《道德真經廣聖義》Vol. 3

The Broad Commentary on the Sagely Meaning of the True Scripture of the Dao and Its Virtue, Volume Three (A Modern Chinese Interpretation)

Composed by Du Guangting, Master Guangcheng of the Tang

An Explanation of the Imperial Commentary, Preface (Part One)

[Commentary] The Profoundest Source of the Dao, Born in Yi and Bo

The explanation says:

“Profound” refers to what is deep and subtle; it also means clinging to nothing and becoming fixed on no single position. “Source” means sovereign and supreme. Together, the phrase says that the Most High Lord Lao is the sovereign of the wondrous Great Dao.

Lord Lao clung neither to “being” nor to “nonbeing”; he forgot both cause and effect and dispensed with both the coarse and the subtle. From before the beginning of time and through the ages of tribulation, he continued to be revered as the master of transformation and instruction. Hence he is called “the Profoundest Source of the Dao.”

“Born in Yi and Bo”: To descend from above is called “to descend.” Lord Lao dwells in the heavens of the Three Realms and is the sovereign of the Great Dao. Taking pity on the world below, he descended to transform humankind: moved by great compassion, he manifested in many forms and showed auspicious signs. Riding in a chariot drawn by nine dragons, he transformed into the essence of the rising sun and entered the dream of the wondrous Jade Maiden. She then conceived and gave birth to him in the world, where he appeared to be born just like an ordinary person. This was the beginning of his manifestation in order to transform the world, and so it is called “being born.” The phrase describes the traces of his responsive manifestation.

“Yi” and “Bo”: Yi refers to the site of Lord Yi’s old domain, where Lord Lao’s ancestor Zhengfu fled the turmoil under Jie. It lay between the two cities of Ku and Xiang. Bo refers to the site of the Bo ancestral shrine. It was called Bo in ancient times and later became the ruins of Yin. From the time Tang received the Mandate until the nineteenth king, Pan Geng, the Yin dynasty moved its capital eight times before settling at Bo, the capital of Yin. Another account places it in the state of Chen, where the descendants of Taihao lived. This site was called the ruins of Chen and lay beside Wanqiu.

According to the division of the Nine Provinces established by Yu, Ku County belonged to Yu Province. After King Wu defeated Zhou and took control of the realm, he enfeoffed Hu Gong Man, a descendant of Shun, in Chen; this was the ancient site. The descendants of Taihao had already founded the state of Chen, while a descendant of Shun had also established the state of Hu. Hu was small and Chen was large: Hu lay between Shen and Cai, while Chen was in what is now Yingchuan. King Wu honored Shun’s virtue and posthumously bestowed honors on his descendants, so he moved them to Chen. From Hu Gong Man onward, the state of Chen lasted for more than forty generations through the Spring and Autumn period before Chu destroyed it. After the founder of the Han dynasty destroyed Qin, he renamed Chen the Huaiyang Commandery. A commandery was larger than a county and governed counties, so Yangxia, Ningping, and Zhe were among the counties under Huaiyang. Later, Emperor Zhang of the Later Han renamed Huaiyang the Chen Commandery.

There is also an account concerning the state of Chu, which traces its founding enfeoffment to Xiong Yi. According to the Records of the Grand Historian, Chu’s founding ancestor was Yu Xiong. His son was Zhurong, Zhurong’s son was Xuexiong, Xuexiong’s son was Yu Xiong, and Yu Xiong’s son was Xiong Yi, who was first enfeoffed in Chu. Zhurong, Xuexiong, and Yu Xiong all lived in Danyang, between the Dan and Xi rivers; this was ancient Danyang. After Yu Xiong’s time, Xiong Yi was first enfeoffed in Chu. According to the Records of the Grand Historian, Chu’s founding ancestor was Yu Xiong. His son was Zhurong, Zhurong’s son was Xuexiong, Xuexiong’s son was Yu Xiong, and Yu Xiong’s son was Xiong Yi, who was first enfeoffed in Chu. Zhurong, Xuexiong, and Yu Xiong all lived in Danyang, between the Dan and Xi rivers; this was ancient Danyang.

(Note: This passage may contain repetition or textual errors in the received version. It presents several traditional accounts concerning Ku, Bo, Chen, and Chu in order to discuss the proposed locations of Lord Lao’s birth.)

Note: This passage belongs to Du Guangting’s explanation of the meaning of the imperial commentary on the Laozi. It addresses only the eight characters “The Profoundest Source of the Dao, Born in Yi and Bo.” The first half discusses the nature of the Dao and Lord Lao’s status; the second examines the geography of Yi, Bo, Chen, Chu, Ku County, and Yu Province. Such discussions of the proposed place of Lord Lao’s birth were common in Daoist commentaries of the Tang and Song periods.

Modern Explanatory Interpretation:

Lord Lao (Laozi) was born in the area of Jing and Chen, in a place made rugged by the Huai River and adjoining the state of Chu. During the Spring and Autumn period, Chu conquered Chen and established a county there. The area therefore belonged to Chu and was variously called the State of Chu, Chu County, or Chen Commandery. In the Spring and Autumn period, commanderies were small and counties large, with commanderies subordinate to counties; hence the name Chu County. After Qin annexed Chu County, it established thirty-six commanderies. Commanderies were then larger than counties, and counties were subordinate to commanderies.

The name Qiao refers to Qiao City, now forty li northeast of Lord Lao’s former residence at Taiqing Palace. The name Xiangren refers to the ancient city of Xiang beside the palace. The name Ku County also dates to the Spring and Autumn period, when it was a county that governed a commandery. The remains of Ku County’s city walls still stand east of the Lai River. Ku County was later renamed Guyang County.

