns to quietude. When nothing further exists, the myriad things come into being and transform, each in its own way. This is the movement from “nonbeing” to “being,” from the One to the many.

The Zhuangzi, “Discussion on Making All Things Equal,” says:

The Perfected People of ancient times had knowledge that reached its utmost limit. What did that utmost limit mean? Some held that it was reached before there were any “things”: at that point, fulfillment was complete, and nothing could be added. Next came the view that there were “things,” but that there were not yet fixed attachments or boundaries. This describes the time when Heaven and Earth first took shape and people lived among them: the myriad things each followed their own nature, perception was pure, and the heart acted through Wuwei (non-action), so there were no fixed attachments. Next came the view that there were not yet “right and wrong.” Once right and wrong appeared, the Dao was diminished. When the Dao was diminished, partial names and distinctions arose.

Those who cultivate themselves should embody the Dao, empty their hearts, and hold fast to nothing; only then can they reach subtle understanding. In governing a state, one should be open and at ease, acting through Wuwei, in accord with the Dao, in harmony with the great order, and returning to the highest principle.

Scripture: “The myriad things depend on it for life, and it does not refuse them.”

Commentary: Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things all rely on the Dao’s harmonious power to generate and transform, and so each can sustain its life. The Dao’s wondrous source of generation and transformation acts without intention. Though the myriad things depend on the Dao for their life, the Dao does not plead weariness as a reason to refuse them. Another interpretation: the myriad things do not offer thanks to the Dao. The Dao is impartial, and things need not thank it.

Explanation: Heaven’s height comes from the Dao’s Qi (vital energy) covering it; Earth’s breadth and depth come from the Dao’s Qi supporting it; the abundance of the myriad things comes from the Dao’s Qi filling all things. If the Great Dao did not move and transform the One Qi, who could bring about such height, breadth, depth, vastness, and abundance? The Dao nurtures and transforms the myriad things, and each receives its own life. Life gives rise to more life, bringing each thing to completion. The Dao gives life to things through Wuwei, and things arise of themselves; the Dao transforms things through Wuwei, and things transform of themselves. Although life and transformation come through the Dao, the Great Dao does not boast of its work or complain of the effort. Nor do the myriad things credit the Dao for the gift of life and transformation. It is like rain and dew nourishing all things: things are moistened of themselves and do not thank the rain and dew, which in turn do not pride themselves on their nourishing work.

Thus, a sage ruler who governs the people and a worthy person who benefits things act like the Dao in bringing them forth, or like rain and dew in nourishing them. When the sage above forgets his accomplishments and the people below forget the ruler’s power, this accords with transformation at its highest.

Scripture: “When the work is done, it does not claim ownership of the achievement.”

Commentary: The myriad things make use of harmony and rely on the Dao for life and transformation. The Dao does not plead weariness as a reason to refuse them. Once its work is complete, it does not claim, “This is mine.”

Commentary: “Achievement” refers to the accomplishment of bringing the myriad things into being. The Dao’s work of transforming and producing the myriad things is complete, yet it does not regard what it brings forth as its own.

Another interpretation: The Dao transforms and produces the myriad things, and though its work is complete, it never claims to “have” them. This means that it forgets its achievement.

Meaning: As for “having”: the forms of the myriad things each receive the Dao’s Qi and thereby come to be. They are all the Dao’s achievement. Without receiving the Dao’s Qi, the work of bringing them into being would fail. Yet the Dao’s wondrous source is without being or name, and its wondrous workings are inexhaustible. Once things have come to be, the Dao does not rely on its own power; once things have been produced, the Dao does not claim their achievement as its own. It neither takes things as achievements that belong to it nor clings to them as its possessions. Being and nonbeing alike dissolve, and all workings are forgotten: it forgets not only its achievement in producing and transforming the myriad things, but also their “having” or existence.

It cherishes and nurtures the myriad things without acting as their ruler; ever free of desire, it may be called small.

Commentary: It cherishes and nurtures the many beings without ruling them. Having no desire toward things, it may be called small. This means that it cannot be called small.

Exegesis: This is an interpretation that explains the meaning through the force of the wording. It is like a writer saying, “Could it be attained?” while meaning that it cannot be attained. On this basis, close examination of the scripture shows that “it may be called small” means that it cannot be called small. The Dao gives birth to the myriad things, cherishes and nurtures them until they mature, yet does not rule them. It is always without desire toward them. How could the Dao be narrow or small? Thus, “it may be called small” means that it cannot be called small.

