《道德真經廣聖義》Vol. 37

Broad Exposition of the True Meaning of the Dao De Jing, Volume 36: Commentary on Chapter 48 (Modern Interpretation)

The scripture and its commentaries

In pursuing learning, one gains daily; in pursuing the Dao, one loses daily.

Annotation: Those who pursue learning acquire more knowledge and experience day by day; those who pursue the Dao reduce their cultivation and practice day by day. Gaining knowledge is a step on the path of study and practice; reducing one’s efforts is a gateway to awakening to the Dao. Thus one accumulates merit through “gaining,” then forgets that merit and embodies the Dao.

Commentary: “Pursuing” means practicing; “losing” means forgetting or reducing. Beginners seek knowledge and experience each day, taking this as an increase. Once they pursue the Dao, they forget their cultivation and practice, taking this as a reduction. Why? Those who pursue learning first study daily to understand the Dao, and cultivate merit to make up for their faults. In the end, they awaken to the principle and forget words, set aside their efforts, and let go of attachment. Hence the annotation says, “Gaining knowledge and experience is the gradual path of study and practice,” which describes the first stage; and “reducing cultivation and practice is the gateway to awakening to the Dao,” which describes the final state.

Meaning: Those who study the Dao must first establish merit and practice, then forget the mind that clings to them; only then can they enter into the principle of Wuwei (non-action). The same principle applies to governing the state: first extend the transforming influence of De (Virtue/Power), then forget its outward traces; only then can one lay the foundation for peace. The principle is the same in both cases. One cannot establish oneself without learning. The Spring and Autumn Annals says, “Learning is growth; without learning, one will decline.” Otherwise, subordinates will oppress their superiors and those above will be displaced—how could disorder be avoided? The Baihu tong also says that a gentleman should study the ancients and establish official institutions. If he cannot do so, the offices responsible for governing the people will fall into disuse, and disorder and rebellion will arise as a result.

Reduce again and again, until reaching Wuwei.

Annotation: Reduce again and again, until all cultivation and practice have been forgotten; then one reaches Wuwei.

Commentary: In pursuing the Dao, one loses daily. Reduce again and again, until reaching Wuwei. The phrase “reduce again and again” means forgetting one’s efforts and letting go of attachment, until one reaches Wuwei.

Meaning: In pursuing the Dao, one loses daily: reduce again and again, until reaching Wuwei. In pursuing learning, one gains daily: accumulate again and again, until reaching purposeful action. Purposeful action and Wuwei both arise from a single source, yet follow different paths of increase and decrease. Those who pursue the Dao reduce again and again until they reach Wuwei; those who pursue learning accumulate again and again until they reach purposeful action. Pursuing the Dao means forgetting one’s efforts; pursuing learning means accumulating merit. Forgetting one’s efforts leads to Wuwei; accumulating merit leads to purposeful action. Wuwei and purposeful action arise from a single source, yet follow different paths of increase and decrease.

Through Wuwei, nothing is left undone.

Annotation: Through Wuwei, nothing is left undone; in this, governing the state and cultivating oneself reach the same end.

Commentary: Through Wuwei, nothing is left undone. This means that through Wuwei, nothing remains unguided; through doing nothing, nothing remains unchanged.

Meaning: Through Wuwei, nothing is left undone; governing the state and cultivating oneself reach the same end. Govern the state through Wuwei, and nothing will remain unguided; cultivate oneself through Wuwei, and nothing will remain unchanged. Through Wuwei, nothing is left undone: governing the state and cultivating oneself reach the same end.

To take the world, one should always act without interference. When one resorts to interference, one is not fit to take the world.

Annotation: To take the world, one should always act without interference. When one resorts to interference, one is not fit to take the world.

Commentary: To take the world, one should always act without interference. When one resorts to interference, one is not fit to take the world. This means that taking the world requires acting without interference; if one resorts to interference, one is not fit to take the world.

Meaning: To take the world, one should always act without interference. When one resorts to interference, one is not fit to take the world. Governing the state requires acting without interference; if one resorts to interference, one is not fit to govern the state. Cultivating oneself requires acting without interference; if one resorts to interference, one is not fit to cultivate oneself. Taking the world, governing the state, and cultivating oneself all reach the same end.

The chapter’s central meaning, in summary

The teaching for ordering the world calls for diligent study to achieve success; the steps for cultivating oneself call for reducing knowledge and understanding to accord with the Dao. Diligent study brings daily gain and progress in one’s pursuits; accord with the Dao brings daily reduction and leads to Wuwei. What seems to depend on one thing may turn on another, and speech and silence can each bring about their opposite: daily gain is inferior, confined to ordinary life in the world; daily reduction is superior, transcending the ordinary and realizing the Dao. Thus this teaching accords with the profound stillness of “not going out, not looking through the window,” warns against the toil of “the farther one goes, the less one knows,” and shows that Wuwei can guide the realm, while interference is insufficient to transform people.

In pursuing learning, one gains daily; in pursuing the Dao, one loses daily—reduce again and again until reaching Wuwei; accumulate again and again until reaching purposeful action. Through Wuwei, nothing is left undone—governing the state and cultivating oneself reach the same end.