In the first year of the Qianfeng era of the Great Tang, after Emperor Gaozong returned from performing the Feng and Shan sacrifices at Mount Tai, he visited Lord Lao’s former residence, bestowed an honorific title by imperial decree, and renamed Ku County Zhenyuan County. In the third year of the Zhonghe era, guimao year, Bozhou governor Pan Chou submitted a memorial from the imperial encampment at Chengdu. He reported that Taiqing Palace had repeatedly shown miraculous responses: since the great invasion by Huang Chao, whenever bandits had attacked—eighteen times in all—thunder and violent winds had struck them. Some bandits were thrown into confusion and lost their way; others were defeated and killed. None could invade the palace grounds. Thousands of local residents from near and far had taken refuge there and all remained safe. Pan asked that the county seat be moved to the palace. The emperor’s decree rejected the proposal, on the grounds that moving the county seat there might desecrate the site. Zhenyuan County was instead elevated to the status of a metropolitan county, because Taiqing Palace lay within its jurisdiction. An imperial envoy was also dispatched with an imperial text to conduct a purification ritual and offer thanks.

Although the eras changed and the place bore different names, its location has always been the same. In the Later Han, Emperor Huan dreamed of Lord Lao and issued a special decree for Bian Shao, the Chen Commandery governor, to build a shrine and erect a stele at the site of Laozi’s birth and former residence. Beside the shrine stood a temple to Li’s mother. In ancient times, the shrine also contained a Hall of Emptiness and Nonbeing. In front of the hall stood three ancient cypresses, along with a thousand other cypresses; there were also the Nine-Dragon Well, the Elixir-Refining Well, and the hoofprints of a deer that had ascended to heaven. These old trees and traces remain. The site is bordered by Ling Creek on the left and encircled by the Wo River on the right. It is open and elevated, truly a place of distinction.

The Lai River lies west of the palace, and the settlement was named after the river, hence Lai Township. It is also called Li Township; the difference arose from an error in the written characters. Emperors of successive dynasties repeatedly renovated Lord Lao’s residence. In the sixth year of the Kaihuang era of the Sui, Emperor Wen ordered the Secretariat Gentleman… (the passage continues).

In the seventh year of the Tianbao era (748 AD, Wuzi year) of the Tang dynasty, the imperial court converted the Temple of Lord Lao into the Taiqing Palace, appointing the military governor of Bianzhou as Palace Supervisor and the prefect of Bozhou as Deputy Supervisor. At that time, portraits of six Tang emperors - Gaozu, Taizong, Gaozong, Zhongzong, Ruizong, and Xuanzong - were reverently arranged on either side of the sacred statue of Lord Lao.

The passage solemnly venerates Lord Lao as the imperial ancestor of the Tang royal house. The term "solemnly" conveys profound reverence, while "imperial ancestor" refers to the great progenitor. Lord Lao acquired the surname Li when, at his birth, he pointed to a plum tree (李 li), making the Tang imperial family his descendants. This origin story of the surname was previously explained in detail. The stele inscription by Xue Daoheng records: Lord Lao was born through divine communion with sunlight, and the manner in which he received the essence of heaven and earth (Qi) defies comprehension; the account of him pointing to the plum tree for his surname lacks the concrete basis of ancient methods like Jing Fang's determination of surnames through musical pitch.

"Bestowing abundance" refers to conferring boundless blessings. "Abundance" signifies auspicious virtue, while "boundless" describes its infinite expanse. The blessings and virtuous power (De) descended by Lord Lao radiated like limitless light, establishing the foundation of Tang imperial rule. Here, "instruction" denotes sacred teachings.

The reference to the "Long Hair" chapter from the "Odes of Shang" in the Classic of Poetry illustrates the transmission of auspicious signs. "Long hair its auspiciousness" means the prolonged manifestation of Shang dynasty's virtuous governance. Xie (ancestor of Shang) implemented benevolent governance through the five teachings, laying the royal foundation that continued through the eras of Yu and Xia until King Tang finally received the Mandate of Heaven. "Lineal origin" refers to the unbroken transmission system, like a single continuous thread symbolizing the eternal succession of sacred lineage. The "gourd vines" allusion comes from the "Mian" chapter in the "Major Odes" of the Classic of Poetry, using spreading vines to metaphorize the lineage of Houji (descendant of Emperor Ku, initially enfeoffed at Tai), progenitor of Zhou: when Houji's descendant Gongliu lost his fief and moved between the Qi and Ju rivers in Bin, his lineage flourished through generations until reaching greater prosperity under Lord Tai, winning popular support.

The Broad Meaning of the True Scripture of Dao and De: A Plain-Language Interpretation

Scripture:

By realizing kingship through the De of the heart, the text cites the enduring foundations laid by the Yin and Zhou dynasties. It explains that the blessings bestowed by the Old Lord (Laozi) reached far into the future, enabling our Great Tang to rise. The founding of a state under Heaven’s mandate is not something human effort can accomplish overnight. It requires De accumulated and passed down through generations, with roots reaching far into the past; only then can a ruler possess all under Heaven, as the Yin and Zhou did.

Commentary: Their traces of entering public life and withdrawing from it are fully recorded in official histories.

