---lao- zu 's
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THE	WAY





 translated by Red Pine with selected commentaries of the past 2000 years







Lao-tzus


•




































THE	WAY








translated by Red Pine with selected commentaries of the past2000 years






Copyright © 1996 by Red Pine (Bil Porter).

Published	in	the	United	States	of	America	by	Mercury House, San Francisco, 
California, a	nonprofit	publishing company devoted to the free exchange of ideas and
guided by a dedication to literary values.

Al rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in	any	form	or by	any 
electronic	or mechanical	means without permission in writing from the publisher,
except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages In a review.

UNITED STATES CONSTITU TION, PIRST AMBNDMBNT:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion. or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or 
abridg­ ing the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to 
petition
the Government for a redress of grievances.

Manufactured in the United States of America.







LIBRARY	OF	CO NGRB S S 
CATAL OGU ING- IN - PU B LICATION	DATA
Lao-tzu.
[Tao te ching. English]
Lao-tzu's Taoteching I translated by Red Pine, with selected commentaries of the past 2000 
years.
p. cm.
ISBN 1-56279 -085-4 (pbk.)
I. Pine, Red. II. Title.
,
BLI900.L26s513 1996
299' ·SI482-DC20	96-18579
CIP




FIRST	EDITION
10 12 14 16 18 20 19 17 15 13 II 
2 4 6 8 975 3






for
Ku Lien-chang








Contents


Introduction
IX

Lao-tzu's Taoteching 1

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Introduction



The Taotechingis at heart a simple book. Written at the end of the sixth century Be by a man called Lao-tzu, it is a vision of what our lives 
would be like if we were more like the dark, new moon.
      Lao-tzu teaches us that the dark can always become light and contains within itself the potential for growth and long life, while the 
light can only be­ come dark and brings with it decay and early death. Lao-tzu chose long life. Thus he chose the dark.
The word that Lao-tzu chose to represent this vision was Tao But Tao
means "road" or "way" and doesn't appear to have anything to do with dark­ ness. The character is made up of two graphs: "i§": head" 
and "L: go." To make sense of how the character came to be constructed, early Chinese philologists concluded that "head" must mean the 
start of something and that the two graphs together show someone starting on a trip. But a Chinese scholar in Taiwan has recently 
presented a novel, and more convincing, interpretation of the word's origins. According to Tu Er-wei, the 'bead"  in the character tao is the 
face of the moon. And the meaning of "road" comes from watching this disembodied face as it moves across the sky.
1\1 also notes that tao shares a common linguistic heritage with words that
mean "moon" in other cultures: Tibetans call the moon da-ua; the Miao, who now live in southwest China but who lived in the same state 
as Lao-tzu when he was alive, call it tao-tie; the ancient Egyptians called itthoth. Tu Er-wei could
. have also added dar-sha, which means "new moon" in Sanskrit.
      However, the heart of Tu's thesis is not linguistic, but textual and based on references within the Taoteching. Lao-tzu says the Tao is 
between Heaven and Earth, it's Heaven's Gate, it's empty but inexhaustible, it doesn't die, it waxes and wanes, it's distant and dark, it 
doesn't try to be	it's the light that doesn't blind, it has 
thirty spokes and two thirteen-day (visible) phases, it can be strung like a bow or expand and contract like a bellows, it moves the other 
way (in


relation to the sun), it's the great image, the hidden immortal, the crescent soul, the dark union, the dark womb, the dark beyond dark. If this isn't the 
moon, what is it?
     Th Er-wei has, I think, uncovered a deep and primitive layer of the Taote­ ching that has escaped the attention of other scholars. of course, we cannot 
say for certain that Lao-tzu was consciously aware of the Tao's association with the moon. But we have his images, and they are too often lunar to dismiss as 
acci­ dental.
      In associating the Tao with the moon, Lao-tzu was not alone. The symbol Taoists have used since ancient times to represent the Tao shows the 
two conjoined phases of the moon. And how could they ignore such an obvious connection between its cycle of change and our own? Every month we 
watch the moon grow ftom nothing to a luminous disc that scatters the stars and pulls the tides within us all. The oceans feel it. The earth feels it. 
Plants and animals feel it. Humans also feel it, though it is women who seem  to  be most aware of  it. In the  Huangti Neiching, or Yellow Emperor's 
Internal Book of Medicine, Ch'i Po explained to the Yellow Emperor: 'When the moon begins to grow, blood and breath begin to surge. When the 
moon is com­ pletely full, blood and breath are at their fullest, tendons and muscles are at their strongest. When the moon is completely empty; 
tendons and muscles are at their weakest"
      The advance of civilization has separated us ftom this easy lunar awareness. We call people affected by the moon "lunatics," making clear our disdain 
for its power. Lao-tzu redirects our vision to this ancient mirror. But instead of point­ ing to its light, he points to its darkness. Every month the moon 
effortlessly shows us that something comes ftom nothing. Lao-tzu asks us to emulate this aspect of the moon, not the full moon, which is destined to wane, 
but the new moon, which holds the promise of rebirth. And while he has us gazing at the moon's dark mirror, he asks why we don't we live longer than we do. 
After all, don't we share the same nature as the moon, and isn't the moon immortal?'
Scholars tend to ignore Lao-tzu's emphasis on darkness and immortality;
for it takes the book beyond the reach of academic analysis. For them, darkness is just a more poetic way of describing the mysterious. And immortality is 
a euphemism for long life. Over the years, they have distilled what they call Lao­ tzu's "Taoist philosophy"  ftom the later developments of  "Taoist  
religion." T hey call the Taoteching a treatise on political or military strategy. or they see it as primitive scientific naturalism or utopianism-or just a bunch of 
sayings.
But trying to force the Taoteching into the categories of modern discourse
not only distorts the Taoteching, it also treats the traditions that later Taoists


have associated	with the text as irrelevant and misguided.	Meanwhile, the Taoteching continues to inspire 
millions of Chinese as a spiritual text, and I have tried to present it in that dark light. The words of	philosophers fail here. If 
words are of any use at all, they are the words of the poet. For poetry has the ability to point us toward the truth and then stand aside, while 
prose stands in the doorway relating all the wonders on the other side but rarely lets us pass. In this respect, the Taoteching is unique among 
the great literary works of the Chou dynasty. Aside from the anonymous poems and folksongs of	the Shihching, or Book of Odes, 
we have no other poetic work from this early period of	Chinese history; the wisdom of	other sages was conveyed 
in prose. Al­ though I haven't attempted to reproduce Lao-tzu's poetic devices (Hsu Yung­ chang identifies twenty-eight different kinds of 
rhyme), I have tried to convey the poetic feel with which he strings together images for our breath and spirit, but not necessarily our minds. 
For the Taoteching is one long poem written in
praise of something we cannot name, much less imagine.
       Despite the elusiveness and namelessness of the Tao, Lao-tzu tells us we can approach it through Te. Te means "virtue," both in the sense of 
"moral charac­ ter" as well as "power to act." Yen Ling-feng says,  "Virtue is the manifestation of the Way. The Way is what Virtue contains. 
Without the Way. Virtue would have no power. Without Virtue, the Way would have no appearance" (Taoteching,   Han Fei put it more simply: 
"Te is the Tao at work" (Taoteching, 38). Te is our entrance to the Tao. Te is what we cultivate. Lao-tzu's Virtue, however, isn't the virtue of 
adhering to a moral code but action that involves no moral code, no self, no other-no action.
These are the two poles around which the Taoteching turns: the Tao, the
dark, the body. the essence, the Way; and Te, the light, the function, the spirit, Virtue. In terms of origin, the Tao comes first. In terms of practice, 
Te comes first. The dark gives the light a place to shine. The light allows us to see the dark. But too much light blinds. Lao-tzu saw everyone 
chasing the light and hastening their own destruction. He encouraged people to choose the dark in­ stead of the light, less instead of more, 
weakness instead of strength, inaction instead of action. What could be simpler?
Lao-tzu's preference for darkness extended to himself  as well. For the past
2,500 years, the Chinese have revered the Taoteching as they have no other book, and yet they know next to nothing about its author. What they 
do know, or think they know, is contained in a brief biographical sketch included by Ssu-ma Ch'ien in a history of ancient China that he 
completed around 100 Be. Al­ though we don't know what Ssu-ma Ch'ien's sources of  information were, we do know he was considered the 
most widely travelled man of his age, and he








































Village ofChujen east ofHuhsien. Lao-tzu's old home was located on this, thefifth ofnine bends ofa canal that once enabled small boats to travel via 
adjoining waterways to the Yellow River to the north or the Huai River to
the south. Photo by Bill Porter.

went to great lengths to verify the information he used. Of late it has become popular, if not de rigueur, to debunk his account of Lao-tzu, but it remains the 
earliest account we have and is worth repeating.
According to Ssu-ma Ch'ien, Lao-tzu was a native of Huhsien Prefecture in
the state of Ch'u. Nowadays, the former prefectural town of Huhsien is called Luyi. If you are travelling in China, or simply want to find it on a map, look for 
the town of Shangchiu on the train line that runs between the city of Cheng­ chou on the Yellow River and the Grand Canal town of Hsuchou. Luyi is about 70 
kilometers south of Shangchiu. The shrine that marks the site of Lao-tzu's former village is just east of town.
. The region is known as the Huang-Huai Plain. As its name suggests, it is
the result of the regular flooding of the Huangho, or Yellow River, to the north and the Huaiho, or Huai River, to the south. The Chinese have been growing 
wheat and millet here since neolithic times, and more recently cotton and to­ bacco. It remains one of the most productive agricultural areas in all of China, 
and it was a rich prize over which many states fought in ancient times.
Lao-tzu was born on this plain in 604 BC, or 57t BC, depending on which


account of later historians we accept. Ssu-ma Ch'ien doesn't give us a date, but he does say that Huhsien was part of the great state of Ch'u. 
Officially; Huhsien belonged to the small state of Ch'en until 479 Be, when Ch'u eliminated Ch'en as a state once and for all. Some scholars 
have interpreted this to mean that either Huhsien did not belong to Ch'u when Lao-tzu was alive or that he must have been born there after 
479 Be. But we need not accept either conclusion. Ssu-ma Ch'ien would have been aware that Ch'u controlled the forrunes of Ch'en as early 
as 598 Be, when Ch'u briefly annexed the entire state and then changed its mind, allowing Ch'en to exist as a "neighbor state."
      Whether or not Huhsien was acrually part of Ch'u is not important. What is important is that during the sixth cenrury Ch'u 
controlled the region of
which Huhsien was a part. This is significant not for verifYing the accuracy
of  Ssu-ma Ch'ien's account but for directing our attention to the culrural
influence that Ch'u represented. Ch'u was not like the other states in  the central plainS.
     Although the rulers of Ch'u traced their ancestry to a grandson of the Yel­ low Emperor, the patriarch of Chinese culrure, they represented 
its shamanis­ tic periphery. From their ancestral home in the Sungshan area, just south of the Yellow River, they moved, or were pushed, 
steadily southwest, evenrually ending up in the Chingshan area, just north of the Yangtze. Over the cenruries they mixed with other tribal 
groups, such as the Miao, and incorporated elements of their shamanistic culrures. The Ch'u rulers took for their surname the word hsiung, 
meaning 'bear," and they called themselves Man or Yi, which the Chinese in the central states interpreted to mean 'barbarians."
     The influence of Ch'u's culrure on Lao-tzu is impossible to determine, but it does help us better understand the Taoteching knowing 
that it was written by a man who was no stranger to shamanistic conceptions of the sacred world. Certainly as Taoism developed in later 
cenruries, it remained heavily indebted to shamanism, and some scholars see evidence of the Ch'u dialect in the Taoteching itself.
      T his, then, was the region where Lao-rzu grew up. But his name was not Lao-tzu (which means "Old Master"). Ssu-ma Ch'ien says 
his family name was his personal name was Erh (meaning "ear," and hence, learned), and his posthumous name was Tan (meaning "long-
eared," and hence, wise). In addi­ tion to providing us with a complete set of names, Ssu-ma Ch'ien also tells us
that Lao-tzu, or Li Erh, served as Keeper of the Royal Archives.
     Before continuing, I should note that some scholars reject Ssu-ma Ch'ien's Li Erh or Li Tan and suggest instead a man named Lao Tan, 
who also served as Keeper of the Royal Archives, but in the fourth century Be rather than the sixth


century. Some find this later date more acceptable in explaining Lao-tzu's in­ novative literary style as well as in explaining why Chuang-tzu attributes pas­ 
sages of the Taoteching to Lao Tan but not Li Tan. For his part, Ssu-ma Ch'ien was certainly familiar with Chuang-tzu's writings, and he was not unaware of 
the fourth-century historian Lao Tan. In fact, he admits that some people thought that Lao Tan was Lao-?zu. But Ssu-ma Ch'ien was not convinced that 
the two were the same man. After all, if Tan was Lao-tzu's posthumous name, why shouldn't Chuang-tzu and other later writers call him "Old Tan"? And 
why couldn't there be two record keepers with the same name in the course of two centuries? If China's Grand Historian was not convinced that the 
fourth­ century historian was the author of the Taoteching--certainly he had more documents at his disposal than we now possess-I see no reason to 
decide in favor of a man whose only claim to fame was to prophesy the ascendency of the state of Ch'in, which was to bring the Chou dynasty to an 
end in 221 Be. Meanwhile, I think I hear Lao-tzu laughing.
     In any case, the place where Lao-tzu kept the archives was the Chou dynasty capital of Loyang, which was about 300 kilometers west of Huhsien. 
Loyang was a neolithic campsite as early as 3000 Be and a military garrison during the first dynasties: the Hsia and Shang. When the state of Chou 
over­ threw the Shang dynasty in 1122 Be, the Duke of Chou built a new subsidiary capital around the old garrison. He dubbed it Wangcheng: City of 
the King. Usually. though, the king lived in one of the new dynasty's two western capitals of Feng and Hao, near modern Sian. But when these were 
destroyed in 77I Be, Wangcheng became the sole royal residence. And this is where Lao-tzu spent his time recording the events at court.
     Lao-tzu must have been busy in the years following the death of	King 
Ching. When King Ching died in 520 Be, two of his sons, Prince Chao and Prince Ching, both declared themselves his successor. At first Prince 
Chao gained the upper hand, and Prince Ching was forced to leave the capital. But with the help of other nobles, Prince Ching soon returned and 
established an- . other capital fifteen kilometers to the east of Wangcheng, which he dubbed Chengchou: Glory of Chou. And in 516 Be, Prince Ching 
finally succeeded in driving his brother from the old capital.
     In the same year, the Keeper of the Royal Archives, which were still in Wangcheng, received a visitor from the state of Lu. The visitor was a 
young man named Kung Fu-tzu, or Confucius. Confucius was interested in ritual and asked Lao-tzu about the ceremonies of the ancient kings.
     According to Ssu-ma Ch'ien, Lao-tzu responded with this advice: "The an­ cients you admire have been in the ground a long time. Their 
bones have


turned to dust. Only their words remain. Those among them who were wise rode in carriages when times were good and slipped quietly 
away when times were bad. I have heard that the clever merchant hides his wealth so his store looks empty and that the superior man acts 
dumb so he can avoid calling attention to himself. I advise you to get rid of your excessive pride and ambition. They won't do you any good. 
This is all I have to say to you." After­ wards, Confucius told his disciples, "Today when I met Lao-tzu, it was like meeting a dragon."
     The story of this meeting appears in a sufficient number of ancient texts to make it unlikely that it was invented by Taoists. Confucian 
records also report it taking place. According to the traditional account, Lao-tzu was eighty-eight years old when he met Confucius. If so, and 
if he was born in 604 BC, the two sages would have met in 516 BC, and Confucius would have been thirty-five. So it is possible. Though 
Confucius would not have had many disciples at such an early date.
Following his meeting with Confucius, Lao-tzu decided to take his own
advice, and he left the capital by·ox-cart. And he had good reason to leave. For when Prince Chao was banished from Wangcheng, he took 
with him the royal archives, the same archives of which Lao-tzu was supposedly in charge. If Lao­ tzu needed a reason to leave, he certainly had 
one in 516 BC.
     W ith the loss of the archives, Lao-tzu was out of a job. He was also, no doubt, fed up with the prospects for enlightened rule in the 
Middle Kingdom. Hence, he headed not for his hometown of Huhsien to the east but for Hanku Pass, which was 150 kilometers west of 
Loyang, and which served as the bor­ der between the Chou dynasty's central states and the semi-barbarian state of Ch'in, which now 
controlled the area surrounding the dynasty's former west­ ern capitals.
     As Keeper of the Royal Archives, Lao-tzu no doubt supplied himself with the necessary  documents to get through what was the 
most strategic pass in all of China. Hardly wide enough for two carts, it forms a seventeen­ kilometer-long defile through a plateau of 
loess that has blown down from the north and accumulated between the Chungnan Mountains and the Yellow River over the past million 
years. In ancient times, the Chinese said that who­ ever controlled Hanku Pass controlled China. It was so easy to defend that during  the 
Second World War the Japanese  army failed to break through it, despite finding no difficulty in sweeping Chinese forces from the 
plains to the east.
Fortunately;	Lao·tzu	was expected. According to Taoist records, Master
Yin Hsi was studying the heavens far to the west at the royal observatory at




































Hanku Pass. Midway between the Chou dynasty's eastern and western capitals and situated between the Yellow River and the Chungnan Mountains. This
is where Lao-tzu met Yin Hsi, Warden ofthe Pass. Photo by Bill Porter.


Loukuantai, when he noticed a purple vapor drifting from the east. He de­ duced that a sage would soon be passing through the area, and he knew that 
anyone travelling west would have to come through Hanku Pass. Hence he proceeded to the pass.
     Ssu-ma Ch'ien, however, says Yin Hsi was Warden of the Pass and makes no mention of his association with Loukuantai. When Lao-tzu 
appeared, Yin Hsi recognized the sage and asked for instruction. According to Ssu-ma Ch'ien, Lao-tzu gave Yin Hsi the Taoteching and then continued on to 
distant, unknown realms.
      Taoists agree that Lao-tzu continued on from Hanku Pass, but in the com­ pany of Yin Hsi, who invited him to his observatory 250 kilometers to the west. 
Taoists say Lao-tzu stopped long enough at  Loukuantai to convey the  teach­ ings that make up his Taoteching and then travelled on through Sankuan Pass, 
another 150 kilometers to the west, and into the state of Shu.  Shu was founded by a branch of the same lineage that founded the state of Ch'u,  although its 
rulers revered the cuckoo rather than the bear. And in the land of the cuckoo, Lao-tzu finally achieved anonymity as well as immortality.







































Loukuantai. The small knoll beyond the gravel bed ofthe Tim River and at the foot ofthe Chungnan Mountains is where Taoists say Lao-tzu
wrote the Taoteching. Photo by Bill Porter.

     Curiously. about six kilometers west of Loukuantai, there's a tombstone with Lao-tzu's name on it. The Red Guards knocked it down in the 1960s, 
and when I last visited Loukuantai in 1993 it was still down. I asked Loukuantai's abbot, Jen Fa-jung, what happened to Lao-tzu. Did he continue on 
through Sankuan Pass, or was he buried at Loukuantai? Master Jen suggested both stories were true. As Confucius noted, Lao-tzu was a dragon among 
men. And being a member of the serpent family. why should we wonder at his ability to leave his skin behind and continue on through cloud-barred 
passes?
       And so, Lao-tzu, whoever he was and whenever he lived, disappeared and left behind his small book. The book at first didn't have a name. When 
writers like Mo-tzu and Wen-tzu quoted from it in the fifth century Be, or Chuang-tzu 'and Lieh-tzu quoted from it in the fourth century Be, or Han Fei 
explained pas­ sages in the third century Be and Huai-nan-tzu in the second century Be, they simply said "Lao-tzu says this" or "Lao Tan says that." And so 
people started calling the source of all these quotes Laotzu.
     SS1,l-ma Ch'ien also mentioned no name. He only said that Lao-tzu wrote a book, and it was divided into two parts. About the same time, people 
started



calling these two parts The Way and Virtue, after the first lines of verses and38. And to these, were added the honorific ching, meaning 
"ancient text." And so Lao-tzu's book was called the Taoteching, the Book of Tao and Te.
     In addition to its two parts, it was also divided into separate verses. But, as with other ancient texts, punctuation and enumeration of 
passages were left up to the reader. About the same time that Ssu-ma Ch'ien wrote his biography of Lao-tzu and people started calling the 
book the Taoteching, Yen Tsun pro­ duced a commentary in the first century BC that divided the text into seventy­ two verses. A century 
earlier, or a couple of centuries later, no one knows which, Ho-shang Kung divided the same basic text into eighty-one verses. And a thousand 
years later, Wu Ch'eng tried a sixty-eight-verse division. But the sys­ tem that has persisted through the centuries is that of Ho-shang Kung, 
who also gave each verse its own title.
     The text itself has seen dozens of editions containing anywhere from five to six thousand characters.  The numerical discrepancy is 
not as significant as it might appear and is largely the result of adding certain grammatical particles for clarity or omitting them for brevity 
The greatest difference among editions centers not on the number of characters but on the rendering of certain phrases and the 
presence or absence of certain lines.
     Over the centuries, several emperors have taken it upon themselves to re­ solve disputes concerning the choice among these  
variants. And the creation of a standard edition has resulted from their efforts. The standard edition, how­ ever, is still open to revision, and 
every student of the Taoteching repeats the process of choosing among variants to understand the text.
     In this regard, Taoteching studies were blessed in late 1973 with the discovery of two copies of the text in a tomb that was sealed in 168 
BC in a suburb of the provincial capital of Changsha known as Mawangtui. Despite the lapse of over 2,100 years, the copies, written on silk, 
were in remarkably good condition.
     Kao Chih-hsi, who supervised their removal and who directed the Ma­ wangtui Museum until just recently. attributes their 
preservation to layers of clay and charcoal that covered the tomb. At least this is his official explanation. In private, he says their preservation 
could have also been due to the presence of an unknown gas created by the decomposition of certain substances inside the tomb. He tried 
to take a sample of the gas, but the discovery was made in the middle of the Cultural Revolution, and he spent two days peddling his bi­ 
cycle around Changsha before he found anyone who would loan him the nec­ essary equipment. By then the gas was gone.
The	books,	though,	made up for his disappointment. Along	with  the
Taotcch ing there were several hitherto unknown commentaries on the Yiching



























































































Milwangtui Text A. Written on silk shortly before 206	the text here shows verse
J following verse 79, an arrangement unique to the Mawangtui texts.
Photo by Steven R. Johnson.


as well as a number of lost texts attributed to the Yellow Emperor. The Chinese Academy of Sciences immediately convened a committee of 
scholars to exam­ ine these texts and decipher illegible sections.
In the years since their discovery. the two Mawangtui copies of the Taote­
ching have contributed greatly to the elucidation of a number of difficult and previously misunderstood passages. W ithout them, I would have 
been forced to choose among unsatisfactory variants on too many occasions. Still, the Mawangtui texts contain numerous omissions and 
errors and need to be used with great care.
Fortunately. we also have another text that dates from the same period. Like
the Mawangtui texts, it was discovered in a tomb that was sealed shortly after 200 Be. This tomb was located near the Grand Canal town of 
Hsuchou and was opened in 574 AD. Not long afterward, the court astrologer Fu Yi published an edition of the copy of the Taoteching that was 
found inside.
     In addition to the Mawangtui and Fuyi texts, we also have more than sixty copies of the text that were found shortly after 1900 in the Silk 
Road oasis of Tunhuang. Most of these copies date from the eighth and ninth centuries. However, one of them was written by a man named Suo 
Tan in 270 AD, giving us yet another early hand-written edition to consider.
We also have a copy of the Taoteching written by the great fourth-century
calligrapher Wang Hsi-chih, as well as a dozen or so stelae on which various emperors had the entire text carved. Finally. we have the text as it 
appears in such early commentaries as those of Yen Tsun, Ho-shang Kung, and Wang Pi (not to mention numerous passages quoted in the 
ancient works of Mo-tzu, Wen-tzu, Chuang-tzu, Lieh-tzu, Han Fei, Huai-nan-tzu, and others).
     In undertaking this translation, I have consulted nearly all of these editions and have produced a new recension incorporating my choices 
among the read­ ings. For the benefit of those able to read Chinese, I have included the resulting text with my translation. I have also added a 
number of commentaries.
Over the centuries, some of China's greatest writers have devoted them­
selves to explaining the Taoteching, and no Chinese would think of reading the text without the help of at least one of these line-by-line or verse-by-
verse explanations. W hen I first decided to translate the Taoteching, it occurred to me that Western readers are at a serious disadvantage without 
the help of such materials. To remedy this situation, I have collected several dozen of the better­ known commentaries along with a few that are 
more obscure, and I have selected from among them those passages that provide important background information or insights.