This passage comes from a Daoist work interpreting the Dao De Jing. It explains the meaning of “learning” and the proper times for study at three levels: across a person’s life, at different ages, and in the changing seasons. It concludes by connecting the cultivation of the Dao with “reducing and reducing again, until one reaches Wuwei (non-action).”

What does “learning” mean?

“Learning” means awakening and attaining insight. It uses the way of the ancient kings to open people’s feelings and dispositions, enabling them to awaken.

Young children are still unclear and unenlightened, and cannot yet learn. When they grow older, they become stubborn and harder to teach. So learning must be timed well. The ancients distinguished three kinds of timing:

First, across a person’s life

Only after reaching the age of thirteen is a person relatively ready for formal study. The Record of Learning says: if one waits until a person’s hair has turned white before stopping them from running about, they will become especially obstinate and the right moment will have passed. Trying to awaken only after circumstances have changed makes the task painful and difficult to accomplish.

Second, at each stage of growing up

The Inner Rules sets out the following sequence. At six, children are taught to count: from one to ten, ten to one hundred, one hundred to one thousand, and up to ten thousand; they also learn the names of the directions: east, west, south, and north.

From the age of seven, boys and girls sit separately and do not eat together.

At eight, when entering or leaving a doorway and when taking their seats to eat, children follow behind their elders. This teaches deference.

At nine, they learn the calendar: the new moon and full moon, the ten Heavenly Stems from Jia and Yi through Ren and Gui, and the sexagenary cycle.

At ten, they leave home to study with an outside tutor and lodge away from home. They learn writing and arithmetic.

At thirteen, they learn the Dance of the Ladle and recite poetry. “Reciting” means reading a text aloud from memory.

At fifteen, they are considered youths. They learn the Dance of the Elephant and archery and charioteering: first the Dance of the Guan, a civil dance performed holding a flute-like instrument, then the Dance of the Elephant, a martial dance.

At twenty, they undergo the capping ceremony and begin studying ritual.

At thirty, they marry, take up men’s duties, and study without restriction to any one subject.

At forty, they enter official service and offer counsel and plans.

At fifty, they take charge of government affairs.

Third, according to the time of day and the seasons

People learn more readily when they follow the seasons and climate. The Rites of the King says that in spring and summer, they study poetry and music. Spring and summer belong to Yang, whose Qi is clear and light; poetry and music are sounds, which are also light and clear, so they suit one another. In autumn and winter, they study writing and ritual. Autumn and winter belong to Yin, which is heavy and turbid; writing and ritual deal with practical matters, which are also heavy and turbid, so they suit one another. Studying light and clear subjects in times that are light and clear, and heavy and turbid subjects in times that are heavy and turbid, brings the learner’s disposition into accord with the season and makes it easier to begin.

Learning cannot be confined to “three periods”

Although the three periods above follow set rules, learning the good way and proper pursuits must never be abandoned from day to day. How could it be confined to these three times? The Record of Learning therefore also says: cultivate oneself here, rest here, and find recreation here—everywhere is a place for learning.

Those who cultivate the Dao should first broaden their learning, then reduce day by day, returning to deep stillness in the hope of reaching the mysterious. To store learning is also to move from having toward having nothing.

“Reduce and reduce again, until one reaches Wuwei (non-action)” means letting go, layer by layer, until one no longer acts through contrivance or delusion. This follows the same thread as the Dao De Jing: “In learning, one gains daily; in cultivating the Dao, one loses daily.”

Plain-language interpretation

Commentary

“Decreasing” has two meanings here. One is reducing the merit and good deeds accumulated by a practitioner of the Dao; the other is also removing the thought that one should forget those deeds. First, one decreases until the traces of one’s actions are forgotten; then one decreases until the mind that remembers them is forgotten. Only when both mind and traces have been entirely forgotten has one reached the utmost point and advanced to Wuwei (non-action).

Explanation

The stages of cultivating the Dao lead step by step toward the subtle. First, learning brings awakening; through awakening, one cultivates in accordance with the Dao. Cultivation involves performing good deeds and correcting one’s faults, accumulating small acts until they amount to something substantial. One need not seek great deeds: whenever a situation arises, help where you can. Do not dismiss even a minor fault: as soon as you recognize it, correct it, and do not repeat it. Persist in doing good without growing weary or giving up halfway.

The Dongxuan Jing says: “When merit is complete in three thousand deeds, one may ascend to heaven in broad daylight; when good works have been performed in abundance, one may descend in a cloud chariot while seated.” Such sayings use worldly inducements to guide people toward the Dao and encourage them to perform good deeds.

There are many ways to perform good deeds. One may rescue people from drowning or danger, help the living and deliver the dead, and diligently do whatever benefits all beings. Or one may turn inward to nourish Shen (spirit), practice breathing methods to refine the inner organs, take nourishing substances, and perform guiding exercises such as the movements of apes and the stretches of birds. Letting go of personal advantage and fame, withdrawing oneself and yielding to others—all these are ways to begin cultivating the Dao. Once on this path, what matters is persevering over time. Only through sustained and diligent effort can good merit accumulate.