Meaning: “Volumes” refers to places and regions. “Records” refers to bamboo strips compiled into books, each strip one foot and two inches long, used to document major affairs of states. The preface to the Spring and Autumn Annals says: “Major affairs are written in books; minor ones on bamboo slips.” “Entering public life and withdrawing from it” means the following: “Entering” refers to service at court. The Old Lord was a descendant of Fuxi, and his descendants served for generations as state teachers. He himself is said to have served as Keeper of the Archives, Pillar Historian, or Grand Historian Dan; some say he was Boyang Fu. In each case, he was prominent at court. “Withdrawing” refers to a life of seclusion: the Old Lord guided people westward through the shifting sands, traveled east to the Blue Sea, and secretly expounded and transmitted scriptures, among other things. Although he concealed his name and lived apart from the world, records of his movements, his periods of public service and withdrawal, and his acts of transformation and guidance are all described in detail in the state’s official histories, in the writings of the various masters and historical works, and in Daoist scriptures. This is just as the Book of Changes says: “Sometimes he comes forth; sometimes he remains in seclusion.”

Commentary: The Daoist school holds that this is the title under which the Jade Dawn manifests.

Meaning: The Daoist school considers this to be the title under which the Jade Dawn manifests. “Jade Dawn” is an honorific in the Daoist tradition referring to the sacred name of the Old Lord.

Meaning: The Daoist school

In Sima Qian’s Essentials of the Six Schools, the historian discusses the teachings of the six schools, placing the Yellow Emperor and Laozi first, ahead of the Six Classics. The Daoist school comes first and is considered the most penetrating and valuable. Sima Qian says: “The Yin-Yang school is cumbersome and often confusing; the Confucian school is broad in scope but burdens the mind; the Mohist school is austere and harms one’s nature; the School of Names is ornate but lacking in substance; the Legalist school is harsh and lacking in kindness. Only the teaching of the Daoist school follows the Great Dao. Through clarity, emptiness, and Wuwei (non-action), it enables people to keep their spirits whole and focused, to act in accord with what has no form, and to provide abundantly for all things. Its methods follow Yin-Yang and achieve great harmony. They advance and adapt with the times, respond to things and change with them, and are suitable in every situation. Their principles are concise and easy to apply; their methods require little effort and yield great results. They are easy to put into practice, though difficult to express in words. Taking emptiness and nothingness as their foundation, and following the natural course of things as their means, they have no fixed momentum and no constant form. For this reason, they can fully understand the nature of all things. They neither precede things nor follow after them, and so can be the master of all things. This is what is meant by the Daoist school.” The Huainanzi says: “The Daoist school orders one’s nature and emotions, cultivates the mind through harmony, and sustains it through balance. It takes joy in the Dao and forgets low status; it prizes De and rests content in poverty.”

General Meaning of the Scripture

The learning treasured by worthy people and relied upon by families and states is therefore called the School of the Dao.

Jade Dawn (Yuchen) is another name for the Lord of the Great Dao, the Most High (Taishang Dadaojun). The Basic Annals of Lord Lao says that he is called the Celestial Worthy, the Most High, the Great Dao, or Lord Lao. From this we can see that Lord Jade Dawn (Yuchen Jun) is also one of the names under which Lord Lao manifests.

The Most High, the Emptiness Sovereign (Taishang Xuhuang) dwells eternally in the Palace of Purple Jade (Ziqiong Gong), above the Jade Capital of the Mysterious Metropolis (Xuandu Yujing). This palace is also called the Palace of Purple Dawn or the Palace of Jade Dawn. The Dao Lord of Jade Dawn (Yuchen Daojun) is the name Lord Lao takes when he manifests and transforms in the world.

Sima Qian called him a reclusive gentleman.

Explanatory Commentary: Sima Qian and “Reclusive Gentleman”

Sima Qian, whose courtesy name was Zichang, was from Wen in Henei. He was the grandson of Sima Xi, chancellor to the King of Zhongshan, and the son of Sima Tan, the Grand Astrologer. Tradition says that he was descended from Zhuanxu and was born at Longmen. At ten, he recited the ancient text of the Documents. At twenty, he traveled through the Huai and Yangtze regions, Mount Jiuyi, the Yu Cave, and other places. He served the Han as a Gentleman of the Household and once traveled on a mission to western Shu. A little over a year after his father’s death, he became Grand Astrologer and composed the Records of the Grand Historian. After arguing that Li Ling had been wrongly condemned, he was implicated in the case, falsely accused, imprisoned, and castrated. The Miscellaneous Notes from the Western Capital says that he wrote the Records in a state of bitter resolve. Earlier scholars praised his talent as a historian. His accounts of Qu Yuan and Jia Yi, with their skillful shifts in tone, were considered the work of an extraordinary talent of his age. Huan Tan’s New Discourses records that when Sima Qian first compiled the Records, it did not circulate in the world. Later, his grandson Yang Yun became Grand Astrologer. Some accounts say that Sima Tan held the office of Grand Astrologer and that Qian inherited it. Having undergone castration, Qian feared that he had dishonored his ancestors. He said, “I am merely a servant in the Sima family’s Grand Astrologer’s office,” and therefore titled his work Records of the Grand Historian. Qian later became Palace Secretary and died, leaving a collected works in two volumes.

In its discussion of Laozi, the Records of the Grand Historian says that he appeared and disappeared for more than two hundred years, then went west into the shifting sands; no one knew what became of him. It therefore calls him a reclusive gentleman.

Master (zi) is an honorific for a person of the Dao. In ancient times, people called their teachers “Master,” as in Confucius and Liezi.

Gentleman (junzi) carries the meanings of ruler and teacher. The Book of Rites says that a learner who can explain things broadly can then become a teacher; one who can be a teacher can then become a leader; and one who can be a leader can then become a ruler. As ruler and teacher, such a person’s Virtue shines brightly, so he is called a gentleman. Another explanation is that someone with Virtue and the Dao is respected even among ordinary people and is therefore a gentleman. Someone lacking the Dao and Virtue is not worthy of the name, even if he holds high office.