Meaning: This interpretation draws out meaning from the force of the wording, as when a stylist says, “Could it be attained?” and means that it cannot be attained. Accordingly, when the scripture says “it may be called small,” it means that it cannot be called small. The Dao gives birth to and transforms the countless kinds of beings; its harmonious Qi extends everywhere, leaving nothing out, great or small. Its work of nurturing, bringing to completion, and cherishing them is complete; its kindness in nourishing them is universal. It does not rule them, but lets each fulfill its own process of coming into being. It has no intention toward things, and its kindness in embracing and nourishing them is immense. This is the understanding offered by the sages.

Now for my explanation: All beings with life and form—those that fly or dive, move or grow—are covered and nurtured by the Dao’s Qi, which extends its power to every one of them, from the tiniest speck to the tallest mountain. The Dao lovingly nurtures them without ruling them; things depend on the Dao, yet the Dao does not claim their achievements as its own. Though the great Peng and Kun depend on the Dao to transform, even the tiny Jiaoming depend on the Dao to be formed and brought to completion. Thus, even something as small as an autumn hair is warm and moist while the Dao’s Qi is present; when that Qi departs, it withers and dries. The Dao does not abandon even an autumn hair—how, then, could it be called small?

The meaning of the scripture

The Dao seems subtle, yet it can fill Heaven and Earth; in this sense, it may be called vast. It does not take the position of a ruler, so one may say of it… (The scripture is incomplete here. Its general meaning follows Chapter 34 of the Dao De Jing: “It may be called small, it may be called great; all things return to it, yet it does not act as their master.”)

To forget one’s own merit is the function of the Dao. It can appear small, and it can appear great, yet it is not fixed as either small or great. Nothing lies beyond what it can encompass as “small,” and nothing lies beyond what it can embrace as “great.”

All things turn toward it, yet it does not claim to be their master. For this reason, it may be called “great.”

Commentary

Because the Dao cherishes and nourishes all things, all things turn toward it. Though the forms of things differ, the Dao does not claim to rule them; in this sense, it may be called “great.” Yet this does not mean it can simply be named “great” or “small.” Since it is neither small nor great, ordinary names can hardly describe it.

Explanatory commentary

“All things return to it” means that all things turn toward the Dao’s power to generate and bring them to fulfillment. Though all things turn toward the Dao, it does not claim to be their master. It possesses all things without forcibly gathering them in. Could this mean that the Dao is not vast enough? Thus the scripture says, “It may be called great.” Since it may also be called left or right, it is neither small nor great. What is neither small nor great is inherently difficult to give a fixed name. The phrase “the myriad things are all different” in the commentary comes from the Zhuangzi.

Explanation of the principle

The Dao generates all things, and all things receive its power of generation. Each attributes its fulfillment to the Dao, yet the Dao claims no merit and assumes no mastery, allowing each thing to fulfill its own nature. Does this not mean that the Dao is great? Thus Shengjie (or another commentator) asks: Can it be called great? Earlier, it was said that it may be called small because it is not truly “small”; it may be called great, too, but it is not truly “great.” Since it is neither great nor small, it is difficult to define. This is what is meant by “difficult to give it a name.”

“The myriad things are all different” comes from “Heaven and Earth,” a chapter of the Zhuangzi. Confucius says: “The Dao covers and supports the myriad things—how vast it is! A gentleman must turn inward and examine it with care.” Wuwei (non-action) is Heaven. Acting without striving, yet accomplishing things, is De. Loving people and benefiting things is benevolence. Treating what differs as one is greatness. Moving through the world without seeking to stand apart is breadth. Possessing the myriad differences without clinging to one side is richness. This means that the myriad things under Heaven are all different, yet I can be one with them; in this sense, I possess the wealth of the world.

The Dao is originally undivided. In the realm of things, forms are myriad and diverse; in the realm of the Dao, they are gathered into one. This is what the sage seeks to make clear. The present explanation says: The Great Dao conceals its De and hides its name, resting in stillness without form, and so it may be called small. What is born among the myriad things is born of itself; what transforms does so of itself. Each fulfills its own nature, and the Dao does not rule over it, so the Dao may be called great. This is also like an emperor who uses the Dao to nourish all things and De to govern the people: observing the harmony of the six Qi and following the commands of the four seasons, nourishing them with benevolence and setting them right with righteousness.

Plain-Language Interpretation

The Scripture’s Main Idea

Use benevolence to care for the people, ritual institutions to bring order, trustworthiness to guide and transform everyone, and rewards to encourage good deeds.

Even when killing a blade of grass or felling a tree, one must choose the proper season and act with utmost care and gentleness, anxious that they might be deprived of their natural place. This kind of attentive care may be called “being small.”