After accumulating good merit, one must not rely on it or boast of it before others. Do good without claiming it as one’s own; once a deed is done, forget it at once. When merit is promptly forgotten, the mind does not linger on what came before. This is called “relinquishing both,” the fullest expression of forgetting both. The scripture says: “Those of highest De do not cling to De, and so they possess De.” When one forgets De, one does not rely on possessing De, and De becomes more evident. When one forgets merit, one does not claim credit for good deeds, and their reach grows wider. In governing a state, this accords with the transformation of Wuwei; in cultivating oneself, it can establish the foundation for immortality.

Scriptural passage: “Through Wuwei, nothing is left undone.”

Commentary

Those who study accumulate merit and good deeds; those who follow the Dao forget and diminish them. Even after diminishing one’s deeds, if the desire to diminish and forget them remains, that desire too must be forgotten. Only then does one reach a calm, untroubled state of Wuwei. One is then like a clear mirror reflecting things, responding to everything without exception; hence, “nothing is left undone.”

Explanation

Action brings obstruction, and obstruction leaves some things undone. Now there is Wuwei: Wuwei brings no obstruction, so nothing is left undone. This describes the all-reaching and unobstructed application of one’s capacities after becoming aligned with the Dao. Thus the preceding scroll says: “The Dao constantly practices Wuwei, and nothing is left undone.”

Meaning

Once merit and good deeds have been forgotten, the mind that forgets them has also been entirely relinquished. The wisdom of Wuwei then becomes clear of itself. Having reached the point of forgetting both, one merges silently with the Dao. In silent accord with the Dao, one’s activity is complete and extends everywhere.

A Plain-Language Interpretation

On the state of the Dao

One who has truly grasped the Dao may be called all-knowing in understanding and capable of all things in action. The Dao accords with what is tiny, as fine as a grain of rice, a weed, or a hair in autumn, and extends to what is vast, connecting Yin-Yang, Heaven, and Earth. It cannot be said to be purely “nothing,” nor purely “something”; it cannot be said to be purely “something,” nor purely “nothing.” Only when the mind is free from the constraints and obstructions of fixed ideas can one speak with it about the Dao.

“The Dao is constantly Wuwei (non-action), yet nothing is left undone.” These words come from Chapter 37 of the first part of the Daodejing.

Scripture: “To take the world, one must constantly refrain from meddling.”

Commentary: Govern through Wuwei and by refraining from meddling, and people throughout the world will naturally give their allegiance. In this way, one can “take the world”—that is, bring it to allegiance and peace.

Explication: Here, rulers are urged to follow the Dao of Wuwei. “Take” means to draw people in and nurture them. To draw in and transform the world, one must practice Wuwei and refrain from meddling. When there is no meddling, the world is left undisturbed; when there is Wuwei, the people settle of their own accord. What could be wrong with governing in this way? “Constantly” means that in managing affairs and governing the state, one must never depart from the principle of refraining from meddling.

Meaning: “Take” means to gather people and win their allegiance. When a state is governed without the Dao, people turn against it and families are torn apart. When a state is governed by the Dao, people are content to follow. When people are estranged, they scatter; when they are content to follow, they gather. If they gather, the state thrives; if they scatter, it grows weak and may even perish. To bring people together, one should begin by refraining from meddling. “Oversee” means to preside over; “control” means to regulate; “draw in” means to gather and hold together. The commentary on the Gathering Together hexagram in the Book of Changes says: “Gathering means coming together. People gather when their feelings are aligned; they form groups when their vital energies are in harmony. Thus things of the same kind gather together, while different things form their own groups. If people gather without a leader, they scatter and fall into disorder. Only a person of great De can uphold the right way, attain constant success, and act with what is beneficial and correct. When a person of great stature leads, the way of gathering is complete.” This means that a sage who governs gathers the people through the Dao and De, bringing peace to the world. That is why the text says “take.” It does not mean seizing the world by force.

Scripture: “Once there is meddling, it is not enough to take the world.”

Commentary: Once there is meddling, people are burdened; burdens bring decline. So it is not enough to take the world.

Explication: “Meddling” refers to excessive and burdensome laws and overly strict prohibitions. Harsh laws disturb the people; a dense web of restrictions brings frequent punishments. The people become unsettled, and those in the four directions turn away. Would it not then be difficult to draw in and nurture the world? That is why, when there is meddling, it is not enough to take the world.

Meaning: The Dao and De are the foundation of a state; Wuwei and refraining from meddling are the basis for bringing people together. Once there is too much meddling, one cannot bring peace to the people; it only provokes rebellion and estrangement, making it difficult to win their allegiance. The First Emperor of Qin imposed excessively strict laws, and the people rebelled. Though he unified the realm, he could not hold people’s hearts together for long.

When the Han dynasty fell, its laws were severe and its punishments harsh and numerous … this must serve as a warning.

Under Emperor Wu of Han, laws were harsh and punishments plentiful, and resentment spread across the borders—just as it had at the end of the Qin dynasty. The laws were as grim as autumn, and the legal net as dense as congealed grease. The people wailed, not knowing where to put their hands and feet. The realm then collapsed and the dynasty perished in a single day. “Harsh” means excessively detailed and severe; “burdensome” means disorderly, numerous, and urgent.

Those who cultivate themselves are calm and at ease when nothing is happening. When something does happen, however, their spirit grows weary and their heart becomes troubled. A troubled heart loses the Dao; ease allows one to accord with the Real. This must be guarded against.