A Vernacular Interpretation:

This is the case with petty people. Accordingly, the Dao (the Way) may be compared to a ruler, and De (Virtue/Power) to a teacher; only then is someone worthy of being called a “gentleman.” If this is true of people in the world, how much more fitting is it to call the Mysterious Origin Lao Jun a gentleman, since he is lord of the Dao and De and teacher to emperors and kings?

The “Hidden Dragon” occupies a low position, which is why it is called “hidden.”

Shu and Zhongni took him as their teacher.

Meaning: Zhongni was Confucius. His name was Qiu, and his courtesy name was Zhongni. His ancestors were descendants of the Yin-Shang dynasty. According to the Basic Annals of Yin in the Records of the Grand Historian, Emperor Ku’s consort swallowed a swallow’s egg and gave birth to Xie. Xie served as Minister of Education under Yao and was granted the fief of Shang for his achievements, along with the surname Zi. Xie’s descendant Tang, personal name Tianyi and also known as Lü, overthrew the Xia and became Son of Heaven. By the thirty-seventh generation after Tang’s grandson, the king—known by the title Emperor Xin and also called Zhou—had become wicked. King Wu of Zhou raised an army and destroyed him, then enfeoffed Qi, the son of his elder half-brother Weizi, in Song.

Min, Duke of Song, had a son named Fufu He. Though the eldest son should have succeeded to the throne, He yielded it to his younger brother, Duke Li. He’s son was Songfu Zhou; Zhou’s son was Sheng; and Sheng’s son was Zheng Kaofu. Kaofu received three appointments as chief minister of Song. An inscription on his ritual cauldron therefore reads: “At my first appointment, I bowed; at my second, I stooped; at my third, I bent low. I kept close to the wall as I walked, daring no one to scorn me. With each appointment, I grew more respectful.” The Spring and Autumn Annals praised his virtue for this. Kaofu’s son was Kongfu Jia, who established a separate branch of the ruling clan and took “Kong” as his surname. One account says that he was born after his mother swallowed a swallow’s egg, and that he was later given the surname Zi; combining Zi with Yi, the swallow, produced the character Kong. Both accounts have been handed down. Another says that the Kong surname came from “a drop slowly piercing stone.” This account is especially implausible and is not adopted here.

Kongfu Jia served as Marshal of Song. His son was Mujinfu, whose son was Gaoyifu, whose son was Fangshu. Fangshu fled to Lu and had a son, Boxia. Boxia’s son was Shuliang He, the father of Confucius. Confucius lived in Que Village, Lu. He was born on the thirteenth day of the tenth month, in the year Wushen—the twenty-first year of King Ling of Zhou and the twenty-second year of Duke Xiang of Lu. He died on the eighteenth day of the fourth month, in the year Gengshen—the forty-first year of King Jing of Zhou and the sixteenth year of Duke Ai of Lu—at the age of seventy-three.

Earlier, in the seventh year of Duke Zhao, the ruler of Chu completed the Zhanghua Terrace and planned to hold an inauguration ceremony with the feudal lords. He summoned Duke Zhao, with Meng Xizi and Zhongsun Jue as his attendants. Thereupon…

In the course of his mission to the state of Chu, the Lu minister Meng Xizi passed through Zheng, where Duke Zheng came to offer his greetings. Meng Xizi, unfamiliar with ritual propriety (li), could not respond appropriately. Upon reaching Chu, he likewise failed to reply properly to the Chu court's ritual welcome at the outskirts of the capital. Four months later, the King of Chu held a banquet at Xintai to entertain the Lord of Lu. In the ninth month, Meng Xizi returned to Lu from Chu. Deeply ashamed, he concluded that he did not understand ritual and therefore could not preside over ceremonies. He began studying ritual learning and declared that he would follow whoever was master of ritual.

In the twenty-fourth year of Duke Zhao of Lu, Meng Xizi lay gravely ill and near death. He summoned his senior officials and instructed them: "Ritual is the foundation on which a person establishes himself; without ritual, one cannot stand firm." He had heard of a man of great understanding named Kong Qiu (Confucius), a sage's descendant whose ancestors had lost the state of Song. The founder of his line, Fu Fuhe, had been entitled to succeed to the throne of Song but yielded it to Duke Li. Zheng Kaofu served three rulers, and with each appointment he grew more reverent. Zang Sunhe once said, "When a sage possesses bright virtue but does not rise to prominence in his own age, his descendants will certainly produce a man of great understanding. Perhaps that man is now Kong Qiu." Meng Xizi continued, "If I die, my two sons, Nangong Jingshu (Jingshu) and Meng Yizi (He Ji), must become Kong Qiu's disciples and study ritual, so that their positions may be secured." Accordingly, He Ji and Jingshu both became disciples of Zhongni (Confucius).

Zhongni told Jingshu, "I have heard that Lao Dan (Laozi) possessed broad knowledge of past and present, understood the origins of ritual and music, and grasped the ultimate ground of Dao (the Way) and De (Virtue). He is my teacher." Jingshu then petitioned the Lord of Lu: "Kong Qiu is the descendant of a sage and will certainly rise to prominence. Our late father commanded us to be sure to make him our teacher. Now Kong Qiu wishes to travel to the Zhou capital to examine the institutions of the former kings and to investigate the foundations of ritual and music. This is a great undertaking. Would you not provide him with a carriage and horses?" The Lord of Lu then granted him one carriage, two horses, and two attendants. Jingshu and Kong Qiu went together to Zhou, where Kong Qiu consulted Laozi on ritual and Chang Hong, a Zhou official, on music. They examined the rites of the suburban sacrifices to Heaven and Earth and the sacred hall (Mingtang), and observed the court's order. On the walls of the four gates of the Mingtang were painted images of Yao, Shun, Jie, and Zhou, each depicting their good or evil conduct and the lessons of their rise and fall. They also saw the Duke of Zhou assisting King Cheng, who was carried in the Duke's arms, while the Duke, standing before a screen painted with axe designs, faced south to receive the feudal lords. Confucius sighed, "Only today do I understand the sagely virtue of the Duke of Zhou, and why the Zhou were able to rule all under Heaven."

