《道德真經廣聖義》Vol. 33

The Broad Commentary on the True Scripture of the Dao and De, scroll thirty-two, chapter forty, “Reversal Is the Movement of the Dao”

Scriptural text

The Broad Commentary on the True Scripture of the Dao and De, scroll thirty-two, fascicle eight.

Written by Du Guangting, Master Guangcheng of the Tang dynasty.

Reversal Is the Movement of the Dao (Chapter Forty. The previous chapter discussed how Heaven and Earth “attain the One” and thereby admonish each other. This chapter explains the harm caused by self-importance and grasping, and sets out two strands, expediency and substance. It then clarifies the subtlety of “reversing the constant”: one who does not exalt himself remains whole; one who honors the root and accords with what is right can be upright. Expedient adaptation may be used alongside this. To lead people to a deep understanding of the Origin of the Dao, the text further clarifies the use of emptiness. In broad terms, the Dao of emptiness in use and the Origin of the subtle root encompass being and nonbeing and run through Heaven and Earth. Heaven and Earth attain them and thereby become stable and enduring; the myriad things attain them and thereby are born and brought to completion. A ruler who governs a state should follow the Dao’s transformation through Wuwei (non-action), and should not pursue empty fame through self-importance and grasping. Thus the text warns that lowliness is the foundation, and that one must not forget the Origin and lose the root. It also shows that expedient adaptation is a means: such adaptation serves to return to the root and accord with emptiness in mysterious achievement.)

Reversal Is the Movement of the Dao

Commentary: This passage clarifies expediency. “Reversal” means “reversing the constant and accord­ing with what is right.” For a sage, reversing the constant and accord­ing with what is right is the practice of expediency. Practicing expediency is the movement of the Dao; hence the words, “Reversal is the movement of the Dao.”

Explication: “Reversal” means going against worldly custom; “movement” means change and refers to the Way of expediency. Living beings cling possessively to “life” and thereby lose the Dao. The sage therefore makes changes and establishes expedient measures, enabling the myriad things to turn away from custom and follow the Dao.

Interpretation: Things flourish when they follow the Dao and die when they lose it. Why? The Dao is fundamentally free of affairs and action, yet people prize action and involvement. The Dao is fundamentally without emotion or desire, yet people still have desires and emotions. Thus, when worldly custom runs counter to the Dao, people depart from life and move toward death. The Scripture says, “Moving toward the place of death,” because of excessive attachment to life. It also says, “People take death lightly because they seek life too fervently; therefore they take death lightly.” To seek life too fervently is to indulge desire and covet profit, follow custom and chase fame, burden one’s nature and exhaust one’s spirit, and scheme for achievement and crave rewards. These things are meant to sustain the body, but people do not realize that what they seek is beyond their proper share, and instead lose their lives. The Wuzi says: “The birds and beasts born of Heaven and Earth are clothed in feathers and fur, and supplied with insects and grains. How much more so for human beings?” Clothing and food are essential to sustaining the body, yet one may also entrust one’s heart to events and let things take their course. How could it depend on… (The discussion continues below.)

A Plain-Language Interpretation

Restless striving and entrusting oneself

Those who are consumed by restless striving and greed cannot embody the Dao or preserve their lives. Settling the mind into “entrusting oneself to fate” is not enough: if one clings to life without following the Dao, one is still attached to life and loses the Dao. Only by casting off deluded striving and resting in a mind that follows fate can one experience serenity and joy; then life can be preserved.

Governing a state by going against custom and following the Dao

A ruler should let the nature of all things unfold, follow the seasons, put an end to harshness and violence for the people’s benefit, and reduce taxes and labor duties to support them. The ruler should not expand territory or enlarge the borders, but instead disarm and withdraw the armies. The ruler should not build grand terraces and lofty halls, but instead simplify public affairs, so that the people may enter a land of long life. This is what it means to go against custom and follow the Dao.

Commentary: What does “going against convention and conforming to what is right” mean?

“Convention” means what is constant; “what is right” means what is fitting. To take the lowly as the foundation, the lower as the higher, and what is without as useful may at first seem contrary to ordinary expectations. In the end, however, it accords with the Dao. This is called the Dao’s “movement.”

Explanation

People in the world regard the noble as important and the lowly as insignificant, admiring what is high and rejecting what is humble. But the classic teaches that the high is made visible by what is low, and the noble is made clear by what is humble. It takes the low and humble as the foundation of nobility, and has lords and kings call themselves “orphaned” and “widowed.” If the noble does not forget the lowly, its blessings will be inexhaustible; if the high does not forget the humble, it will remain safe. This is how the Dao works: feelings that run counter to customary ways are brought back to their natural state.

Commentary: Confucius’s saying, “One may stand with them, but not yet weigh what is fitting”

The Dao runs counter to convention and is difficult to understand. So the text uses the blossoms of the tangdi tree as an image for the art of weighing what is fitting: “They first turn away, then come together.” First comes reversal, then accord.

Explanation (Analects)

Confucius said: “One may study together with someone, but that does not mean one can guide them toward the Way. One may guide them toward the Way, but that does not mean one can stand firm with them. One may stand firm with them, but that does not mean one can weigh what is fitting.” To “weigh” means to assess what matters more or less and adapt to circumstances.

An old poem says: “The tangdi blossoms—how they turn and twist! Could I not think of you? But your home is far away.” The tangdi blossoms first open in a turned-back direction, then come together. This illustrates the art of weighing what is fitting: one’s thoughts may first go against the grain, yet ultimately lead to great accord. The poem speaks of thinking of someone one cannot see because their home is far away; it uses this image to convey the difficulty and subtlety of the art of weighing what is fitting.