      Among the commentaries consulted, the majority of my selections come from a group of eleven men and one woman. In order of 
frequency. they in­ clude: Su Ch'e, Ho-shang Kung, Wu Ch'eng, Wang Pi, Te-ch'ing, Sung Ch'ang­ hsing, Li Hsi-chai, Lu Hui-ch'ing, Wang P'ang, 
Ch'eng Hsuan-ying, the Taoist nun Ts'ao Tao-ch'ung, and Wang An-shih. For biographical information on these and other commentators, 
readers are directed to the glossary at the back of this book (page 165).
Readers will also notice that I have restricted the comments to what could
fit on facing pages. The reason for this is that I envisioned this book as a discus­ sion between Lao-tzu and a group of  people who have 
thought deeply about
.his text. And I wanted to have everyone in the same room rather than in ad-
J• om•	m•	g sUI• tes.
     I have also added a few remarks of my own, though I have usually limited these to textual issues. In this regard, I have tried to restrict 
myself to those lines where my choice among variants may have resulted in a significant departure from  other  translations  that  readers  
might  have  in  their  possession.  The
Taoteching is, after all, one of the most translated books in the world, exceeded
•
only by the Bible and the Bhagavad-Gita.
     Since the text first appeared in Latin in 1788, more than a hundred transla­ tions have been published in the English language alone, 
and readers could not be blamed for wondering if there isn't something inherent in the text that infects those who read it with the desire 
to produce even more translations.
     My own attempt to add to this number dates back nearly  twenty-five  years to when  I attended a course in Taiwan given by John C.H. 
Wu. Professor Wu had himself produced an excellent English translation of the Taoteching, and he offered a course on the subject to graduate 
students in the philosophy depart­ ment at the College of   Chinese Culture,  which I  was  attending  between stays at Buddhist temples.
      Once a week, about six of us filed past the guards at the stately Chung­ ahanlou on Yangmingshan, where the government had 
provided Professor Wu a bungalow in recognition of his long service to the country. In addition
to translating the Taoteching, Professor Wu also translated the New Testament Ind.drafted his country's constitution, as well as served as  
China's  ambassador to	Vatican and its chief	representative to the Hague. Once 
a week, we tea,  ate his wife's cookies, and discussed a  verse or two of  Lao-tzu's text. classes, I tried translating the odd line in the 
margins of	Professor
Wu's bilingual edition, but I did not get far. After one semester, the course
ended, and I moved to a Buddhist monastery in the hills south of  Taipei, where


I put aside Lao-tzu's text in favor of Buddhist sutras and poetry. But ever since then, I have been waiting for an opportunity to dust off this 
thinnest of ancient books and resume my earlier attempt at translation.
     T he opportunity finally presented itself  when I recently returned to Amer­ ica after more than twenty years in Taiwan and Hong Kong. In 
the early seven­ ties, when I was attending graduate school at Columbia University; I recall Pro­ fessor Bielenstein quoting W.A.C.H. Dobson, 
who said it was time for a Sinologist to retire when he announced he was working on a new translation of the Taoteching. And so I have 
joined the ranks of the retired.
     I don't know if Dobson would have approved. His remarks, I suspect, were intended more as friendly criticism of the presumption that 
translating the Taoteching entails. Though relatively brief, the Taoteching is a difficult text. But it is also a transparent one.
     For the past two years, one image that has repeatedly come to mind while working on this translation is skating on a newly frozen 
lake near my home in Idaho when I was a boy. Sometimes the ice was so clear, I felt like I was skating across the night sky; and the only sounds I 
could hear were the cracks that ech­ oed through the dark, transparent depths. I thought if the ice ever gave way I would find myself on the 
other side of the universe, and I always carried ice picks just in case I had to pull myself out. The ice never broke. But I've been hearing those 
cracks again.


Red Pine
Port Townsend, Washington
'
First Quarter, Last Moon, Year of the Pig


Lao-tzus










Statue o!Lao-tzu at Cinnabar Cauldron, Loukuantai. Photo by
Bill Porter.


1	-tA:Jt.!&*?Ofit	The way that becomes a way


•	•	z.it


is not the Immortal Way


Ii	,t§: ?
	•


the name that becomes a 
name


-m	:f	•	??	is not the Immortal Name



 
1!.:•
1!.:


W:.l:J. -t:f
:Jt.ft#J.


,t§:
	t
he maiden of 
Heaven and 
Earth has no 
name
•	t
h
e
 
m
o
t
h
e
r 
o
f 
a
l
l 
t
h
i
n
g
s 
h
a
s 
a
 
n
a
m
e



X.	1!.:Jlt.•	-liF-t	in passion we see the end


•	Fa	!t	??


two different names


!&?	?Ii	,?t§:


-t,t§:	for one and the 
same




,	W:.


the one we call 
dark


z.r?	il•	l:J. ?


the dark beyond dark


•	WtJI.-t	the door to all beginnings

The word tao means "road" or "way" and, by extension, "way of doing some­ thing." TU ER-WEI says, "Tao originally meant 'moon.' The 
Yiching: 42, 52 stresses the bright moon, while Lao-tzu stresses the dark moon" (pg. ii-iii).
CONFUCIUS says, "The Tao is what we can never leave. If we can leave it, it isn't the Tao" (Chungyung: x).
HO-SHANG KUNG says, "W hat we call a way is a moral or political code, while the Immortal Way takes care of the spirit without effort and 
brings peace to the world without struggle. It conceals its light and hides its tracks and can't be called a way. As for the Immortal Name, it's 
like a pearl inside an oyster, a piece of jade inside a rock: shiny on the inside and dull on the outside."
CH'ENG CHU says, '?sage doesn't reveal the Way. not because he keeps it secret, but because  it can't be revealed.  Hence his  words  are  like  
footsteps  that  leave no tracks."
THE BUDDHA says, "He who says I teach the Dharma maligns me. W ho teaches the Dharma teaches nothing" (Diamond Surra: 21).



2


LI HSI-CHAI says. "Things change but not the Tao. The Tao is immortal. It arrives without moving and comes without being called."
SU C H'E says. "The ways of kindness and justice change but not the way of the Tao. No name is its body. Name is its function. The sage embodies the Tao and uses it in the world. But while entering 
the myriad states of being. he remains In non-being."
WANG PI says. "From the infinitesimal all things develop. From nothing all things are born. When we are free of desire. we can see the infinitesimal where things begin. When we are subject 
to desire. we can see where things end. 'Two' refers to 'maiden' and ·mother...·
TS' AO TAO-CH'UNG says, '''Two' refers to 'innocence' and 'passion: or in other words. stillness and movement. Stillness corresponds to nonexistence. Move­ ment corresponds to existence. 
Provisionally different. they are ultimately the same. Both meet in darkness."
THE SHUOWEN says. "Hsuan:dark means 'black with a bit of red in it.'"like the darker half of the yin-yang symbol. In Shensi province. where this text was writ­ ten. doors are still painted black with a 
thin line of red trim. And every road begins with a door.
TE-CH' ING says. "Lao-tzu's philosophy is all here. The remaining five-thou-
•
sand words only expand on this first verse."
The punctuation introduced by Ssu-ma Kuang and Wang An-shih in lines five through eight makes their subject yu:being and wu:non-being. But this is not supported by the grammatical particles of 
the Mawangtui texts. Also. in line five, shih:maiden normally means ·beginning." but the Shuowen says. "Shih means 'a virgin...·      MA  H SU-LUN  says shih is a loan word for the nearly 
identical t·ai. While t'ai normally means "fetus." the Shuowen says it means "a woman in her third month of pregnancy." Note. too. that a woman did not receive her public name until after 
marriage. In line seven. most editions have miao:mysteri­ ous. But PI YUAN says. "In ancient times there was no miao:mysterious. only miao:smallibeginning, " which is what we find in the Mawangtui 
texts.







3


2	All the world knows beauty but if that becomes beautiful
this becomes ugly
all the world knows good but if that becomes good 
this becomes bad
the coexistence of have and have not the coproduction of hard and easy 
the correlation of long and short
the codependence of high and low the correspondence of note and noise 
the coordination of first and last
is endless
thus the sage performs effortless deeds and teaches wordless lessons
he doesn't start all the things he begins he doesn't presume on what he 
does he doesn't claim what he achieves
and because he makes no claim he suffers no loss



LU HS(-SHENG says, "What we call beautiful or ugly depends on our feelings. Nothing is necessarily beautiful or ugly until feelings make it so. But while feel­ ings differ, they 
all come from our nature, and we all have the same nature.
Hence the sage transforms his feelings and returns to his nature and thus be-
.comes one
WU CH'ENG says, "The existence of things, the difficulty of affairs, the size of forms, the magnitude of power, the pitch and clarity of sound, the sequence of position, all involve 
contrasting pairs. When one is present, both are present. When one is absent, both are absent."

4


LU HUI-CH'ING says, "These six pairs all depend on time and occasion. None them is eternal. The sage, however, acts according to the Immortal Tao, hence he acts without effort. 
And he teaches according to the Immortal Name, hence he teaches without words. Beautiful and ugly. good and bad don't enter
his mind."
WANG WU-CHIU says, "The sage is not interested in deeds or words. He simply follows the natural pattern of things. Things rise, develop, and reach their end. This is their order."
WANG AN-SHIH says, "The sage creates but does not possess what he creates. He acts but does not presume on what he does. He succeeds but does not claim I\Iccess. These three all result 
from selflessness. Because the sage is selfless,
he does not lose his self. Because he does not lose his self, he does not lose
others."
IU CH'E says, "Losing something is the result of claiming something. How
can a person lose what he doesn't claim?"
LI HSI-CHAI says, "Lao-tzu's 5,ooo-word text clarifies what is mysterious as well II what is obvious. It can be used to attain the Tao, to order a country. or to cultivate the body."
HO-SHANG KUNG titles this verse "Cultivating the Body."
lUNG	CH'ANG-HSING	says, "Those who practice the Way put an end to
_ cI.tlnctions, get rid of name and form, and make of themselves a home for the
Way and Virtue."
           incorporated line thirteen from the Mawangtui texts and have also used their wording of the six preceding lines. In line sixteen, I have relied on the Fuyi edition as well as 
Mawangtui Text B in reading shih:start in place of tZ'u:sayl I have followed the Mawangtui texts again in omitting the line "he possess what he begets" after line sixteen as an 
interpolation from
verse 51. Lines seventeen and eighteen also appear in verse 77.









5


3	Bestowing no honors keeps people from fighting
prizing no treasures
keeps people from stealing displaying no attractions
keeps people from making trouble thus the rule of the sage
empties the mind
but fills the stomach weakens the will
but strengthens the bones
by keeping the people from knowing or wanting and those who know from daring to act
he thus governs them all



SU  C H'E  says, "Bestowing honors embarrasses those who don't receive them to the point where they fight for them. Prizing treasures pains those who don't possess them to 
the point where they steal them. Displaying attractions dis­ tresses those who don't enjoy them to the point where they cause trouble. If
people aren't shown these things, they won't know what to want and will cease
.
wantmg."
WANG CHEN says, "The sage empties the mind of reasoning and delusion, he fils the stomach with loyalty and honesty. he weakens the will with humility and compliance, and 
he strengthens the bones with what people already have within themselves."
WANG PI says, "Bones don't know how to make trouble. It's the will that creates disorder. When the mind is empty. the will is weak."
WANG p'ANG says, 'l\n empty mind means no distinctions. A full stomach means no desires. A weak will means no external plans. Strong bones mean standing on one's 
own and remaining unmoved by outside forces. By bestow-


6


lng no honors, the sage keeps people from knowing; By prizing no treasures,
he keeps people from wanting."
LU NUNG-SHIH says, "The mind knows and chooses, while the stomach doesn't know but simply contains. The will  wants and moves,  while bones 
don't want but simply stand there. The sage empties what knows and fills what doesn't know, he weakens what wants and strengthens what doesn't 
want."
YEN TSUN says, "He empties his mind and calms his breath. He concentrates
his essence and strengthens his spirit."
HUANG YUAN-CHI says, "The sage pUrifies his ears and eyes, puts an end to dis­ Ilpation and selfishness, embraces the one, and empties his mind. An 
empty mind forms the basis for transmuting cinnabar by enabling us to use our yang­ breath to transform  our yin-essence. A full  stomach represents our 
final form, In which our yang-breath gradually and completely replaces our yin-essence."
WEI YUAN says, "The reason the world is in disorder is because of action. Action
comes from desire. And desire comes from knowledge. The sage doesn't talk about things that can be known or display things that can be desired. 
This is how he brings order to the world."
LIU CHING says, "This verse describes how the sage cultivates himself in order to transform others."
In  the  Fuyi  edition  and  Tunhuang  copy  S.477,	an additional line follows "thus" of the last line:  wei-
wu-wei:act without acting. Commentators  who accept this version often explain it with a quote from Confucius: "To govern without effort. That was 
Shun. And what did he do? Al he did was face south and bow" (Lunyu: 15.4). I've used the Mawangtui texts, which omit this line.
Lao-tzu's emphasis on the stomach over the eyes also appears in verse 12.


4  5t;5t
•


It	The Tao 
is so empty
•


1fJ. :);l:	iTO


never become full again


],\G	?m	and so deep


if
•


if•	z.



as if it were the 
ancestor of us 
all


1f:);l:x
j;p	•	ll


d
u
l
l
i
n
g
 
o
u
r
 
e
d
g
e
s
 
u
n
t
y
i
n
g
 
o
u
r
 
t
a
n
g
l
e
s


:);l:${l:);l:i/iH•	softening our light


Tz.jt-'>}





merging our dust


•	•	and so clear
?:);l:?	1-.;fJ.	as if it were present


%"? ?
,


I wonder whose child it is














WANG AN-SHIH says, "The Tao possesses form and function. Its form is the original breath that doesn't move. Its function is the empty breath that alter­ nates between 
Heaven and Earth."
WU  CH'ENG  says, '''Empty' means empty like a bowl. The Tao is essentially empty; and people who use it should be empty too. To be full is contrary to the Tao. 'Deep' 
means what cannot be measured. An ancestor unites a lineage just as the Tao unites all things. i\s if' suggests reluctance to compare."
LI HSI-CHAI says, "The ancient masters of the Way had no ambition, hence they dulled their edges and did not insist on anything. They had no fear, hence they untied every tangle 
and avoided nothing. They did not care about beauty; hence they softened their light and forgot about themselves. They did not hate ugliness, hence they merged with the dust 
and did not abandon others."
WEI YUAN says, "By taking advantage of edges, we create conflicts with others. By shining bright lights, we illuminate their dust. Grinding down edges makes conflicts disappear. 
Turning down lights merges dust with dust and dust with darkness."


8


HUANG YUAN-CHI says, ''A person who can adjust his light to that of the crowd merge with the dust of the world is like a magic mushroom among ordi­
nary plants. You can't see it, but it makes everything smell better."
H51 T'UNG says, "The Tao is invisible. Hence Lao-tzu calls it 'clear.'"
THE SHUOWEN says, "Chan:clear means unseen."
LU NUNG-SHIH says, "'Clear' describes what is deep, what seems to be present and not to be present, what seems not to be present and not not to be 
present."
LIU CHING says, "If it's empty; it's deep. If it's deep, it's clear. The Tao comes from nothing. Hence the Tao is the child of nothing."
LI YUEH says, "Ti is the Lord of Creation. All of creation comes after Ti, except the Tao, which comes before. But the nature of the Tao is to yield, hence Lao­ tlU 
doesn't insist it came before. Thus he says, 'it seems.'"
JIN CHI-YU says, "In ancient times no one denied the existence of Ti, and no one
          his supremacy into doubt. Lao-tzu, however, says the Tao is 'the ances­ tor of all things: which presumably included Ti as well" (pg. 34).
For such an enigmatic verse there are surprisingly few variants. In line three, I have gone along with the Fuyi edition, Tunhuang copy P.2584, and 
Mawangtui Text B in reading yu-pu-ying:again-not-foll in place of	huo-pu-ying:maybe-not­ " Because of problems 
created by their interpretation of the first four lines,
lome commentators think lines five through eight don't belong here. They do,
In fact, reoccur in verse 56. I've read them as an explanation of the Tao's ances­
tral status, which makes kin of us all.






9


Heaven and Earth are heartless treating creatures like straw dogs 
heartless is the sage
treating people like straw dogs between Heaven and Earth how like a 
bellows
empty but inexhaustible
each movement produces more talking only wastes it
better to keep it inside




The Chinese characters pu-jen:no heart also refer to a fruit that has no seed or center.
HU SHIH says, "Lao-tzu's statement that Heaven and Earth are heartless under­ cut the ancient belief that Heaven and Man were of the same lineage and thereby created the basis for 
natural philosophy" (p. 56).
LI JUNG says, "Love begets hate. Heaven and Earth are beyond love and hate. Hence they are heartless."
su e H ' E says, "Heaven and Earth aren't partial. They don't kill living things out of cruelty or give them birth out of kindness. We do the same when we make straw dogs to use in 
sacrifices. We dress them up and put them on the altar, but not because we love them. And when the ceremony is over, we throw them into the street, but not because we hate them. This is 
how the sage treats the people."
HUAI-NAN-TZU says, "When we make straw dogs or clay dragons, we paint them yellow and blue, decorate them with brocade, and tie red ribbons around them. The shaman puts on 
his black robe and the lord puts on his ceremonial
hat to usher them in and to see them off. But once they've been used, they're
nothing but clay and straw" (II). A similar description appears in Chuangtzu: 14-4-

10


WU CH'ENG says, "Straw dogs were used in praying for rain, and these particu­ lar bellows were used in metallurgy."
WANG P'ANG says, ''A bellows is empty so that it can respond to things. Some­ thing moves, and it responds. It responds but retains nothing. Like Heaven and 
Barth in regard to the ten thousand things or the sage in regard to the people, It responds with what fits. It isn't tied to the present or attached to the 
past."
WANG AN-SHIH says, "The Tao has no substance or dimension, yet it works the breath of emptiness between Heaven and Earth and gives birth to the 
ten thousand things."
WANG TAO says, "The Tao cannot be talked about, yet we dismiss it as heart­
       It cannot be named, yet we liken it to a bellows. Those who understand let the meaning and forget the words. Those who don't understand fail 
to see the truth and chatter away in vain."
HS IN TU-TZU says, "When the main path has many by-ways, sheep lose their way. When learning leads in many directions, students waste their 
lives"

HO-SHANG KUNG says, "Whenever the mouth opens and the tongue moves, disaster is close behind. Better to guard your inner virtue, nurture your vital 
elSence, protect your spirit, treasure your breath, and avoid talking too much."
lUNG CH' ANG-HSING says, "If our mouth doesn't talk too much, our spirit Itays in our heart. If our ears don't hear too much, our essence stays in our
lIenitals. In the course of time, essence becomes breath, breath becomes spirit,
and spirit returns to emptiness.
     Western cultures, the Christmas tree occupies a place similar to that of Lao­ I:EU's "straw dogs . . ." The only textual variation here involves the appearance 
in Mawangtui texts of	instead of the standard	in line nine. But
Ilnce	was sometimes used for	the meaning isn't significantly different, hence I've keptyen:talk.



11 


The valley spirit that doesn't die we call the dark womb
the dark womb's mouth
we call the source of creation as real as gossamer silk
and yet we can't exhaust it




THE SHANHAICHING says, "The Valley Spirit of Morning Light is a black and yellow, eight-footed, eight-tailed, eight-headed animal with a human face" (9). The	"valley spirit" is the 
moon, which runs ahead of the sun during the last eight days of its thirty-day cycle, lags behind during the first eight days, and faces the sun during its eight days of glory. For the remaining 
days of the month, it's too close to the sun to be visible. Like many other cul­ tures, the ancient Chinese viewed the moon as the embodiment of the female element of creation.
WANG PI says, "The valley is what is in the middle, what contains nothing, no form, no shadow, no obstruction. It occupies the lowest point, remains mo­ tionless, and does not decay. All 
things depend on it for their development. but no one sees its shape."
YE N FU says. "Because it is empty. we call it a valley. Because there is no limit to its responsiveness, we call it a spirit. Because it is inexhaustible. we say it never dies. These three are the virtues of the 
Tao."
SU CH'E says, ''A valley is empty but has form. A valley spirit is empty and has no form. What is empty and has no form is not alive. So how can it die? 'Valley spirit' refers to its virtue. 'Dark 
womb' refers to its capacity This womb gives birth to the ten thousand things. and we call it dark because we see it give birth but not how it gives birth."
HSUEH HUI says, "The words Lao-tzu chooses are often determined by the de­ mands of rhyme and should not be restricted to their primary meaning. Thus, p'in:ftmale animal can also be read 
p'in:womb."
HO-SHANG KUNG says, "The valley is what nourishes. Someone who is able to nourish his spirit does not die. 'Spirit' means the spirits of the five organs: the gall bladder, the lungs. the heart, 
the kidneys, and the spleen. When these five

12


organs are injured, the five spirits leave. 'Dark' refers to Heaven. In Man this means the nose, which links us with Heaven. 'Womb' refers to Earth. In Man this 
means the mouth, which links us with Earth. The breath that passes through our nose and mouth should be finer than gossamer silk and barely noticeable, as 
if it weren't actually present. It should be relaxed and never strained or exhausted."
WU CH' ENG says, "The empty valley is where spirits dwell, where breath isn't exhausted. Who relaxes their breath increases their vitality Who strains their breath 
soon expires."
TE-CH' ING says, "Purposeful action leads to exhaustion. The Tao is empty and acts without purpose. Hence it can't be exhausted."
SUNG CH'ANG-HSING says, "The valley spirit, the dark womb, the source of cre­ ation, all act without acting. Just because we don't see them doesn't mean they 
don't exist."
LIU CHING says, "It's like the silk of a silkworm or the web of a spider: hard to distinguish, hard to grab. But then, it isn't Man that uses it. Only the spirit can
.	"
use It.
TU TAO-CHIEN says, "This verse also appears in Liehtzu: 1.1, where it is attrib­ uted to the Yellow Emperor instead of Lao-tzu. Lao-tzu frequently incorpo­ rates 
passages from ancient texts. We see their traces in 'thus the sage pro­ claims' or 'hence the ancients say.' Thus Confucius said, 'I don't create. I only relate'" 
(Lunyu: 7.1).
LIEH-TZU says, "What creates life is not itself alive" (I.I).






13






#*,L.	jfffij	¥A	?:J.•	"*:It!



the reason they're eternal and immortal


•	:{f-	l!#	/f#	A	is because they don't live for themselves


/f?:J.


•

jf	ro	7';.






hence they can live 
forever


#	•	?	:It!	thus the sage pulls himself back



??	.


??	lJ.


he lets himself go


•	7?	? "*


but ends up safe


tt	•	selflessness must be the reason
-k A	whatever he seeks he finds

CHU CH' IEN-CHIH says, "The line 'Heaven is eternal and Earth is immortal' was apparently an old saying, which Lao-tzu quotes in order to explain its 
significance."
CHIANG SSU-CH'I says, '''Heaven' refers to the point between the eyebrows. 'Earth' refers to the point just below the nave!."
LU HUI-CH' ING says, "Heaven stands for the movement of time. Earth repre­ sents the transformation of form. Heaven and Earth have their origin in 
the dark womb. And the essence of the dark womb is the valley spirit that doesn't die. Because it doesn't die, it isn't born. Only what isn't born can give birth 
to the living. And because it doesn't give birth to itself, it can live forever."
TS'AO TAO-CH' UNG says, "What is not alive is the basis for life. By equating life and death, we are no longer burdened by life and death. By abandoning bodily 
form, we are no longer hindered by bodily form."
WU CH' ENG says, "To pull back means tobe humble and not to try to be in front of others. To let go means to be content and not to try to add to our life. To find 
what one seeks means to be in front and safe."
SUNG CH' ANG-HSING says, "Heaven and Earth help creatures fulfill their needs by not having any needs of their own. Can the sage do othetwise? By 
following the Way of Heaven and Earth, the sage is revered by al and harmed by none. Hence he, too, lives long."