As Confucius was about to leave Zhou, Laozi saw him off with these words: "The wealthy give people wealth, while the benevolent give them words. I have presumptuously borrowed the title of one who is benevolent to offer you a few words. Those in the world who are clever and discerning yet often come close to ruin are typically those who delight in speaking of other people's faults."

Commentary in Plain Language

Scripture:

To discuss other people’s faults, speaking eloquently and at length, can put yourself in danger. Exposing another person’s wrongdoing is not something a minister should do, nor something a son should do. After traveling among the states, Confucius returned to Lu, where his teachings won even greater respect. About three thousand disciples came from distant places to study with him. Confucius lamented, “Only after Nangong Jingshu lent me a carriage and horses for my travels were my teachings able to spread widely. Otherwise, they would almost have fallen into obscurity.” The passages quoted in the Book of Rites, such as “I heard this from Lao Dan,” recount the essentials of ritual that Confucius learned from the Lord Lao (Laozi).

Commentary:

On “ransacking the classics and becoming too expansive”

Explanation: “Ransack” means to gather things indiscriminately. Confucius once went to the Zhou royal court to consult its books. Since the Lord Lao had served the Zhou as Keeper of the Archives, Confucius sought his advice. The Lord Lao did not agree to teach him directly, so Confucius compiled the Six Classics to win his favor. The Lord Lao said, “That is far too convoluted. I would rather hear the essentials.” Confucius replied, “The essentials are benevolence and righteousness.” The Lord Lao asked, “Are benevolence and righteousness part of human nature?” Confucius said, “Yes. Without benevolence, a noble person cannot accomplish anything; without righteousness, one cannot survive. Benevolence and righteousness are the nature of the perfected person.” The Lord Lao sighed: “Ah, what you say now! When a mosquito bites the skin, people cannot sleep all night. Benevolence and righteousness now trouble people’s hearts; nothing causes greater confusion.” This criticizes Confucius for failing to honor the Great Dao and instead following a way of purposeful action.

Commentary: “On asking about ritual and marveling at the dragon’s De”

Explanation: Confucius asked the Lord Lao about ritual and spoke to him about benevolence and righteousness. The Lord Lao said: “Crows do not have to be dyed black every day; they are naturally black. Cranes do not have to bathe every day; they are naturally white. The distinction between black and white is not worth arguing over, and the pursuit of fame is not a way to become truly broad-minded. When a spring dries up and fish lie on the land, breathing moisture onto one another, it would be better for them to forget one another in the rivers and lakes. The person you speak of has bones that have long since turned to dust; only his words remain. A good merchant keeps his goods hidden, as if he had none. A noble person of abundant De appears dull. Cast off your pride and excessive desires; cast off your affected expression and reckless ambitions. None of these benefit your body. This is all I have to tell you.” After Confucius returned, he did not speak for three days. His disciples, puzzled, asked, “When you met Lao Dan, what counsel did you intend to give him?” Confucius replied, “When you and I were in Lu, someone’s mind was as vast as a flying swan. I fashioned my thoughts into a bow and arrows and shot at him; I never failed to hit the mark, and I became more perceptive.”

Note: This passage recounts Confucius asking Laozi about ritual and Laozi’s criticism of Confucius’s teachings on benevolence and righteousness. Laozi holds that the true Dao lies in natural Wuwei (non-action), rather than in humanly imposed rules of benevolence and righteousness. Confucius is deeply shaken by what he hears and remains silent for three days, showing that he has grasped Laozi’s profound meaning. This is an important account of the encounter between Confucian and Daoist thought.

Plain-Language Interpretation

Someone said, “Some people’s minds are carefree, like deer wandering through the woods. If I shape my mind into a hunting dog and chase them, none can escape me or avoid capture. Others say, ‘Some people’s minds are deep and hidden, like fish fallen into a cold spring at the bottom of a well. If I shape my mind into a fishing hook or an arrow and cast it, none can evade being caught or subdued.’ But when I meet a dragon, I am utterly unable to fathom it. Dragons gather together as a complete body, then disperse and become all manner of patterns. They ride the clouds, are nourished by Yin-Yang, and roam the realm of Great Clarity. I cannot catch or subdue such beings. Now that I have met the Old Lord, is he not like a dragon? He leaves people with their mouths gaping, unable to close them, and their tongues stuck out, unable to draw them back in. Their bodies and spirits are exhausted, and they are bewildered and at a loss; they cannot even say where he lives. How, then, could I fathom or calculate Lao Dan?”

[Commentary] The Old Lord had served in the Zhou royal court for a long time.

[Explanation] According to accounts such as the Classic of the Original Manifestation, the Old Lord was born in the state of Chu, in Ku County, in the ninth year of King Wuding of Shang, during the gengchen year. In the twenty-first year of King Zhou, the dingmao year, he lived south of Mount Qi and was known as Master Xieyi. With the Wind Earl going ahead and Peng Zu accompanying him, he went to observe the transformation brought about by the Western Earl. Hearing of him, the Western Earl summoned him to serve as Keeper of the Archives, an official in charge of the royal court’s books and records.