On the Meaning of “Far”:

“Far” means that someone who relies only on political stratagems and clever schemes cannot see the Great Dao; that is what makes the Dao seem far away. Confucius said, “If you have not yet thought about it, how can it be far away?” His meaning is that when people are in a state of “not thinking,” they feel that the Dao is distant. But if they turn inward and reflect, how could the Dao be far away? Political expediency can be grasped through thought; ordinary people simply do not know how to think about it. Thought must follow an order of priority for understanding to arise. Thus, “expediency” and the Dao are powerful instruments of governance, and they must be entrusted to the right people. In the right hands, they overturn convention and accord with the Dao; in the wrong hands, they bring about disorder.

Scripture: The weak are the Dao’s means of action.

Commentary: This passage clarifies what is “real.” “Weak” here means yielding and still, like the female. Yielding and stillness are the “reality” that sages hold fast to, and they are also the Dao’s ordinary way of acting. Hence the saying, “The weak are the Dao’s means of action.”

Subcommentary: This further explains the Dao as reality. Most people look down on weakness and prize strength, showing that forcefulness, hardness, and agitation are the ways of the world. The Dao uses harmony and softness to overcome hardness, showing that yielding and stillness, like the female, are the Dao’s constant way of acting. Hence the saying, “The weak are the Dao’s means of action.”

Interpretation: The Dao is essentially yielding and weak, while worldly custom prizes force. Yielding and weakness preserve life; forcefulness leads to ruin. The scripture says, “The forceful and violent do not die a natural death.” Laozi makes this a “foundational teaching”—a guiding principle for instruction—and uses it to teach people: abandon force and hold to softness; leave agitation and return to stillness. There are two approaches to teaching: “expedient” and “real.” Those of the highest capacity understand readily; teach them through what is real, and they will naturally accord with the middle way. Those of lesser capacity must be awakened through expedient teaching, as in the saying, “If you are about to take something away, you must first give it.”

In governing a country, one must begin by caring for the people. The people are the foundation of the state and must not be casually abandoned. In ancient times, people were simple and in accord with the Dao, so they were taught through what is real. In later, more degenerate ages, corruption and deceit arose on all sides, so people were taught through expedient means. Such teaching proceeds as follows: first, guide people with the good; if they do not comply, encourage them with favors and rewards; if they still do not comply, bring them into line with laws and directives; if they remain defiant, deter them with regulations and penalties; and if they still refuse, restrain them with criminal punishments. These punishments refer to the so-called Five Punishments: engraving the forehead and applying ink for tattooing; cutting off the nose for nose amputation; castrating men and confining women, a punishment second only to death, for sexual offenses; and cutting off the feet.

Note: The original phrases, including “far—meaning that if one thinks in terms of expediency yet cannot see it, the Dao is far,” intertwine with Confucius’s saying in the Analects, “You have not thought about it; how could it be far away?” and with discussions of governance and expediency. The subcommentary’s sequence of expedient instruction and the Five Punishments is an elaboration by the Tang Daoist Li Yue in his Guangshengyi commentary on the Daodejing, on “softness and weakness,” “the expedient and the real,” and “governing the state.” These ideas can be read alongside the wording “The weak are the Dao’s means of action” in the received text of chapter 40 of the Daodejing.

A Plain-Language Commentary on The Broadly Expounded Meaning of the True Scripture of the Dao and Its Virtue

Five Punishments, Five Judicial Officials, and Leniency

Execution is called the “great punishment.” Before imposing the five punishments, the authorities must first establish the testimony of both the accuser and the accused. Once both accounts have been recorded, the case is heard by the Five Judicial Officials. They make written records on bamboo slips, using the five punishments as their standard. If these do not settle the case, they turn to the five fines, which are lighter penalties. If the accused still contests the decision, the case is considered under the five grounds for excusing fault; anyone who should not be punished is pardoned on one of these grounds. If there is doubt about whether an excuse applies, responsibility must still be weighed carefully. When there is doubt about a criminal sentence, impose the lighter one; when there is doubt about a fine, grant a pardon.

Punishments must be administered with gravity and reverence; the authority of Heaven must not be invoked lightly. Thus, the tattooing punishment could be commuted for one hundred huan, nose-cutting for two hundred, foot-amputation for five hundred, castration for six hundred, and execution for one thousand. This is known as redeeming punishment with metal. The prescribed amounts for the five punishments were also given as follows: one thousand huan for tattooing and nose-cutting, five hundred for foot-amputation, three hundred for castration, and two hundred for execution, making a total of three thousand huan for all five punishments. A huan was a measure of six liang of cast yellow iron.

The Book of Documents says: “Merit should be rewarded generously; guilt should be judged leniently.” Although rules and penalties are used to restrain and encourage people, the sage’s compassion and love of life are also brought to their fullest expression. Instruction and moral transformation come first; only when they fail are punishments used. Punishment makes the people fear wrongdoing, while rewards encourage them to do good. Encouragement leads them toward goodness; fear keeps them from evil. Punishment may seem harmful because it falls on the body, yet in practice it deters one and encourages a hundred: few are punished, while many choose to act well. It is like combing hair: if you spare the comb and use it only once every ten days, much hair falls out; if you comb every day, more hair stays neat and orderly. The use of expedient measures is a ruler’s art. In cultivating oneself, one follows the Way of gentleness and flexibility, casting aside hardness and force. Practice this over time, and long life is not far away.

“All things under Heaven arise from being; being arises from nonbeing”

Commentary: The real and the expedient stand in relation as nonbeing giving rise to being. Those who use expedient means should aim to return to what is real; those who make use of being must draw upon nonbeing. The highest Dao is empty and still, beyond names. The nature of all things is empty; they do not depend on one another. If one can forget both the expedient and the real, and dissolve both being and nonbeing, then even the “carriage” that has no carriage may be said to have gone beyond them.

Exegesis: All things in the world that have form continue through succession of forms; hence they are said to arise from being. When one pursues the substance of being to its source, it must ultimately draw upon nonbeing.

Meaning: Nonbeing is the root of the Dao; being is its branch. The branch comes into being from the root.