\
14


)EN FA-)UNG says, "The sage does not purposely seek long life but achieves it through selflessness."
CH' ENG CHU says, "Heaven, Earth, and Man share the same origin. Why doesn't Man share their immortality? Because Heaven and Earth are not aware 
they are Heaven and Earth. Only Man is aware of himself. And being aware of himself, there is nothing he won't do to stay alive. But the more he cares for his life, 
the more pained his life becomes. The more he nourishes his body. the sicker his body becomes. People who have not thought this out say the follow­ ers 
of Lao-tzu are afraid of death and only interested in immortality. But this is getting it backwards."
Ha-SHANG KUNG says, "The reason Heaven and Earth alone are eternal and Immortal is because they are content and give without expecting a 
reward, unlike Man who never stops chasing profit and fighting over possessions."
WANG PI says, "Those who live for themselves fight with others. Those who don't live for themselves are the refuge of others."
su CH' E says, "If Heaven and Earth fought with others over life, they would be the same as others. And if the sage fought with other men over profit, he would be 
just another man. Would that not be a great shame?"
WANG P'ANG says, 'l\lthough the sage is a sage, he looks the same as others. But because he embodies the Way of Heaven and doesn't fight, he alone 
differs from everyone else. The sage is selfless because he no longer has a self."
LU TUNG-PIN says, "The only thing the sage seeks is Virrue."
















15


8	The best are like water bringing help to all
without competing choosing what others avoid hence 
approaching the Tao dwelling with earth thinking with 
depth helping with kindness speaking with truth 
governing with peace working with skill
moving with time
and because they don't compete they aren't maligned



WU CH' ENG says, '?mong those who follow the Tao, the best are like water: content to be on the bottom and, thus, free of blame. Most people hate 
being on the bottom and compete to be on the top. And when people compete, someone is maligned."
LI HU NG-FU says, "How do we know the best don't compete? Everyone else chooses nobility. They alone choose humility. Everyone else chooses the 
pure. They alone choose the base. What they choose is what everyone else hates. Who is going to compete with them?"
KUAN-TZU says, 'Water is the source of creation, the ancestor of all living things. It's the bloodstream of the Earth" (39).
H UA N G Y UA N - CHI says, "Mencius says, 'People cannot live without water and fire' (7A.23). In terms of cultivation, when fire warms water, pure yang 
arises. When water cools fire, 'sweet dew' appears."
WA N G p'AN G says, "Water is the chief of thefive elements (for which, see verse 12). It comes from space, which is not that far from the Tao."


16


WANG PI says, "The Tao does not exist, but water does. Hence it only ap­ proaches the Tao."
HO-SHANG KUNG says, "The best people have a nature like that of water. They're like mist or dew in the sky. like a stream or a spring 
on land. Most people hate moist or muddy places, places where water alone dwells. The na­ ture of water is like the Tao: empty. clear, and 
deep. As water empties, it gives life to others. It reflects without becoming impure, and there is nothing it can­ not wash clean. Water can take 
any shape, and it is never out of touch with the seasons. How could anyone malign something with such qualities as this."
5 U N G CH' A N G - H SI N G says, "Those who free themselves from care stay low and avoid heights. Those whose minds are empty can plumb the 
depths. Those who help others without expecting any reward are truly kind. Those whose mouths agree with their minds speak the truth. 
Those who make demands of themselves as well as others establish peace. Those who can change as condi­ tions change work with skill. 
Those who act when it is time to act and rest when it is time to rest move with time."
LI ) U N G says, "Water has no purpose of its own. Those who can remain empty and not compete with others follow the natural Way. "
YEN TSUN says, "If a ruler embodies this and uses this in his government, his
virtue is most wonderful. How could he be maligned?"
HAN FEI says, "If a drowning man drinks it, he dies. If a thirsty man drinks it, lives."
Given Lao-tzu's usual disdain for social virtues, some commentators have trouble accepting the standard reading ofjen:kindness in line eight. 
For those in search of an alternative, the Fuyi and Chinglung editions havejen:others, while Mawangtui Text B has t'ien:heaven, and Mawangtui 
Text A compresses lines seven and eight: "helping with truth."











17 





SSU-MA CH' IEN says, "When Confucius asked about the ceremonies of the an­ cients, Lao-tzu said, 'I have heard that the clever merchant hides his wealth so his store 
looks empry and that the superior man acts dumb to avoid calling at­ tention to himself. I advise you to get rid of your excessive pride and ambition. They won't do you any 
good. This is all I have to say to you'" (63).
HO-SHANG KUNG says, "Excessive wealth and desire wearies and harms the spirit. The rich should help the poor, and the powerful should aid the op­ pressed. If, 
instead, they flaunt their riches and power, they are sure to suffer disaster. Once the sun reaches the zenith, it descends. Once the moon becomes full, it wanes. 
Crearures flourish then wither. Joy rurns to sorrow. When your work is done, if you do not step down, you will meet with harm. This is the Way of Heaven."
HUANG YUAN-CHI says, "You need a raft to cross a river. But once across, you can forget the raft. You need to srudy rules to learn how to do something. But once you 
know how, you can forget the rules."
WANG AN- SHIH says, "The Way of Heaven is to bring down the high and to lift up the low."
The Fuyi edition adds ming-sui: when your name is made to the beginning of line nine. The Chinglung and Chingfu editions as well as Wentzu, Motzu, and Huainantzu also 
include this phrase but place it after kung-ch'eng: when your work succeeds. Either way. its addition breaks the rhythm of the verse, which otherwise has four syllables to a 
line. I have treated it as an interpolation and have followed the Mawangtui texts, which condense both phrases: kung-sui: when your work is done.
















19


10	Can you hold fast your crescent soul and not let it wander can you make your breath as soft as a baby's
can you wipe your Dark Mirror free of dust can you serve and govern without effort 
can you be the female at Heaven's Gate
can you light up the world without knowledge
beget things and keep them but beget without 
possessing keep without  controlling this is Dark 
Virtue



The Chinese say that the hun, or bright, ethereal, yang soul, governs the upper body and the p'0, or dark, earthly; yin soul, concerns itself with the lower body.
Here, Lao-tzu mentions only the darker soul. But the word p'o also refers to
the dark of the moon, and the opening phrase can also be read as referring to the first day of the new moon. Either way; dark of the soul or dark of the moon, Taoist 
commentators say the first line refers to the protection of our vital es­ sence: semen and vaginal fluid, sweat and saliva, the depletion of which injures the health and leads 
to early death.
HSUAN-TS UNG says, "The first transformation of life is calledp 'o. When thep '0
becomes active and bright, it is called hun. "
WANG p'ANG says, "Life requires three things: vital essence, breath, and spirit."
CHIAO HUNG says, "The mind knows right and wrong. Breath makes no dis­ tinction. If we concentrate our breath and don't let the mind interfere with it, it remains 
soft and pure. Who else but a child can do this?"
CHUANG-TZU says, "The sage's mind is so still, it can mirror Heaven and Earth and reflect the ten thousand things" (13.1).
WU CH ENG says, "Our spirit dwells in our eyes. When the eyes see something, the spirit chases it. When we close our eyes and look within, everything is dark. But within the 
dark, we still see something. There is still dust. Only by putting an end to delusions can we get rid of the dust."


20


WAN G AN - S H I H says, "The best way to serve is by not serving. The best way to govern is by not governing. Hence Lao-tzu says 'without effort.' Those who act without 
effort make use of the efforts of others. As for Heaven's Gate, this is the gate through which all creatures enter and leave. To be open means to be active. To be closed 
means to be still. Activity and stillness represent the male and the female. Just as stillness overcomes movement, the female overcomes the male."
SU CH' E says, "What lights up the world is the mind. There is nothing the mind does not knOw. And yet no none can know the mind. The mind is one. If some­ one knew it, 
there would be two. Going from one to two is the origin of all delusion."
LAO-TZU says, "The Tao begets them / Virtue keeps them" (sI).
WANG PI says, "If we don't obstruct their source, things come into existence on their own. If we don't suppress their nature, things mature by themselves. Vir­ tue is 
present, but its owner is unknown. It comes from the mysterious depths. Hence we call it dark."
The first line has had numerous interpretations, to which I have added one more. CHENG LIANG-SHU and most other modern commentators now agree that 
tsai should be placed at the beginning of this verse instead of at the end of the previous verse. Although tsai can mean "carry." it can also mean "new," as in the phrase: 
tsai-sheng-p'o:new-born moon, or as Lao-tzu uses it here: tsai-ying­ p'o:new-lit moon/soul. After line eight, most editions add "act without presum­ ing," which also appears in 
a similar sequence in verses 2 and 51. I have followed the Mawangtui texts in omitting it here as irrelevant.














21 


1 1	Thirty spokes converge on a hub but it's the emptiness
that makes a wheel work pots are fashioned from clay 
but it's the hollow
that makes a pot work
windows and doors are carved for a house but it's the spaces
that make a house work
existence makes something useful but nonexistence makes it work



HSUAN-TSUNG says, "Thirty spokes converging on a hub demonstrates that less is the ancestor of more."
HO-SHANG KUNG says, 'i\ncient carts had thirty spokes in imitation of the lunar number."
LI-)UNG says, "It's because the hub is empty that spokes converge on it. Like· wise, it's because the sage's mind is empty that 
the people turn to him for help."
CH'ENG H SUAN-YING says, '1\ cart, a pot, and a house can hold things because they are empty. How much more the disciple who 
empties his mind."
wu CH'ENG says, 'l\ll of these things are useful. But without an empty place for an axle, a cart can't move. Without a hollow place 
in the middle, a pot can't hold things. Without spaces for doors and windows, a room can't admit people or light. But these three 
examples are only metaphors. What keeps our body alive is the existence of breath in our stomach. And it is our empty; nonexistent 
mind that produces breath."
SUNG CH'ANG-HSING says, "In this verse the Great Sage teaches us to under­ stand the source by using what we find at hand. 
Doors refer to a person's mouth and nose. Windows refer to their ears and eyes."
CHANG TAO-LING says, "When ordinary people see these things, they only

22


think about how they might employ them for their own advantage. When the sage sees them, he sees in them the Tao and is careful in their 
use."
TE-CH' ING says. "Heaven and Earth have form, and everyone knows that Heaven and Earth are useful. But they don't know that their 
usefulness depends on the emptiness of the Great Way. Likewise, we al have form and think ourselves us.eful but remain unaware that our 
usefulness depends on our empty; shapeless mind. Thus existence may have its uses, but real usefulness depends on nonexistence. 
Nonexistence, though, doesn't work by itself. It needs the help of existence."
HUANG YUAN-CHI says, 'What is beyond form is the Tao, while what has form are tools. Without tools we have no means to apprehend the 
Tao. And without the Tao there is no place for tools."
HSUEH HUI says, 'i\t the end of this verse, Lao-tzu mentions both existence and nonexistence, but his intent is to use existence to show that 
nonexistence is more valuable. Everyone knows existence is useful, but no one pays attention to the usefulness of nonexistence."
In line seven, the Mawangtui texts omit yi-wei-shihfor a house, but this phrase is needed to complete the line and is present in all other editions. Many 
people in Shensi and Honan provinces still carve their homes into the loess cliffs that dis­ tinguish this region where Chinese civilization first 
developed and where this text was written. The compactness of the soil makes support beams unneces­ sary. and its densiry keeps dwellings 
cool in the summer and warm in the win­ ter. The only building materials needed are doors and windows.
















23


1 2	The five colors make our eyes blind the five tones make our ears deaf
the five flavors make our mouths numb riding and hunting make our minds wild 
hard-to-get goods make us break laws thus the rule of the sage
puts the stomach ahead of the eyes thus he picks this over that



The early Chinese ascribed five states of existence to the material world: water, fire, wood, metal, and earth	with its own color: blue, red, black, 
white, and yellow; its own taste: salty; bitter, sour, pungent, and sweet; and its own tone: la, sol, mi, re, do.
YEN TSUN says, "Color is like an awl in the eye. Sound is like a stick in the ear. Flavor is like an axe through the tongue."
TE-CH' ING says, "When the eyes are given free rein in the realm of form, they no longer see what is real. When the ears are given free rein the realm 
of sound, they no longer hear what is real. When the tongue is given free rein in the realm of taste, it no longer discerns what is real. When 
the mind is given free rein in the realm of thought, it no longer knows what is real. When our actions are given free rein in the realm of possession and 
profit, we no longer do what is right. Like Chuang-tzu's tapir (1.4), the sage drinks from the river, but only enough to fill his stomach.
WU CH' ENG says, "Desiring external things harms our bodies. The sage nour­ ishes his breath by filing his stomach, not by chasing material objects 
to please his eye. Hence he chooses internal reality over external illusion. But the eyes can't help seeing, the ears can't help hearing, the mouth 
can't help tasting, the mind can't help feeling, and the body can't help moving. They can't stay still. But if we let them move without leaving stillness 
behind, nothing can harm us. Those who are buried by the dust of the senses or who crave sensory stimula­ tion lose their way. And the main villain in 
this is the eyes. Thus the first of Confucius' four warnings concerns vision (Lunyu: 12.1: not to look except with propriety), and the first of the Buddha's 
six sources of delusion is also the eyes."


24


LI YUEH says, "The eyes are never satisfied, the stomach knows when it is full."
SUNG C H ' ANG-HSING says, "The main purpose of cultivation is to oppose the world of the senses. What the world loves, the Taoist hates. What 
the world wants, the Taoist rejects. Even though color, sound, material goods, wealth, or beauty might benefit a person's body, in the end they harm a 
person's mind. And once the mind wants, the body suffers. If we can ignore external tempta­ tions and be satisfied with the way we are, if we can 
cultivate our mind and not chase material things, this is the way of long life. Al the treasures of the world are no match for this."
HSUAN-TSUNG says, '''Hard-to-get goods' refer to things which we don't pos­ sess by nature but which require an effort to obtain. When we are not 
content with our lot and allow ourselves to be ruled by conceit, we turn our backs on Heaven and lose the Way."
CH' ENG HSUAN-YlNG says, '''That' refers to the blindness and delusion of the eyes. 'This' refers to the fullness and wisdom of the stomach."
The Mawangtui texts present lines two through five in a different sequence: 4, 5, 3, 2. However, no other edition follows suit, hence I have retained the 
tra­ ditional order. Until the early twentieth century. vast tracts of land in northern China were set aside for the exclusive use of the nobility and the 
military in conducting group hunts to practice their riding and archery.






,




























25


1 3	Favor and disgrace are like warnings honor and disaster are like the 
body
and why are favor and disgrace like warnings favor means descending
to gain it is like a warning to lose it is like a 
warning
thus are favor and disgrace like warnings
and why are honor and disaster like the body the reason we have disaster
is because we have a body if we didn't have a 
body we wouldn't have disaster
who honors his body as much as the world can be entrusted with the world
who loves his body as much as the world
can be encharged with the world




WANG CHEN says, "People who are favored are honored. And because they are honored, they act proud. And because they act proud, 
they are hated. And be­ cause they are hated, they are disgraced. Hence the sage considers success as well as failure to be a warning:'

su CH E says, "The ancient sages worried about favor as much as disgrace, be­
cause they knew that favor is followed by disgrace. Other people think favor means to go up, and disgrace means to go down. But favor 
cannot be separated from disgrace. Disgrace comes from favor."
HO-SHANG KUNG says, "Those who gain favor or honor should worry about being too high, as if they were at the edge of a precipice. 
They should notflaunt their status or wealth. And those who lose favor and live in disgrace should worry about another disaster."



26


LU NUNG-SHIH says, "Why does favor become disgrace and honor become di­ saster? Favor and honor are external things. They don't belong 
to us. When we try to possess them, they turn into disgrace and disaster."
SSU-MA KUANG says, "Normally a body means disaster. But if we honor and cherish it and follow the natural order in our dealings with 
others and don't indulge our desires, we can avoid disaster."
HUANG YUAN-CHI says, 'We all possess something good and noble that we don't have to seek outside ourselves, something that the 
glory of power or position cannot compare with. People need only start with this and cultivate without letting up. The ancients said, 'Two or 
three years of hardship, ten thou­ sand years of bliss.'"
WANG p'ANG says, "It isn't a matter of having no body but of guarding the source of life. Someone who refuses to trade himself for 
something external is fit to receive the kingdom."
WANG PI says, "Those who are affected by favor or disgrace, honor or disaster are not fit to receive the kingdom."
TSENG-TZU says, "The superior man can be entrusted with an orphan or encharged with a state and be unmoved by a crisis" (Lunyu: 8.6).
Commentators disagree about how to read line one: is "favor" a verb and "dis­ grace" its noun object ("favor disgrace as a warning") or are they 
both nouns? The same question is posed for "honor" and "disaster" in line two. Some edi­
tions omitjuo-ching:like warnings in line three and have two quite different lines
for line four: "favor means up I disgrace means down." My choice is based on the Fuyi and Mawangtui texts, as well as Wang Pi. The last four 
lines are also found in  Chuangtzu:	where they are used to praise the ruler whose self­ cultivation doesn't leave him time to meddle 
in the lives of his subjects. They also appear in Huainantzu: where they are used to praise the ruler who val­ ues the lives of his people more than 
the territory in which they live.










27


14	We look but don't see it and call it indistinct
we listen but don't hear it and call it faint
we reach but don't grasp it
and call it ethereal
three failed means to knowledge I weave into one
with no light above with no shade below too 
fine to be named returning to nothing this is 
the formless form the immaterial image
this is the waxing waning
we meet without seeing its face we follow without seeing its back 
holding onto this very Way
we rule this very realm
and discover its ancient past this is the thread of the 
Way



HO-SHANG KUNG entitles this verse "In Praise of the Dark" and says, 'i\bout what has no color, sound, or form, mouths can't speak and 
books can't teach. We can only discover it in stillness and search for it with our spirit. We can't find it through investigation."
LU TUNG-PIN says, "We can only see it inside us, hear it inside us, and grasp it inside us. When our essence becomes one, we can see it. 
When our breath be­ comes one, we can hear it. When our spirit becomes one, we can grasp it."


28


'ENG HSUAN-YING says, "What we don't see is vital essence. What we don't
hear is spirit. What we don't grasp is breath."
su CH' E says, "People see things constantly changing and conclude something is there. They don't realize everything returns to nothing."
      ' EN KU-YING says, "Nothing doesn't mean nothing at all bur simply no form or substance."
WANG PI says, "If we try to claim it doesn't exist, how do the myriad things come to be? And if we try to claim it exists, why don't we see 
its form? Hence we call it the formless form. But although it has neither shape nor form, nei­ ther sound nor echo, there is nothing it cannot 
penetrate and nowhere it can­ not go."
LI YUEH says, "Everything is bright on top and dark on the bottom. But the Tao does not have a top or bottom. Hence it is neither bright nor 
dark. Likewise, we do not see its face because it never appears, and we do not see its back be­ cause it never leaves."
TS'	' UNG says, '''This very realm' refers to our body."
                    ' ING says, "The past isn't different from today. because we know what began in the past. And today isn't different from 
the past, because we know where today came from. What neither begins nor comes from anywhere else we call the thread that has no end. 
This is the thread of the Tao."
CHANG TAO-LING says, "The sages who achieved long life and immortaliry in the past all succeeded by means of this Tao. Who can follow 
their example today has found the thread of the Tao."
In line eight, I have extended the thread morif by going along with Mawangtui Text B in reading chun:weave instead of the usual hun:merge. I have also 
chosen the Mawangtui versions of lines fifteen and eighteen, which the standard edi­ tion renders: "this is the indefinable" and 'bolding onto 
the ancient Tao." 










29


15	The ancient masters of the Way aimed at the indiscernible
and penetrated the dark
you would never know them
and because you wouldn't know them I describe them with reluctance
they were careful as if crossing a river in winter cautious as if worried about neighbors
reserved like guests ephemeral like melting ice 
simple like uncarved wood open like valleys
and murky like puddles
but a puddle becomes clear when it's still and stillness becomes alive when it's roused 
those who treasure this Way
don't try to be full not trying to be 
full
they can hide and stay hidden




TS' AO TAO-CH'UNG says, 'l\lthough the ancient masters lived in the world, no one thought they were special."
           ' E says, "Darkness is what penetrates everything but cannot itself be per­ ceived. To be careful means to act only after taking 
precautions. To be cautious means to refrain from acting because of doubt or suspicion. Melting ice re­ minds us how the 
myriad things arise from delusion and never stay still. Uncarved wood reminds us to put an end to human fabrication and 
return to our original nature. A valley reminds us how encompassing emptiness is. And a puddle reminds us that we are no different 
from anything else."
HUANG YUAN-CHI says, "Lao-tzu expresses reluctance at describing those who

30


succeed in cultivating the Tao because he knows the inner truth cannot be per­ ceived, only the ourward form. The essence of the Tao consists in nothing other 
than taking care. If people took care to let each thought be detached and each action well-considered, where else would they find the Tao? Hence those who 
mastered the Tao in the past were so careful they waited until a river froze before crossing. They were so cautious, they waited until the wind died down before 
venturing forth at night. They were orderly and respecrful, as if they were guests arriving from a distant land. They were relaxed and detached, as if material 
forms didn't matter. They were as uncomplicated as uncarved wood and as hard to fathom as murky water. They stilled themselves to concentrate their spirit and 
roused themselves to strengthen their breath. In short, they guarded the center."
WANG PI says, ':Al of these similes are meant to describe without actually denoting. By means of intuitive understanding the dark becomes bright. By means 
of tranquility. the murky becomes clear. By means of movement, the still becomes alive. This is the natural Way. "
HO-SHANG KUNG says, "Those who aren't full are able to maintain their con­ cealment and avoid new attainments."
WANG CHEN says, "Those who can keep to the Way fit in without making a show and stay forever hidden. Hence they don't leave any tracks."
In line rwo, I have used Mawangtui Text B in reading miao:aim for miao: myste­ rious. Other variants of the last line include: "they can be old but not new" and "they 
can be old and again new." My reading is based on the Fuyi edition and Mawangtui Text B as well as on the interpretation of Wang Pi and Ho-shang Kung, who 
read pi:hide instead of pi:old, thus recapitulating the opening lines.














31 


16	Let limits be empty the center be still
ten thousand things rise we watch them return 
creatures without number all return to their roots
return to their roots to be still to be still to revive
to revive to endure
knowing how to endure is wisdom not knowing is to suffer in vain
knowing how to endure is to be all-embracing all-embracing means impartial
impartial means the king the king means 
Heaven Heaven means the Way
and the Way means long life life without trouble










         '
 SUNG CH


ANG-HSING says, 
"Emptiness is the Way of 
Heaven. Stillness is the


way of Earth. There is nothing that is not endowed with these, and everything rises by means of them."
                    ' ING says, 'What is meant here by emptiness is not total emptiness but the absence of fullness. And what is meant by 
stillness is not complete still­ ness but everything unconsciously returning to its roots."
HUANG YUAN-CHI says, "Heaven has its fulcrum, people have their ancestors, plants have their roots. And where are these roots? 
Where things begin but have not yet begun, namely. the Dark Gate. If you want to cultivate the Great Way. but you don't know where 
this opening is, your efforts will be in vain."



