《道德真經廣聖義》Vol. 45

The Chapter “The Ancients Who Excelled at Practicing the Dao,” Chapter 65

(The preceding chapter’s commentary explained reflecting on dangers and taking precautions.)

(The previous chapter set out the practice of ending emotional entanglements and desires. This chapter explains how the pursuit of cleverness brings trouble, and presents the pattern of profound De and great accord. First it explains how practicing the Dao transforms people; next it distinguishes the harm caused by cleverness. The passage beginning “Know this” offers careful discernment as a model; the passage beginning “Always know” praises its efficacy and urges its practice.)

The meaning says: The ancients who practiced the Dao did not deliberately display it to the people, lest they rely on their cleverness, compete to prove their strength, and bring calamity upon themselves. Instead, rulers kept their wisdom hidden and quietly entered the realm of “nonbeing.” Thus, governing through cleverness leads to disorder, while concealing cleverness brings a ruler blessings of its own accord. Once cunning and deceit arise, governing becomes difficult; only when they subside can one grasp the mystery. Profound De then deepens, and accords with the Great Accord. This is like shedding the burdens of worldly learning and excessive desire, and like the great Dao of the many rivers flowing back to the sea.

The ancients who excelled at practicing the Dao did not enlighten the people; they made them simple.

Commentary: A ruler who excels at practicing the Dao does not lay his Dao plainly before the people. He guides them toward harmony and back to simplicity, so that they are like the unlearned.

Subcommentary: The ancients said that the rulers of old who excelled at transforming the people through the Dao valued Wuwei (non-action) and quietude. They did not flaunt their Dao or reveal it plainly to others, but guided people toward natural harmony, putting an end to cleverness and deceit so that the people became simple, like the unlearned.

The meaning says: “The ancients” refers to the time of the mysterious antiquity; “those who excelled at practicing the Dao” refers to the Dao-possessing rulers of that age. Their intentions were quiet and hidden, their minds and spirits deep and obscure. They governed without relying on punishments and laws, and did not boast of their achievements or virtue. They acted without rashness and did not pander to others. They were vast and indistinct, impossible to see; still and silent, impossible to hear. The people were like the spirits of Mount Gushe, and their customs like those of the land of Huaxu. They did not know the calendar, nor resist the waxing and waning of things. They did not distinguish affection by closeness or distance, nor claim as their own what belonged to themselves. They were unknowing and indistinct, as though they had nothing at all. So the people were not instructed with the words of the constant Dao; they were transformed only through Wuwei. Thus all under Heaven became simple and pure, as though they had been kept unlearned.

The people are difficult to govern because they have too much cleverness.

Commentary: If a ruler lays the Dao plainly before those below him, they will surely use cleverness to deal with those above them.

(If the following subcommentary also explains “too much cleverness,” its general meaning is that the people are difficult to govern because those above use cleverness and those below show it in turn. They scheme against one another, making it difficult to carry out government orders.)

“When cleverness becomes excessive, deceit readily arises, and governance becomes difficult. This is because those above rely too heavily on cleverness and tactics.”

“Why do people below grow ever more calculating? Because the ruler governs through close scrutiny. His subjects are then forced to rack their brains to cope, and over time deceit becomes common, making affairs of state difficult to set in order.”

The meaning, according to the Guangsheng commentary, is this: When those in high office govern people by cleverness alone, their subordinates use schemes to curry favor with the ruler and mislead him. The ruler should instead use clear and simple methods that make people easy to govern. Once governance becomes a contest of wits, deceit follows—and this often begins when those above are too shrewd and too eager to scrutinize everything. Thus, seeking peace and orderly governance throughout the realm becomes difficult. This passage urges the ruler to follow the example of ancient times and present the people with a model of simplicity and honesty; only then will they be easy to govern.

“Governing a state through cleverness is a scourge upon the state.”

The note explains that “through” here means employing or relying on something. If the ruler relies too heavily on ministers who are clever and calculating, their schemes will multiply, leading to more rules and political manipulation. As manipulation increases, deceit follows; hence it is called a scourge upon the state.

The commentary explains that “scourge” means harm or calamity. When ministers skilled in deceitful schemes govern the state, political intrigue arises, followed by falsehood. As falsehood flourishes, the Great Dao falls into disuse, harming the state; hence the phrase “a scourge upon the state.”