Thus, all things under Heaven and Earth each take on their own form. Forms sustain one another, so we may say that “being” gives rise to “being.” Trace their origin and examine their roots: all arise in dependence on the Dao, and the myriad kinds truly come from “wondrous nonbeing,” the subtle, empty root of the Dao. Only those who can return from “being” to “nonbeing” draw near to the Dao. Those who cling to “being” and refuse to let go instead move toward exhaustion. In Zhuangzi’s “Knowledge Wanders North,” Confucius asks Ran Qiu: “Can there be a grandson without a son?” Ancestor, father, son, and grandson succeed one another through the generations: this is how form gives rise to form. The same is true of all things under Heaven and Earth.

Those who cultivate themselves nourish the Shen (spirit) to preserve the body, and the body may thereby endure. But if they wear out the body and overtax the spirit, the spirit can no longer be kept secure. The spirit depends on the body; the body receives Qi (vital energy) through the Dao. Only when spirit and body are both complete can one attain the Dao. When the body is destroyed and the spirit wanders, what is there left to seek in the Dao? Those who govern a state use laws to guide the people. When the people turn toward goodness, harmonious Qi responds; a peaceful state and a harmonious people are the way to prosperity.

Commentary: Clarifying the general meaning

Liezi says: when form moves, it cannot “give birth to” another form, but it does give rise to a shadow; when nonbeing moves, it cannot “give birth to” another nonbeing, but it does give rise to being. Thus, to say that emptiness is the root of Heaven and Earth, and nonbeing their source, is to urge people to investigate the origin, recognize the root, and awaken to the Dao. The same applies to expedient means and ultimate reality: as the commentator explains, expedient means stand in relation to reality as being does to nonbeing.

Discussion: Developing the meaning

The words “when form moves, it cannot give birth to form, but gives rise to shadow” come from the “Tianrui” chapter of the Liezi, which quotes the Book of the Yellow Emperor: “Wherever there is form, there is shadow; wherever there is sound, there is echo. They arise together of themselves, and appear and disappear together.” This does not mean that shadow must follow form or echo must follow sound. Rather, these are metaphors for the natural principle of mutual response and dependence. The Dao transforms wondrous nonbeing and brings forth the myriad things; this is called natural spontaneity. Things giving rise to things and forms giving rise to forms occur through causal conditions. From forms as vast as Heaven and Earth to those as tiny as insects, all take shape through the transformation of Qi under the wondrous, spontaneous Dao. Through the conditions of their forms and kinds, they in turn give rise to and complete one another. Those who cultivate the Dao empty their minds, remain undisturbed, hold to the One, and return to the source. In this way, they can preserve the form they already possess and attain limitless longevity. When form unites with the Dao and returns to formlessness, and one responds fittingly to transformation, neither life nor death can burden one; then one may wander together with the Dao.

Protecting Cultural Heritage: Finding a Balance Between Preservation and Openness

Cultural heritage carries the memories and historical wisdom of a people. Its preservation and development have long been matters of public concern. Today, we see traditional culture gaining fresh vitality in contemporary life, while also worrying that its meaning may be lost amid the wave of commercialization. How to strike a balance between effective preservation and responsible use is a question worth exploring in depth.

I. The Renewal of Culture in Contemporary Life

In recent years, cultural heritage has become increasingly connected with everyday life, a heartening development. Traditional festivals offer a clear example: customs such as going on spring outings at Qingming, dragon boat racing at the Dragon Boat Festival, and admiring the moon at Mid-Autumn Festival have not only continued in modern society but have also taken on new elements of the times. Museums, workshops for intangible cultural heritage, and other venues use interactive experiences and cultural product development to help younger generations directly appreciate the appeal of traditional culture. This model of “living transmission” means that cultural heritage is no longer a static exhibit behind glass, but an experience of daily life that people can perceive and take part in.

In education, incorporating traditional culture into the national education system can help foster a sense of cultural identity among young people. Many schools offer courses in calligraphy, traditional Chinese painting, and traditional opera, while communities regularly hold talks and hands-on events about folk customs. These efforts build bridges for passing cultural heritage from one generation to the next.

II. The Twofold Effects of Commercialization

Bringing cultural heritage to the marketplace can, in practical terms, provide funding for its preservation. The rise of the cultural and creative industries and the integration of culture and tourism have eased, to some extent, the difficulty of securing adequate preservation funds. Yet excessive commercialization can also have harmful effects. Some projects simplify their meaning to attract online traffic, compressing complex historical narratives into sensational symbols. Some businesses use the label “China chic” to generate hype, reducing cultural expression to surface appearance. In the long run, this kind of “fast food” communication does little to help the public develop a deep understanding of cultural heritage.

III. Finding a Balance Between Preservation and Use

Addressing these tensions calls for coordinated efforts on several fronts:

Funding: Establish diverse and reliable mechanisms for financing preservation, reduce dependence on any single commercial channel, and maintain the necessary “buffer space” for protecting cultural heritage.

Education and communication: Emphasize accuracy and depth, and avoid sacrificing cultural authenticity in pursuit of wider reach. Digital tools can improve accessibility while preserving professional standards.

Industry standards: Improve relevant standards and review mechanisms. Guide market participants to innovate while respecting the cultural core, and guard against vulgarization and a tendency toward uniformity.

Public participation: Encourage the public to engage with cultural heritage thoughtfully and respectfully, creating a virtuous cycle of “preservation—communication—renewed preservation.”

Preservation and openness are not mutually exclusive choices. Only by safeguarding the cultural core while taking a measured, open approach to bringing heritage into contemporary life can this precious gift from history continue to thrive in a new era.

Scripture

The highest kind of person hears of the Dao (the Way) and diligently puts it into practice.

Commentary

Having awakened to the truth, one is able to put it into practice diligently.