32


SU CH 'E says, "We all rise from our nature and return to our nature, just as flowers and leaves rise from their roots and return to their 
roots, or just as waves rise from water and return to water. If you don't return to your nature, even if you still your actions and thoughts, 
you won't be still. Heaven and Earth, mountains and rivers might be great, but none of them endures. Only what returns to its nature 
becomes still and enduring, while what does not return to its nature is at the mercy of others and cannot escape."
CH ENG HSUAN-YING says, "He who embraces all things and is impartial and selfless becomes a great example to others who thus turn to 
him as their ruler."
TE-CH' ING says, "To know what truly endures is to know that Heaven and Earth share the same root, that the ten thousand things share 
one body. and that there is no difference between self and others. Those who cultivate this within themselves become sages, while 
those who practice this in the world become rulers. Rulers become rulers by following the Way of Heaven. And Heaven becomes Heaven 
by following the Tao. And the Tao becomes the Tao by lasting forever."
HO-SHANG KUNG says, "To know the unchanging course of the Way is to be free of passion and desire and to be all-embracing. To be ali-
embracing is to be free of self-interest. To be free of self-interest is to rule the world. To rule the world is to merge your virtue with that of 
Heaven. And to merge your virtue with that of Heaven is to be one with the Way. If you can do this, you will last as long as Heaven and Earth and 
live without trouble."
Ll lUNG says, "The sage enjoys a life without limits."
My reading of line two is based on Cheng Liang-shu's interpretation of Mawangrui Text B, which has tu:center in place of the usual tu:true. The 
last line also appears in verse





























33


1 7		During the High Ages people knew they were there then people loved and praised them
then they feared them finally they despised them 
when honesty fails dishonesty prevails
hesitate and guard your words when their work 
succeeds
let people think they did it




The Chinese of Lao-tzu's day believed their greatest age of peace and harmony occurred during the reigns of the Three Sovereigns and Five 
Emperors, or nearly five thousand years ago. These early rulers exercised power so unobtru­ sively. the people hardly knew they were there, as we 
hear in a song handed down from that distant age: "Sunup we rise / sundown we rest / we dig wells to drink / we plough fields to eat / the 
emperor's might / what is it to us?" (Kushihyuan: 1).
THE LICHI says, "During the High Ages people esteemed virtue. Then they worked for rewards" (1).
LU HSI-SHENG says, "The virtuous lords of ancient times initiated no actions and left no traces, hence the people knew they were there 
and that was all. When their virtue began to fade, they ruled with kindness andjustice, and the people  loved  and praised them. .When  their 
kindness  and justice  no  longer controlled people's hearts, they governed with laws and punishments, and the people feared them. When their 
laws and punishments no longer controlled people's minds, they acted with force and deceit, and the people despised them."
MENCIUS says, "When the ruler views his ministers as his hands and feet, they regard him as theirheart and soul. When he views them as dirt 
and weeds, they regard him as an enemy and thief" (4B.3).
SUNG CH ANG-HSING says, "The mistake of loving and praising, fearing and despising does not rest with the people but with those 
above. The reason the


34


people turn to love and praise, fear and hate is because those above cannot be trusted. And when trust disappears, chaos appears."
HUANG YUAN-CHI says, "What we do to cultivate ourselves is what we do to govern the world. And among the arts we cultivate, the most 
subtle of all is honesty; which is the beginning and end of cultivation. When we embrace the truth, the world enjoys peace. When we turn our 
backs on the truth, the world suffers. From the time of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, this has never varied."
HO-SHANG KUNG says, "When those above treat those below with dishonesty; those below respond with deceit."
WANG PI says, "Where there are words, there is a response. Thus the sage hesitates."
WU CH' ENG says, "The reason sages don't speak or act is so that they can bestow their blessings in secret and so that people can live their lives in 
peace. And when their work succeeds and their lives go well, people think that is just the way it is supposed to be. They don't realize it 
was made possible by those on high."
LU HUI-CH' ING says, ':As long as the people think they did it themselves, they have no reason to love or praise anyone."
In line one, some editions have pu-chih:did not know in place of hSia-chih:people knew. I have chosen the latter version, as have the Mawangtui and Fuyi 
texts. The Fuyi text divides line two into two lines: "then they loved them / then they praised them." Despite the attractiveness of such a 
variation, placing ch'in: love in a separate line interrupts the rhyme. Also, some commentators combine this verse with the following two 
verses, citing a similarity in theme. However, the wide variation among their rhythms argues against this.












35


1 8 *-	?	t'	*-	When the Great Way disappears


t1'	1-	tl
"	"	"


lt	we meet 
kindness and justice
,9	when reason 
appears


1if'1{:


1if'1{:	'1{:


'1{:"
	
we meet 
great deceit


?	:;f  *-1if	1if


when the six relations fail


![	? ? 1=-


we meet obedience and love


"	"	"	•	when the country is in chaos
fIl	1-'-\	"	we meet honest officials










Connecting this with the previous verse, WEI YUAN says, "What people love and praise are kindness andjustice, what people fear is reason, and what people despise 
is deceit."



           '
 SUNG	CH 


ANG-HSING says, "It isn't the 
Great Way that leaves mankind 
and


goes into hiding, but mankind that leaves the Great Way and replaces it with kindness and justice."
            ' E says, "When the Great Way flourishes, kindness and justice are at work, but people don't realize it. Only after the Great Way disappears do kind· ness 
and justice become visible."
WANG AN-SHIH says, "The Way hides in formlessness. Names arise from dis­ content. When the Way hides in formlessness, there isn't any difference be­ 
rween great or small. When names arise from discontent, we get distinctions like kindness, justice, reason, and so forth."
HO-SHANG KUNG says, 'When the kingdom enjoys peace, no one thinks about kindness, and the people are free of desire. When the Great Way prevails, kind­ 
ness and justice vanish, just as the stars fade when the sun rises."
MENCIUS says, "Kindness means dwelling in peace. Justice means taking the right road" (4A.IO).
TE-CH' ING says, "Reason is what the sage uses to order the kingdom. It in­ cludes the arts, measurements, and laws. In the High Ages, people were inno­ cent, 
and these were unknown. In the Middle Ages, people began to indulge



36


their feelings, and rulers responded with reason. And once reason appeared, the people responded with deceit."
WANG PI says, "The six relations are father and son, elder and younger brother, husband and wife. When the six relations are harmonious, the 
country gov­ erns itself, and there is no need for obedience, love, or honesty."
WA NG P ANG says, "During a virruous age, obedience and love are considered normal, hence no one is called obedient or loving. Nowadays, 
when someone is obedient or loving, we praise them. This is because the six relations are no longer harmonious. Also, when peace prevails, 
everyone is honest. How can there be honest officials?"
     ' ENG HSUAN-YING says, "When the realm is at peace, loyalty and honesty are nowhere to be seen. Innocence and virrue appear 
when the realm is in chaos."
LI JUNG says, "During the time of the sage emperors Fu Hsi and Shen Nung, there was no mention of officials. It was only during the time of 
the despots Chieh and Chou that we begin to hear of ministers like Kuan Lung-feng and Pi Kan."
WU CH'ENG says, "Shao Juo-yu assigns these four divisions to emperors, kings, the wise, and the talented."
Both Mawangrui texts begin this verse with the word ku:thus, implying a con­ nection with the previous verse. I think it does better on its own, 
hence I have followed the Fuyi and standard editions, which have no such connective. Com­ mentators often quote Chuangtzu here: "When 
springs dry up, fish find them­ selves in puddles, spraying water on each other to keep each other alive. Better to be in a river or lake and 
oblivious of each other" (6.5).













37 


19	Get rid of wisdom and reason
and people will live a hundred times better get rid of kindness and justice
and people once more will love and obey get rid of cleverness and profit
and thieves will cease to exist
but these three sayings are not enough hence let this be added
wear the undyed and hold the uncarved
reduce self-interest and limit desires
get rid of learning and problems will vanish




HO-S HANG KUNG says, "Get rid of the works of wisdom and reason and re­ turn to the primeval. The symbols and letters 
created by the Five Emperors were not as effective in ruling the kingdom as the simple knots used earlier by the Three 
Sovereigns."
TE-CH' ING says, "This is what Chuang-tzu meant when he said 'Tigers and wolves are kind: Tigers and wolves possess innate 
love and obedience that don't require instruction. How much more should mankind, the most intelli­ gent of creatures, 
possess these."
WANG CHEN says, "Put an end to wisdom that leaves tracks and reason that de­ ceives, and people will benefit greatly. Put an 
end to arrogant kindness and treacherous justice, and relatives will unite on their own and will once more love and obey. Put 
an end to excessive cleverness and personal profit, and armies will no longer appear. And when armies no longer appear, 
thieves will not exI.  st."
HSUAN-TSUNG says, "These three only help us get rid of things. They don't ex­ plain cultivation. Hence they are incomplete."
WANG PI says, "Wisdom and reason are the pinnacles of ability. Kindness and justice are the pinnacles of behavior. Cleverness 
and profit are the pinnacles of practice. To tell us simply to get rid of them would be inappropriate. Without

38


giving us something else, it wouldn't make sense. Hence we are given the undyed and the uncarved to focus our attention on."
CHIAO HUNG says, "The ways of the world become daily more artificial. Hence we have names like wisdom and reason, kindness and 
justice, clever­ ness and profit. Those who understand the Tao see how artificial they are and how inappropriate they are to rule the 
world. They aren't as good as getting people to focus their attention on the undyed and the uncarved. By wearing the undyed and holding 
the uncarved, our self-interest and desires wane. The undyed and the uncarved refer to our original nature."
LIU CHING says, "Undyed means unmixed with anything else and thus free of wisdom and reason. Uncarved means complete in itself and 
thus free of kindness andjustice. Self-interest concerns oneself. Desire concerns others. As they diminish, so do cleverness and profit."



        ' 
SU CH 


E says, 
"Confucius 
relied on 
kindness and 
justice, ritual 
and music to


order the kingdom. Lao-tzu's only concern was to open people's minds, which he accomplished through the use of metaphor. Some 
people, though, have used his metaphors to create disorder, while no great problems have been caused by the followers of Confucius."

' ENG HS UAN-YING says, "When we give up the study of phenomena and
understand the principle of non-interference, troubles come to an end and distress disappears."
LI HSI-CHAI says, "What passes for learning in the world never ends. For every truth found, rwo are lost. And while what we find brings 
joy. losses bring sorrow-sorrow that never ends."
I have followed Kao Heng in moving the line that normally begins the next verse to the end of this verse, where it makes better 
sense as well as better poetry.






•





















































39


20 *-BJ:  ",}-?	:f*  A?


?Pjt	Yes and no





•	•
	•


ft?	?


aren't so far apart


"'}-?


?ft	?	•	lovely and ugly




:t * *


#I:t	aren't so unalike


* It . ?


what others fear


if	•	? ;tl	we too must fear


M	?	*
	•


before the moon wanes


",}- A	•	?


everyone I•S  gay


*:t	Jz.\.a'	*iliJ  ?fl



as if they were at the Great Sacrifice


fJf.  -&  1!	•	or climbing a tower in spring



•	"'}-f.;i!. ft ?


like a child that doesn't smile


A?
	
•


??S	*1PJ	lost 
with no one to turn to




:f1;1.	Aag


??  A,


while others enjoy more
I alone seem forgotten


•	Z.	my mind is so foolish


?ft  ft


7L?  1'l:	so 
simple


lI.il	*?


?	1-


others look bright
I alone seem dim


•	liT	others are certain
•	I alone am confused
•	receding like the ocean waxing without cease
A?  ?  lf	:t	everyone has a goal




•	ft


?	:9t*	I 
alone am dumb and 
backward


.W  $§-?  A?


for I alone choose to differ
•


preferring still my mother's breast














40


' ENG HSUAN-YING says, Wei:yes indicates agreement and k'o:no disdain.



            ' 
SUNG CH 


ANG-HSING says, 
"Even though "yes" and 
"no" come from the 
same


source, namely the mouth, "yes" is the root of loveliness, and "no" is the root of ugliness. Before they appear there is nothing lovely or ugly and nothing to fear. But 
once they appear, if we don't fear them, disaster and harm are un­ avoidable."
LI HSI-CHAI says, "What others love, the sage also loves. What others fear, the sage also fears. But where the sage differs is where others don't see anything outside 
their own minds. The mind of the sage, meanwhile, wanders in the Tao."
WANG p'ANG says, "Everything changes into its opposite. Beginning follows end without cease. But people think everything is either lovely or ugly. How
absurd. Only the sage knows that the ten thousand ages are the same, that
,
nothing is gained or lost."

su CH E says, "People all drown in what they love: the beauty of the Great Sac­
rifice, the happiness of climbing to a scenic viewpoint in spring. Only the sage sees into their illusory nature and remains unmoved. People chase things and forget about 
the Tao, while the sage clings to the Tao and ignores everything else, just as an infant nurses only at its mother's breast."
TS'AO TAO-CH'UNG says, "People all seek external things, while the sage alone nourishes himself on internal breath. Breath is the mother, and spirit is the 
child. The harmony of mother and child is the key to nourishing life."
In ancient China, emperors marked the return of swallows to the capital in spring with the Great Sacrifice to the Supreme Intermediary, while people of all ranks 
climbed towers and hills to view the countryside in bloom and to cele­ brate the first full moon. In line seven, I have followed Mawangtui Text B in reading wangfull moon 
instead of the usual huang:boundless. I have used the same variant in line twenty-three.









41 


21	The expression of empty virtue comes from the Tao alone
the Tao as a thing waxes and 
wanes
it waxes and wanes but inside is an 
image it wanes and waxes but inside is a 
creature it's distant and dark
but inside is an essence
an essence fundamentally real and inside is a heart 
throughout the ages
its name has never changed
so we might follow our fathers
how do we know what our fathers were like through this



WANG PI says, "Only when we take emptiness as our virtue can our actions accord with the Tao."
SUNG CH' ANG-HSING says, "Sages have it. So does everyone else. But because others are selfish and constrained, their virtue isn't 
empty"
HUANG YUAN-CHI says, "Emptiness and the Tao are indivisible. Those who seek the Tao cannot find it except through emptiness. 
But formless emptiness is of no use to those who cultivate the Tao."
YEN LING-FENG says, "Virtue is the manifestation of the Way. The Way is what Virtue contains. Without the Way, Virtue would have no 
power. Without Vir­ tue, the Way would have no appearance."



       ' 
SU CH E


says, "The Tao has no form. 
Only when it changes into 
Virtue does it


have an expression. Hence Virtue is the Tao's visual aspect. The Tao neither

42


exists nor does not exist. Hence we say it waxes and wanes, while it remains in the dark unseen."

' ENG HSUAN-Y1NG says, "The true Tao exists and yet does not exist. It does
not exist and yet does not not exist. Lao-tzu says it waxes and wanes to stress that the Tao is not separate from things and things are not separate from the Tao. 
Outside of the Tao there are no things. And outside of things there is no Tao."
WU CH ENG says, '''Inside' refers to Virrue. 'Image' refers to the breath of some­ thing before it is born. 'Crearure' refers to the form of something after it is 
born. 'Distant and dark' refers to the utter invisibility of the Tao."
CHANG TAO-LING says, "Essence is like water: the body is its embankment, and Virrue is its source. If the heart is not virruous, or if there is no embankment, 
water disappears. The immortals of the past treasured their essence and lived, while people today lose their essence and die."
WANG p'ANG says, "Essence is where life and the body come from. Lao-tzu calls it 'fundamentally real' because once things become subject to human fab­ 
rication, they lose their reality."
LIU CHING says, "Everything changes, and names are no exception. What was true in the past is false today. Only the Tao is constant."
The Mawangrui texts have introduced a number of new variants into this verse. Those which I have incorporated include wangJull moon for huang: 
indistinct  in lines four, five, and seven;  shunfollow for yueh:view and fofather forfo:beginning in line fifteen. The standard version of fifteen and sixteen reads: "so 
we might view all beginnings / and how do we know what all beginnings are like." Also, in line twelve, I have read hsin:lamp wick (and hence the heart of something) 
in place of the word's usual meaning as "talisman" (and hence
something trustworthy).













43


22	Partial means whole
crooked means straight hollow means full 
worn-out means new less means content 
more means confused
thus the sage holds onto the one to use in guiding the world
not watching himself  he appears not displaying himself he 
flourishes not flattering himself he succeeds not parading himself he 
leads because he doesn't compete
no one can compete against him
the ancients who said partial means whole came close indeed
becoming whole depends on this




CHUANG-TZU says, "Lao-tzu said everyone else seeks happiness. He alone saw that partial means whole" (33.5).
           'ENG says, "By exploring one side to its limits, we eventually find all sides. By grasping one thing, we eventually encompass the whole. 
The caterpillar bends in order to straighten itself. A hollow in the ground fills with water. The renewal of spring depends on the withering of fall. By 
having less, it's easy to have more. By having more, it's easy to become confused."
WANG PI says, '1\.s with a tree, the more of it there is, the farther it is from its roots. The less of it there is, the closer it is to its roots. More 
means more dis­ tant from what is real. Less means closer."
WEI YUAN says, "One is the extreme of less. But whoever uses this as the mea­ sure for the world always finds more."

44


LU HUI-CH'ING says. "Only those who find the one can act like this. Thus 'less means content.' The reason most people cannot act like this is 
because they have not found the one.  Thus 'more means confused. . .•
LI HSI-CHAI says. "The reason the sage is able to be chief of all creatures is be­ cause he holds onto the one. Holding onto the one. he never leaves 
the Tao. Hence he doesn't watch himself but relies instead on the vision of others. He doesn't talk about his own strengths but relies instead on the 
strengths of oth­ ers. He stands apart and doesn't compete. Hence no one can compete against him,"
HSUAN-TSUNG says. "Not watching himself, he becomes whole. Not displaying himself. he becomes straight. Not flattering himself. he becomes full. 
Not pa­ rading himself. he becomes new."
TZU-SSU says. "Only those who are perfectly honest can fulfill their nature and help others fulfill their nature. Next are those who are partial" 
(Chung­ yung: 22-23) .
MENCIUS says. 'We praise those who don't calculate. We reproach those who try to be whole" (4A.2I).
HO-SHANG KUNG says. "Those who are able to practice being partial keep their physical body whole. Those who depend on their mother and father 
suffer no harm."
For the wording of lines eight through thirteen as well as line sixteen. I have followed the Mawangtui texts. Lines nine through rwelve appear in 
slightly different form in verse 24. In the last line. my use of ch'eng:become in place of the usual ch'eng:honest is based on Tunhuang texts s.6453 and P.2584. 
the Suichou and Chinglung editions. and on Chu Ch'ien-chih's observation that ch'eng: honest appears nowhere else in the Taoteching, while ch 
'eng:become occurs sev­ enteen times. The interpolation of ''honest'' was apparently influenced by the passage from Tzu-ssu's Chungyung quoted above.











45






Whispered words  are  natural a gale doesn't last all morning a squall 
doesn't last all day who else could make these only Heaven and Earth
if Heaven and Earth can't make things last what about Man
thus in whatever we do
let those on the Way be one with the Way let those who succeed be one with success let those who 
fail be one with failure
be one with success
for the Way succeeds too be one with failure
for the Way fails too












       ' WU CH


ENG says, '''Whispered' means not 
heard. 'Whispered words' means 
no


words. Those who reach the Tao forget about words and follow whatever is natural,"
WANG CHEN says, "Whispered words require less effort. Hence they conform to the natural Way."
LU NUNG-SHIH says, "Something is natural when nothing can make it so, and nothing can make it not so."

'ENG HSUAN-YING says, "If the greatest forces wrought by Heaven and Earth
cannot last, how can the works of Man?"
SU CH'E says, "The sage's words are faint, and his deeds are plain. But they are always natural. Hence he can last and not be exhausted."
TE-CH'ING says, "This verse explains how the sage forgets about words, embod­ ies the Tao, and changes with the seasons. Elsewhere, Lao-tzu says, 'talking only wastes it I better to keep 
it inside' (5). Those who love to argue get farther


46


from the Way. They aren't natural. Only those whose words are whispered are natural. Lao-tzu uses wind and rain storms as metaphors for the 
outbursts of those who love to argue. They can't maintain such a disturbance and dissipation of breath very long. Because they don't really 
believe in the Tao, their actions don't accord with the Tao. They haven't learned the secret of how to be one."
CHIAO HUNG says, "Those who pursue the Way are natural. Natural means free from success and hence free from failure. Such people don't succeed and 
don't fail but simply go along with the successes and failures of the age. Orif they do succeed or fail, their minds are not affected."
LU HU!-CH'ING says, "Those who pursue the Way are able to leave their selves behind. No self is the Way. Success. Failure. I don't see how they differ."
HO-SHANG KUNG says, "Those who are one with success enjoy succeeding. Those who are one with failure enjoy failing. Water is wet, and fire 
burns. This is their nature."
Many commentators have noted that the latter half of the standard version of this verse is marked by an awkward use of rhythm and rhyme, and 
most have found it confusing. I have used the simpler and smoother Mawangtui ver­ sion. However, in lines ten, twelve, and thirteen, I have chosen the 
Fuyi text, which has te:succeed in place of the usual te:virtue. Both characters were inter­ changeable when this text was composed, and "virtue" is 
clearly out of place here. The standard and Fuyi  versions  add  this  couplet  to  the  end  of the verse: "where honesty fails / dishonesty prevails." 
These lines also appear in verse However, they are not present in either of the Mawangtui texts, nor do they follow from the rest of this verse, in rhyme or in 
meaning. Hence I have not included them.













47


24	'i!f * JfJ	:f  Ji	Who tiptoes doesn't stand
:fA  1<Jf	•	*	'i!f	who strides doesn't walk


•	IT  #-	B	Ir.


who watches himself doesn't appear


ifu•	'i!f:f	'i!fYL


•	who displays himself doesn't 
flourish


? -k :f 'i!f


who flatters himself achieves nothing


•	who parades himself doesn't lead
;(£	B•	IT	on the road they say


;tj( it ?	B


too much food and a tiring pace


:f	s	'i!f	:tfl.	some things are simply bad
thus the Taoist shuns them












      '
 TE CH



ING


says, "People raise 
themselves up on their 
tiptoes to see over the


heads of others, but they cannot stand like this for long. People take longer strides to stay in front of others, but they cannot walk like this very far. Neither of these are 
natural."
           'ENG says, "To tiptoe is to lift the heels in order to increase one's height. To stride is to extend the feet in order to increase one's pace. A person can do this for a 
while but not for long. Likewise. those who watch themselves don't appear for long. Those who display themselves don't flourish for long. Those who flatter 
themselves don't succeed for long. And those who parade them­ selves don't lead for long."
          'E says, 'l\nyone can stand or walk. But if someone is not content with standing and tiptoes to extend his height or is not content with walking and 
strides to increase his speed. his stance and his pace are sure to suffer. It's the same with someone who watches himself. or displays himself. or flatters him­ self. or parades 
himself. It's like eating or drinking. As soon as you're full. stop. Overeating will make you il. It's like manual work. As soon as you're done, stop. Overwork will only 
exhaust you."
SUNG CH ANG-HSING says, "Selfless and free of desire is the mind of the sage. Conniving and clever is the mind of the common man. Watching himself. dis­ playing 
himself, flattering himself, parading himself, he thus hastens his end. like someone who eats too much."


48


Ll HSI-C HAI says, "Those who cultivate the Tao yet still think about themselves are like people who overeat or overwork.  Food should satisfY the hunger. 
Work should suit the task. Those who keep to the Way do only what is narural."
LU HUI-CH'ING says, "Why should Taoists avoid things? Doesn't the Tao dwell in what others avoid? (Taoteching: 8). The Taoist doesn't avoid what others hate, namely 
humility and weakness. He only avoids what others fight over, namely flattery and ostentation. Hence he avoids some things and not others. But he never fights."
CHANG TAO-LING says, "Who follows the Way lives long. Who loses the Way dies early. This is the unbiased law of Heaven. It doesn't depend on offerings or prayers. 
"
Line two does not appear in either Mawangrui text. The previous verse also makes do with a single-line introduction. But here the second line is needed to
establish the rhyme. In line two, k'ua:stride can also mean "straddle." TSAO TAO-CH'UNG says, "He who straddles two sides is unsure of the Way." Lines
three through six also appear in slightly different form in verse and some commentators have read	as one verse. For the wording and order of lines three 
through six, I have followed the Mawangrui texts, which reverse the usual order of lines three and four and which have shih:watch in place of the standard shih:approve in 
line three. A number of commentators think line eight is cor­ rupt and suggest instead: "leftover food and a cyst-covered body." Although sufficiently 
repulsive, this is not the sort of warning we would expect of sea­ soned travelers of the Way. The last two lines also appear in verse 31.
















49


25	:IlI!.	S	T'	1f	Imagine a nebulous thing
7';.5! bZ. -i!J: #J	here before Heaven and Earth


•	ll W-	!if.


silent and elusive


lJ;


•	i
t
 
s
t
a
n
d
s
 
a
l
o
n
e
 
n
o
t
 
w
a
v
e
r
i
n
g
•	1
t


11 7';. :j{.	7';.


it travels everywhere unharmed


II'	*  41

 


:Il


it could be the mother of us 
all


5!	:Il


?•	1:.	not knowing its name


t!.\B	*•	z.S'
W-.



•

?..
?J:


I
 
c
a
l
l
 
i
t
 
t
h
e
 
T
a
o
 
f
o
r
c
e
d
 
t
o
 
n
a
m
e
 
i
t
I name it Great


* 5i
	
•


great means ever-flowing


JI.	?."	?iL


ever-flowing means far-reaching







•
*119	41


fflj	the Tao is great
?3c.	Heaven is great





•	*S


fflj	•	?


Earth is great


I!6


*	rrfflj


the king is also great


- liltS	:f


the realm contains four greats






5!  lt13	PIl;).



Earth imitates Heaven


:IlI!.	.	?	Heaven imitates the Tao
the Tao imitates itself




WU CH'ENG says, '''Nebulous' means complete and indivisible."
su CH' E says, "The Tao is not pure or muddy. high or low; past or future, good or bad. Its body is a nebulous whole. In Man it becomes his nature.