When all things fulfill their natures, the people each find their proper place, those above and below live in harmony, and Heaven and Earth are at peace, the sage is humble and dignified, yielding merit to the Dao (the Way). The sage does not claim achievements as their own or treat high status as their personal possession. This state may be called “being great.”

Thus the sage never presents himself as great, and for that reason is able to accomplish greatness.

Commentary (Meaning)

The sage models himself on the Great Dao, forgets his achievements and does not claim credit for them, and does not contrive to magnify himself. In this way, he is able to accomplish great things.

Explanatory Commentary

This passage discusses the sage who governs the world: he bestows kindness and extends benefits, allowing a simple, generous way of life to take root and his teaching to spread, so that all things can flourish according to their nature. He models himself on the Great Dao, forgets his achievements and does not claim credit, and does not exalt himself. Thus he is able to accomplish great things.

Interpretation

When the sage governs the world, he cares for the people and all things, extending kindness to matters both great and small. This might be called “being small.” He lets things fulfill their natures, gives credit for their achievements to the Dao, and this might be called “being great.” He models himself on the Great Dao in guiding and transforming others, extends kindness to everyone, inspires them with a gentle and harmonious way of life, and governs through stillness and clarity. He forgets his achievements, claims no ownership, and does not exalt himself. Thus his flourishing work and sage-like virtue can be great. It is precisely by “not being great” that he attains such greatness.

Those who cultivate themselves are open and unattached, like clouds without intention and water that takes the shape of its vessel. They can move left or right, take any shape, and do not become fixed in convention. When things come, they reflect them; though the things they encounter are many, they do not cling to them. Their minds serve the many things of the world, yet they do not boast of the virtue of benefiting them. Their benevolence extends to every living creature, without favoritism. All goodness returns to its source, yet they do not claim to be its master. By revealing a virtue that is neither small nor great, and earning no reputation for self-exaltation or self-praise, they can preserve the true and constant Great Dao.

Chapter Thirty-Five: Holding to the Great Image

(According to the Explanatory Commentary: The preceding chapter showed that the Dao can …; to the left and right, things are embraced with care.)

(The preceding chapter discussed the work of nurturing. This chapter explains that when a ruler puts the Dao into practice, people turn toward him and return to a state of peace and ease. It begins by naming “holding to the image” to show what it means to turn toward and return; next, it uses “music and food” as an illustration of why people are drawn to return. The passage then explains that the Dao is expressed in what lies below, clarifying the teaching of Wuwei (non-action) and wordless instruction, and encouraging rulers to put the Dao into practice.)

Interpretation

This passage discusses the sage who governs the world: he does not exalt himself, yet he can accomplish great things. This is because he holds to the “Great Image”—the complete image of the Great Dao, its fundamental pattern—and so the world turns toward him.

“Image” is the Dao (the Way): amid a hazy, indistinct state, an image is still faintly discernible. The people of the world turn toward a ruler who follows the Dao, and each receives its blessings.

The sage does not harm the people with harsh, intrusive laws and commands. Thus Heaven and Earth can join in harmony, and all things live in peace. Hold fast to the “Great Image” (the Great Dao), and the people of the world will come and follow—as guests are welcomed with music and fine food. When all eight kinds of instruments play together, listeners are delighted; when a hundred flavors are laid out, each tastes pleasing to the palate. Travelers stop in their tracks to enjoy them. The people of the world turn toward one who follows the Dao for the same reason. Words about the highest Dao need no ornate flourishes; when spoken, they do not seek to be “flavorful.” The “Great Image” has no fixed shape; there is no need to search for it deliberately through sight and hearing. The sages of every age have used it: its effects renew themselves day by day, yet it is never exhausted.

“Hold fast to the Great Image, and the world will come”

The Great Image is the Dao. When an emperor holds to the Great Dao in governing the world, all things will come to him.

Commentary: “Hold fast” means to keep to something; the Great Image is the Dao. This means that when a ruler governs the world by the Great Dao, he practices Wuwei (non-action) and does not meddle in affairs, allowing all things to fulfill their lives. By observing the wind and the sun, he sees that all within the four seas turn toward one who follows the Dao. Hence the phrase “the world will come.”

Further explanation: “Hold fast” means to put into practice. The Great Dao is formless and cannot be grasped as a physical object, yet the sage can govern people by putting the Dao to use: acting through non-action, attending to affairs by leaving them unattended. All that moves or grows—plants, animals, and birds—finds its proper place. Thus those who sail the seas, ride swift horses, or cross mountains and valleys all come to a ruler who uses the Dao.