Explanatory Note

A person of superior wisdom sees deeply. When they hear of the Dao, they understand how to let their light shine subtly when circumstances call for adaptation, and how to be gentle, humble, and yielding in practical affairs. After hearing it, they put it into practice without ever slacking off. Hence the phrase, “diligently puts it into practice.”

Meaning

At birth, people differ in the clarity or turbidity of their natural endowments, and in the wisdom or foolishness of their dispositions. Although Heaven and Earth first separated and primordial Qi (vital energy) transformed to bring forth the myriad things, wealth and poverty, longevity and early death, beauty and ugliness all arise naturally, and each person’s allotted share of life is fixed. This may seem impossible to change. Yet the Dao abandons nothing and is always adept at saving people. For this reason, teachings must be established to guide them and rules laid down to instruct them, so that the unenlightened may awaken and grasp the true meaning—just as jade is carved into a vessel or gold found by washing sand. This is what the passage means.

Confucius said that those who know from birth are the highest, those who know through learning come next, and those who are trapped in difficulty yet do not learn are the lowest among the people. This accords in principle with the teaching about the “three kinds of people.” Similarly, in the Analects, “Yongye,” Confucius says that profound teachings may be discussed with those of average ability and above, but not with those below average. This concerns the proper method of instruction.

The Master’s teaching holds that people can broadly be divided into three grades according to their discernment: high, middle, and low. In finer detail, there are nine grades. The very highest are sages, who know for themselves and need little instruction. The very lowest are fools, who cannot be changed and cannot be taught. Those who can be taught range from the upper-middle grade down to the lower-middle grade, comprising seven grades in all. The phrase “those of average ability and above” refers to these people.

“Those fit to be taught the higher Way” means that the highest teachings may be explained to people of the highest capacity.

Confucius taught Yan Hui according to the Way of Confucius, and Yan Hui in turn taught Min Sun according to his own understanding of the Way. People of middle capacity or above can be taught the highest Way; those below the middle cannot, and can be taught only the middle or lower Way. For example, the Way suited to Min Sun can teach people above the middle level. This is what is meant by “people of middle capacity can also be taught the higher Way.” The higher teaching within the middle level can then guide people of moderate capacity; the teaching suited to them can guide those at the lower end of the middle level. This is what is meant by “people of middle capacity can also be taught the middle Way.” The lower teaching within the middle level can guide those at the upper end of the lowest level, so people above the lowest level can also hear the middle Way. And the teaching suited to those at the upper end of the lowest level can guide those of moderate capacity within that level, so people below the middle can also hear the lower Way.

The phrase “those below the middle” refers to people in general. Since there are nine grades, the fifth is the true middle grade; the second, third, and fourth are above it, and the sixth, seventh, and eighth below. Only people of the lowest grade remain unchanged even after being taught: when they hear the Way, they laugh. Mr. Wu, the commentator, says: “People of the highest capacity know without being taught; those of the lowest capacity are not changed by teaching. The divine Way is taught chiefly for people of middle capacity. Such people turn toward goodness when guided toward it, and toward evil when led that way. Teaching is therefore directed at those in the middle who can move either upward or downward and can still be changed.” The intention of the Most High (Laozi) is to guide people by many means and teach them the Way of goodness, gradually changing them and freeing them from ignorance. This opens a path by which they may be drawn toward the Way and become good. This is what is meant by “no one is abandoned.” People of the highest capacity have already awakened through their own nature, and so they practice diligently without slackening.

“People of middle capacity hear the Way and seem to keep it, yet seem to lose it.”

Commentary: People of middle capacity can move upward or downward, so they hesitate. Their hesitation makes it seem that they both keep and lose the Way.

Subcommentary: People of ordinary capacity have not yet clearly distinguished understanding from ignorance. When they hear the subtle Way, they may believe it or doubt it: when they understand, they seem to keep it and have faith; when they are confused, they seem to lose it and have doubts. They may not yet have reached a decision. Hence the phrase “seem to keep it, yet seem to lose it.”

Explanation: “Seem to keep it, yet seem to lose it” means that they can move either upward or downward and have not yet made up their minds. Ordinary people are often tempted by wealth and status and constrained by concerns of gain and loss. They find it hard to forget pleasures, and give free rein to arrogance and extravagance. When they hear of the quiet, mysterious Way, who among them will be willing to strive diligently and put it into practice?

This scripture discusses how people at different levels of understanding perceive the Dao (the Way).

When foolish individuals (lower scholars) hear the profound truth of the Dao, they mock and disbelieve. Their minds remain clouded—incapable of comprehending the teachings of sages or the transformative guidance of ancient kings. This illustrates the saying: "Their vision cannot reach the height of true understanding." Upon hearing of the supreme truth that generates heaven and earth, nurtures all things, encompasses Yin-Yang, and governs creation, they dismiss it as absurd and ridicule one another.

The text cites two historical examples to illustrate this principle: First, the ceremonial hats (zhangfu) valued in the Central Plains (Zou-Lu region) held no significance in the southern state of Yue, where people practiced hair-loosening and body-tattooing without regard for formal headwear. Second, the Chu artisan Bian He discovered precious jade, but when presenting it to three generations of Chu kings, was twice condemned as a fraud—losing both feet—before finally being recognized. This jade later became the imperial seal.

Zhuangzi's "Autumn Floods" chapter observes: One cannot discuss the ocean with a frog at the bottom of a well, confined by its narrow space; nor can one discuss the Dao with those bound by rigid opinions, constrained by their dogmas. The "narrow scholars" mentioned here refer precisely to those clinging obstinately to limited viewpoints, shackled by doctrine.

True Dao cultivators should conduct themselves thus: Avoiding evil deeds as one recoils from boiling water, pursuing virtuous actions with the urgency of chasing what cannot be overtaken, correcting mistakes upon recognition, and emulating the exemplary. By modeling the conduct of superior practitioners while abandoning the pleasures of mediocrity, one may attain the supreme state of "treading on light and shadow, transcending the void."