The Old Lord composed the Classic of Red Essence and taught the Way of benevolence and trustworthiness. The Western Earl put these teachings into practice, honored worthy people, and valued what was right. A phoenix gathered on Mount Qi. This is the event referred to in the Book of Rites when it says, “When Zhou was rising, the luan and phoenix cried out on the southern slopes of Mount Qi.” The names of Qi Mountain Prefecture and Fengxiang Prefecture are associated with this event. The place where the Old Lord lived was eighteen li north of Fengxiang city; after the Tang dynasty received the Mandate, it built Qisheng Palace on the old site.

After King Wu conquered Yin, the Old Lord was known as Master Yucheng and composed the Classic of the Jade Pivot. King Wu took him as his teacher. During the reign of King Cheng, he was known as Master Jingcheng; during the reign of King Kang, as Master Guoshu. He continued to serve as the Archivist beneath the Pillar, a historian who recorded events beneath the palace pillar. Though his rank was low, he kept out of sight and assisted the Zhou court. In the twenty-fifth year of King Zhao, he passed through the western frontier and spread his teaching across the shifting sands. From the gengchen year of King Wuding to the guichou year of King Zhao was a total of 215 years. This is what Sima Qian meant when he said, “Laozi was in Zhou for more than two hundred years.”

[Commentary] He was about to open a path to the westernmost reaches and spread his teaching there.

[Explanation] The Classic of the Original Manifestation says that long ago, the King of the Subtle Brahma Heaven was attached to pleasure and failed to cultivate merit. He was born below in Kapisa as King Fantuoli. He also loved hunting and killed without restraint. Therefore, during the reign of King Zhao, the Old Lord entered the shifting sands in the west to transmit scriptures and guide him toward transformation. The account above belongs to a religious lineage of tradition and should be considered separately from events that can be verified in historical sources.

By Buddhist standards, the customs of the western Rong peoples at that time were licentious and violent, with frequent killing. Practices of sorcery and illusion were widespread, as was the worship of evil spirits. Laozi therefore traveled west to guide and transform the people. He passed through eighty-one kingdoms and brought the Hu rulers and ninety-six heterodox teachings to the Way. “Opening and guiding” means opening people’s minds to awakening, then guiding and transforming them through instruction.

“The western frontier” refers to the lands west of China, including the regions around the flowing sands and the eighty-one kingdoms there.

Commentary: The Warden of the Pass, Yin Xi, Asks Laozi to Write

Explanation: Yin Xi was from Tianshui. He was well versed in the Five Classics, astronomical portents and celestial patterns, and writings on Yin-Yang. His learning was extensive. During the reign of King Kang of Zhou, he served as a senior official. In the twenty-fourth year of King Zhao of Zhou, he foresaw that a sage would come from the west. He asked to be appointed warden of Hangu Pass so he could await the sage, and there he met Laozi, who transmitted the scripture to him.

The account in this section is divided into eight parts:

First: Signs of Auspicious Portents

During King Zhao’s reign, the star Tianli traveled westward, passing southeast of the Mao lunar mansion. True Qi took the form of dragons and snakes, flowing west. Warm winds reached the lands of Han three times, and purple clouds drifted above the pass. Seeing these signs, Yin Xi asked to become warden of the pass so he could await Laozi. The Preface by the Immortal Duke says that Yin Xi’s past affinities were aligned with the Dao. He first divined the sight of purple clouds moving west and knew that a sage was about to pass through the gate.

Second: Laozi Puts Yin Xi to the Test

On the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month in the twenty-fourth year of King Zhao, the year renzi, Laozi rode in a simple cart drawn by a blue ox, with Xu Jia driving. When he arrived to pass through Hangu Pass, he claimed that his home was east of the pass and his fields west of it, and that the next day was the Laba festival. The weather was cold, he said, and he wanted to gather firewood. Yin Xi bowed twice and called himself Laozi’s disciple. “Today,” he said, “I see that you are a sage. I ask you to stay a little while.” Laozi also spoke of an ancient master in the kingdom of Zhugan whom he wished to visit and follow, among other things. These were all pretexts by which he tested Yin Xi.

Third: The Transmission of the Dao and De

The Preface and Instructions for the Dao De Jing says that Laozi told Yin Xi: “You are destined to benefit the world, set aside the world’s esteem for the worthy, and transmit and spread the Great Dao among the immortals.” On the twenty-eighth day of that month, at midday, he transmitted the Supreme Taiyi Dao De Jing. According to this account, Laozi left Zhou in the fifth month of the guichou year of King Zhao’s reign, on the renwu day; he passed through the gate on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month and transmitted the scripture on the twenty-eighth. From his birth in the gengchen year of King Wuding of the Shang dynasty to King Wen receiving the Mandate in the dingmao year, the twenty-first year of King Zhou, a total of one hundred… (The original text continues with calculations of the dates.)

The Broad Interpretation of the True Scripture of the Dao and Its Virtue

1. The Years Before Laozi Entered the Pass

From the eighth year of King Zhao’s reign to the twenty-fifth year (Gui-chou), another 107 years are added. Counting back from Laozi’s departure west through Hangu Pass, the total is 215 years. This accords with the Records of the Grand Historian, which says that Laozi spent more than two hundred years active in the region of Dai before entering the shifting sands.

2. The Fourth Account: Manifesting Supernatural Powers (The Story of Xu Jia)

When Laozi traveled by cart, his driver, Xu Jia, had originally been a dry skeleton lying exposed in the grass. Taking pity on him, Laozi placed a Tai Xuan Life-Giving Talisman on his body, bringing him back to life as a human being. Xu Jia then accompanied Laozi on his travels for more than two hundred years.

Laozi had made an agreement with him in advance: his wages would be one hundred jin of gold per day, to be paid in a lump sum once they reached the regions of Daqin and Anxi.