The Sage Has No Fixed Mind, Chapter Forty-Nine (Explaining the previous chapter’s “day by day diminishing in the pursuit of the Dao”)

This chapter explains that the Sage has no fixed mind—he does not cling to his own opinions—and shows the value of an open heart that responds to things.

The first six lines point out that the Sage has no fixed mind and responds to things. The next two lines show that the Sage blends in with the world while retaining an intention to guide and teach. The final two lines explain why the people turn toward goodness and describe the Sage’s virtue of nurturing all equally.

Meaning: Governing a state means doing little to disturb the people; responding to change also depends on an empty mind. With an empty mind, one responds to things without a fixed attitude; by doing little, one can remain with people over time. Thus, one responds to both the good and the not good with goodness, and to both the trustworthy and the untrustworthy with trust. There is no break in this sincerity. This is what is meant by a heart that blends with all and transforms all, drawing the nations to it. The Sage settles and cares for the people, who are all like infants. This is the Sage’s central principle.

The Sage Has No Fixed Mind; He Takes the People’s Mind as His Own

Commentary: The Sage’s mind is moved when things come before it, and responds when moved. Its response accords with what has moved it; therefore, it has no fixed mind. Though the mind has no fixed form, it is concerned only with transforming evil into good. Thus, the Sage always takes as his own the mind that guides and transforms the people.

Explanation: The Sage’s mind is open. When things move it, he responds; his response arises through mysterious resonance. Since what moves him and how he responds vary, he responds without a fixed mind. Though his mind has no fixed form, its purpose is compassion and rescue: when the people have minds that are untrusting or not good, the Sage joins with them and guides them toward change. Hence it is said that he has no fixed mind.

Meaning: Nothing is beyond the Great Dao’s reach, from the vast to the subtle; nothing lies beyond its understanding. The Sage transforms all without exception and responds to every impulse. His teaching and nurturing extend everywhere, and his mind has no fixed form: those who follow goodness naturally resonate with him, while those who do not are also led to awaken. Only Virtue is what people rely on; no person is cast aside. He extends compassion everywhere, leaving nothing out, even something as tiny as a hair’s tip, yet the Sage clings to nothing and is never obstructed.

Note: This chapter corresponds to Chapter Forty-Nine of the Dao De Jing: “The Sage has no fixed mind; he takes the people’s mind as his own.” The Guang Shengyi develops, through commentary, explanation, and exposition, the relationship between governing, self-cultivation, and “responding to things without a fixed mind.”

The Broad Exegesis of the True Scripture of the Way and Its Virtue (Daode Zhenjing Guangshengyi): A Plain-Language Interpretation

Commentary: The Meaning of Responsive Engagement

Commentary (explanatory note): This passage explains responsive engagement. “I” refers to the sage. “Good” means a heart turned toward the right way. The sage encourages and guides such a person to keep cultivating the Way until they let go of the attachment to “doing good.” Only then is it called great goodness.

Interpretation: “Good” is a name that arises in the heart in contrast to “evil.” Goodness makes evil visible, and when goodness prevails, evil is extinguished. Once a person has turned toward goodness, the sage follows that goodness and guides them upward.

“For those who are not good, I am also good to them”: Goodness through De

Commentary: “Those who are not good” refers to people whose ingrained habits and defilements have deepened, who trust misguided teachings, and who have turned away from the Great Dao (the Way). The sage still uses the way of goodness to welcome and draw them in. “Goodness through De” means guiding people to become transformed by the sage’s De (Virtue/Power) and turn into truly good people.

Interpretation: People do not know that goodness can be cultivated and evil corrected. Their habits accumulate into evil, and they remain confused without turning back. The sage pities their stubbornness and ignorance, and uses the way of goodness to guide them, transforming evil into good. This is accomplished entirely through the sage’s transformative influence. The sage abandons no one. It is in this sense that the following passage about those who trust in false teachings arises.

Those who trust in false teachings are people of the world who do not know the right way and become immersed in misguided doctrines. They are like the deaf, who cannot hear the sound of bells and chimes, or the blind, who cannot distinguish dark from yellow. The deeper their mistaken thoughts grow, the more confused they become, until they turn away from the right way. The sage still teaches them through the teaching of goodness, helping them distinguish right from wrong and return to goodness.

“Those who trust, I trust”

Commentary: “Trust” means diligently practicing after hearing the Way, with no doubt or attachment in the heart. The sage responds with utmost sincerity, affirms their goodness, and trusts them deeply.

Interpretation: Trust, too, arises in the heart; it becomes apparent only in contrast with doubt. When trust takes hold, doubt is forgotten. Once a person has come to trust, the sage follows that trust and encourages their resolve.

“For those who do not trust, I also trust them”: Trust through De

Note: When people wish to be good and to trust, the sage guides them in line with their situation, regarding them as both good and trustworthy. For those who are not good and do not trust, the sage also teaches them through goodness and trust, so that the people are moved by the sage’s De and turn toward goodness and trust.

Commentary: “Those who do not trust” refers to people who are forceful and defy the teaching. The sage still guides and transforms them through an impartial and pure trust, helping them be transformed by the sage’s De, abandon deceit, and return to genuine trust. This is why it is called trust through De.