50


It doesn't know it exists, and yet it endures forever. Heaven and Earth are created within it."
LI HSI-CHAI says, "It stands alone but does not stand alone. It goes everywhere but does not go anywhere. It's the mother of the world, but it is not the mother of the 
world."
SUNG CH'ANG-HSING says, "The Tao does not have a name of its own. We force names on it. But we cannot find anything real in them. We would do bet­ ter 
returning to the root from which we all began."
Standing beside a stream, CONFUCIUS sighed, "To be ever-flowing like this, not stopping day or night" (Lunyu: 9.16).
TS'AO TAO-CH'UNG says, 'l\ithough we say it's far-reaching, it never gets far from itself. Hence we say it's returning."
HO-SHANG KUNG says, "The Tao is great because there is nothing it does not encompass. Heaven is great because there is nothing it does not cover. Earth is great 
because there is nothing it does not support. The king is great because there is nothing he does not control. Man should imitate Earth and be peace­ ful and 
pliant, plant it and harvest its grains, dig it and find its springs, work without exhaustion and succeed without fuss. As for Earth imitating Heaven, Heaven is still 
and immutable. It gives without seeking a reward. It nourishes all creatures and takes nothing for itself. As for Heaven imitating the Tao, the Tao is silent and does not 
speak. It directs breath and essence unseen, and thus all things come to be. As for the Tao imitating itself, the nature of the Tao is to be itself. It does not imitate 
anything else."
WANG PI says, "If Man does not turn his back on Earth, he brings peace to all. Hence he imitates Earth. If Earth does not turn its back on Heaven, it supports all. 
Hence it imitates Heaven. If Heaven does not turn its back on the Tao, it covers all. Hence it imitates the Tao. And if the Tao does not turn its back on itself, it 
realizes its nature. Hence it imitates itself."
Line five does not appear in either Mawangtui text. Its meaning, rhythm, and rhyme, however, all fit. Hence I have retained it.








51 


26	Heavy is the root of light still is the master of 
busy
thus a lord might travel all day
but never far from his supplies even in a guarded camp
his manner is calm and aloof
why would the lord of ten thousand chariots treat himself lighter than his kingdom
too light he loses his base too busy he loses 
command



HAN FEI says. '''Heavy' means controlling oneself. 'Still' means not leaving one's place. Those who are heavy control those who are light. Those 
who are still direct those who are busy."
WANG PI says, "Something light cannot support something heavy. Something small cannot hold down something large."
CONFUCIUS says, 'J\. gentleman who has no weight is not held in awe. and his learning is not secure" (Lunyu: 1.8).
CH' ENG HSUAN-YING says, "Roots are heavy. while flowers and leaves are light. The light wither. while the heavy survive. 'Still' means tranquil, and 
'busy' means excited. Excitement is subject to birth and death. Tranquility endures. Hence the still rule the busy."
TE-CH' ING says, '''Heavy' refers to the body. 'light' refers to what is external to the body: success and fame, wealth and honor. 'Still' refers to our nature, 
'busy' refers to our emotions. People forget their body and chase external things. They forget their nature and follow their emotions. The sage 
isn't like this. Even though he travels all day. he doesn't leave what sustains him."
KUAN-TZU says, "He who moves loses his place. He who stays still remains content" (quoted by Chiao Hung).
WU CH' ENG says, 'When a lord travels for pleasure, he rides in a passenger cart.


52


When a lord travels to war, he rides in a military cart. Both of these are light carts. And behind these come the heavier supply carts. Even though a lord might travel fifty 
kilometers a day in a passenger cart or thirty kilometers a day in a military cart, he does not hurry so far ahead that he loses sight of the sup­ ply carts behind him.:'
TS'AO TAO-CH' UNG says, '''Supplies' mean the precious commodities with which we maintain ourselves and without which we cannot exist for a second."
HO-SHANG KUNG says, "A lord who is not heavy is not respected. A plant's leaves and flowers are light, hence they are blown about by the wind. Its roots are heavy, 
hence it lives long. A lord who is not still loses his power. A dragon is still, hence it is able to constantly transform itself. A tiger is busy; hence it dies young."
HSUAN-TSUNG says, "Traditionally; the Son of Heaven's fief included one mil­ lion neighborhoods with a tax revenue of 640,000 ounces of silver, one million cavalry 
horses and ten thousand war chariots. Hence he was called 'lord of ten thousand chariots.'"
SU CH' E says, "If the ruler is light, his ministers know he cannot be relied upon. If the ministers are busy; the ruler knows their minds are bent on profit."
A number of commentators have wondered if the standard jung-kuan:glorious scenes in line five might not be a mistake for ying-kuan:militaTY camp. The Mawangtui 
texts have borne them out, though with huan-kuan:guaTded camp. Line eight, which the Mawangtui texts clarifY by addingyu:than,   recalls the last four lines of verse 13. In 
line nine, I have gone along with the Mawangtui and
Fuyi texts as well as with several early commentaries and editions in reading
pen:base in place of ch'en:minister.














53


27	Good walking leaves no tracks good talking reveals no 
flaws
good counting counts no beads good closing locks no locks 
and yet it can't be opened good tying ties no knots
and yet it can't be undone thus the sage is good at 
saving and yet abandons no one
nor anything of use
this is called cloaking the light thus the good instruct the 
bad the bad learn from the good not honoring their 
teachers not cherishing their students
the wise alone are perfectly blind
this is called peering into the distance




LU TUNG-PIN says, "'Good' refers to our original nature before our parents were born. Before anything develops within us, we possess this goodness. 
Good means natural."
HO-SHANG KUNG says, "Someone who is good at wallting finds the Way in himself, not somewhere outside. When he talks, he chooses his words. When he 
counts, he doesn't go beyond one. When he closes, he closes himself to de­ sire and protects his spirit. When he ties, he ties his mind."
TE-CH' ING says, "The sage moves through the world with an empty self and accepts the way things are. Hence he leaves no tracks. He does not insist that his own 
ideas are right and accepts the words of others. Hence he reveals no flaws. He does not care about life and death, much less profit and loss. Hence



54


he counts no beads. He does not set traps, and yet nothing escapes him. Hence he uses no locks. He is not kind, and yet everyone flocks to him. Hence he ties no knots."
WANG PI says, "These five tell us not to act but to govern things by relying on their nature rather than their form."
WU CH' ENG says, "The sage's salvation does not involve salvation. For if some­ one is saved, someone is abandoned. Hence the sage does not save anyone at all. And 
because he does not save anyone, he does not abandon anyone. To 'cloak' means to use an outer garment to cover an inner garment. If the work of salvation becomes 
apparent and people see it, it cannot be called good. Only when it is hidden is it good."
CH' ENG HSUAN-YING says, "The good always cloak their light."
HSUAN-TSUNG says, "The good are like water. Free of impuriry and without effort on their part, they show people their true likeness. Thus they instruct the bad. But unless 
the student can forget his teacher, his v ision will be obscured."
su CH' E says, "The sage does not care about teaching, hence he does not love his students. And the world does not care about learning, hence people do not honor their 
teachers. The sage not only forgets the world, he makes the world forget him."
To bring out the special salvation of the sage, as explained above by Wu Ch'eng, I have used the Mawangtui connective erh:and yet in place of ku:thus in line nine. I have also 
used the Mawangtui version of line ten, which replaces two lines in the standard edition: "and he is good at saving things / thus he abandons nothing." For the last two 
characters of the last line, I have followed the word order of the Fuyi and standard editions, although I have chosen the Mawangtui miao:peer in place of the standard 
miao:mystery and have read the standard yao:essential as shorthand for yao:distant.












55


28	Recognize the male
but hold onto the female and be the world's maid 
being the world's maid
don't lose your ancient virtue
not losing your ancient virtue be a newborn child again 
recognize the pure
but hold onto the defiled and be the world's 
valley being the world's valley
be filled with ancient virtue being filled with ancient virtue 
be uncarved wood again recognize the white
but hold onto the black
and be the world's guide being the world's 
guide
don't stray from ancient virtue not straying from ancient 
virtue be without limits again
uncarved wood can be split to make tools
the sage makes it his chief official a master tailor doesn't cut



TE-CH' ING says, "To recognize the Way is hard. Once you recognize it, to hold onto it is even harder. But only by holding onto it can you advance on the Way. "
MENCIUS says, "The great man does not lose his child-heart" (4B.12).


56


WANG TAO says, "The sage recognizes 'that' but holds onto 'this.' 'Male' and 'female' refer to hard and soft. 'Pure' and 'defiled' refer to 
noble and humble. 'White' and 'black' refer to light and dark. Although hard, noble, and light cer­ tainly have their uses, hard does not come from 
hard but from soft. Noble does not come from noble but from humble. And light does not come from light but from dark. Hard, noble, and 
light are the secondary forms and farther from the Tao. Soft, humble, and dark are the primary forms and closer to the Tao. Hence the sage 
returns to the original: uncarved wood. Uncarved wood can be made into tools, but tools cannot be made into uncarved wood. The sage is 
like uncarved wood, not a too!' He is the chief official, not a functionary."

' ENG HSUAN-YING says, "What has no limits is the Tao."

CONFUCIUS says, 'J\ great man is not a tool" (Lunyu: 2.12).
CHANG TAO-LING says, "To make tools is to lose sight of the Way."
                 ' ANG-HSING says, "Before uncarved wood is split, it can take any shape. Once it is split, it cannot be round if it is square. It 
cannot be straight if it is curved. Lao-tzu tells us to avoid being split. Once we are split, we can never return to our original state."
PAO-TING says, "When I began butchering, I used my eyes. Now I use my spirit instead and follow the natural lines" (Chuangtzu: 3.2).
WANG P'ANG says, "Those who use the Tao to tailor leave no seams."

In lines three and four, I have followed nmhuang copies P.2584 and s.6453 in reading hsi:maid for the standard hsi:stream as more in keeping with the 
images of the preceding lines. In lines eight through twenty-one, I have followed the
Mawangtui texts, which fail to support the suspicions of some commentators that these lines were interpolated. Reverence for the spirit of 
wood is shared by many of the ethnic groups along China's borders. During Lao-tzu's day, the southern part of his home state of Ch'u was 
populated by the Miao, who trace their ancestry to a butterfly and the butterfly to the heart of a maple tree.










57


29	A-	ft -t!	*	Trying to govern the world with force
? )!j(; i? ll


•	J!lt PJ *


the. world is a spiritual thing


*	•	it can't be forced
)!j(; if w


*	1l{;J	-t!	»"


to force it is to harm it


•	,
to control it is to lose it
.$	sometimes things lead
•	.	J& JL	sometimes they follow


)!j(;  z.'


#1-



sometimes blow hot


*·	if


1E.!t	sometimes  blow 
cold


)!j(;!!l	?	.






sometimes expand


z.  7t	sometimes collapse
l;L  #}	:/I	avoids extravagance
avoids excess




SUNG CH ANG-HSING says, 'We can't control something as insignificant as a mustard seed. How can we control something as big as the world?"
TE-CH' ING says,  "Those who would govern the world  should trust what is natural. The world cannot be controlled consciously. It is too big a thing. 
The world can only be governed by the spirit, not by human strength or knowledge."
HO-SHANG KUNG says, "Spiritual things respond to stillness. They cannot be controlled with force."
LU HUI-CH' ING says, "The world as a thing is a spiritual thing. Only the spiri­ tual Tao can control a spiritual thing. Spiritual things don't think or act. Trying to control 
them with force is not the Tao."
WANG CHEN says, '''Force' refers to the mobilization and deployment of troops. But the world's spirit cannot be controlled with weapons."



58


LI HSI-CHAI says, "The sage considers his body transitory and the world its temporary lodging. How can he rule what is not his and lose the true and last­ ing Way?"
su CH' E says, "The interchange of yin and yang, of high and low, of great and small is the way things are and cannot be avoided. Fools are selfish. They insist on having their own way and meet 
with disaster. The sage knows he cannot oppose things. He agrees with whatever he meets. He eliminates extremes and thereby keeps the world from harm."
wu CH'ENG says, "How does someone who gains control of the world keep the world from harm? The sage understands that things necessarily move between opposites but that there is a way to 
adjust this movement. Things that prosper too much must wither and die. By keeping things from prospering too much, he keeps them from withering and dying."
WANG PI says, "The sage penetrates the nature and condition of others. Hence he responds to them without force and follows them without effort. He elimi­ nates whatever misleads or 
confuses them. Hence their minds become clear, and each realizes his own nature."
WANG AN-SHIH says, "Resting where you are eliminates extremes. Treasuring Simplicity eliminates extravagance. Being content with less eliminates excess."
LU NUNG-SHIH says, "The sage gets rid of extremes with kindness. He gets rid of extravagance with simplicity. He gets rid of excess with humility. By means of these three, the sage governs 
the world."
HSUEH HUI says, "What Lao-tzu means by 'extremes: 'extravagance: and 'ex­ cess' is not what people mean nowadays. The Sage means whatever involves an increase in effort beyond what 
is easy."
For the wording of lines nine and ten, I have followed Ho-shang Kung. Be­ tween lines ten and eleven, most editions add a fourth pair of opposites: ch'iang-lei:strengthen-weaken. 
I have followed Mawangtui Text B, which has only three pairs. Given the three negations at the end of this verse, three pairs to be negated seems more appropriate.









59


30	Use the Tao to help your king don't use weapons to rule the land
such things soon return where armies camp 
brambles grow
best to win then stop don't make use of force 
win but don't be proud win but don't be vain 
win but don't be cruel
win when you have no choice this is to win without force 
virility means old age
this isn't the Tao
what isn't the Tao ends early




SUNG CH ANG-HSING says, '1\ kingdom's ruler is like a person's heart: when the ruler acts properly. the kingdom is peaceful. When the heart works prop­ erly. 
the body is healthy. What enables them to work and act properly is the Tao. Hence use nothing but the Tao to help a ruler."
Ll  HSI-CHAI, quoting Mencius:	says, '''If you kill someone's father, some­ one will kill your father. If you kill someone's 
brother, someone will kill your brother.' This is how things return."

'ENG HSUAN-YlNG says, "The external use of soldiers and arms returns in
the form of vengeful enemies. The internal use of poisonous thoughts returns in the form of evil rebirths."
WANG AN-SHIH says, "Man's retribution is clear, while Heaven's retribution is obscure. Where an army spends the night, brambles soon appear. In an army's wake, 
bad years follow. This is the retribution of Heaven."
Paraphrasing Suntzu: 2.1, WANG CHEN says, "To raise an army of a hundred thousand requires the daily expenditure of a thousand ounces of gold. And an

60


army of a hundred thousand means a million refugees on the road. Also, noth­ ing results in greater droughts, plagues, or famines than the scourge of war­ fare. A 
good general wins only when he has no choice, then stops. He dares not take anything by force."
MENCIUS says, "Those who say they are great tacticians or great warriors are, in fact, great criminals" (71'.2-3).
                    'ING says, "To win means to defeat one's enemies. To win without being arrogant about one's power, to win without being boastful about 
one's ability. to win without being cruel about one's achievement, this sort of victory only comes from being forced and not from the exercise of force."

su	'E says, "Those who possess the Tao prosper and yet seem poor, become
full and yet seem empty. What is not virile does not become old and does not die. The virile die. This is the way things are. Using an army to control the world 
represents the height of strength. But it only hastens old age and death."
HO-SHANG KUNG says, "Once a plant reaches its height of development, it withers. Once a person reaches their peak, they grow old. Force does not pre­ 
vail for long. It isn't the Tao. What is withered and old cannot follow the Tao. And what cannot follow the Tao soon dies."



       ' 
WU	CH 


ENG


says, "Those 
who possess 
the Way are 
like children. 
They age


without growing old."
LAO-TZU says, "Tyrants never choose their end" (42).
I have gone along with the Mawangtui texts in omitting lines six and seven of the standard edition: "in an army's wake I bad years follow." I have also fol­ lowed 
the Mawangtui sequence of lines eight through ten. The last three lines also appear in verse 55.














61 


3 1	Weapons are not auspicious tools some things are simply bad
thus the Taoist shuns them
in peace the ruler honors the left in war he honors the right 
weapons are not auspicious weapons are not a ruler's tools
he wields them when he has no choice
dispassion is the best
thus he does not beautilY them he who beautifies them
enjoys killing others
he who enjoys killing others achieves no worldly rule
thus we honor the left for joy we honor the right for sorrow
the left is where the adjutant stands the commander on the right
which means as at a funeral
when you kill another honor him with your tears 
when the battle is won treat it as a wake



HO-SHANG KUNG says, "In times of decadence and disorder, we use weapons to defend the people."
SU CH'E says, 'We take up weapons to rescue the distressed and not as a matter of course."



62


          ' 
SUNG CH 


ANG-HSING says, 
"The system of 
ritual devised by the 
ancient kings


treated the right as superior and the left as inferior. Being superior, the right represented the Way of Victory. Being inferior, the left represented the Way of 
Humiliry But victory entailed death and desrruction. Hence those on the right were in charge of sad occasions, while those on the left were in charge of happy events."
) E N FA - ) U N G says, '''Left' refers to the east and the power of creation, while 'right' refers to the west and the power of destruction."
HS UAN -TS UNG says, "When Tibetans, Huns, or other tribes invade the borders, the ruler has no choice but to respond. But he responds as he would to a gnat. He 
does not act in anger. The greatest victory involves no fighting. Hence dispassion is the best policy."
LI HSI-CHAI says, "Sun-tzu discussed in detail the use of strengths and weak­ nesses, of direction and indirection in warfare, but he did not understand their basis 
(5-6). Lao-tzu says dispassion is the best policy, for it secures victory with­ out a display. This might seem odd, but dispassion means to rest, and rest is the root of victory. 
While passion means to act, and action is the basis of defeat."
KING HSIANG OF LIANG asked MENCIUS, "How can the kingdom be pacified?" Mencius answered, "The kingdom can be pacified by uniting it." King 
Hsiang asked, "But who can unite it?" Mencius answered, "He who does not delight in killing others can unite it" (IA.6).
LI )UNG says, "The ancients used weapons with compassion. They honored them for their virtue and disdained them as tools. Once the enemy was de­ 
feated, the general put on plain, undyed clothes, presided over a funeral cer­ emony, and received the mourners."
In line one, I have followed the arguments of Wang Nien-sun and ChengLiang­ shu in reading chia:fine, which precedesping:weapons in the standard edition, as a mistake 
for the grammatical particle wei, which here carries no meaning. Lines rwo and three also appear in verse 24. For line ten, I have followed the wording of the 
Fuyi and Mawangtui texts, which the standard version renders: "victory is not beautifu1."








63


32	The Tao has never had a name simple and though small
no one can command it if a lord upheld it
the world would be his guest
when Heaven joins with Earth they bestow sweet dew
no one gives the order it comes down to 
all
the first distinction gives us names after we have names
we should know restraint
who knows restraint knows no trouble to picture the Tao in the world 
imagine rivers and the sea



WANG p' ANG says, "The Tao has no body. How could it have a name?"
HO-SHANG KUNG says, "The Tao can be yin or yang, it can wax or wane, it can exist or not exist. Hence it has no fixed name."
CHIAO HUNG says, "We call it 'simple' because it has not been cut or polished. We call it 'small' because it is faint and infinitesimal. Those who 
can see the small and hold onto it are rare indeed."



       '
 SU CH 


E says, '''Simple' means the 
natural state. When it 
expands, it's every­


where. When it contracts, it isn't as big as the tip of a hair. Hence even though it is small, it is beyond anyone's command."
WANG PI says, "If someone embraces the simple and works without effort and doesn't burden their true nature with material goods or injure 
their spirit with desires, all things will come to them on their own, and they will discover the Tao by themselves. To discover the Tao, nothing is better 
than embracing simplicity."


64


JEN FA-JUNG says, "In terms of practice, if someone can be serene and natural, free himself from desire, and put his mind at rest, his yin and yang breaths will come together on their own 
and penetrate every artery and organ. Inside his mouth, the saliva of sweet dew wil appear spontaneously and nourish his whole body."
LU HUI-CH' ING says, 'When a ruler acts, the first thing he does is institute names."
HSUN-TZU says, "Now that the sages are gone, names and realiry have become confused (22).
TE-CH' ING says, "What is simple has no name. Once we make something, we give it a name. But name gives rise to name. Where does it stop? Hence Lao­ tzu tells us to stop chasing 
names."
TS' AO TAO-CH'UNG says, "Stop thinking and take care of your body. and you will live out your days free of trouble."
LI JUNG says, '1\ child who depends on its mother suffers no harm. Those who depend on the Tao encounter no trouble."

wu	' ENG says, "The Tao has no name, but as Virtue it does. Thus from noth­
ing we get something. But Virtue is not far from the Tao. If we stop there, we can still go from something back to nothing and return to the Tao. Thus the Tao is like the sea, and Virtue is 
like a river, flowing back to the Tao."
LI HSI-CHAI says, "Though Heaven and Earth are high and low; they join to­ gether and send down sweet dew. No one makes them do it. And there is no one who does not 
benefit. Though the Tao separates into things, and each thing has its name, the Tao never abandons anything. Thus the breath of rivers eventually reaches the sea, and the breath of the sea 
eventually reaches rivers."
LAO-TZU says, "The reason the sea can rule a hundred rivers / is because it has mastered being lower" (66).
Line thirteen also appears in verse 44.








65


33	Who knows others is perceptive who knows himself is wise
who conquers others is forceful who conquers himself is strong who 
knows contentment is wealthy who strives hard succeeds
who doesn't lose his place endures who dies but doesn't perish lives on










       '
 SU
	C
H 


E says, "Perception 
means to distinguish. 
Wisdom means to 
remove


obstructions. As long as our distinguishing mind is present, we can only know others, but not ourselves."
LI HSI-CHAI says, "Perception is external knowledge. Wisdom is internal knowl­ edge. Force is external control. Strength is internal control. 
Perception and force mislead us. Wisdom and strength are true. They are the door to the Tao."
HO-SHANG KUNG says, "If someone can conquer others, it is only by using force. If someone can conquer his own desires, no one in the 
world can com­ pete with him. Hence we call him strong."
SUNG CH' ANG-HSING says, "The strength of those who conquer themselves is of ten kinds: the strength of faith, the strength of charity. the strength of 
moral­ ity. the strength of devotion, the strength of meditation, the strength of con­ centration, the strength of illumination, the strength of wisdom, 
the strength of the Way. and the strength of Virtue."



       '
 WU CH 


ENG 


says, "Elsewhere, Lao-tzu 
extols simplemindedness 
and weakness


over wisdom and strength. Why then does he extol wisdom and strength here? Wisdom and strength are for dealing with the inside. Simplemindedness 
and weakness are for dealing with the outside."
WANG p' ANG says, "The natural endowment of all things is complete in itself. Poverty does not reduce it. Wealth does not enlarge it. But fools 
abandon this treasure to chase trash. Those who know contentment pay the world no heed. This is true wealth. Mencius said, 'The ten thousand 
things are all within us' (7A.4). How could we not be wealthy?"


66


TS ' AO TAO-CH' UNG says, "Though the Great Way might be far off, if we perse­ vere without pause, we advance. We get closer and closer, until 
suddenly we become one with the Way. Whoever has a goal can do anything. Outside, be content with your lot. Inside, focus on the Way. And you 
cannot help but live long."
WANG PI says, "Those who strive with devotion reach their goal. Those who examine themselves and work within their capacity don't lose their place 
and are able to endure. Although we die, the Tao that gave us life doesn't perish. Ourbody disappears, but the Tao remains. If ourbody survived, would 
the Tao not end?"
TE-CH' ING says, "Our 'place' is like the position of the North Star. It refers to our nature."
CONFUCIUS says, "Those who govern with Virtue are like the North Star, which remains in its place, while the myriad stars revolve around it" (Lunyu: 2.1).
LU NUNG-SHIH says, "Before we distinguish them, life and death share the same form, the ten thousand things dwell in the same house. Our body 
is like the shell of a cicada or the skin of a snake: a temporary lodging. The shell per­ ishes but not the cicada. The skin decays but not the snake. We all have 
some­ thing real that survives death."
KUMARAJIVA says, "Not to live in living is to endure. Not to die in dying is to live on,"
Although line six seems at odds with Lao-tzu's dictum of wu-wei:doing nothing, the commentators are agreed that it refers to inner cultivation and not to the 
pursuit of worldly ambition.
