The meaning is this: Governing through schemes may be intended to bring order to the people, but once such schemes take hold, treachery and disorder instead grow more widespread, and acts of deception that harm the state multiply. Cao Can preserved established institutions and laws, and the Han dynasty was stable as a result. Shang Yang pursued reform through schemes to excess, and the Qin dynasty was ruined. This is the meaning of the Dao De Jing’s opening section: “When wisdom emerges, great falsity arises.”

“Not governing a state through cleverness is a blessing for the state.”

The note explains that if the ruler does not employ ministers skilled in calculation, but chooses people of sincere and generous virtue, and promotes Wuwei (non-action) and the spirit of great simplicity, cunning and deceit will gradually fade while simplicity and honesty flourish. Harmony among the people brings bountiful years; this is a blessing for the state.

The commentary explains that the ruler’s refusal to employ ministers given to scheming, and his choice instead to seek people of sincere virtue, together with resting in the Dao of Wuwei and promoting the spirit of great simplicity, bring harmony and balance. This is a blessing for the state.

The meaning is this: The ruler is like the upright post of a sundial: when the post is straight, its shadow is straight; when the post is crooked, its shadow is crooked. Right and wrong lie nowhere else; they depend on whom the ruler appoints and what customs he promotes. Employing scheming ministers makes rules and commands proliferate; employing loyal and sincere people makes customs simple and honest. When the people are transformed by sincerity and harmony, the state prospers—this is a blessing. “Resting in Wei and flourishing” refers to Duan Ganmu, who served as a teacher to Marquis Wen of Wei and urged him to curb political scheming, cultivate virtue, and put an end to contention. This is the allusion behind “not governing a state through cleverness.”

Expanded Meaning of the True Scripture of the Dao and Its Virtue

Scripture

By putting stillness first and transforming people through De (Virtue), one can keep trouble from the State of Wei at bay through “lying at rest and doing nothing.”

Lying at rest: To lie at rest means to recline and remain deeply still. Fence: Something that keeps the outside at a distance, like a hedge.

The story of “juggling balls to resolve a crisis”: Bai Gong Sheng of the State of Chu and the minister Zixi raised troops against each other. The ministers on both sides said, “Yiliao of the South Market is a recluse who keeps his abilities hidden. One man is worth five hundred.” So they sent people to invite him.

Yiliao reclined on a high pillow and received both parties’ envoys without getting up. He kept juggling balls in his hands, while a sword lay beneath him, perfectly still. The envoys returned and reported everything accurately. The ministers said, “Reclining on a high pillow tells us there is no need for rash action. The sword beneath him, unmoving, shows that force cannot be relied on. His two hands represent our two sides; the balls are round and without action. His hands keep playing with them: this means that if we continue fighting, both sides will end in exhaustion and ruin.” The two sides then called off their troops and went home. This is the story behind “resolving a conflict between two sides.” It appears in the Zhuangzi.

When the Way of Wuwei (non-action) takes hold, the impulse to act for its own sake naturally subsides. When simplicity and plainness are upheld, cunning and deception disappear. This is how things naturally unfold. Perhaps this is where the good fortune of governing a state lies.

Knowing These Two Is Also a Model

Commentary: Using clever schemes harms people; acting with pure De benefits the state. When a ruler consistently knows whom to use and whom to trust, this is called profound and mysterious De.

Explanation: “These two” refers to using cleverness and not using it. A model is an example to follow; a standard is a rule or measure. A ruler understands that using cleverness leads to harm and treachery, while refraining from it benefits the state. One should reject harm and choose benefit. Such a person can serve as a model and standard for governing a state.

Meaning

Clever schemes bring disorder to a state; when cleverness subsides, people are at peace. Removing disorder and bringing peace is the essential principle of governing a state.

Those who rely on schemes and those who argue with words use their intelligence to mislead the feudal lords and their eloquence to unsettle rulers. They divide what is firm and unite what is different, turning white into black. All they seek is to make a name for themselves, win favor and honor, and show off their judgments and opinions. They do not aim to bring peace to the people or to reduce killing. They seek only to give free rein to their tongues, taking pride in smooth talk and empty persuasion.

A ruler who governs a state should see through such people and dismiss them. Then a simple and unspoiled way of life can prevail throughout the realm, and people can return to simplicity.

“Consistently knowing the model is called mysterious De”: To be able to tell consistently which “standard” should be followed is mysterious De.

A note: “ministers of blessing and virtue” are also models for the ruler, serving to protect the people. If the ruler understands this, he can entrust important responsibilities to such people.