When Xu Jia reached Hangu Pass, he became infatuated with a woman and no longer wished to follow Laozi west. He therefore submitted a written complaint to Yin Xi, demanding the wages he had earned as a day laborer.

Laozi said to Xu Jia, “You were originally a dry skeleton. I saved you with the Tai Xuan Life-Giving Talisman, and that is how you became human. Now return the talisman to me, and I will pay you the gold.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the talisman flew out of Xu Jia’s mouth, and Xu Jia turned back into a skeleton. Yin Xi saw this, was terrified, and kowtowed, begging for mercy. Laozi placed the talisman on Xu Jia again, and Xu Jia returned to human form. Seeing this miraculous transformation, Yin Xi became even more reverent and devoted himself to diligent cultivation.

3. The Fifth Account: Their Shared Return to Louguan

Yin Xi served as the official in charge of Hangu Pass. The pass lies twelve li south of Taolin County in Shan Prefecture, where ruins of the old pass can still be found.

On the seventh day of the first month of the first year of the Tianbao era of the Tang dynasty (Ren-wu), Lord Lao appeared at Danfeng Tower and told Tian Tongxiu, a military adviser in the Prince of Chen’s household, that the Tianbao numinous talisman was in the area of the old Hangu Pass and Yin Xi’s former residence. The emperor sent Daoist priests and palace officials to search for it. Beneath a withered mulberry tree, they saw auspicious signs, including purple clouds and a white rabbit. They dug up a stone casket containing the Tianbao numinous talisman. The emperor then granted a general amnesty, renamed Taolin County Lingbao County, and had a temple built there called the Temple of the Numinous Talisman. He composed and inscribed a commemorative stele, which still stands today.

On the twenty-eighth day, after receiving the two scriptures of the Dao and Its Virtue, Yin Xi returned from Hangu Pass with Lord Lao. They arrived at the northern foot of Mount Zhongnan in Zhuzhi, where Yin Xi lived. Yin Xi had once built a thatched tower to observe the stars and watch the movements of Qi. After Yin Xi ascended to heaven, his former residence came to be known as Louguan, the Tower for Observing.

King Mu of Zhou once summoned the recluse Du Chong, who lived there with Yin Xi’s younger brother, Yin Yue. The site preserves traces such as the boards from Laozi’s cart and the Zhi Ge tree. Emperors of the Qin, Han, and later dynasties came there to pay their respects. Qin Shi Huang…

Note: The Tai Xuan Life-Giving Talisman, Louguan, and the Tianbao numinous talisman are all symbols and sacred sites associated with Laozi and Yin Xi in Daoist legend. The story of Xu Jia appears in early Daoist writings and is used to demonstrate Lord Lao’s supernatural powers and Yin Xi’s faith.

6. Ascending to Taiwei

After Lao Jun had finished explaining the scripture to Yin Xi and passed on the essential instructions for the Nine Elixirs and other practices, he ascended to the Taiwei Heaven from the southern mountain by Xi’s residence in the fourth month of the jia-yin year, the twenty-sixth year of King Zhao’s reign. The Scripture of the Western Ascension records that when the teaching was over, Lao Jun suddenly vanished. A moment later, five-colored, mysterious yellow light filled the residence. Xi went into the courtyard, bowed to the ground, and said he hoped the divine sage would appear again to instruct him and grant him an essential teaching by which he might preserve the Origin. Suddenly, a golden figure appeared, its presence and absence hazy and elusive, its age ever changing. Lao Jun then told him: “Clear away defilements and still thoughts; quiet the mind and keep to the One. When every defilement has been removed, all matters are complete. This is the heart of my Dao.”

7. The Appointment at the Green Ram Market

As Lao Jun was about to ascend to the Taiwei Heaven, he told Yin Xi: “When your work is complete after a thousand days, go to the Green Ram Market in Shu and find me.” Xi then pleaded illness and resigned from office, clearing away defilements and stilling thoughts, quieting his mind and keeping to the One. In the twenty-ninth year of King Zhao’s reign, the ding-si year, he traveled to Shu and met Lao Jun at the Green Ram Market in Chengdu. The market lay five li southwest of Chengdu County, facing the great river. Tradition has long held that signs of spiritual efficacy often appeared there. In the second year of Zhonghe, the ren-yin year, Emperor Xizong took up residence in Shu and received a spirit-brick bearing auspicious symbols in ancient seal script. The court and the people were deeply moved. The emperor visited the site in person, paid his respects, and ordered the construction of the Green Ram Palace. The six seal-script characters on the brick read: “The Most High brings peace to Zhonghe and dispels calamity.” The year after the brick was found, Chang’an was retaken; the following year, the emperor returned to the capital.

8. Their Joint Transformation in the Far West

Lao Jun and Xi had agreed to meet three years later, when Xi’s work would be complete after a thousand days. In the ding-si year, Xi traveled to Shu and met Lao Jun at the Green Ram Market. Lao Jun and Xi then rode clouds from Shu, traveling through Tianshui, ascending through the Three Caverns, and passing through the Nine Heavens. Afterward, they transformed together in the west, among the eighty or more lands of the Flowing Sands. On the twelfth day of the ninth month in the second year of Zhonghe, after the auspicious brick had been found, the following edict was issued: “Long ago, the sacred ancestor, Emperor Xuanyuan, and his disciple, Master Wen Shi, taught the true scripture at the Louguan Terrace. They agreed to meet again at the Green Ram Market, ride the clouds together, and transform together in the Flowing Sands. Immortal records recount this tradition, and maps mark the places. From the time of King Zhao of Zhou to the present, nearly two thousand years have passed; the traces have grown faint and desolate, and the sites are barely preserved. Now, on this imperial progress beneath the green canopy, a mysterious blessing has been made manifest: a pearl-like light leapt across the courtyard.”