Interpretation: People become stuck in worldly feelings and accumulate doubts through habit. They do not know that trust can be practiced and doubt abandoned, so they cling to uncertainty and confusion and do not trust the true Way. This is “losing one’s roots and not knowing how to return,” like lesser scholars who laugh loudly at the Way. The sage, too, guides them with the principle of true trust.

Note: This entire passage offers commentary on the Daode Jing (Classic of the Way and Its De): “Those who are good, I am good to; those who are not good, I am also good to them—this is goodness through De. Those who trust, I trust; those who do not trust, I also trust them—this is trust through De.” Its central message is that the sage abandons no one, transforms trust through De, and transforms evil through goodness. Explanatory notes for specialized terms have been added at their first appearance.

This passage comes from a Daoist liturgical text. It describes which objects should be arranged on a ritual altar and how they relate to the inner and outer altars. The clauses are explained below.

General meaning of the scripture

“On the ritual altar, set out an incense burner, an incense table, lamps and candles, flower vases, the Four Treasures of the Study, and similar items, all together below the altar, for both the inner and outer altars.”

This can be understood to mean that, at a Daoist ritual altar, one should set out an incense burner (the character “鑪” is another form of “爐,” meaning “burner”), an incense table, lamps and candles, flower vases, and writing implements such as the Four Treasures of the Study—the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. These objects are arranged together below the altar, or on its lower tier, in a layout that corresponds to the division between the inner and outer altars.

Explanation of each term

“All together below the altar”

This is generally understood in two ways, both of which occur in the texts:

1. Location: The objects listed above are arranged together along the lower edge of the altar, on its base tier, or on a low table in front of it. They are kept together rather than scattered, so that the senior priest can reach them during the rite.

2. Placement in relation to altar levels: If the ritual altar has upper and lower levels, or inner and outer areas at different heights, these objects are usually placed on the lower level, following the convention of performing rites on the upper altar and arranging objects on the lower altar.

“Together” emphasizes that the objects are kept in one place as a coordinated arrangement; it does not mean setting out only one or two of them.

“For both the inner and outer altars”

Large Daoist liturgies are often divided into two areas:

• Outer altar: The surrounding ritual area, where deities are welcomed and hymns are offered, and where worshippers may gather. Its furnishings can be relatively simple.
• Inner altar: The central altar space, where the senior priest faces the divine, presents petitions, and works with talismans. The incense burner, lamps, incense table, and writing implements are often centered here, with the outer altar serving a supporting role.

The sentence means that the listed burner, incense table, lamps and candles, vase, and writing implements should be provided for both the inner and outer altars. The inner altar requires writing implements and incense; the outer altar also needs lamps, incense, and flowers when welcoming the sacred presence and reciting scriptures. The specific arrangement varies somewhat according to the liturgical tradition, such as Quanzhen or Zhengyi, but the general principle is the same.

Overall meaning

The passage specifies that when establishing a ritual altar, one should provide an incense burner, incense table, lamps and candles, flower vases, the Four Treasures of the Study, and similar objects, arranging them on or below the altar as appropriate to the layout of the inner and outer altars. This ensures that altar preparation, incense offering, the presentation of petitions, and the offering of gifts follow an established order and conform to the ritual requirements of Daoist liturgical codes.

The people of the four seas listen intently to the Sage’s teachings and watch the Sage’s conduct. Whatever is right, they imitate, and in this way return to the Great Dao.

Note: The Sage cares for all the living under Heaven as a loving mother does, and regards the people as infants.

Commentary: The people turn their attention to the Sage, watching and listening. The Sage regards them as a loving mother regards her newborn, which is why they are said to be “like infants.” Another interpretation is that the people are attached to distinctions, and the Sage’s teaching leads them toward goodness, as infants make no distinctions.

Meaning: The Sage who has the Dao lovingly nurtures all things, and all things honor him as a loving mother. The Sage regards them as infants. In this way, De circulates everywhere, those above and below respond to one another, and human relations and customs are peaceful and well ordered. Is this not fitting?

For those cultivating themselves: treasure Qi and conserve Shen. When Qi is complete, Shen is strong; when body and spirit are firmly joined, the course of life is extended far into the future, and immortality may be attained.

The Sage’s teaching leads people to goodness and guides them toward cultivating the Dao. First, they must remove thoughts that are not good and devote themselves to virtuous conduct. Once their good conduct is established, they then forget the thought of doing good. They become free of knowledge and action, without boasting or claiming credit. Pure and quiet, they blend inwardly and outwardly. Like infants, they make no distinctions. This may be called being in accord with the Dao.

Chapter Fifty: Birth and Death (Commentary: The preceding chapter explains how the Sage, free of intention and blending with all things, responds to what is good. This chapter explains birth and death and the way to gather oneself well and transcend afflictions. The first five phrases describe people who accept their time and follow what is natural; the next five describe those who probe change and seek transformation; the final eight conclude with the conduct of gathering oneself well and point to the way of long life and enduring vision.)