The phrase “observing the sun and watching the wind” refers to a story. It is said that in ancient times Juqu Zhou lay far out in the sea. Envoys from its kingdom came to pay tribute to the Han court and told Emperor Wu of Han: “Our country is three hundred thousand li from here. We often observe the heavens. If the east wind blows in harmony with the musical pitch and continues for a hundred days, and green clouds align with the pitch and remain for months, then the Central Plain will have a ruler who follows the Dao.” Their ruler therefore admired the Central Plain and longed for its customs of the Dao. Carrying gold, jade, rare treasures, and divine incense, the envoys crossed the Ruoshui River and flying sands, and after thirteen arduous years arrived at the palace to pay tribute. This is an example of a ruler whose De (Virtue/Power) moves Heaven and Earth, bringing auspicious signs in the winds and clouds and drawing distant peoples to admire his De.

“They come and are not harmed; they find peace, calm, and harmony”

When all things come to follow without being harmed, they settle into peace and calm.

Commentary: People from all corners of the world come, drawn by the ruler’s influence. He receives them according to the Dao, so they are unharmed and attain peace, calm, and harmony.

If people are governed through reassurance and care, without harsh policies that harm them, they can live peacefully in a time of great peace. “Peace” refers to harmony in government and instruction; “great” refers to the flourishing of achievement.

“Comfort” means to make people secure, and “nurture” means to care for them. “Well-being” means health and prosperity; “peace” means harmony; “harm” means injury. People from all directions admire the virtue of our dynasty. They observe its customs and wait for the right time, then come to submit to the sage. The sage comforts, nurtures, and cares for them, without using commands to supervise and rebuke them or punishments to injure them. Thus, people both near and far can live under a peaceful government. Once government and instruction are harmonious and the people’s customs have reached a state of well-being, achievements flourish. Hence the phrase “peace, well-being, and great prosperity.” The Analects says: “If people from afar do not submit, cultivate literary virtue to bring them near. Once they have come, make them feel at ease.” The rule of the emperors and the influence of their virtue reach everywhere, no matter how distant.

“Music and food make a passing traveler stop.”

Commentary: “Music” refers to music, and “food” to something to eat. When a household has music and food, travelers passing by will stop and linger. Likewise, when an emperor holds to the Dao and brings about peace, all things come to him. Another interpretation is that music gathers people through sound, while food gathers them through taste. Passing travelers stop only briefly; they do not stay for long. A simple shelter, then, cannot be a lasting home, and those who observe benevolence and righteousness find much to criticize. The ruler must embody the Dao in stillness and quiet, remaining plain and free of ostentation. Only then can he first remove intrusive policies and ultimately transform the people into a simple, uncorrupted society. That is why the next passage concludes, “Its use cannot be exhausted.”

Subcommentary: Music and food are metaphors. When a ruler holds to the Great Image, the world comes to him, just as travelers stop at a household where there is music and food.

Explanation: When a ruler possesses the Dao, the world admires him, just as travelers stop when they come upon food and hear music. The Zhuangzi, in the chapter “Supreme Happiness,” says: “When the music of Xianchi and Jiushao was performed in the fields of Dongting, people heard it and went together to watch.” Music has been used throughout the ages to represent Heaven: when performed at the Round Mound, the spirits of Heaven descend; when performed at the Square Marsh, the spirits of Earth rise. It is played to harmonize the eight winds and sounded to order the four seasons. The Yellow Emperor had Xianchi; Yao had Dazhang; Shun had Dashao; Yu had Daxia; Tang had Dahuo; King Wen had Biyong; and King Wu and the Duke of Zhou had Dawu, a name for martial music whose final character is missing from the original text.

On “Martial Music” and Harmony

If military force and music and dance seek only harmony on the surface, people may enjoy temporary security, yet this does not necessarily bring them true inner peace. This is why such things are still valued. After an emperor has achieved success, he establishes rites and makes music to communicate with Heaven and Earth and to reach the spirits. But these examples are cited for comparison: only the Dao (the Way) can endure. Music and delicacies cannot be relied upon forever. Music delights the ear, but when it stops, people disperse; delicacies please the palate, but once the meal is finished, the gathering breaks up. They can hold people together for a time, but not for long. Only when a country is governed through Wuwei (non-action) do people willingly gather around and remain; only when one cultivates the self through the Dao does the spirit become complete and undispersed.

The text goes on to say, “The Dao, when spoken, is bland and without flavor,” and “its use cannot be exhausted”—unlike music and delicacies, which must eventually come to an end.