67


34	The Tao drifts
it can go left or right everything lives by its grace but 
it doesn't speak
when its work succeeds it makes no claim
it has no desires shall we call it small 
everything turns to it
but it wields no control shall we call it 
great
therefore the sage never acts great thus he can do great things



H S UAN-TS U N G   says, "To drift means to be unrestrained. The Tao is not yin or yang, weak or strong. Unrestrained, it can respond to all things and in 
any direction. It is not one-sided. As Chuang-tzu says, 'The Tao has no borders' (2.5)."
CH UANG-TZU also says, "Those who are skilled toil, and those who are clever worry. While those who do not possess such abilities seek nothing and yet eat their fill. 
They drift through life like unmoored boats" (32.1).
WANG PI says, "The Tao drifts everywhere. It can go left or right. It can go up or down. Wherever we turn to use it, it's there."
LI HSI-CHAI says, "The Great Way is a watery expanse that extends to the eight horizons. But when we use it, it's as close as our left or right hand. There is nothing that 
doesn't depend on it for life, and yet it never speaks of its power. There is nothing that doesn't happen without it, and yet it never mentions its achievements."
SUNG C H' ANG-HSING says, "Outside of the Tao there are no things. Outside of things there is no Tao. The Tao gives birth to things just as wind creates move­ ment or 
water creates waves."


68


TS' AO TAO-CH'UNG says, "Though living things might be infinite in number, the Tao creates them all through the mystery of doing nothing. It doesn't mind making so many. And it 
creates them without thinking about its power."
WANG p' ANG says, "When the Tao becomes small, it doesn't stop being great. When it becomes great, it doesn't stop being small. But all we see are its traces. In reality, it isn't small, 
and it isn't great. It can't be described. It can only be known."
CH' ENG HSUAN-YING says, "The Tao produces all things, and all things turn to it. It's like the sea. Al streams empty into it, and yet it doesn't control them."
Commenting on lines eight and eleven,	'	says, "Even though there are no question indicators, these are 
questions and not statements, as in verse ro. If we can call something great, it isn't the Tao."
su CH'E says, "He who is great and thinks himself great is small."

LU	' ING says, "The Tao hides in what has no name, and the sage em­
bodies it through what has no name. He doesn't consider himself great, and yet no one is greater. For he can go left or right. Hence he is neither small nor great. And because he is 
neither small nor great, he can do great things."
The Mawangtui texts omit lines three and fout. Following line six, the standard edition has two additional lines: "it cares for all things / but it wields no con­ trol." But this anticipates line 
ten, and I have gone along with the Mawangtui texts in omitting them. For the last two lines, I have followed the standard edi­ tion. The Mawangtui texts have the more convoluted and 
redundant: "there­ fore the sage can do great things / because he does not act great / he thus can do great things."
















69


35	Hold up the Great Image and the world will come
and be beyond harm safe serene and at one fine 
food and song detain passing guests when the 
Tao speaks it's senseless and plain we look and 
don't see it
we listen and don't hear it but we use it without end



CH ENG HSUAN-YING says, "Here 'hold' means to hold without holding, to hold what cannot be held."
HUANG YUAN-CHI says, "The Great Image is the Great Way which gives birth to Heaven and Earth and all creatures. It is called 'great' because it encom­ passes 
everything."
Ll JUNG says, "The Great Image has no form. What has no form is the great and empty Way. To 'hold' means to focus or keep. Those who can keep their body in the realm of 
Dark Virtue and focus their mind on the gate of Hidden Serenity possess the Way. Al things come to them. Clouds appear, and al crea­ tures are refreshed. Rain pours down, and al 
plants are nourished. And all these blessings come from such a subtle tfung."
wu     '	says, "To come to no harm means to be protected. But when people turn to the sage, he uses no protection to protect them. If he protected 
them with protection, protection and harm would both exist. But by protect­ ing them with no protection, they are always protected and kept from harm."
LU TUNG-PIN says, "Unharmed, our spirit is safe. Unharmed, our breath is serene. Unharmed. our nature is at one."
TE-CH'ING says, "The sage rules the world through selflessness. All things come to him because he is one with all things. And while he forgets himself in


70


others, others forget themselves in him. Thus all things find their place, and there are none that are not at one."
CHANG TAO-LING says, "What the Tao says is the opposite of the mundane or the clever. Most people find it completely senseless. But within its senseless­ ness, there is great 
sense. This is what the sage savors. The Tao prefers simplic­ ity of form and a minimum of expression. Hence it is hard to see and hard to hear and also hard to follow. But those who can follow. it 
and use it enjoy limit­ less blessings."
CHUANG-TZU says, '1\ great man's words are plain like water. A small man's words are sweet like wine. The plainness of a great man brings people closer, while the sweetness of a 
small man drives them apart. Those who come to­ gether for no reason, separate for no reason" (20.5).



       ' SU CH 
E


says, "Banquets and 
entertainment might 
detain visitors, but 
sooner


or later the food runs out, the music ends, and visitors leave. If someone enter­ tained the world with the Great Image, no one would know how to love it, much less hate it. 
Although it has no taste, shape, or sound with which to please people, those who use it can never exhaust it."
HO-SHANG KUNG says, "If someone used the Tao to govern the country, the country would be rich and the people prosperous. If someone used it to culti­ vate himself, there 
would be no limit to the length of his life."
The Mawangtui texts add ku:thusto the beginning of line seven. I have followed the standard edition in leaving it out. Lines nine and ten are also echoed in verse 14: "we look but don't see 
it / and call it indistinct / we listen but don't hear it / and call it faint."









)











71 


36	What you would shorten
you should therefore lengthen what you would weaken
you should therefore strengthen what you would topple
you should therefore raise what you would take
you should therefore give this is called hiding the light
the weak conquering the strong fish can't survive out of the 
deep a state's greatest tool
is not meant to be shown




TE-CH'ING says, "Once things reach their limit, they go the other way. Hence lengthening is a portent of shortening. Strengthening is the onset of weaken­ ing. 
Raising is the beginning of toppling. Giving is the start of taking. This is the natural order for Heaven as well as for Man. Thus to hide the light means the weak conquer the 
strong. Weakness is the greatest tool of the state. But a ruler must not show it to his people. Deep water is the best place for a fish. But once it is exposed to the air, a fish is 
completely helpless. And once a ruler shows weakness, he attracts enemies and shame."
LV HUl-CH ING says, "To perceive shortening in lengthening, weakening in strengthening, toppling in raising, taking in giving, how could anyone do this if not 
through the deepest insight. This is the hidden light. Moreover, what causes things to be shortened or lengthened, weakened or strengthened, toppled or raised, 
taken or given is invisible and weak. While what is shortened or lengthened, weakened or strengthened, toppled or raised, taken or given is visible and strong. Thus the weak 
conquer the strong. People should not aban­ don weakness, just as fish should not abandon the depths. When fish abandon the depths, they are caught. When a person 
abandons weakness, he joins the league ofthe dead."


72


WU CH ' ENG says, '''Hiding the light' is the same as 'cloaking the light' in verse 27.
SUNG CH' ANG-HSlNG says, 'i\ccordingto the way of the world, the weakdon't conquer the strong. But Lao-tzu's point is that the weak can conquer the strong by letting the strong 
dowhat they want until they become exhausted and thus weak. Those who cultivate the Tao speak softly and act with care. They don't argue about right or wrong, better or worse. They 
understand the harmony of Heaven and Earth, the Way of emptiness and stillness, and become adept at using the hidden light."
CHANG TAO-LING says, "The Tao is like water. People are like fish."
CH UANG-TZU says, "The sage is the world's greatest tool but not one that is known to the world" (10.3).
HAN FEl says, "Rewards and punishments are the state's greatest too!."
Although the diferences are not Significant, the Mawangtui version of lines five and six abandons the rhyme. Hence I have followed the Fuyi and standard texts here. I have switched to the 
Mawangtui texts, however, for line ten, which the Fuyi and standard editions expand into two lines: "the soft conquer the hard / the weak conquer the strong." The copyist could 
have been thinking ahead to verse 78, where this couplet does, in fact, occur. Note that the appear­ ance of pang:state in line twelve of the Fuyi edition and Mawangtui Text A sug­ gests that 
both were copied before Liu Pang became emperor in 206 BC and made the use of his name forbidden. On the other hand, Mawangtui Text B has kuo:country, suggesting that it was copied 
after 206 BC. 

















73


37	ro	;fl'	•	Z.  :it	The Tao never does a thing


iE.


o	z.,


0	,t!-


0	;Ie	0	•
	•
;r-
	
0


yet there is nothing it doesn't do
ifa ruler could uphold it
people by themselves would change


tit	.t	ro	w	and changing if their desires stirred
;r-	;fl'	0	;r-	he could make them still


tit?)



0	with simplicity that has no name
•	W	0


?0	z.l;J.  titfF	1*.I


s
t
i
l
l
e
d
 
b
y
 
n
a
m
e
l
e
s
s
 
s
i
m
p
l
i
c
i
t
y
 
t
h
e
y
 
w
o
u
l
d
 
n
o
t
 
d
e
s
i
r
e


7i:.	?	0	*"


and not desiring be at peace


r
*	z. *	?	the world would fix itself

CH UAN G-TZU says, "The ancients ruled the world by doing nothing. This is the Virtue of Heaven. Heaven moves without moving" (12.1).
WU C H' ENG says, "The Tao's lack of effort is ancient and eternal and not simply temporary. Although it doesn't do a thing, it does everything it should do. If rulers 
could uphold this Tao of effortlessness, without consciously thinking about changing others, others would change by themselves."
LAO-TZU says, "I do nothing I and the people transform themselves" (57).
TE-CH' ING says, "If nobles and kings could only uphold the Tao, all creatures would change by themselves without thinking about changing. This is the effect of 
upholding the Tao. When creatures first change, their desires disap­ pear. But before long, their trust fades and feelings well up and begin to flow until desires reappear. 
When this occurs, those who are adept at saving others must block the source of desire with nameless simplicity. "
HO-SHANG KUNG says, '''Nameless simplicity' refers to the Tao, which all crea­ tures use to transform themselves and which nobles and kings use to pacify those 
who engage in cleverness and deceit."

' ENG HS UAN-YING says, "When people first change and begin to cultivate
the Tao, they think about reaching a goal. Once this desire arises, it must be stilled with the Tao's nameless simplicity."


74


           ' E says, "The sage has no thought of embracing simplicity; nor does he show any sign of doing so. If the thought of becoming simple existed in his 
heart, he would miss the mark completely."
HSUAN-TS UNG says, "Once the ruler uses nameless simplicity to still the desires of the masses, he must then give it up so that they don't follow its tracks and once again 
enter the realm of action. Once our illness is cured, we put away the medicine. Once we are across the river, we leave the boat behind. And once we are free of desire, we must also 
forget the desire to be free of desire. Serene and at peace, the ruler does nothing, while the world takes care of itself."



          '
 SUNG CH 


ANG-HSING says, 
"Other creatures follow 
their natures without cre­


ating chaos or disaster. They change by themselves without seeking change. People, meanwhile, race through the realm of existence and never know a quiet 
moment. They abandon their original innocence and don't practice the true Tao of doing nothing. They don't care about their lives, until one day they offend and 
retribution arrives."
The first two lines appear as one line in verse 48. The Mawangtui texts replace both lines with: "The Tao has never had a name." But this must be an interpo­ lation from verse 32. 
It appears in no other edition and does not anticipate the lines that follow. Hence I have decided against it. I have also decided against the Mawangtui version where it replaces 
yu:desire withju:shame in lines eight and
ten and also where it replaces t'ien-hsia:the world with t'ien-ti:heaven and earth
in line twelve. I have followed the Mawangtui version, however, in adding chen­ chih-yi:stilled by to the beginning of line eight.


















75


38	Higher Virtue is not virtuous thus it possesses virtue
Lower Virtue is not without virtue thus it possesses no virtue
Higher Virtue lacks effort and the thought of effort
Higher Kindness involves effort but not the thought of effort 
Higher Justice involves effort and the thought of effort Higher 
Ritual involves effort but no response
until it threatens and compels
when the Way is lost virtue appears when virtue is lost kindness 
appears when kindness is lost justice appears when justice is lost ritual 
appears ritual marks the waning of belief and onset of confusion
augury is the flower of the Way
and beginning ofdelusion
thus the great choose thick over thin the fruit over the flower
therefore they pick this over that




HAN FEI says, "Virtue is the Tao at work."
WANG	PI says, "Those who possess Higher Virtue use nothing but the Tao. They possess virtue, but they don't give it a name."


76


YEN TSUN says, "The person who embodies the Way is empty and effortless, yet he leads all creatures to the Way. The person who embodies virtue is faultless 
and responsive and ready to do anything. The person who embodies kindness shows love for all creatures without restriction. The person who embodies 
justice deals with things by matching name with reality. The person who embodies ritual is humble and reveres harmony. These five are footprints of the 
Tao. They are not the ultimate goal. The ultimate goal is not one, much less five."
WANG p' ANG says, "Kindness is another name for virtue. It differs, though, from virtue because it involves effort. The kindness of the sage, however, does not go 
beyond fulfilling his nature. He isn't interested in effort, hence he doesn't think about it."
                    'ING says, "Higher Kindness is kindness without effort to be kind. Kindness is simply a gifr. Justice is concerned with the appropriateness of 
the gift. Ritual is concerned with repayment. When ritual appears, belief disap­ pears and confusion arises."

su CH E says, "These are the means whereby the sage helps the people to safety.
When the people don't respond, he threatens and forces them. If they still don't respond, he turns to law and punishment."
FAN YING-YUAN says, "i\ugury' means to see the future. People in charge of rituals think they can see the future and devise formulas for human action but thus 
cause people to trade the spirit for the letter."



        ' WU 
CH 


ENG 


says, "The Tao is like a 
frUit. Hanging from a 
tree, it contains the


power of life, but its womb is hidden. Once it falls, it puts forth virtue as its root, kindness as its stem, justice as its branches, ritual as its leaves, and knowl­ edge as its 
flowers. All of these come from the Tao. 'That' refers to flowers. 'This' refers to fruit. Those who embody the Tao choose the fruit over the flowers."
The above categories (Higher Virtue, etc.) also appear as chapter titles in Wentzu. After line six, the standard and Fuyi editions add: "Lower Virtue in­ volves 
effort / but not the thought of effort." But this is the same as 'Higher Kindness: and it does not appear in the Mawangtui texts.







77


•







39	Of things that became one in the past Heaven became one and 
was clear
Earth became one and was still spirits became one arid were 
active sfreams became one and were full
kings became one and ruled the world
but by implication
Heaven would crack if it were always clear Earth would crumble if it were always 
still spirits would fail if they were always active streams would dry up if they were 
always full
kings would fall if they were always high and noble thus the noble is based on the humble
the high is founded on the low thus do kings refer to 
themselves
as orphaned widowed  and  destitute but is this the basis of humility 
counting a carriage as no carriage at all not wanting to clink like jade
they clunk like rocks



WANG PI says, "One is the beginning of numbers and the end of things. All things become complete when they become one. But once they become com­ 
plete, they leave oneness behind and focus on being complete. And focusing on being complete, they lose their mother. Hence they crack, crumble, col­ 
lapse, dry up, and fall. As long as they have their mother, they can preserve their form. But their mother has no form."
HO-SHANG KUNG says, "It's because Heaven becomes one that it graces the sky with constellations and light. It's because Earth becomes one that it 
remains still and immovable. It's because spirits become one that they change shape


78


without becoming visible. It's because streams become one that they never stop filing up. It's because kings become one that they pacify the world. But Heaven must move between yin 
and yang, between night and day. It can't only be clear and bright. Earth must include high and low; hard and soft, the five­ fold stages of breath. It can't only be still. Spirits must have 
periods of quies­ cence. They can't only be active. Streams must also be empty and dry. They can't only be full. Kings must humble themselves and never stop seeking wor­ thies to assist 
them. They can't only lord it over others. If they do, they fall from power and lose their thrones."
CHENG LIANG-SHU says, "In ancient times, kings used carriages as metaphors for the wealth and size of their kingdoms. To refer to their carriages as no car­ riages was an expression of 
self-deprecation."



'
su CH 


E says, "Oneness 
dwells in the noble, but 
it is not noble. Oneness 
dwells


in the humble, but it is not humble. Oneness is not like the lustre of jade: so noble it cannot be humble, or the coarseness of rocks: so humble it cannot be noble."
Between lines five and six, the Fuyi and standard editions add the line: "all crea­ tures became one and were alive." And between lines eleven and twelve they add: "creatures would die if they 
were always alive." However, neither line ap­ pears in the Yen Tsun or Mawangtui texts, and I have decided against including them. In line seven, I have also chosen the Mawangtui wei:imply over the 
stan­
dard yi:one. I have used the Mawangtui texts again for lines eight through
twelve, where they have wu-yi:without stop/always in place of the usual wu­ yi:without means to. This usage is also supported by Ho-shang Kung. For line eighteen, I have turned to 
the Mawangtui texts once more, along with Cheng Liang-shu's interpretation of it. The Fuyi and standard editions have: "count­
ing their fame as no fame at all."















79


40	The Tao moves the other way the Tao works through weakness
the things of this world come from something something comes from nothing



LIU CH'EN-WENG says, "Once things reach their limit, they have to go back the other way."
WEI YUAN says, "The Tao moves contrary to how most people look at things."
CHAO CHIH-CHIEN says, "To go back the other way means to return to the root. Those who cultivate the Tao ignore the twigs and seek the root. This is the 
movement of the Tao-to return to where the mind is still and empty and actions soft and weak. The Tao, however, does not actually come or go. It never leaves, hence it cannot 
return. Only what has form returns. 'Something' refers to breath. Before things have form they have breath. Heaven and Earth and the ten thousand things are born from breath. 
Hence they all come from some­ thing. 'Nothing' refers to the Tao. Breath comes from the Tao. Hence it comes from nothing. This is the movement of the Tao."
WANG AN-SHIH says, "The reason the Tao works through weakness is because it is empty. We see it in Heaven blowing through the great void. We see it in Earth 
sinking into the deepest depths."
TE-CH' ING says, "People only know the work of working. They don't know that the work of not working is the greatest work of all. They only know that everything 
comes from something. They don't know that something comes from nothing. If they knew that something carrie from nothing, they would no longer enslave 
themselves to things. They would turn, instead, to the Tao and concentrate on their spirit."
HO-SHANG KUNG says, "The ten thousand things all come from Heaven and Earth. Heaven and Earth have position and form. Hence we say things come from 
something. The light and spirit of Heaven and Earth, the flight of insects, the movement of worms, these all come from the Tao. The Tao has no form. Hence we say things 
come from nothing. This means the root comes before the flower, weakness comes before strength, humility comes before conceit."
LI JUNG says, "'Something' refers to Heaven and Earth. Through the protec­ tion of Heaven and the support of Earth, all things come into being. 'Nothing'

80


refers to the Tao. The Tao is formless and empty, and yet it gives birth to Heaven and Earth. Thus it is said, 'Emptiness is the root of Heaven and Earth. Nothingness is the source of all 
things.' Those who lose the Tao don't realize where things come from."
su CH ' E says, ')\s for the things of this world, I have heard of a mother giving birth to a child. But I have never heard of a child giving birth to its mother."
WANG PI says, "Everything in the world comes from being, and being comes from nonbeing. If you would reach perfect being, you have to go back to nonbeing."
HUANG YUAN-CHI says, "Those who cultivate the Way should act with humil­ ity and harmony. The slightest carelessness, any action at all, can destroy every­ thing. Those who cultivate 
Virtue look to themselves for the truth, not to the words of others. For those who understand that what moves them is also the source of their life, the pill of immortality is not somewhere 
outside."
In line three, some editions add wan: ten thousand to wu:things. The Mawangtui texts reverse the order of verses 40 and 41. Also, some commentators read 40 as a continuation of 39, while others 
combine it with 41. Wentzu: I provides a slightly different version of the first rwo lines: "The Tao works through weak­ ness / the Tao keeps moving the other way."



















•

















81 


41	When a great person hears of the Way he follows it with devotion
when an average person hears of the Way he doesn't know if it's real or not
when a small person hears of the Way
he laughs out loud if he didn't 
laugh
it wouldn't be the Way hence these sayings arose
the brightest path seems dark
the qUickest path seems slow the smoothest path seems 
rough the highest virtue low
the whitest white pitch-black
the greatest virtue wanting the staunchest virtue 
timid the truest truth uncertain
the perfect square lacks corners the perfect tool does 
nothing the  perfect sound is  hushed the perfect form is 
shapeless
the Tao is hidden and has no name
but because it's the Tao
it knows how to start and how to finish




CONFUCIUS says, "To hear of the Tao in the morning is to die content at night­ fall" (Lunyu: 4.8).
LI HSI-CHAI says, "When a great person hears of the Tao, even if people laugh at him, they can't keep him from practicing it. When an 
average person hears

82


of the Tao, even if he doesn't disbelieve it, he can't free himself of doubts. When a small person hears of the Tao, even the ancient sages 
can't keep him from laughing. Everyone in the world thinks existence is real. Who wouldn't shake his head and laugh if he were told 
that existence wasn't real and nonexistence was?"
TE-CH ING says, "The Tao is not what people expect. Hence the ancients cre­ ated these rwelve sayings, which Lao-tzu quotes to make clear 
that the Tao has rwo sides_"



       ' SU CH 


E says, "These 
rwelve sayings refer 
to the Tao as it 
appears to us. 
Wher­


ever we look, we see its examples. The Tao as a whole, however, is hidden in namelessness."
LI JU NG says, "The true Tao is not fast or slow, bright or dark. It has no form, no sound, no shape, and no name. But although it has no 
name, it can take any name."
LU HUI-CH'ING says, "Name and reality are often at odds. The reality of the Tao remains hidden in no name."
LU HSI-SHENG says, "Tools are limited to the realm of form. The Tao is beyond the realm of form."
YEN TSUN says, "The quail runs and flies all day but never far from an over­ grown field. The swan flies a thousand miles but never far 
from a pond. The phoenix, meanwhile, soars into the empyrean vault and thinks it too confin­ ing. Where dragons dwell, small fish swim 
past. Where great birds and beasts live, dogs and chickens avoid."
THE CHANKUOTSE says, "Those who know how to start don't always know how to finish" (31).
In line ten, my reading ofju:pitch-black, instead of the usualju:disgrace, is based on the Fuyi edition. In line sixteen, I have followed Kao Heng in reading 
t'ou: steal as a loan for ju:timid. In the last line, I have gone along with Mawangtui Text B in reading shih:start instead of the usual, and puzzling, 
tai:bestow.









83


42	The Tao gives birth to one one gives birth to two
two gives birth to three
three gives birth to ten thousand things ten thousand things with yin at their backs 
and yang in their embrace
and breath between for harmony what the world hates
to be orphaned widowed or destitute kings use for their titles
thus some gain by losing
others lose by gaining thus what people 
teach I teach too
tyrants never choose their deaths this becomes my teacher



HO-SHANG KUNG says, "The Tao gives birth to the beginning. One gives birth to yin and yang. Yin and yang give birth to the breath between, the mixture of clear 
and turbid. These three breaths divide themselves into Heaven, Earth, and Man and together give birth to the ten thousand things. These elemental breaths are what 
keep the ten thousand things relaxed and balanced. The or­ gans in our chests, the marrow in our bones, the spaces inside plants allow these breaths passage and 
make long life possible."
LI HSI-CHAI says, "The yang we embrace is one. The yin we turn away from is two. Where yin and yang meet and merge is three."



            '
 LU HUI-CH 


ING says, "Dark and unfathomable is yin. 
Bright and perceptible is


yang. As soon as we are born, we all turn our backs on the dark and unfathom­ able yin and turn toward the bright and perceptible yang. Fortunately. we keep ourselves in 
harmony with the breath between."