Meaning: Of Heaven and Earth’s De, birth alone is the greatest. Once one has received life, one should keep to the Dao to settle it and nourish it through the Valley Spirit. One should not regard coming as an honor or fear going as a calamity; neither covet life at the cost of losing the Dao, nor exceed one’s proper bounds and damage life. This may be called accepting one’s time and following what is natural. Those who lose their way pursue life too intensely and, in the end, lose it. Those who know how to gather themselves well find that the Dao comes of itself, and so they are not harmed. Since they do not enter the realm of death, these words are indeed true: “to be at peace…”

Plain-Language Interpretation

(Continuing from Zhuangzi’s “The Great and Venerable Teacher”)

Zisi said to Ziyu: “To gain life is to meet its proper season; to lose life is to follow its transformation. If you are at ease with the season and accept what follows, sorrow and joy cannot enter your heart. The ancients called this ‘being released while suspended’: when one can be released but remains unable to loosen the bonds, it is because there is still a knot in the heart.”

This means that gaining life is being born at the appointed time, while losing life is dying in accord with transformation. To be at ease in life is to understand the principle of life; to follow death willingly in death is to understand the principle of death. If there is neither life nor death, where could sorrow or joy remain? This is what the ancients called a True Person, bound by nothing. If someone hates death while alive, or takes joy to its utmost and then falls into grief, it is clear that this person is still knotted up in life and death, sorrow and joy. The Way of long life and enduring vision is discussed in the fifty-ninth chapter of this classic.

“Emerging from Life, Entering Death”

Note: Awakening means “emerging from life”; deluded attachment means “entering death.” This is the chapter’s title.

Commentary: To understand life and death and not lavish care on one’s life is called emerging from life. To cling to the distinction between self and others, grow agitated, and head toward death is called entering death. This states the chapter’s central idea.

Meaning: Original Jing (essence) spreads Qi (vital energy), and the Great Forge shapes the body. One emerges from life by receiving Yang harmony, and enters death by returning to Yin stillness. What follows explains how to turn away from death and prolong life, and how to squander life and move toward death. The chapter begins as if posing a question; the next line answers it.

“Of those who follow life, three in ten”

Commentary: “Kind” means a type. Among living beings generally, roughly three in ten can live in accordance with life’s natural course, without prizing themselves, and come and go with circumstances without clinging or attachment. Those who follow the natural course are few; those who go against it are many.

Meaning: To be alive without taking life itself as a source of pleasure, and instead to be at ease with one’s life, is to be “one who follows life.” While alive, one does not let greed and desire disturb the heart or damage one’s nature through excessive self-nurturing. At ease with simplicity and following untroubled harmony, one keeps Shen (spirit) within the body and Qi within Shen; the heart is harmonious, Qi is calm, and the mind is still. Without seeking to prolong life, life naturally endures; without striving to advance along the Way, the Way naturally arrives.

“Of those who follow death, three in ten”

Note: Among living beings generally, those who are meant to live are at ease with life and understand its principle; those who are meant to die follow death and understand its principle. Such people, too, number three in ten.

(Read alongside the preceding line: one kind of person can be at ease with life and follow transformation. The following passage will discuss those who go against the natural course and move toward death.)

Plain-Language Interpretation

First passage: Following death without alarm

This passage also speaks in general terms about the principle of being at peace with death and not fearing change: do not resist change; when it is time to depart, depart. This is what it means to “follow.” About three in ten people are able to do so.

Explanation: Those who are not distressed as death approaches and follow it when it comes are “followers of death.” A person who has realized the Way understands being and nonbeing, knows how the Great Dao transforms things, and entrusts the body to the natural harmony of the world. People receive different measures of vitality: those endowed with an abundance of Yang and harmonious Qi (vital energy) live long, while those with less of what is pure and complete die young. Knowing that longevity and early death each follow from one’s natural allotment, such a person can regard life and death as equal. When life and death are equal, sorrow and joy find no entry, and body and mind remain undisturbed.

Consider, too, the skull in the Zhuangzi, which appeared in a dream and said: “In death, there is no ruler above or subject below, and no business of the four seasons. Heaven and Earth are my spring and autumn. Even the joy of facing south as a king cannot surpass this.” Zhuangzi did not believe it and asked, “Shall I have the Lord of Fate restore you to life?” The skull furrowed its brow and replied, “How could I give up the joy of facing south as a king and return to the toil of the living?” Though this is an allegory meant to establish a principle, Zhuangzi’s point is that those who delight in life are bound by life, while those who delight in death are bound by death. Because they are trapped in life and death, they undergo birth and death. Only the perfected person is alive without being caught by life and dead without being confined by death: equal to both and bound by neither, following without being constrained. Thus they can be free of both birth and death. Yet one cannot stop the transformation that brings life, nor hold back the transformation that brings death. Only by being in silent accord with the Great Dao can one understand life and death. Those who pass beyond death and make long life their aim are cultivating the Dao and refining the body; they may be taught the profound essentials.

“Of those who are born, thirteen in ten move toward the realm of death.”

Note: They indulge too deeply in nourishing life and thereby harm it. Their minds cling proudly to life, so they keep moving toward the realm of death. Having lost the principles that sustain life, they also fail to understand the principles of death. Such people, too, make up three in ten.

Commentary: This explains people who are deluded and attached, and those who pursue health while violating its proper principles. Though they wish to cultivate life, they fail to understand it and keep moving toward the place where life is lost. Having lost the principles of living in peace, they also go against the way of following death. Such people, too, make up three in ten.