This passage recounts the history of the Dao De Jing’s transmission and its sacred status.

At the beginning, it records that ancient numinous talismanic script appeared beneath a tree, confirming an auspicious omen. At the time, to quell disasters and pray for good fortune, the court ordered the script carved in stone and displayed publicly. It also granted funds to build a temple at Qingyang Palace, commemorating the auspicious sign. This account was included in the histories. The scripture explains that the Dao De Jing was originally taught during the time of Emperor Shun and is now being taught anew to Yin Xi; it was not a work newly composed at that time.

The phrase “Thus he expounded the two sections” is explained as follows: it is an introductory expression at the beginning of the text. “Expounded” means to develop the principles at length, and “the two sections” refers to the upper and lower parts of the Dao De Jing.

The annotations cite an account from Wang Zinian’s Record of Lost Things: Laozi lived in seclusion on Mount Jingshi. Only five old men visited him; sometimes they rode cranes, sometimes they wore feathered robes, and together they discussed the Dao of Heaven and Earth. The scriptures he composed ran to one hundred thousand words. The kingdom of Futi once sent two skilled calligraphers as envoys. They could appear old or young, and could vanish from sight, leaving only their shadows; when they heard a sound, they concealed their forms. They took black ink from a golden pot. It was as thick as ink paste, and when sprinkled on wood or stone, it turned into seal, clerical, and tadpole script, recording the origins of creation and human relations. All the scriptures Laozi composed were written on jade slips, bound with golden cords, and stored in jade caskets and golden pots. When the ink in the golden pot ran out, the two men wanted to cut open their hearts and use their blood in its place. Mount Jingshi is Mount Taishi and Mount Shaoshi in Luozhou. The scriptures Laozi spoke of, such as The Nine Transformations for Long Life, comprised a million chapters; most were hidden in stone chambers in famous mountains and kept secret. About six thousand volumes have circulated to the present day. They contain subtle teachings on governing the state and bringing peace to the people, as well as powerful methods for aiding the world and saving lives. They are not limited to the two sections of the Dao De Jing. It is now made clear that these two sections are the scriptures Laozi transmitted to Yin Xi at Hangu Pass.

The passage goes on to explain that the Dao gives birth to the myriad things and De nourishes them; this is the basis of their transformation and generation. All principles arise from the Dao, which is why it is called the “source.” It is also compared to a spring that continually releases water without ever running dry. “There is none that does not” means “without exception.” The passage thus explains that the sources of its teachings and the foundations of its transformative nourishment are all-encompassing and inexhaustible.

The Commentary explains that its essential point lies in ordering oneself and governing the state.

The essential teaching is to cultivate oneself and govern the state.

The meaning is this:

The Wenzi Tongxuan Zhenjing says that Dao and De (the Way and Virtue) can uphold what is right and dispel what is harmful, transform disorder into peace, and abandon excess and decline in favor of simplicity. This is Dao and De applied to governing the state.

A person who cultivates Dao and De cannot be harmed by any of the myriad calamities, endangered by any peril, subjected to punishment, or shaken by slander. They preserve it from generation to generation without error and uphold it from generation to generation without defilement. Others may be confused about them, but they are not suspicious; deceived by others, but they are not deceitful; flattered by others, but they are not pleased; threatened by others, but they are not afraid. They preserve their true nature within and live in harmony with others without, enjoy limitless longevity, and are received by Heaven as an honored guest. This is Dao and De applied to cultivating oneself.

The Commentary explains that governing the state means ending pride and ostentation, discarding empty show and shallowness, and using Wuwei (non-action) and teaching through silence as one’s method of instruction.

The meaning is this:

Wenzi asked the Old Master, “What is the root of governing the state?” The Old Master replied, “Its root lies in cultivating oneself. I have never heard of a state being in disorder when its ruler is well ordered, or a state being well ordered when its ruler is in disorder. Those who govern the state cultivate themselves through stillness and preserve life through wholeness; thus, the people below are not disturbed. When those below are not disturbed, they do not resent their rulers.

“The root of good governance is having enough for one’s needs. The root of having enough is taking nothing away from the people. The root of taking nothing away is reducing burdensome affairs. The root of reducing affairs is using resources sparingly. The root of using resources sparingly is knowing what to take up and what to relinquish. The root of knowing what to take up and what to relinquish is Wuwei.

“Heaven reaches its height, Earth its depth; the sun and moon shine, the stars are arrayed, and Yin-Yang is in harmony. None of this comes about through deliberate action. When the Way is set right, the myriad things transform of themselves.” This is what is meant by ending pride and ostentation, discarding empty show and shallowness, and using Wuwei and silence as instruction. The first chapter of the Lower Classic says that the great person “dwells in what is substantial, not what is shallow; resides in what is real, not what is showy.” This is the same teaching. The second chapter of the Upper Classic says that the sage “attends to affairs through Wuwei and practices the teaching that goes beyond words.” This, too, is the same teaching.

“To teach” means to instruct people and provide an example that can endure for generations. The Analects says that Confucius taught through four things: culture, conduct, loyalty, and trustworthiness. The Preface to the Book of Songs says, “Teach them and thereby transform them.” The Book of Changes says that the sages established instruction through the divine Way. In every case, “teaching” means instructing people. Most teachings in the world take attachment and deliberate action as their foundation. The Old Master’s teaching transforms through Wuwei and silence; therefore, it is honored above the various teachings and prized by those who understand the Way.