Plain-Language Interpretation

(Using Zhuangzi’s “Autumn Floods” to illustrate “self-importance”)

Boasting of the autumn floods, the Lord of the River thought his waters immense, unaware of how small he really was. The Spirit of the Sea replied: “Of all the waters under Heaven, none is greater than the sea. Countless rivers pour into it, and no one knows when they will stop, yet the sea never overflows. Its waters drain through the Tail-Gate—the legendary place where the sea is said to flow out—and no one knows when they will stop, yet the sea is never emptied. The sea remains unmoved through the changing seasons and the fluctuations between drought and flood. It is far beyond anything a river can compare with.”

Yet the Spirit of the Sea said he did not boast of this, because he was shaped together with Heaven and Earth and received the Qi of Yin-Yang. Between Heaven and Earth, the Four Seas are as insignificant as a small cup in a vast marsh.

(Using history to illustrate “the Dao has no distinctions of rank, and teachings are adapted to the moment”)

The people of Yue scorned ornamental headdresses, while the people of Chu discarded fine jade. Qin Shi Huang carved a precious seal, wore the robes and headdress of the Hua-Xia people, and wore jade as a model for later generations. The rulers who came after him followed the same system, uniting the Six Regions as one. In the source of the transformation of principle, what rank or distinction could there be between the He family’s jade disk and the Zhangfu ceremonial cap? Sages teach in response to people’s circumstances, guiding them toward goodness and the right path. Even those of the lowest understanding, even the most foolish, can be taught about the Dao.

Scripture: “If it were not laughed at, it would not be enough to be the Dao”

Commentary:

If people of the lowest understanding do not laugh at it, it is not profound enough to be called the wondrous, ultimate Dao.

The ultimate Dao is hidden and profound, difficult to fathom. Though it has light, it seems dim; its principles often run counter to ordinary expectations, and so it provokes laughter. If people of the lowest understanding do not laugh, that shows it has not reached the subtle depths. It remains a shallow, common teaching, unworthy of the name “Dao.” The Dao is not an ordinary worldly method, and so the foolish and mundane laugh at it. It is precisely because it is laughed at that its subtle wonder is revealed.

Meaning:

The Dao is silent, subtle, and beyond ordinary perception. It does not use sharp discernment to judge others or flaunt itself in brilliant display. Those who embody the Dao act in the same way: inwardly, they unite with emptiness; outwardly, they mingle with the dust and dregs of the world. Thus, the utmost brightness seems dim, and ordinary people cannot recognize it. This is more than blending with the light and dust: it also means keeping low and staying beneath others. That is why people of the lowest understanding scorn and laugh at it. The Perfected One conceals himself while cultivating the Dao. If people of the lowest understanding do not laugh at him, he has not yet conformed to the Great Dao.

The same applies to governing a state and transforming its people. What matters is clarity, calm, and Wuwei (non-action), allowing things to transform of themselves. With gentle compassion, one quietly spreads kindness and warmth, so that people work at sunrise and rest at sunset, living in an indistinct quietude, unaware of the ruler’s power and unaware that anyone rules above them. Though the common people do not recognize the ruler’s power, the sage’s Virtue (De) reaches far and his hidden influence spreads everywhere. This is the highest form of transformation.

Scripture: “The established saying goes…”

Commentary:

“Established saying” means a statement set forth as teaching. The phrase signals that the three kinds of people of learning each differ in how they understand the Dao.

[Commentary] “Establish” means to set forth and expound. The words are about to be set forth in order to explain the way the highest shi diligently practice, the subtlety of existence and nonexistence for those in the middle, and why those at the lowest level laugh. “There is” refers to the phrases that follow, beginning with “The Dao that is bright.”

[Explanation] The Most High Lord Lao is about to set forth words that reveal the Dao and make clear the different grounds for the three kinds of shi. That is why this line appears.

The Dao that is bright seems dim

[Commentary] “Bright” means illuminating all things; “dim” means obscure. This refers to those who cultivate the Dao and De: they nurture brightness through obscurity, leave behind form and abandon cleverness, while inwardly remaining truly clear. Hence, it “seems dim.” The meaning is that those at the highest level diligently practice amid brightness, yet seem obscure. Those at the lowest level cannot understand and so laugh at them. Those in the middle, when they first hear the bright Dao, think it seems to exist; when they hear more deeply, it seems not to exist, as though it had vanished.

[Explanation] The ruler of the Great Dao embodies the Dao, abides in spirit, becomes one with transformation, and dwells in the natural. The myriad things follow their true nature, without deliberate acts of hearing or seeing. Their nature accords with the Dao’s mystery, and their life attains the subtle essence of the One. Their actions accord with Great Harmony; their choices accord with the order of Heaven. They are free of thought and worry, dwelling in silent stillness within the vast primordial state. Though their radiance matches that of the sun and moon, the people do not regard it as a display; though their care extends as evenly as rain and dew, the people do not regard it as a favor. Their utmost brightness often seems silent and obscure.

Those at the highest level cultivate the Dao by concealing their wisdom and hiding their radiance, containing what they see and concealing what they know. They turn their gaze inward and illuminate within, while outwardly seeming like infants. This is beyond the reach of those in the middle, and so those at the lowest level mock them. Seeming to exist or vanish is likewise a state of silent stillness. It is also said that Heaven’s De shines brilliantly above, yet often seems dim and obscure.

Advancing on the Dao seems like retreat

[Commentary] Those who advance on the Dao give rise to no thoughts inwardly and forget external affairs. Their achievements and reputation diminish day by day; what is fully formed seems incomplete. Those at the lowest level look at them and think they are in retreat, as though they had failed.