Explanation: Foolish and deluded people do not understand that “what gives life to life does not itself live, and what transforms things is not itself transformed.”

A Vernacular Explanation

People refuse to be transformed. They take joy in living and grieve over death; fearing death and clinging to life, they overdo their efforts to preserve their health and single-mindedly seek longevity. Yet by going against the Dao, they may instead lose their lives. Roughly speaking, about three out of every ten people are like this.

Another interpretation says that the life people receive is connected with the “three kinds of action” and the “ten evils.” The three kinds of action are deeds of body, mind, and speech. The ten evils are:

• Three evils of bodily action: killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct.
• Three evils of mental action: greed, anger, and delusion.
• Four evils of speech: divisive speech (sowing discord), abusive speech, false speech, and flowery speech (deceptive flattery).

Together, the three kinds of action and the ten evils are what the scripture calls “three in ten.” Those who restrain them can attain the Dao and long life; they may be called followers of life, belonging to the category of “life.” Those who give free rein to them will surely turn from the path of life toward death; they may be called followers of death, belonging to the category of “death.”

It is difficult for living beings to do good and easy for them to do evil, so they transgress the three kinds of action and the ten evils day after day. Each transgression sets them on the road to death; hence the phrase “move toward the land of death.” This, too, is what is meant by “three in ten.” The three kinds of action and the ten evils are the source of all offenses: abandoning them makes it possible to leave the cycle of life and death, while committing them leads into death. Of all the precepts for cultivating oneself, none is more urgent than avoiding these ten evils.

Each evil deed also has four conditions—the four factors that make the offense complete—and these are the root of wrongdoing and suffering:

Killing: First, the victim is in fact a living being. Second, one recognizes the victim as a living being. Third, one forms the intention to kill. Fourth, one causes the victim’s death.

Stealing: First, the object belongs to someone else. Second, one recognizes it as another person’s property. Third, one forms the intention to steal it. Fourth, one removes it from its original place.

Sexual misconduct: First, the situation is in fact illicit. Second, one recognizes it as illicit. Third, one forms the intention to engage in sexual misconduct. Fourth, one experiences the pleasure of bodily contact and attachment.

Divisive speech: First, there are people to be set against one another. Second, one recognizes them as such. Third, one forms the intention to divide them. Fourth, one utters words intended to drive them apart.

Abusive speech: First, there is a person to be insulted. Second, one recognizes that person as such. Third, one forms the intention to revile them. Fourth, one utters abusive words.

False speech: First, there is someone to deceive. Second, one recognizes that person as such. Third, one forms the intention to deceive. Fourth, one makes a false statement that contradicts the truth.

Flowery speech: First, there is someone being addressed. Second, one recognizes that person as such. Third, one utters alluring but untrue words. (Depending on the scripture’s meaning, the discussion may continue with the remaining kinds of action, following the same structure.)

This is the general meaning of the commentary, based on the Guangsheng interpretation, on “three in ten,” the three kinds of action and the ten evils, and the four conditions for each offense.

A Reflection on the Mind, Part Four: Speaking What Is Unrighteous — These ten evils and three kinds of karma amount to fifty offenses in all. The moment you act and commit one, you fall into a deadly predicament. Be exceedingly careful!

Why is this so?

This is a question posed for discussion: Why do living beings fall into a deadly predicament as soon as they act?

Explanation: To gather the essentials of the teaching and identify the cause of death, the text asks this question and then answers it below.

Because they cling too fiercely to life

Note: Why does one fall into a deadly predicament as soon as one acts? Simply because one seeks to live and nourish this body too excessively.

Commentary: This is the formal answer: Living beings fall into a deadly predicament as soon as they act because they become absorbed in deliberate striving, give free rein to their emotions and desires, and lavish too much care on themselves. They cling too fiercely to life, so a single act leads them into a deadly predicament.

Explanation: Heaven gives life to the people and cares for them most generously: the five flavors nourish the mouth, the five colors adorn the body, the five tones delight the ear, the five fragrances please the mind, the five kinds of benefit provide for daily needs, the five Qi harmonize the body, the five sense organs observe and discern, the five planets govern the heavens, the five teachings encourage moral transformation, the five constant virtues are endowed in human nature, and the five blessings are bestowed upon people. We stand at the head of the five numinous creatures and are the foremost among all things. How could we not prize ourselves and cherish our own lives? Yet people give free rein to desire and seek to satisfy their feelings, delight in life and fear death, and nourish themselves too lavishly—thereby bringing death upon themselves. Their deaths are not caused by Heaven’s anger or the spirits’ punishment; they are killed by clinging too fiercely to life. Thus, among the fifty offenses listed above—the ten evils and three kinds of karma—how could there be no fault if one acts and commits even one? Those who press forward recklessly perish; those who withdraw with excessive boldness are injured. Only those who find the middle way can be said to cultivate themselves.

It is said that those skilled at preserving life

Commentary: “Guarding and preserving” means protecting life through the Dao. Those who are skilled at nourishing life through the Dao perceive, with subtle insight, that life’s source is originally pure and still. They forget life while living, and do not let emotional desire disturb their harmony. They nourish their nature only through emptiness and stillness. External things cannot harm them, which is why they are called skilled at preserving life.