The Temporary Shelter and Benevolence and Righteousness

A temporary shelter is a small hut woven from grass, not a place to live permanently. Benevolence and righteousness, grounded in extending love and drawing close to others, also cannot sustain lasting bonds. They are unlike embodying the Dao and transforming people, which guides people back to the Dao with a calm, enduring influence. How could such an influence simply disperse?

Harsh Scrutiny and Gentle Harmony

Harsh scrutiny refers to severe, exacting government; gentle harmony refers to a harmonious, joyful way of life.

Scripture: “The Dao, when spoken, is bland and without flavor.”

Commentary: A ruler teaches through the clarity and purity of Dao and De. At first, when these teachings are spoken, they are bland and without flavor, unlike worldly teachings, which have such “flavors” as affection, praise, fear, and contempt.

Exegesis: A ruler draws on the pure and clear principles of Dao and De, teaching through “not speaking” and “non-action.” When these are first spoken, they are calm and bland, without flavor. How could they resemble worldly teachings that use affection and praise, fear and contempt as their flavors?

Interpretation: Sweet talk and fine words are what is called “having flavor.” The principles of non-action, the teachings of clarity and purity, and the words of the highest Dao are bland when spoken. What flavor could they have? The worldly ideas of “affection and praise” refer to chapter seventeen of this scripture: sweet words draw people close, fine words praise them, while commands make them afraid and condescending treatment invites contempt. Though these things have flavor, none is the highest Dao.

Scripture: “Look at it, and it is not enough to see; listen to it, and it is not enough to hear; use it, and it cannot be exhausted.”

Commentary: The Dao governs through stillness and has no verbal teaching, so it is not enough to see or hear. Yet a gentle and harmonious way flourishes widely, and all things prosper in abundance, leaving a surplus at the end of each year. Thus its use cannot be exhausted (“exhausted” means “used up”).

Exegesis: The Dao transforms through non-action, calmly and evenly, without resorting to harsh scrutiny. Therefore, its use is inexhaustible.

A Plain-Language Interpretation

The Main Meaning of the Passage

If rulers use harsh, urgent methods of inspection and fail to follow the principle of keeping affairs unobtrusive and laws from becoming excessively conspicuous, then, in their eyes, there will always seem to be too little to see and too little to hear. Yet, when the year is reckoned, grain is often left over. Customs are simple and harmonious, all living things flourish, each kind finds its proper place, and resources seem inexhaustible.

Commentary

The Dao has no fixed words, and its flavor cannot be tasted on the tongue. It has no fixed form and cannot be seen by the eye; it has no fixed sound and cannot be heard by the ear. So chewing cannot yield its flavor, and looking and listening cannot reveal it to the senses.

This differs from harsh, hurried policies that make laws excessively conspicuous—policies that disturb the people’s eyes and ears every day. When all things find their proper place, this is called impartial fairness; it is the right way of governing. “Fine” means severe; “pressing the people for taxes” means urgent; and “making prohibitions excessively explicit” means intrusive scrutiny. “Adding new categories beyond established laws and imposing heavier punishments” is called multiplying and displaying them: “multiplying” means ever more numerous, while “displaying” means ever more conspicuous and piled up.

As a result, the people see and hear cruel, violent punishments every day, and are as fearful as if they were walking on thin ice. They also dread inspections and laws that keep multiplying and growing harsher, as if standing at the edge of an abyss; they do not know where to put their hands or feet.

How much better to govern the world through the Dao: in its governing, the Dao is neither seen nor heard. Its simple customs work quietly, all kinds of beings live in harmony, and its effects are inherently inexhaustible.

The scripture says, “At the year’s end, there is a surplus.” Zhuangzi once told how Gengsang Chu, a servant of Laozi and a disciple who had received Laozi’s Dao, settled on Mount Weilei. After three years, the region had an abundant harvest. The people said to one another, “When Master Gengsang first arrived, we thought he was unusual. Now, if we reckon by the day, we do not have enough; but if we reckon by the year, we have a surplus. Perhaps he is a sage?” This means that his De (Virtue/Power) quietly benefited all things, bringing abundance. How much more plausible this is of an emperor who possesses the Four Seas and rules the world: through the Dao, he can govern effortlessly, and the whole world can receive its transforming nourishment.

As for cultivating oneself and the Dao: when the mind is free of schemes and distracting thoughts, Shen (spirit) and Qi (vital energy) are complete. When the emotions are free of partial attachments and fixations, love and aversion naturally subside. If one is not pulled about by sight and hearing, and external things do not disturb one’s calm, profound De quietly fills the person, and the Dao becomes attainable.