[Explanation] The ruler who broadens the Dao regards the whole realm as unformed as a child, and the four seas as one. He strives to diminish, not increase, yet does little and keeps his commitments simple. The people are loyal, sincere, and trusting; the customs of the age are harmonious and unadorned. The ruler is like Heaven and Earth, and the people like grass and trees. He does not regard the status of ruling ten thousand chariots as exalted, nor take pleasure in a ninefold palace. He is humble, yielding, and retiring, calm and harmonious, without desire; meanwhile, the Dao gives broadly and De is expansive. This is the Dao that seems to “retreat.”

Those at the highest level apply this principle to their own lives: they quietly put profound De into practice without boasting or displaying it; they silently set hidden merit in motion without knowing or being known. They let others receive the credit for good deeds, withdraw themselves, and make room for all things. As for the Dao of cinnabar registers—the talismans and instructions for cultivation…

(The text continues in the original book; the scriptural passage ends here.)

People of outstanding reputation have their names recorded in the registers of Qinghua, and their fame spreads abroad. Li Yiqih once begged for food; Huanyin Changsheng was humiliated in the marketplace; Hou Daohua lived as a hired laborer; Huangfu Ta feigned illness among hills and woods; Shengzi played the madman; Hu Gong concealed his tracks. Each humbled himself, withdrew, and reined in his will—this is what it means to learn from Jingchong (deep withdrawal and alignment with the true Way). The same point can illustrate the “virtue of earth”: though earth’s qi constantly rises and evaporates, it always stays below and often appears humble and yielding.

The great Way looks uneven.

Commentary: The upper-grade practitioner cultivates diligently; outwardly he seems to advance, yet also like one who steps back. Though he walks a level great Way, he looks as if he met rough ground. Middle-grade practitioners are puzzled by this; lower-grade ones mock it.

Explanation: “Yi” means level and smooth; “rü” (uneven silk with knots and bumps) means thread that is not uniform. When the mind is clear and worldly desires do not arise, the breast is open and level, without barrier toward the ten thousand things—yet from outside it seems as if the silk thread carried knots.

Interpretation: If silk had no knots and were too slick, people would take it to weave Qi’s fine silk, Chu’s white damask, mist-thin gauze, and cloud-like gauze. Once silk is worked into cloth, it gradually loses its original substance, wears out, and is no longer what it was. If people abandon the great Way, the vulgar world drives them— they scramble for stipends, sink into beauty and music, linger in bad ties, lose their nature, and in the end fall and perish, unable to preserve life.

The penetrating practitioner cultivates himself within: level and at peace; outwardly he seems the same as the dusty world— meeting hardship or joy he responds in season, showing different tracks as needed, like silk thread with knots. Confucius, though he had the virtue of a great sage, was once trapped by felled trees and forced to trim his chariot tracks; he also traveled the states. Xuanyuan (Laozi), though honored as a great sage, once hid books by a pillar and went to distant lands to teach. Inwardly they held the utmost Way; outwardly their tracks looked obstructed. Here one can also speak of a ruler’s virtue: modeling himself on the great earth and following Heaven’s Way, yet not advertising difference— often appearing restrained and not insisting on smooth success.

The highest virtue is like a valley.

Commentary: Empty, yet it can hold the ten thousand things.

Explanation: One who cultivates the Way diligently is called an upper-de virtue practitioner. The working of his virtue is bright and complete; nothing is excluded— hence “like a valley.”

Interpretation: A ruler who has the Way lodges his spirit in boundless space, hides outer form and stores the subtle, bears the great Way and nourishes virtue— nothing is beyond his hold. The breadth of all lands under Heaven fits in his breast; he does not rely on what he owns, and the ten thousand things transform of themselves. Though he stands in vast Heaven and earth, he does not boast of his own vastness. Can words like “like a valley” fully match such a state? One may also say: the ruler embraces filth as a stream-gully holds muddy water. The upper-grade practitioner who embodies the great Way and whose virtue is whole and firm does the same.

The greatest purity looks as if it were stained.

Commentary: Pure, yet able to hold filth.

Explanation: “Bai” is pure; “ru” is dust and filth. One who truly attains the way of purity can merge with the dusty world and embrace filth.

Their traces mingle with the dust, so they seem disgraced, yet in truth they are wholly pure and complete.

Meaning: The virtue of Yao and Tang, ancient sage kings, had reached the utmost clarity and purity, yet their eras still saw calamities such as floods that submerged hills and heat that melted stone. The people were free from the suffering of drowning and hunger, but even then it was as though dust had settled on great whiteness. Those who cultivate the Dao may seem outwardly soiled, like Gan Ji, who is said to have taken on a form to leave traces in the world: he swallowed swords and summoned gentle winds, making himself known in the depths of a sunken spring. Inwardly, however, they illuminate the Dao and establish merit, while outwardly mingling with the world’s dust and grime. This, too, is the meaning here.

Broad Virtue seems insufficient

Commentary: One who is fully accomplished remains humble.

Exegesis: The virtue of the Perfected One is broad and all-encompassing. By holding to softness and practicing humility, it therefore always seems insufficient. The Records of the Grand Historian says: “A good merchant keeps his goods hidden, as if he had nothing. A gentleman of abundant virtue looks simple and foolish.”

Meaning: A ruler of highest virtue transforms the lands within the nine regions, yet does not rely on his virtue; the nine regions transform of themselves, unaware of his merit. Thus he seems insufficient. Those who cultivate the Dao benefit both the unseen and visible realms, and extend their virtue even to insects. They establish merit without ceasing and exalt virtue without tiring, yet always seem insufficient.

The saying “a good merchant keeps his goods hidden” comes from the Records of the Grand Historian. It records that Confucius went to Zhou with Nangong Jingshu and asked Laozi about ritual. Laozi said: “The person you speak of has long since turned to dust; only his words remain. I have heard that a good merchant keeps his goods hidden, as if he had nothing, and that a gentleman of abundant virtue looks simple and foolish. Cast off your pride and many desires, your affected bearing and excessive ambition; none of these will benefit you. This is all I have to tell you.” Laozi was apparently criticizing Confucius for confusing people with teachings about the three bonds and five constant virtues, for failing to honor the Great Dao and for dressing up conduct with ritual and righteousness. How does that compare with a skilled merchant, who stores up goods and wealth, fears that others will discover them, and always seems to have empty stores?