Explanation: Life has limits, while affairs have no limits. If we use our limited lives to serve limitless affairs, can we avoid harm? Those skilled at preserving life act amid affairs as though there were no affairs, thereby safeguarding their harmony. They do not let desire entangle the mind or profit injure them. They let inner balance and harmony unfold of their own accord, and hold emptiness and stillness within. They forget life and thereby live. When they embody the Dao completely, the Dao comes of itself; an empty room gives rise to light, and a quieted mind joins with the Mysterious. This is the art of preserving life.

The general meaning of the scripture

Walking on land, one will not encounter a rhinoceros or tiger; entering a military camp, one will not be harmed by weapons and armor.

Explanation

“Encounter” means to meet something unexpectedly. According to the Classic of Mountains and Seas, the rhinoceros comes from south of the Xiang River and has dark, blackish fur. The Erya says it resembles a wild ox, has one horn, and weighs as much as a thousand jin. Those skilled in nurturing life harbor no desire to harm other beings. So when walking on land, they do not deliberately seek out rhinoceroses or tigers, and when entering a military camp, they do not confront anyone with weapons and armor. Thus, tigers, rhinoceroses, and weapons have no way to harm them.

Further discussion

The Xiao and Xiang rivers rise around Jiuyi and Lingling, where rhinoceroses and similar creatures are found. Rhinoceroses and tigers can injure people, just as weapons can injure an enemy. To encounter them is to risk harm; to fight them is to cause injury. But those skilled in nurturing life do not contend with weapons and armor, so they are not wounded by them. They do not seek out rhinoceroses or tigers, so they are not harmed by them.

Long ago, the Jin-dynasty man Guo Wen, whose courtesy name was Wenju, lived with a fierce tiger on Mount Dadi in Yuhang. Whenever he went into the city, the tiger followed him. Someone asked, “Does the Master possess some special art? Why is this fierce beast so tame?” Wenju replied, “People have no wish to harm beasts, and beasts have no wish to harm people. What need is there for techniques or spells?”

Continuation of the scripture

The rhinoceros has nowhere to thrust its horn, the tiger nowhere to set its claws, and weapons nowhere to lodge their blades.

Note

Those who are skilled at protecting life and following its natural principles keep their minds clear and quiet, free of greed and grasping. Then external things cannot harm them. They do not seek out rhinoceroses or tigers on land, nor do they don armor and carry weapons when entering a military camp. Since they do not seek to harm other beings, those beings have no wish to harm them; consequently, there is nowhere to thrust a horn, set a claw, or lodge a blade.

Further explanation

The earlier passage explained that those skilled in nurturing life harbor no inward wish to harm, and therefore do not seek out rhinoceroses or tigers. This passage explains that even if they do encounter them, the absence of any wish to cause harm naturally leaves the other creature no opening to attack. We can see that one who has forgotten attachment to things can tame and befriend gulls at sea, or tether and roam with beasts on land—how much less would such creatures harm them? That is why the scripture says, “There is no opening for this.”

Further discussion

Those who nurture life have a nature aligned with the Dao (the Way). Their compassion extends widely, and they have no wish to injure other beings. Their inner harmony is full, and other beings likewise have no impulse to injure them. Even if they meet a rhinoceros or tiger, its horns and claws will not wound them; if they encounter weapons, their blades will not harm them. Their De (Virtue/Power) is complete, so all things yield gently to them. Befriending gulls and living alongside tigers both follow this principle.

Related passage from Extensive Commentary on the Sagely Meaning of the True Scripture of the Dao and Its Virtue

Scripture

So I asked the Cheng people, “What do you mean by this? Why seize me as soon as you see me arrive?”

I walked a few steps outward, opened my robe, removed my hat, and gazed at the waves as I sang, bringing my palms together in a series of bows. Before I knew it, my kasaya—the monk’s robe—rustled and floated across the water. I slowly stroked my dark beard; spiritual light flickered in my blue-green eyes. Golden lotus flowers sprang up beneath my feet, supporting them—lotuses that symbolize purity and transcendence in Buddhism. From somewhere, I began walking on the water, each step making the waves ring out.

About seven feet from the shore, I turned to look back. The gate and courtyard had become a level expanse, undulating gently, as if built of white jade and paved with carvings of snow-white pheasants.

Note: This passage is strongly narrative and contains vivid depictions of religious powers: crossing water on lotus flowers and transforming the landscape into level ground. Such scenes are common in Daoist Canon biographies and accounts of miraculous efficacy that blend Buddhist and Daoist elements. They may have been copied into the same volume as the commentary on the Dao De Jing, whose usual format is exegetical.

If rulers can treat the people with generosity and compassion, without constraining them excessively, as the ancients did when they set nets on only three sides while leaving the fourth open for their prey to escape, then the people throughout the realm will gladly turn to them and find their proper place. What, then, could harm them?

The “net on three sides” alludes to an ancient hunting practice: hunters set nets on three sides and leave one open so that animals can escape, embodying benevolence and De. Here it is a metaphor for rulers who govern with generosity and give the people room to live. The people will then settle into their lives and prosper on their own, without the need for harsh punishments and severe laws.