Commentary: “Mysterious,” “profound,” and “wondrous”: if a ruler can consistently abide by this Way, both his wisdom and his virtue can serve as models for the world. This is virtue that is profound, far-reaching, and mysterious.

Explanation: A ruler uses wisdom and virtue to determine what brings security or danger, and acts according to enduring principles. In this way, his virtue becomes profound and far-reaching.

Scripture: Mysterious Virtue is profound and far-reaching. It turns back in accord with all things, and only then does the Great Harmony come about.

A note: Mysterious Virtue is profound and far-reaching. It can “turn back” in relation to all things—that is, return to the root—so that all things reach a state of great harmony with their natural dispositions.

Commentary: This is a concluding reflection. A ruler of Mysterious Virtue transforms through Wuwei (non-action); the unfathomable depth of this transformation is called “profound,” and its reach, which extends beyond all bounds, is called “far-reaching.” Thus it can turn back with all things to return to the wondrous root, and then bring them into great harmony with their natural true nature.

Explanation: “Great harmony” is rooted in human feelings. The Book of Rites: The Evolution of Rites says that human feelings are the field of the sage kings. Sage kings cultivate the principles of right conduct and the order of ritual to regulate human feelings. They take feelings as their field and till it with ritual, harmonizing firmness and gentleness; they set out right conduct as seed, establishing the good Way; they recite and study to weed, preserving what is right and removing what is wrong; they gather what they have cultivated in themselves, bringing its fruits together; and they sow music to bring tranquility, moving people so that their disposition becomes firm.

To govern a state without ritual is like plowing without a plowshare. To practice ritual without grounding it in right conduct is like plowing without sowing. To uphold right conduct without discussing and studying it is like sowing without weeding. To discuss and study without aligning with benevolence is like weeding without harvesting. To align with benevolence without settling people through music is like harvesting without eating. To settle people through music without bringing them to harmony is like eating without being nourished.

A body with its limbs at ease and its skin full and healthy is a person’s nourishment. Devotion between father and son, harmony between brothers, and accord between husband and wife are a household’s nourishment. Ministers who uphold the law, junior officials who are incorruptible, offices arranged in proper order, and ruler and ministers correcting one another are a state’s nourishment. When the Son of Heaven takes virtue as his carriage and music as its reins, the feudal lords relate to one another through ritual, the high ministers order their relations by law, officials test one another through trustworthiness, and the people live together in harmony, this is the nourishment of all under Heaven. This is called Great Harmony. Thus the Son of Heaven employs the people in accordance with harmony.

If Heaven does not cherish its own Dao, Earth does not cherish its own treasure, and people do not cherish their true feelings, all kinds of auspicious signs will appear. This is what it truly means to follow the Dao of Heaven: it is a “treasure.” When a ruler occupies the heights through profound, unseen De, while officials below act with loyalty and trustworthiness, and their teaching spreads far and deep, bringing all things back to a simple and unspoiled way of life, this is called being fully aligned with the Great Dao. The emperors of antiquity modeled their governance and teachings on the Dao of the ancient sages, studying and testing it carefully. They administered affairs through simplicity and nurtured the people with humility. Thus the scriptures praise the phrase “examining antiquity,” taking Emperor Yao as the model. When all under Heaven is in accord, the regions everywhere submit. The rivers and seas place themselves below, and the hundred streams flow into them. For this reason, the chapter “Rivers and Seas” follows the preceding discussion of the De of great accord.

Guangshengyi Commentary on the Daode Zhenjing, Chapter 66: The Rivers and Seas Are Kings of the Hundred Valleys

(Commentary on the preceding chapter: It explains how the love of cleverness gives rise to troubles, and sets out the principles of profound De and great accord. This chapter explains how being good at placing oneself below makes one a king, and presents the sage’s virtue of not contending. It first uses the rivers and seas as a metaphor for “being good at placing oneself below, and thus becoming king”; next, it explains the sage’s humility and how people “gladly elevate him without tiring of doing so”; finally, it concludes with the virtue of not contending, showing the path of cultivation and learning.)

Scripture:

The rivers and seas can be kings of the hundred valleys because they are good at placing themselves below them. For this reason, they can be kings of the hundred valleys.

Note:

The rivers and seas can receive and gather the waters of the hundred streams because they are good at occupying a lowly position. That is why all the rivers come to pay homage and converge there.