Establish virtue as though concealing it

Commentary: Establish merit without showing it off.

Exegesis: “Establish” means to set up; “conceal” means to hide or keep secret. The phrase refers to people who establish hidden virtue and cultivate themselves through secret practice. They act as though they had stolen something and feared others would find out; hence the saying “as though concealing it.”

Meaning: When a ruler practices virtue and follows the Dao, he quietly nurtures the people. He does not boast or claim credit, but remains tranquil and still, so that the world does not notice. Hence the phrase “as though concealing it.” Those of the highest attainment cultivate themselves through constant hidden practice, which is why they may seem to conceal their virtue. “Conceal” can also mean “slight” or “shallow.” In the Analects, “Taibo,” Confucius says: “When a gentleman is devoted to his kin, the people rise to benevolence; when he does not abandon old friends, the people do not grow shallow.” Bao’s commentary explains “rise” as “to be stirred into action.” This sense can be set against the meaning of “hidden” in “Establish virtue as though concealing it” above.

A Plain-Language Interpretation of The Broad Commentary on the Sagely Meaning of the True Scripture of the Dao and De

General meaning of the scripture

If a ruler treats his relatives generously, the people will be influenced to follow his example and act with benevolence rather than harshness or meanness. This passage speaks of those who cultivate hidden virtue: they accomplish good deeds without seeking recognition, and do good whenever they can without deliberately trying to gain merit. Wuzi (Wu Qi) said, “A deed need not be great; when you encounter something, help it.” This expresses the same idea.

“The uncarved and true seem to change”

Commentary: Pure and undivided, blending its light.

Explanation: “True and pure” means unified; “change” means to alter. Those who cultivate Dao and De have a pure and unified character that needs no adornment. They may seem able to adapt to ordinary customs, moving with things and blending their light with the dust.

Interpretation: People who are simple and true choose only to do what is good. They adapt to the shape of the vessel and are not confined to one position, seeming as though they can change.

“The great square has no corners”

Commentary: It does not deliberately set up sharp edges.

Explanation: “Square” means upright; “corner” means an angle. Those who polish their reputation for integrity and insist on strict boundaries are people bound by rules, not people of great breadth. The truly great square can be worn down without becoming thin and immersed in black dye without becoming black. It can also blend its light with the dust without setting itself apart, and so has no corners.

Interpretation: The ruler who follows the highest Dao possesses profound De, vast and all-embracing. His greatness is like that of Heaven and Earth, impossible to measure from afar. Like a phoenix rising into the boundless sky or a divine dragon soaring through the highest clouds, how could such a being be enclosed or measured by “corners”? Those of the highest virtue who uphold the Dao differ from Confucian scholars: they are not confined by status or rigid codes of integrity. Their bearing is open and vast, as subtle as the Great Void; their aspirations are broad and far-reaching, like a wild goose vanishing into the distance. They remain unstained by blackness and unworn by abrasion. This is what it means.

An allusion from “Yang Huo” in the Analects

Bixi summoned Confucius, and Confucius considered going. Zilu said, “I have heard you say that a gentleman does not enter the household of someone who has done wrong. Bixi has rebelled at Zhongmou, and yet you are going to him. How can that be?” Confucius replied, “That is indeed what I have said. But have you not also heard, ‘Can something truly hard be worn down by grinding?’ and ‘Can something truly white be blackened by dye?’” “Worn down” means made thin: something supremely hard does not become thin through grinding. “Blackened” means turned black: something supremely white does not become black in dye. These sayings compare the gentleman, who remains unstained in a corrupt age, to something supremely hard and supremely white. The sage is not tainted by worldly customs. This is the conduct of the highest virtue, honored by the Confucian school.

Note: This chapter belongs to a commentary on the Dao De Jing by Chen Jingyuan and other Daoist masters of the Song dynasty. The passages cited relate to the lines “The uncarved and true seem to change” and “The great square has no corners,” and draw on the Analects to discuss how a gentleman preserves his integrity in troubled times. Terms such as “hidden virtue,” “blending one’s light with the dust,” and “the great square has no corners” are retained from the original and briefly explained.

A Person’s De has no fixed corner or boundary that can contain it.

“The great vessel is completed late”

Note: It also does not covet small achievements and quick results.

Commentary (clarifying the meaning of the classic): What is prepared and ready to serve a purpose is called a “vessel.” Since a vessel often takes a long time to complete, it can become great. The highest kind of person diligently cultivates and acts with resolve, accumulating merit and De. Realization comes gradually; it does not happen in a single day or night. Hence the saying, “completed late.”

Meaning: A person is formed by accumulating harmony, and the Dao is realized by accumulating merit. Neither can be completed overnight, hence “completed late.” A ruler who follows the Dao teaches the people by embracing Wuwei (non-action) and allowing things to follow their natural course. He remains unclouded and does not scrutinize harshly; he is simple and unassuming, without showing off or seeking attention. He lets things unfold naturally, and then the whole realm reaches the Dao. Is this not also how those who cultivate themselves accumulate merit and practice? Hence the saying that, when merit is complete through three thousand deeds, one ascends to heaven in broad daylight; by propagating the Dao without end, one attains immortality. This is not a matter of practicing in the morning and arriving that evening, nor of setting out at dawn and reaching one’s destination by dusk.

“An object prepared for use is called a vessel.” For example, in the summer of the ninth year of Duke Ding in the Spring and Autumn Annals, Yang Hu returned a precious jade, the jade pendant of the Xiahou clan, and the great bow Fanruo of the Fengfu clan. The record says, “He obtained vessels and implements.” Whenever one acquires vessels and implements, one is said to “obtain” them; to obtain something for use is to “acquire” it. Thus a vessel is something prepared for use.