84


TE-CH' ING says, "'The orphaned,' 'the widowed,' and 'the destitute' are titles of self-effacement. Rulers who are not self-effacing are not looked up to by the world. Thus by losing, 
some people gain. Rulers who are only aware of them­ selves might possess the world, but the world rebels against them. Thus by gaining, some people lose. We all share this Tao, but 
we don't know it except through instruction. What others teach, Lao-tzu also teaches. But Lao-tzu ex­ cels others in teaching us to reduce our desires and to be humble, to practice the 
virtue of harmony, and to let this be our teacher."
CHIAO HUNG says, "Those who love victory make enemies. The ancients taught this, and so does Lao-tzu. But Lao-tzu goes further and calls this his 'teacher.'"
KAO HENG says, 'i\ccording to the Shuoyuan: 10.25, 'Tyrants never choose their deaths' was an ancient saying, which Confucius attributed to the Chinjenming. This is what Lao-tzu refers to 
when he says 'what others teach.'"
WANG p' ANG says, "Whatever contains the truth can be our teacher. Tyrants kill others and are the most hated of creatures. But we can learn the principle of creation and 
destruction from them."
In line seven, I have followed Mawangtui Text A, which has chung:between in place of the usual ch 'ung:empty. The Yunchi Chichien says, "When breath is pure, it becomes Heaven. When 
turgid, it becomes Earth. And the mixture of the breath between them becomes Man." Lines nine and ten are echoed in verse
39. In line thirteen, I have incorporated ku:thus from Mawangtui Text A. In line fourteen, several Tunhuang copies add yi:justly, while Mawangtui Text A has yi:thoughtfully. Both are 
apparently mistakes for the nearly identicalwo:I, which appears in the Fuyi and standard editions.
















85


43	The weakest thing in the world
excels the strongest thing in the world
what doesn't exist finds room where there is none thus we know doing nothing succeeds 
teaching without words
succeeding without effort
few in the world can equal this




LAO-TZU says, "Nothing in the world is weaker than water I but against the hard and the strong I nothing excels it" (78).
WANG TAO says, "Eight feet of water can float a thousand-ton ship. Six feet of leather can control a thousand-mile horse. Thus the weak excels the strong. Sunlight 
has no substance, yet it can fill a dark room. Thus what doesn't exist enters what has no cracks."
Concerning the first two lines, H UAI-NAN-TZU says, "The light of the sun shines across the Four Seas bur cannot penetrate a closed door or a covered window. While 
the light of the spirit reaches everywhere and nourishes everything." Concerning the second couplet, he says, "Illumination once asked Nonexist­ ence if it 
acrually existed or not. Nonexistence made no response. Unable to perceive any sign of its existence, Illumination sighed and said, 'I, too, do not exist, but I 
cannot equal the nonexistence of Nonexistence'" (12).
LI  HSI -CHAI  says, "Things are not acrually things. What we call 'strong' is a fiction. Once it reaclres its limit, it rerurns to nothing. Thus the weakest thing 
in the world is able to overcome the strongest thing in the world. Or do you think the reality of nonexistence cannot break through the fiction of existence?"
WANG PI says, "There is nothing breath cannot enter and nothing water cannot penetrate. What does not exist cannot be exhausted. And what is 
perfectly weak cannot be broken. From this we can infer that doing nothing brings success."

su CH E says, "If we control the strong with the strong, one will break, or the
other will shatter. But if we control the strong with the weak, the weak will not be exhausted, and the strong will not be damaged. Water is like this. If we use

86


existence to enter existence, neither is able to withstand the other. But if we use nonexistence to enter existence, the former will not strain itself, while the lat­ ter will remain unaware. Spirits 
are like this."
HO-SHANG KUNG says, '''What doesn't exist' refers to the Tao. The Tao has no form or substance. Hence it can come and go, even where there is not any space. It can fil the 
spirit and help all creatures. We don't see it do anything, and yet the ten thousand things are transformed and completed. Thus we realize the benefit to mankind of doing nothing. 
Imitating the Tao, we don't speak. We follow it with our bodies. Imitating the Tao, we don't act. We care for ourselves, and our spirit prospers. We care for our country. and the peo­ 
ple flourish. And we do this without effort or trouble. But few can match the Tao in caring for things by doing nothing. Lao-tzu's final 'in the world' refers to rulers."
YEN TSU N says, ';<\ction is the beginning of chaos. Stillness is the origin of order. Speech is the door of misfortune. Silence is the gate of blessing."
TE-CH' ING says, "Words mean traces. Traces mean knowledge. Knowledge means presumption. Presumption means involvement. And involvement means failure."
One day CONFUCIUS said, "I would rather not speak." Tzu-kung asked, "If you do not speak, what will we have to record?" Confucius replied, "Does Heaven speak? The seasons travel 
their course, and creatures all flourish. What does Heaven say?" (Lunyu: 17.19).



















87


44	Which is more vital fame or health
which is more precious health or riches
which is more harmful
loss or gain
the deeper the love the  higher the  cost 
the bigger the treasure
the greater the loss
•
who knows contentment suffers no shame
who knows restraint encounters no 
trouble and thus lives long








HUANG MAO-TS AI says, 'What the world calls fame is something external, and yet people abandon their bodies to fight for it. What the world 
calls riches are unpredictable, and yet people sacrifice their bodies to possess them. How can they know what is vital or precious? Even if they succeed, 
it's at the cost of their health."
SSU-MA KUANG says, ''Which is more harmful: to gain riches and fame and lose one's health, or to gain one's health and lose riches and fame?"
LU HUI-CH'ING says, "Heroes seek fame and merchants seek riches, even to the point of giving up their lives. The one loves fame because he 
wants to glorify himself. But the more he loves fame, the more he loses what he would really glorify. Hence the cost is high. The other amasses 
wealth because he wants to enrich himself. But the more wealth he amasses, the more he harms what he would truly enrich. Hence the loss is 
great. Meanwhile, the man of virtue knows the most vital thing is within himself. Thus he seeks no fame and suffers no disgrace. He knows the most 
precious thing is within himself. Thus he seeks no riches and encounters no trouble. Hence he lives long."

88


LI HSI-CHAI says, "If we love something, the more we love it, the more it costs us. If we treasure something, the more we treasure it, the more it exhausts us. A little results in shame. A 
lot results in ruin. And regret comes too late. A wise person is not like this. He knows that he has everything he needs within him­ self. Hence he does not seek anything outside himself. Thus 
those who would shame him find nothing to shame. He knows his own limits, and his limits are the Tao. Hence he doesn't act unless according to the Tao. Thus those who would trouble him 
find nothing to trouble. Hence he survives and, surviving, lives long."
HO-SHANG KUNG says, "Excessive sensual desire exhausts our spirit. Excessive material desire brings us misfortune. The living keep their treasures in store­ rooms. The dead keep 
their treasures in graves. The living worry about thieves. The dead worry about grave robbers. Those who know contentment find happiness and wealth in themselves and don't 
exhaust their spirit. If they should govern a country; they don't trouble their people. Thus they are able to live long."
H UAI- NAN-TZU says, "Long ago Chih Po-ch'iao attacked and defeated Fan Chung-hsing. He also attacked the leaders of Han and Wei and took parts of their territories. Still he felt 
this wasn't enough, so he raised another army and attacked Yueh. But Han and Wei counter-attacked, and Chih's army was defeated near Chinyang, and he was killed east of Kaoliang. His 
skull became a drinking bowl, his kingdom was divided among the victors, and he was ridiculed by the world. This is what happens when you don't know when to stop" (IS).
Some editions preface lines seven and/or eleven with ku:thus.
















89


45	The greatest thing seems incomplete yet it never wears out
the fullest thing seems empty yet it never runs dry
the straightest thing seems crooked the cleverest thing seems 
clumsy the richest thing seems poor activity overcomes cold
stillness overcomes heat who can be perfectly 
still is able to govern the world



WU CH' ENG says, "To treat the great as great, the full as full, the straight as straight, and the clever as clever is mundane. To 
treat what seems incomplete as great, what seems empty as full, what seems crooked as straight, what seems clumsy as 
clever, this is transcendent. This is the meaning of Lao-tzu's entire book: opposites complement each other."
LU NUNG-SHIH says, "The greatest thing cannot be seen in its entirety; hence it seems incomplete. The fullest thing cannot 
be seen in its totality; hence it seems empty. The straightest thing cannot be seen in its completeness, hence it seems 
crooked. The cleverest thing cannot be seen in its perfection, hence it seems clumsy."
            'E says, "The world considers what is not incomplete as great, hence great includes worn out. It considers what 
is not empty as full, hence full in­ cludes exhausted. The sage, meanwhile, doesn't mind if the greatest thing is incomplete or 
the fullest thing is empty. For the greatest thing never wears out, and the fullest thing never runs dry."
HAN FEI says, "Ordinary people employ their spirit in activity. But activity means extravagance, and extravagance means 
wastefulness. The sage employs his spirit in stillness. Stillness means moderation, and moderation means frugality."



90


           ' SUNG 
CH 


ANG-HSING says, "We keep 
warm in winter by moving 
around. But


sooner or later we stop moving and become cold again. We keep cool in sum­ mer by sitting still. But sooner or later we stop sitting still and become hot again. This is not the way of long 
life. This is how the great become incom­ plete, the full become empty. the straight become crooked, and the clever be­ come clumsy. Those who want balance should look for it in perfect 
stillness. Perfect stillness is the essence of the Tao. Those who achieve such balance are free from hot and cold."
Ll HSI-CHAI says, '1\ctivity overcomes cold but cannot overcome heat. Stillness overcomes heat but cannot overcome cold. Whereas perfect stillness or lack of effort doesn't try to overcome 
anything, and yet nothing in the world can over­ come it. Thus it is said that perfect stillness can govern the world."
CONFUCIUS says, "Those who govern with virtue are like the North Star, which remains in its place, while the myriad stars revolve around it" (Lunyu: 2.1).
In most editions, line seven reads: "the most eloquent thing seems dumb." I have replaced this with the version introduced by Mawangtui Text B, with which the commentary of 
Yen Tsun agrees. A number of commentators have had trouble making sense of lines eight and nine and have wondered if they are not corrupt. Some, for example, have suggested: "cold 
overcomes hot I still­ ness overcomes activity" as more in keeping with Lao-tzu's usage of these terms elsewhere (26, 60, and 72). I have accepted them as they stand. In line ten, I have gone 
along with the Fuyi text's addition of chih:know how. And in the last line, I have followed Mawangtui Text A in adding k'o:able.

















91 


46	When the Tao prevails
courier horses manure fields instead of roads when the Tao fails
war-horses are raised on the border
no crime is worse than yielding to desire no wrong is greater than discontent
no curse is crueler than getting what you want the contentment ofbeing content
is true contentment indeed




HO-SHANG KUNG says, "'When the Tao prevails' means the ruler possesses the Tao. In ordering the country. he does not use weapons, and he sends courier 
horses back to do farm work. In ordering himself, he redirects his yang essence to fertilize his body."
YEN TSUN says, "The lives of the people depend on the ruler. And the position of the ruler depends on the people. When a ruler possesses the Tao, the people prosper. 
When a ruler loses the Tao, the people suffer."
WANG PI says, "When the Tao prevails, contentment reigns. People don't seek external things but cultivate themselves instead. Courier horses are sent home to manure 
fields. When people don't control their desires, when they don't cultivate themselves but seek external things instead, cavalry horses are bred on the borders."



        '
 WU CH 


ENG says, "In ancient times, 
every district of sixty-four 
neighborhoods


was required to provide a horse for the army."
CHIAO HUNG says, 'i\ border' refers to the land between two states. When war-horses are raised on the border, it means soldiers have not been home for a long 
time."
THE YENTIEHLU N says, "It is said thadong ago, before the wars with the north­ ern Hu and the southern Yueh, taxes were low; and the people were well off. Their 
clothes were warm, and their larders were stocked. Cattle and horses grazed in herds. Farmers used horses to pull ploughs and carts. Nobody rode


92


them. During this period, even the swiftest horses were used to manure fields.
Later, when armies arose, there were never enough horses for the cavalry, and mares were used as well. Thus, colts were born on the battlefield" (IS).
LI HSI-CHAI says, ''When the ruler possesses the Tao, soldiers become farm­ ers. When the ruler does not possess the Tao, farmers become soldiers. Some­ one 
who understands the Tao turns form into emptiness. Someone who does not understand the Tao turns emptiness into form. To yield to desire means to want. Not to know 
contentment means to grasp. To get what you want means to possess. Want gives birth to grasping, and grasping gives birth to possess­ ing, and there is no end to 
possessing. But once we know that we do not need to grasp anything outside ourselves, we know contentment. And once we know contentment, there is nothing 
with which we are not content."
LU HSI-SHENG says, "When the mind sees something desirable and wants it, even though it does not accord with reason, there is no worse crime. When want 
knows no limit, and it brings harm to others, there is no greater wrong. When every desire has to be satisfied, and the mind never stops burning, there is no crueler curse. We 
all have enough. When we are content with enough, we are content wherever we are."
LU TUNG-PIN says, "To know contentment means the Tao prevails. Not to know contentment means the Tao fails. What we know comes from our mind, which 
Lao-tzu represents as a horse. When we know contentment, our horse stays home. When we don't know contentment, it guards the border. When the Tao prevails, we 
put the whip away."
HSUAN-TSUNG says, "Material contentment is not contentment. Spiritual con- tentment 1.  S true contentment."





































93


47	Without going out his door he knows the whole 
world
without looking out his window he knows the Way of  Heaven 
the farther people go
the less people know
therefore the sage knows without moving names without seeing
succeeds without trying




CH UANG-TZU says, "Who takes Heaven as his ancestor, Virtue as his home, the Tao as his door, and who escapes change is a sage" (33.1).
HO-SHANG KUNG says, "The sage understands other persons by understand­ ing himself. He understands other families by understanding his own family. Thus he 
understands the whole world. Man and Heaven are linked to each other. If the ruler is content, the breath of Heaven will be calm. If the ruler is greedy; Heaven's breath 
will be unstable. The sage does not have to ascend into the sky or descend into the depths to understand Heaven and Earth."
WANG PI says, "Events have a beginning. Things have a leader. Though roads diverge, they lead back together. Though thoughts multiply; they all share one thing. The Way 
has one constant. Reason has one principle. Holding onto the ancient Way; we are able to master the present. Though we live today; we can understand the distant past. We 
can understand without going outside. If we don't understand, going farther only leads us farther astray."
SU C H' E says, "The reason the sages of the past understood everything without going anywhere was simply because they kept their natures whole. People let themselves 
be misled by things and allow their natures to be split into ears and eyes, body and mind. Their vision becomes limited to sights, and their hearing becomes limited to sounds."
WANG P' ANG says, "If we wait to see before we become aware and wait to be­ come aware before we know, we can see ten thousand different views and still be blind to 
the reason that binds them all together."


94


LI HSI-CHAI says, "Those who look for Heaven and Earth outside look for forms. But Heaven and Earth cannot be fathomed through form, only through reason. Once we realize that 
reason is right here, it doesn't matter if we close our door. For the sage, knowledge is not limited to form. Hence he doesn't have to go anywhere. Name is not limited to matter. Hence he 
doesn't have to look anywhere. Success is not limited to action. Hence he doesn't have to do anything."
LA 0 - TZU says, "The name that becomes a name / is not the Immortal Name" (l).
CH ENG HSUAN-YING says, "'Without moving' means to know without depending on previous or external experience. 'Without seeing' means to know that everything is 
empty and that there is nothing to see. 'Without trying' means to focus the spirit on the tranquility that excels at making things happen."
            'ENG says, "'Succeeds without trying' is the result of the previous two lines. Because the sage knows everything without going anywhere and sees everything without 
looking at anything, he succeeds at everything without any effort at all."
Some commentators wonder if line eight is not corrupt, if ming:name is not a mistake for ming:understand, and if the line should not instead read: "he under­ stands without seeing." However, 
the only early edition that supports such an emendation is that of Han Fei. In a similar sequence, theChungyung has: "flour­ ish without any display / change without any movement / succeed 
without any effort" (26.6). I have retained line eight as it stands.
















95


48	Those who seek learning gain every day those who seek the Way lose every day
they lose and they lose
until they find nothing to do
nothing to do means nothing not done who rules the world isn't busy
if someone is busy
he can't rule the world




HO-SHANG KUNG says, '''Learning' refers to knowledge of administration and rhetoric, ritual and music."
CONFUCIUS asked Tzu-kung, "Do you think I learn in order to increase my knowledge?" Tzu-kung answered, "Well, don't you?" Confucius said, "No, I seek 
one thing that ties everything together" (Lunyu: 15.2).
SUNG CH' ANG-HSING says, "Those who seek the Tao don't use their ears or eyes. They look within, not without. They obey their natures, not their desires.
They don't value knowledge. They consider gaining as losing and losing as
. .	.,
gammg.
YEN TSUN says, "Get rid of knowledge. The knowledge of no knowledge is the ancestor of all knowledge and the teacher of Heaven and Earth."
WANG PI says, "Those who seek learning seek to improve their ability or to in­ crease their mastery. while those who seek the Tao seek to return to emptiness and 
nothingness. When something is done, something is left out. When noth­ ing is done, nothing is not done."
HUAI-NAN-TZU says, "The sage cultivates the inner root and does not make a display of the outer twigs. He protects his spirit and eliminates cleverness. He does 
nothing, which means he doesn't act until others act. And yet there is nothing that isn't done, which means he relies on the actions of others" (1).
TE-CH' ING says, "He who seeks the Tao begins by using wisdom to eliminate desires. Thus he loses. Once his desires are gone, he eliminates wisdom. Thus he loses 
again. And he goes on like this until the mind and the world are both forgotten, until selfish desires are completely eliminated, and he reaches the

96


state of doing nothing. And while he does nothing, the people transform them­ selves. Thus by doing nothing, the sage can do great things. Hence those who would rule the world should know the 
value of not being busy."
K U MARAJ I VA says, "Those who lose eliminate everything coarse until they for­ get about the bad, then they eliminate everything fine until they forget about the good. The bad is what they 
dislike. The good is what they like. First they eliminate dislikes, then they eliminate likes. Once they forget their likes and dislikes and cut themselves offfrom desire, their virrue becomes one 
with the Tao, and they reach the state of doing nothing. And while they do nothing, they let others do what they want. Hence there is nothing that isn't done."
SU CH'E says, "Everyone wants to rule the world. But when people see others doing something to possess it, they cringe. And when the people see the sage doing nothing, they rejoice. The 
sage doesn't seek to rule the world. The world comes to him."

TS'	'UNG says, "When someone uses laws to restrict the world, might
AO TAO-CH
to compel it, knowledge to silence it, and majesty to impress it, there are al­ ways those who don't follow. When someone rules by means of the Tao, the world follows without thinking. 
'The world' refers to the ten thousand things."
WEN-TZU says, "In ancient times, those who were good rulers imitated the sea. The sea becomes great by doing nothing. Doing nothing, it governs hundreds of rivers and streams. Thus it rules by 
not being busy" (8).



















97


49	The sage has no mind of his own his mind is the mind ofthe 
people
to the good he is good to the bad he is good 
until they become good to the true he is true
to the false he is true until they become 
true
in the world the sage withdraws with others he merges his 
mind people open their ears and eyes the sage covers them 
up



SU C H'E says, "Emptiness has no form. It .takes on the form of the ten thousand things. If emptiness had its own form it could not form anything else. Thus the sage has no mind 
of his own. He takes on the minds of the people and treats everyone the same."
HUI-TSUNG says, "Because it is empty; the sage's mind can receive. Because it is still, it can respond."
YEN TSUN says, '1\ mindless mind is the chief of all minds. The sage, therefore, has no mind of his own but embraces the minds of the people. Free of love and hate, he is not 
the enemy of evil or the friend of good. He is not the protector of truth or the attacker of falsehood. He supports like the earth and covers like the sky. He illuminates like the 
sun and transforms like the spirit."
WANG p'ANG says, "Good and bad are the result of delusions, and delusions are the result of self-centered minds. Those who open themselves up to the Great Way. 
though their eyes see good and bad, their minds distinguish no differ­ ences. They don't treat the bad with goodness out of pity but because they don't perceive 
any difference. Though the ten thousand things are different, their differences are equally real-and equally false. To see the real in the false and the false in the real is how 
the sage's wisdom differs from others."


98


CONFUCIUS says, "In his dealings with the world, the great man is neither for nor against anyone. He follows whatever is right" (Lunyu: 4.ro).
WANG PI says, "The mind of the sage has no point of view, and his thoughts have no direction."
JEN FA-JUNG says, "Wherever the sage goes in the world, he acts humble and withdrawn and blends in with others. He treats everyone, noble or common, rich or poor, with the 
same kindness and equality. His mind merges with theirs. Ordinary people concentrate on what they hear and see and concern themselves with their own welfare. The sage's mind is 
like that of a new-born baby; pure and impartial."
HSUAN-TSUNG says, "The sage covers up the tracks of his mind by blending in with others."

' ENG HSUAN-YING says, "Stop the eyes and the ears, and the other senses
follow."
In lines five and eight, some editions have te:virtue in place of te:until. Although the two characters were interchangeable, I have sided with the Fuyi and Yen Tsun editions in choosing "until." 
For lines eleven and twelve, most commen­ tators read: "the people focus their ears and eyes on him / and the sage treats them like babies." But in verses ro, 20, 28, and 55, Lao-tzu likens 
the sage, not the people, to a child, and I suspect the text is corrupt here. Unfortunately; both Mawangtui texts are indecipherable, while the Fuyi variation ofk'o:cough,    the
Tunhuangvariation of hai:su.ffer, and Yen Tsun's hai:startle are clearly loans. But
loans for what? Most commentators argue for hai:infant. I've gone along with
Kao Heng, who suggests ai:obstruct.















99


50	Appearing means life
disappearing means death thirteen are the followers of life 
thirteen are the followers of death but people living to live
join the land of death's thirteen and why
because they live to live
it's said that those who guard life well aren't injured by soldiers in battle
or harmed by rhinos or tigers in the wild
for rhinos have nowhere to sink their horns tigers have nowhere to sink their claws
and soldiers have nowhere to sink their blades and why
because for them there is no land of death









' ENG CHU says, "Of the ten thousand changes we all experience, none are
more important than life and death. People who cultivate the Tao are con­ cerned with nothing except transcending these boundaries."
In lines three, four, and six, the phraseshih-yu-san has long puzzled commenta­ tors. HAN FEI says it means "three and ten" or "thirteen" and refers to the four limbs and 
nine orifices of the body. which can be guarded to preserve life or indulged to end it.
TU ER-WEI also reads "thirteen" but sees its numerical significance in the moon, which becomes full thirteen days after it first appears and which disap­ pears after 
another thirteen days.
WANG PI says it means "three in ten" and refers to three attirudes toward life among ten people. WANG AN-SHIH summarizes these as: "Some seek life be­ 
cause they hate death, some seek death because they hate life, and some live as


100


if they were dead." The remainder belongs to the sage, who neither hates death nor loves life, but who lives long.
The Mawangtui texts, which I have followed, word lines five and six in such a way as to make Wang Pi's interpretation unlikely; if not impossible. As for choosing between Han Fei and Tu 
Er-wei, I think Tu's interpretation comes closer to what Lao-tzu had in mind.
WANG PI says, "Eels consider the depths too shallow, and eagles consider the mountains too low. Living beyond the reach of arrows and nets, they dwell in the land of no death. But by 
means of bait, they are lured into the land of no life."
SU CH'E says, "We know how to act but not how to rest. We know how to talk but not how to keep still. We know how to remember but not how to forget. Everything we do leads to the land of 
death. The sage dwells where there is neither life nor death."
TE-CH'ING says, "Those who guard their life don't cultivate life but what con­ trols life. What has life is form. What controls life is nature. When we cultivate our nature, we return to what is real 
and forget bodily form. Once we forget form, our self becomes empty. Once our self is empty; nothing can harm us. Once there is no self, there is no life. How could there be death?"
CHIAO HUNG says, "The sage has no life. Not because he slights it, but because he doesn't possess it. If someone has no life, how can he be killed? Those who understand this can transcend 
change and make of life and death a game."
I have followed the Mawangtui wording of lines five, six, and also eight, to which some editions add the phrase chih-hou:to excess, while others add the last two lines of verse 75 as well. 
Although soldiers are still plentiful in China, tigers are rare, and rhinos limited to the imagination of a zoologist I met in Sian at the Chinese Academy of Science, who reports seeing them in 
the nearby Chinling Range.