Commentary:

The rivers and seas can receive the homage of the hundred streams and become their “king” because they are good at staying downstream. Thus the Book of Changes says, “The way of Earth transforms what is full and flows toward what is humble.” This is a metaphor: when the way of Earth is humble, the hundred streams pour into it and return; when the sage is humble, the people come to him like children and never tire of elevating him.

Interpretation:

What is below is the foundation of what is high; humility is the basis of De. The hundred streams flow eastward as if returning home; their return is due to what is good at placing itself below. The people everywhere turn northward and bow before the sage; the sage’s standing rests on humility, and the people come to him like children. This is the principle at work. Yan Junping, a Daoist scholar of the Han dynasty, says: “Heaven and Earth…” The quotation appears incomplete in the source; its point is to emphasize the principle by which humility brings people to one’s side.

Plain-Language Interpretation

The general meaning of the scripture

The Great Dao does not abandon the myriad things, and the myriad things cannot do without the Dao. The Dao does not compete to rule over them, yet they naturally turn toward it. Thus, though Heaven and Earth are vast, they still honor the Great Dao. Yang Qi (vital energy) blazes, and Heaven is its king; Yin Qi (vital energy) is stark and austere, and Earth is its king. Among the countless living beings, the sage is king. Among birds soaring through the open sky, the divine phoenix is king; among beasts walking the earth, the qilin is king; among scaled creatures living in water, the divine dragon is king; among shelled creatures dwelling in marshes, the numinous turtle is king; and among the rivers flowing together, the rivers and seas are king.

These nine kinds of “king” do not forcibly rule over the myriad things, yet the myriad things naturally turn toward them. They establish no separate laws, yet the myriad things govern themselves. They make no show of trustworthiness and righteousness, yet the myriad things naturally attach themselves to them. They do not dispense benevolence and kindness, yet the myriad things naturally draw close to them. They rely on neither cleverness nor force, yet the myriad things naturally hold them in awe. Why? Because they embody the Dao and accord their De (Virtue/Power) with the natural course of things. They entrust matters to that natural course, and the myriad things take them as their source.

The rivers and seas become kings of the many streams not by using cleverness to win favor, kindness to win people over, commands to restrain them, punishments to drive them, or schemes to control them. The streams flow toward the rivers and seas because those waters lie low, and water naturally gathers there. From this we can conclude that a person who can remain humble, keep a forgiving and respectful heart, and avoid competing for strength or status can gather the people and govern a state. This is the essential point.

“The way of Earth diminishes what is full and brings increase to what is humble.”

The principle of Earth is to reduce what is full and replenish what is humble. The commentary on the Humility hexagram in the Book of Changes says that mountains, hills, rivers, and valleys change: high places gradually sink, while low places gradually rise. What is full is diminished, and what is humble is allowed to spread.

“The people came like children.”

The phrase “the people came like children” comes from the tenth year of Duke Zhao in the Spring and Autumn Annals. Shusun Zhaozhi quotes the Book of Songs, “The work was begun without haste; the common people came like children.” It describes King Wen of Zhou building the Spirit Terrace. He did not press the workers to meet a deadline, yet the people joyfully came to help, as children might.

“Therefore, if the sage wishes to be above others, he places himself below them in his words.”

The commentary explains that this accords with the preceding example. If the sage wishes to stand above the people, he places himself below them in speech. The sage does not lower his words deliberately because he truly wants to dominate others. Rather, he understands that fullness inevitably brings loss. So he speaks with humility and accepts such titles as “orphan,” “widower,” and “unworthy one”—self-deprecating forms of address meaning “imperfect” or “inadequate.” By making lowliness the basis of his conduct, he is naturally raised up by the people for his flourishing De and great achievements.

Commentary on the meaning

The sage’s humility is not a mere show. Such humble titles as “orphan,” “widower,” and “unworthy one” make clear that he takes lowliness as his foundation. His self-reproach, as though he had fallen into a city moat—a metaphor for deep remorse—shows his willingness to accept criticism and his resolve to remain in a lowly position.

A Plain-Language Interpretation

The Main Idea of the Scripture

Because the sage constantly examines himself and holds himself to high standards, his virtue grows day by day and his great work becomes ever more secure. This is what is meant by the state of being “vast and great.”

“To wish to stand ahead of others, first place yourself behind them.”

Explanatory Commentary

The sage does not truly wish to seize the place at the front. He simply yields with humility and places himself behind all things. As a result, all things naturally push him to the front.