“The great sound is rarely heard”

Note: It does not use flowery words or teachings of lesser paths as decoration.

Commentary: The Dao can respond to every sound, and so is the great sound; yet when one listens, there is no sound, and so it is rarely heard. This is a metaphor for the sage’s exposition of the One Vehicle, the Great Vehicle teaching. Its Dharma-sound reaches far and responds when met with a fitting capacity; hence it is called “rarely heard.”

Meaning: The great sound is like thunder, but it cannot rumble through every season. The sage’s subtle teaching cannot be proclaimed noisily all day long. This explains that the Dao cannot be heard with the ears. One must listen after quieting the intellect, seeking within, letting the heart grow still, and sitting in silence. This is not hearing with the ears, but knowing through Shen (spirit): one comes to hear the sound that has no sound and realizes the true Dao.

The One Vehicle is the Dao of the Great Vehicle. The Dao runs through the myriad teachings and unfolds as the Three Vehicles. At first, precepts are used to discipline the mind and rules to regulate conduct: cultivation is maintained within, while purity is observed outwardly. Gradually one advances to the Middle Way, practices Wuwei, lets the body fall away and abandons keen hearing, forgets form and severs thought, and then proceeds to the practice of the Great Vehicle. Arising and ceasing follow one another; thoughts are forgotten as they come, and one does not cling to either being or nonbeing. The Dao is realized in profound silence.

Those who realize this Dao refine the ordinary and ascend to immortality, rise beyond worldly life, soar above the inverted shadows, and enjoy a lifespan without end. Heaven and earth may collapse, but the true Dao does not change or decay.

Note: Terms in the text such as “One Vehicle,” “Three Vehicles,” “merit complete through three thousand deeds,” “ascending to heaven in broad daylight,” and “inverted shadows” are commonly used in Daoist texts and classical commentaries. “One Vehicle” generally refers to a complete teaching; the “Three Vehicles” are stages such as precepts, the Middle Way, and the Great Vehicle. “Merit complete through three thousand deeds” is a metaphor for the fulfillment of merit, while “inverted shadows” refers to an immortal realm beyond the light and shadows of ordinary life. This interpretation follows the line of the original commentary without adding further doctrinal elaboration.

Plain-Language Interpretation of Related Passages from The Broad Meaning of the True Scripture of the Dao and Its Virtue

[The Sage’s Single Vehicle]

To benefit all beings everywhere, rescuing and liberating them: this is how the sage serves the world through the “Single Vehicle”—one supreme teaching, the application of the one Great Dao.

[The Great Image Has No Form]

Scripture: The great image has no form.

Commentary: Precisely because it has no form, it can accord with all kinds of things.

Subcommentary: Whatever takes on a concrete shape or fixed appearance is confined to one corner or one side. The Dao referred to as the “great image” alone has no substance or form from the beginning. It responds to whatever it encounters and can manifest in all kinds of shapes. Hence the saying, “The great image has no form.”

Meaning: The “great image” is the Dao. The Dao is not an image that can be depicted. If one tries to grasp it, it proves exceedingly subtle. How could it be described as clearly visible things such as the clear, light sky, the heavy, turbid earth, or the sun, moon, and stars, whether large or small? One must turn inward and illuminate oneself, hold the light within, and become lucidly self-aware. Only then can one see “color without color” and behold “form without form.” As the great image, the Dao is still and silent, without form, yet it can transform and give rise to myriad forms and shape myriad images. The arising, passing away, and transformation of all images take place within the great image. Only those who have attained the Dao can glimpse its signs.

[The Dao Is Hidden and Nameless]

Scripture: The Dao is hidden and nameless.

Commentary: Its workings are not apparent, as though it were an anonymous, nameless person.

Subcommentary: When speaking of the Dao as that which runs through the processes of generation and transformation, one can only call it “Dao.” When its workings are forgotten, it is “hidden in namelessness.” If one tries to use a name to reveal its essential nature, yet the wondrous source has no image, then that nature cannot be named. Hence the saying, “The Dao is hidden and nameless.”

Meaning: The Dao has no name and is not a fixed “form of the teaching.” Since such a form has no true existence, the Dao is called “hidden.” Only by forgetting names imposed upon it can one reach the highest mysteries. The Dao gives rise to all things without claiming credit for its work: this is to forget its workings. It responds to everything without acting as ruler: this is to hide as the “nameless one.” This is the image without image and the nameless Dao. Without turning the spirit inward to examine oneself, how could one speak of it? Only through inner contemplation can it be understood.

[Only the Dao Is Skilled at Giving and Bringing Things to Completion]

Scripture: Only the Dao is skilled at giving and bringing things to completion.

Commentary: Though hidden and nameless, it skillfully sustains and brings all things to fulfillment through its subtle, balanced workings.

Subcommentary: This sentence sums up the workings of the Dao. “Only” introduces the statement; “alone” means that it is unique; and “giving” means bestowing or lending. It praises the Dao: though without name or identity, without form or sound, it spreads Qi and brings about transformation, lending support to all things and bringing them to maturity. Hence it is called “skilled at giving and bringing things to completion.”

Meaning: In its workings, the Dao generates without ceasing and operates without limit. From a hair’s breadth to the myriad kinds of living beings, all borrow and receive the Dao’s Qi in order to come into being and reach completion. “Giving” means lending to and bestowing upon all things. Though nameless and without identity, the Dao is the source of everything. This is also the image without image and the nameless Dao described above.

In its role as the root, the Dao (the Way) has neither sound nor form, yet it is the source of all things. It spreads Qi (vital energy) throughout the ten directions—up, down, the four cardinal directions, and the four intermediate directions, reaching everywhere—and brings all things to completion.

What could be compared with this wondrous, fundamental Dao?

—From Expanded Commentary on the Scripture of the Way and Its Virtue, juan 32.