Further Explanation of the Principle

Does the sage want to fall behind others and merely pretend to do so? No. He carefully cultivates himself and follows the Great Dao. He does not use self-interest to push ahead of all things, and so all things bring him to the front.

Thus, “He occupies a high position, yet people do not feel burdened; he stands at the forefront, yet people do not feel harmed.”

Note

Humility is the root of virtue, and the more it is practiced, the brighter it shines. By humbly placing himself below, the sage wins the people’s willing support. So although he occupies a high position, people do not feel crushed by him. By withdrawing himself, he draws the people to him as children returning to a parent. So although he stands at the forefront, people do not feel harmed.

Explanatory Commentary

This brings the preceding discussion to a close. The sage sits upon the great throne and holds the highest rank, yet he tires himself so that others may live at ease, and thinks little of himself while treating all things generously. From above, he enables people to live and flourish, so they do not find his rule burdensome. At the front, he enables people to be governed, so they do not regard him as harmful.

Further Explanation of the Principle

When a ruler’s virtue is humble, people willingly support him, so his high position does not feel burdensome to them. When a ruler’s virtue is clear and discerning, people willingly look up to him, so his place at the forefront does not harm them. A ruler of outstanding achievement stands above, and people look up to him as they do to Heaven. A foolish ruler, such as Jie of Xia or Zhou of Shang, stands at the front, and people reject him as an enemy. When there is the Dao, the realm flourishes; without the Dao, it perishes. That is the principle.

Thus, “All under Heaven willingly raise him up and do not grow weary of him.”

Note

Because he neither burdens people nor harms them, the people of the realm willingly support him as their ruler and do not grow tired of him.

Explanatory Commentary

The sage’s virtue is vast and selfless. He brings springtime to all things, and people look to him as they do to the sun and moon. Since he is neither burdensome nor harmful, all under Heaven willingly honor him and never grow weary of him.

Further Explanation of the Principle

When Yao governed the realm, all living beings flocked to him like clouds and looked up to him like the sun. They willingly raised him up as their ruler and did not grow weary of him. When he died, the people mourned him as they would a parent, and for three years they ceased playing music—the “silencing of the eight kinds of music.” Why? Because he led through humble virtue and transformed the people through Wuwei (non-action).

“Because he does not contend, no one under Heaven can contend with him.”

Note

The sage is humble and yielding, and does not contend with anything. Since all under Heaven willingly raise him up, who could contend with him?

Explanatory Commentary

Today, all under Heaven willingly raise up the sage and do not grow weary of him. Is this not precisely because the sage… (continuing the preceding discussion of humble virtue and non-contention)

A General Interpretation of the Classic

When others speak, he steps back; when others compete to be first, he takes a place behind them. He never vies with things for “first place.”

That is why no one under Heaven can outcompete the sage in being the first.

An Explanation (the Author of the Guangshengyi’s Elaboration)

When the sage governs the world, his De (virtue and power) transforms the four quarters, his wisdom illuminates the “Six Directions”—the heavens and earth, and the four cardinal directions—and his kindness reaches throughout the “Nine Regions,” the territories of the nine provinces and, by extension, the whole world. He relies on humility and does not strive to be first; he yields gently and does not place himself above others. The people naturally support him. Who could compete with him? In this way, the fortunes of the state endure and its descendants flourish, like the ocean receiving a hundred rivers without overflowing or drying up. He is also like the “Supreme One”—the highest Dao, or the ultimate Way as Laozi describes it—who holds fast to the “Three Treasures”: compassion and frugality (along with a third treasure often named with these two; here the emphasis is on compassion and frugality). The next chapter continues by discussing these Three Treasures.

Brief Notes on Specialized Terms

“Six Directions” refers to the heavens and earth and the four cardinal directions, and broadly means the entire expanse of the universe.

“Nine Regions” refers to the territories of the nine provinces, and broadly means the whole world.

The “Three Treasures” are those named in chapter 79 of the Laozi: usually understood as compassion, frugality, and not daring to be first under Heaven. Here, the text says “through compassion, through frugality,” linking the passage to the next chapter.

“Supreme One” here refers to the highest Dao, or to the supreme sagehood represented by Laozi.

“Descendants flourishing” is a metaphor for the ruler’s legacy continuing across generations and growing in strength. The character “yi” may carry the sense of succession from one generation to the next.