101 


5 1	The Way begets them Virtue keeps them
matter shapes them usage completes them
thus do all things honor the Way and glorifY Virtue
the honor of the Way
the glory of Virtue are not conferred but 
always so
the Way begets and keeps them cultivates and trains them 
steadies and adjusts them nurtures and protects them
but begets without possessing acts without presuming
and cultivates without controlling this is called Dark Virtue








            ' ENG says, "What is begotten is sprouted in spring; what is kept is col­ lected in fall; what is shaped is raised in summer from sprouts grown in spring; what is 
completed is stored in winter from the harvest of fall. Begetting, rais­ ing, harvesting, and storing all depend on the Way and Virtue. Hence the ten thousand things honor the 
Tao as their father and glorify Virtue as their mother. The Way and Virtue are rwo, but also one. In spring, from one root many are begotten: the Way becomes 
Virtue. In fall, the many are brought back together: Virtue becomes the Way. The Way and Virtue are mentioned at the beginning of this verse, but only the Way is mentioned 
later. This is because Virtue is also the Way."
LI	HSI-CHAI	says, "What the Way and Virtue bestow, they bestow without thought. No one orders them. It is simply their nature. It is their nature 
to

1 02


beget and their nature to keep. It is their nature to cultivate and train, to steady and adjust, to nurture and protect. And because it's their nature, they never tire of begetting or expect a 
reward for what they give. This is what is meant by 'Dark Virtue.'"
LU HSI-SHENG says, "To beget is to endow with essence. To keep is to instill with breath. To cultivate is to adapt to form. To train is to bring forth ability. To steady is to weigh the end. 
To adjust is to measure the use. To nurture is to preserve the balance. To protect is to keep from harm. This is the Great Way. It begets but does not try to possess what it begets. It acts 
but does not presume on what it does. It cultivates bue does not try to control what it culti­ vates. This is Dark Virtue. In verse ro, Man is likened to the Way and Virtue. Here, the Way and Virtue 
are likened to Man. The expressions are the same, and so is the meaning."
HO-SHANG KUNG says, "The Way does not beget the myriad creatures to pos­ sess them for its own advantage. The actions of the Way do not depend on a reward. And the Way does 
not cultivate or nurture the myriad creatures to buecher them for profit. The kindness performed by the Way is dark and invis­ ible." Where Ho-shang Kung reads 'buecher," Lu Hsi-sheng reads 
"control." I have followed Lu.
WANG PI says, "The Way is what things follow. Virtue is what they attain. 'Dark Virtue' means virtue is present bue no one knows who controls it. It comes from what is hidden."
In line four, I have followed the Mawangtui texts in reading ch'i:usage for shih:condition. I have also gone along with the Mawangtui texts in omitting mo­ pu:none does not from line five and in 
using their version of line twelve, in which ting:steady and tu:atljust appear in place of ch'eng:mature and shu:ripen.














1 03


52	The world has a maiden
she becomes the world's mother who knows the mother 
understands the child
who understands the child keeps the mother safe
and lives without trouble
who blocks the opening who closes the gate 
lives without toil
who unblocks the opening who meddles in affairs 
lives without hope
who sees the small has vision
who protects the weak has strength
•	who uses his light
who trusts his vision lives beyond 
death
this is the Hidden Immortal




LAO-TZU says, "The maiden of Heaven and Earth has no name / the mother of all things has a name" (1)_
KUAN-TZU says, "The ancients say. 'No one understands a child better than its father. No one understands a minister better than his ruler'" (7).
LI HSI-CHAI says, "The Way is the mother of all things. Things are the children of the Way. In ancient times, those who possessed the Way were able to keep mother 
and children from parting and the Way and things together. Since things come from the Way. they are no different from the Way. just as children are no different from 
their mother. And yet people abandon things when they search for the Way. Is this any different from abandoning the children while

104


searching for the mother? If people knew that things are the Way. and children are the mother, they would find the source in 
everything they meet."
CONFUCIUS says, "Things have their roots and branches. Those who know what comes first and last approach the Tao 
(Tahsueh: intro.).
TUNG SSU-CHING says, "People are born when they receive breath. Breath is their mother. And spirit dwells in their 
breath. When children care for their mother, their breaths become one and their spirits become still."
WU CH ENG says, '''Opening' refers to the mouth. 'Gate' refers to the nose. By controlling our breath to the point where 
there is no breath, where breath is concentrated within, we are never exhausted."
WANG p'ANG says, "When the opening opens, things enter. And the spirit is ex­ hausted trying to deal with the problems that 
develop. Once we are swept away by this flood, who can save us?"
HSUAN-TSUNG says, "If someone can see an event while it is still small and can change his behavior, we say he has vision."
WANG PI says, "Seeing the great is not vision. Seeing the small is vision. Pro­ tecting the strong is not strength. Protecting 
the weak is strength."
WANG AN-s HI H says, "Light is the function of vision. Vision is the embodiment of light. If we can use the light to find our way 
back to the source, we can live our lives free of misfortune and become one with the Immortal Way."
While translating this verse, I have often recalled Confucius' words: "When I was young, historians still left blanks" (Lunyu: 
15.25). Not being a historian, I have proceeded despite uncertainty. In the last line, I have based my reading of ch'ang:immortal, in 
place of the usual constant, on the fact that ch'ang is also the name of the Spirit of the West, namely the new and reborn moon.












1 05


53	?  ?l  ?  1t	Were I sufficiently wise


? 3t	•	?




I would follow the Great Way	I


?	*•	ili?
	;ffr


I
•
•
and only fear going astray


?if	1tftl	f%!i1.


the G reat Way is 
smooth
•


It  itl


•	1'T?-
	but people 
love byways


?	_•
	fI:it


ji;*-


their palaces are spotless


? ? lt


their fields are overgrown


*'	•	•	and their granaries are empty




)'t


:itEE


?"it	they 
wear fine clothes


M	.	?	they carry sharp swords
? ;t	•


?•
	:ith
t


*-lt


and possess more than 
they need
this is called robbery


?	•
	:it



and robbery is not the Way











KU HSI-CH'OU says, "The Tao is not hard to know, but it is hard to follow."
HO-SHANG KUNG says, "Lao-tzu was concerned that rulers of his day did not follow the Great Way Hence he hypothesized that if he knew enough to con­ duct 
the affairs of a country, he would follow the Great Way and devote himself to implementing the policy of doing nothing."
LU HSI-SHENG says, "The Great Way is like a grand thoroughfare: smooth and easy to travel, perfectly straight and free of detours, and there is nowhere it 
doesn't lead. But people are in a hurry. They take shortcuts and get into trouble and become lost and don't reach their destination. The sage only worries about leading people 
down such a path."
LI HSI-CHAI says, "A spotless palace refers to the height of superficiality. An overgrown field refers to an uncultivated mind. An empty granary refers to a 
lackof virtue."
HAN FEI says, "When the court is in good repair, lawsuits abound. When law­ suits abound, fields become overgrown. When fields become overgrown,


106


granaries become empty. When granaries become empty. the country be­ comes poor. When the country becomes poor, customs become decadent, and 
there is no trick the people don't try."



          ' 
SUNG CH 


ANG-HSING 


says, "When the 
court ignores the 
affairs of state to 
beau­


tifY its halls and interrupts farmwork to build towers and pavilions, the people's energy ends up at court, and fields turn to weeds. Once fields turn to weeds, 
state taxes are not paid and granaries become empty. And once grana­ ries are empty. the country becomes poor, and the people become rebellious. When the 
court dazzles the people with fine clothes, and threatens the people with sharp swords, and takes from the people more than it needs, this is no different than 
robbing them."
LI JUNG says, "A robber is someone who never has enough and who takes more than he needs."
WANG PI says, "To gain possession of something by means other than the Way is wrong. And wrong means robbery."
WANG NIEN-SUN sees a problem with the standard version of line three, which reads: "and only fear acting." Wang suggests shih:act should read yi:go astray. The 
Mawangtui texts have t'a:he, which is clearly a mistake but which makesyi just as likely as shih. All three characters are nearly identical. Further support for Wang's 
suggested emendation comes from the connection it provides be­ tween line three and lines four and five, all of which share a common rhyme.
In the last two lines, tao:rob is followed by k'ua:grand in the Fuyi edition and blank text in the Mawangtui editions. I have read  k'ua as  a mistake for a nearly 
identical character: hsi, which functions like a comma and which provides a sharper delineation of the Chinese pun in which robbery and Way are homophones.













107 


54	What is planted right is not uprooted what is held right is not ripped 
away
future generations worship it forever cultivated in the self virtue becomes real 
cultivated in the family virtue multiplies cultivated in the village virtue increases 
cultivated in the state virtue prospers cultivated in the world virtue abounds thus 
view the self through the self
view the family through the family view the village through the 
village view the state through the state view the world through the 
world
how do we know what the world is like through this



WU CH' ENG says, "Those who plant it right, plant without planting. Thus it is never uprooted. Those who hold it right, hold without holding. Thus it is never ripped 
away."
WANG AN-SHIH says, 'What we plant right is virtue. What we hold right is oneness. When virtue flourishes, distant generations give praise."
TS AO TAO-C H U NG says, "First improve yourself, then reach outto others, and to later generations bequeath the noble, pure, and kindly Tao. Thus blessings reach your 
descendants, virtue grows, beauty lasts, and worship never ends."



           '
 SUNG CH 


ANG-HSING 


says, "In ancient times, ancestral 
worship consisted in


choosing an auspicious day before the full moon, in fasting, in selecting sacrifi· cial animals, in purifying the ritual vessels, in preparing a feast on the appointed day. in venerating 
ancestors as if they were present, and in thanking them for their virtuous example. Those who cultivate the Way likewise enable later gen· erations to enjoy the fruits of their 
cultivation."


1 08





55	He who contains virtue in abundance resembles a newborn child
wasps don't sting him beasts don't claw 
him
birds of prey don't carry him off
his bones are weak his tendons are soft and yet his grip is firm
he hasn't known the union of sexes
and yet his penis is stiff so full of essence is he 
he cries all day
yet never gets hoarse so full of breath is he
who knows how to breathe endures who knows how to endure is wise 
who lengthens his life tempts luck who breathes with his will is strong but 
virility means old age
this isn't the Way
what isn't the Way ends early



WANG	p'ANG says, "The nature of virtue is lasting abundance. But its abun­ dance fades with the onset of thoughts and desires."

su	' E says, "Once we have a mind, we have a body. And once we have a body,
we have enemies. If we did not have a mind, we would not have enemies and could not be harmed. The reason a newborn child is not harmed is because il has no 
mind."
HO-SHANG KUNG says, ''A newborn child doesn't harm anyone, and no Oil<'
harms it. In an age of perfect peace, mankind knows neither noble nor basI' Even wild beasts do people no harm."

110 


TE-CH' ING says, "Those who cultivate the Tao should first focus their minds. When the mind doesn't stray, it becomes calm. When the mind becomes calm, breath becomes balanced. 
When breath becomes balanced, essence becomes stable, spirit becomes serene, and our true nature is restored. Once we know how to breathe, we know how to endure. And once 
we know how to endure, we know our true nature. If we don't know our true nature but only know how to nourish our body and lengthen our lives, we end up harming our 
body and destroying our lives. A restless mind disturbs the breath. When the breath is disturbed, the essence weakens. And when the essence weakens, the body withers."
HSUN-TZU says, "Everything must breathe to live . When we know how to breathe, we know how to nurture life and how to endure" (17).
                 ' ANG-HSING says, "The basis of life rests on this breath. If someone can nourish the pure and balanced breath within himself for fifteen minutes, he will 
discover the principle of Heaven and Earth's immortality. If he can do this for half an hour, he will enter the gate of eternity. But if he tries to extend his life or force his breath, he will 
create the womb of his destruction."
WANG AN-SHIH says, "Life cannot be extended. But people keep trying and thus incur misfortune."
MOU -TZU says, "Those who attain the Way don't become active and don't be­ come strong. They don't become strong and don't become old. They don't become old and don't 
become ill. They don't become ill and don't decay. Thus Lao-tzu calls the body a disaster" (32).
The Mawangtui texts compress lines three through five into rwo lines. In lines thirteen and fourteen, I have followedHuainantzu: 2 and Huangti Neiching: 69-70 in reading  ho:gentle as short 
for  ho-ch'i:gentle breath.  Line  fifteen  also appears in verse 16, and the last three lines also occur at the end of verse 30.












1 1 1


56	Those who know don't talk those who talk don't 
know
seal the opening close the 
gate dull the edge untie the 
tangle soften the light join 
the dust
this is called the Dark Union it can't be embraced
it can't be abandoned
it can't be helped it can't be 
harmed it can't be exalted it 
can't be debased
thus does the world exalt it




HO-SHANG KUNG says, "Those who know value deeds not words. A team or
horses can't overtake the tongue. More talk means more problems."
TS' AO TAO-CH' UNG says, "Those who grasp the truth forget about words. Those who don't practice what they talk about are no different from those who don't 
know."
SU CH'E says, "The Tao isn't talk, but it doesn't exclude talk. Those who know don't necessarily talk, and those who talk don't necessarily knOw."
HUANG YUAN-CHI says, "We seal the opening and close the gate to nourish the breath. We dull the edge and untie the tangle to still the spirit. We soften th(' light 
and join the dust to adapt to the times and flow with the world."
LI HSI-CHAI says, "By sealing the opening. we guard the exit. By closing the gate. we bar the entrance. By dulling the edge, we adjust the inside. By untying the tangle, we 
straighten the outside. By softening the light, we focus on our-

1 12


selves. By joining the dust, we adapt to others. What is devoid of exit and en­ trance, inside and outside, self and other, we call the Dark Union."
WANG TAO says, "The Dark Union unites all things but leaves no visible trace."
WANG PI says, "If something can be embraced, it can be abandoned. If some­ thing can be helped, it can be harmed. If something can be exalted, it can be debased."
TE-CH' ING says, "The sage transcends the mundane and the superficial, hence he cannot be embraced. His utter honesty enables others to see, hence he can­ not be abandoned. He is 
content and free of desires, hence he cannot be helped. He dwells beyond life and death, hence he cannot be harmed. He views high position as so much dust, hence he cannot be exalted. 
Beneath his rags he har­ bors jade, hence he cannot be debased. The sage walks in the world, yet his mind transcends the material realm. Hence he is exalted by the world."
WEI YUAN says, "Those who seal the opening and close the gate don't love or hate, hence they don't embrace or abandon anything. Those who dull the edge and untie the tangle don't 
seek help, and thus they suffer no harm. Those who soften the light and join the dust don't exalt themselves, and thus they aren't debased by others. Forgetting self and other, they experience 
Dark Union with the Tao. Those who haven't yet experienced this Dark Union unite with 'this' and separate from 'that.' To unite means to embrace, to help, to exalt. To sepa­ rate means to 
abandon, to harm, to debase. Those who experience Dark Union unite with nothing. From what, then, could they separate?"
Lines three and four also occur in verse 52, and lines five through eight appear in verse 4 as well. The Mawangtui texts begin line ten with ku:thus.















1 13


57	Use direction to govern a country use indirection to fight a war
use inaction to rule the world how do we know this works 
the greater the prohibitions the poorer the people
the sharper the weapons the darker the realm
the smarter the scheme the stranger the 
outcome the finer the treasure
the thicker the thieves thus the sage 
declares I change nothing
and the people transform themselves I stay still
and the people adjust themselves
I do nothing
and the people enrich themselves
I want nothing
and the people simplifY themselves




SUN-TZU says, "In waging war, one attacks with direction, one wins with indi­ rection" (5.5).
WANG AN-SHIH says, "Direction can be used in governing, but nowhere else. Indirection can be used in warfare, but that is all. Only 
those who do nothing are fit to rule the world."



       '
 SU CH 


E says, "The ancient 
sages were kind to 
strangers and gentle to 
friends.


They didn't think about warfare. Only when they had no choice did they fight.


1 14


And when they did, they used indirection. But indirection can't be used to rule the world. The world is a mercurial thing. To conquer it is to lose it. Those who embody the Tao 
do nothing. They don't rule the world, and yet the world comes to them."



            '
 LU HUI-CH 


ING says, "How do we know that 
we can rule the world by means


of inaction? Because we know that we cannot rule the world by means of
.
action."

TE-CH ING says, "Prohibitions, weapons, schemes, treasures, all of these in­ volve action and cannot be used to rule the world."
WANG PI says, "Prohibitions are intended to put an end to poverty; and yet the people become poorer. Weapons are intended to strengthen the country; and yet the 
country becomes weaker and more confused. This is due to cultivating the branches instead of the roots."
WANG P ANG says, "Prohibitions interfere with the people's livelihood. Thus poverty increases. Sharp weapons mean sharp minds. And sharp minds mean darkness 
and chaos. Once minds become refined, customs become depraved, and the unusual becomes commonplace."
HO-SHANG KUNG says, "In cultivating the Tao, the sage accepts the will of Heaven. He doesn't change things, and the people transform themselves. He prefers 
not to talk or teach, and the people correct themselves. He doesn't force others to work, and the people become rich at their occupations. He doesn't use ornaments or 
luxuries, and the people emulate his simple ways."
CONFUCIUS says, "The virrue of the ruler is like wind. The virrue of the people is like grass. When the wind blows, the grass bends" (Lunyu: I2.I9).
At the end of line four, the Fuyi, Suman, and standard editions answer with: yi­ tz'u:because of this. I have followed the Mawangrui texts, which omit this phrase. In most editions, 
line eleven hasfa-ling:laws and orders. I have gone along with Mawangrui Text B and Ho-shang Kung, both of which havefa-wu:fine things.











1 15


58	Where government stands aloof the people open up
where government steps in the people slip away 
happiness rests in misery misery hides in happiness 
who knows where they end there is no direction
direction turns into indirection good turns into evil
the people have been lost for a long long time
thus the sage is an edge that doesn't cut a point that doesn't pierce
a line that doesn't extend a light that doesn't 
blind



HS UAN-TSUNG says, "To stand aloof is to be relaxed and unconcerned. To open up is to be simple and honest. The ruler who governs without effort lets things take care 
of themselves."
WANG PI says, "Those who are good at governing use neither laws nor mea­ sures. Thus the people find nothing to attack."
LI HSI-CHAI says, "When the government makes no demands, the people reo spond with openness instead of cleverness. When the government makes de· mands, 
the people use every means to escape. The government that stands aloof leaves power with the people. The government that steps in takes their power away. As 
one gains, the other loses. As one meets with happiness, the other encounters misery."
WANG P' ANG says, "Everything shares the same breath. But the movement of this breath comes and goes. It ends only to begin again. Hence happiness and misery 
alternate like the seasons. But only the sage realizes this. Hence in ev-

1 16


erything he does, he aims for the middle and avoids the extremes, unlike the government that insists on direction and goodness and forbids indirection and evil, the government that wants the 
whole world to be happy and yet remains unaware that happiness alternates with misery."
LU NUNC-SHIH says, "Only those who are free of direction can transcend the appearance of good and evil and eliminate happiness and misery. For they alone know where 
these end. Meanwhile, those who cannot reach the state where there is no direction, who remain in the realm of good and evil, suffer happiness and misery as if they were on a 
wheel that carries them farther astray...
TE-CH' INC says, "The world withers, and the Tao fades. People are not the way they once were. They don't know direction from indirection or good from evil. Even the sage cannot instruct 
them. Hence to transform them, he enters their world of confusion. He joins their dust and softens his light. And he leaves no trace...

WU	'ENC says, "The sage's inaction is inaction that is not inaction. Edges al­
ways cut. But the edge that is not an edge doesn't cut. Points always pierce. But the point that is not a point doesn't pierce. Lines always extend. But the line that is not a line doesn't extend. 
Lights always blind. But the light that is not a light doesn't blind. All of these are examples of inaction."
Most editions make it possible to read line eight as a question or a statement. I have followed Mawangtui Text B, which words it as a statement. In line thir­ teen, Text B omits sheng-jen:the 
sage. Line fourteen also appears in the Lichi: "The gentleman compares his virtue to that ofjade: pointed but not piercing" (48). And linefifteen recalls verse 45: "the straightest thing seems 
crooked." Wu Ch' eng combines this with the previous verse.














1 1 7


59	In governing people and caring for Heaven nothing surpasses economy
economy means planning ahead
planning ahead means accumulating virtue accumulating virtue means overcoming all 
overcoming all means knowing no limit knowing no limit means guarding the realm guarding 
the realm's mother means living long this means deep roots and a solid trunk
the Way of long and lasting life




LI HSI-CHAI says, "Outside, we govern others. Inside, we care for Heaven. III both, nothing surpasses economy. Those who are economical are economical in 
everything. They're watchful within and on guard without. Only if we arc still, does virtue have a place to collect."
MENCIUS says, "The way we care for Heaven is by guarding our minds and nourishing our natures" (7A.I).
WANG TAO says, "Caring for Heaven means preserving what one receives from Heaven. It means cultivating oneself."

Linking this with the previous verse, su	'E says, "Economy is the reason the
sage's edges don't cut, his points don't pierce, his lines don't extend, and his light doesn't blind. Economy means possessing without using."
WANG PI' says, "Economy means farming. Farmers cultivate their fields by weeding out different species and concentrating on one thing. They don't worry 
about pulling out the withered and diseased. They pull out the causes of withering and disease. Above, they accept the will of Heaven. Below; they nour­ ish the people."
HAN FEI says, "Most people use their minds recklessly Recklessness means waste, and waste means exhaustion. The sage uses his mind calmly. Calmness means 
carefulness, and carefulness means economy. Economy is an art born of an understanding of the Tao. Those who know how to govern others calm their thoughts. 
Those who know how to care for Heaven clear their openings.

' 1 18


When thoughts are calm, old virtue remains within. When openings are clear, new breath enters from without."
HO-SHANG KU NG says, "Someone whose virtue knows no limits can guard the gods of the realm and bring happiness to the people."
THE LICHI says, "He who guards the realm is ever careful" (27).
LI JUNG says, "When the ruler maintains the Tao, the country is at peace. When he fails to maintain the Tao, the country is in chaos. The country is the offspring. 
The Tao is the mother."
             'ENG says, "The realm is a metaphor for the body. Breath is the body's mother. Breath that has no limit can preserve the body. Someone who fils 
themselves with breath can conquer the world and remain unharmed. Breath rises from below as if from the roots of a tree. By nourishing the roots, the roots grow 
deep. Breath flourishes above as the trunk of a tree does. By nour­ ishing the trunk, the trunk grows firm. Thus the tree doesn't wither."
LU NUNG-SHIH says, "The roots are in the dark, and the trunk is in the light. The roots refer to life, and the trunk refers to nature. What nothing can fathom is deep. 
Only life can match this. What nothing can topple is firm. Only nature can match this."
In line two, shih:pattern appears in some editions instead of se:economy. Also, in lines three and four,ji<:return  appears in some texts in place ofji<:subdue/plan. In both 
cases, I have followed the Fuyi and Suotan editions as well as Mawang­ tui Text B in choosing the latter. The last line appears as a saying in other an­ cient texts, including 
Hsuntzu: 4 and Lushih Chunchiu: 1.3, in which commenta­
tors interpret shih:vision as a cliche for "life."















1 19


Ruling a great state
is like cooking a small fish
when you govern the world with the Tao spirits display no powers
not that they display no powers
their powers do people no harm
not that their powers do people no harm the sage does people no harm
and neither harms the other for both rely on Virtue





,











In a poem bemoaning the absence of virruous leaders, THE SHIHCHING says, "Who can cook fish / I'll wash out the pot" (Kuei.4).
LI HSI-CHAI says, "For the sage, ruling a state is a minor affair, like cooking " small fish."
HO-SHANG KUNG says, "If you cook a small fish, don't remove its entrails, don·r scrape off its scales, and don't stir it. If you do, it will rurn to mush. Likewise, too much 
government makes those below rebel, and too much cultivation makes vitality wither."
HAN FEI says, "In cooking a small fish, too much rurningruins it. In governing a great state, too much reform embitters the people. Thus a ruler who pos­ sesses the Way values 
inaction over reform."
TE-CH ING says, '1\ cruel government brings calamity down on the people. The people, though, think their suffering is the work of ghosts and spirits and rurn to sacrifice and worship to 
improve their lot, when, acrually. their misforrune is caused by their rulers."
THE TSOCHUAN says, "If the state is meant to flourish, listen to the people. If the state is meant to perish, listen to the spirits" (Chuang.32).
WANG CHEN says, "The government that takes peace as its basis doesn't lose the Way. When the government doesn't lose the Way. yin and yang are in har­ mony. When yin 
andyang are in harmony. wind and rain arrive on time. When

120


wind and rain arrive on time, the spirit world is at peace. When the spirit world is at peace, the legion of demons can't perform their sorcery."
WANG PI says, "Spirits don't injure what is natural. What is natural gives spirits no opening. When spirits have no opening, spirits cannot act like spirits."
' ENG	HSUAN-YING says, "Spirits dwell in the yin, and people dwell in the
yang. When both accept their lot, neither injures the other."

su	'E says, "The inaction of the sage makes people content with the way
they are. Outside, nothing troubles them. Inside, nothing frightens them. Even spirits have no means of using their powers. It isn't that spirits have no powers. They have powers, but they don't 
use them to harm people. The reason people and spirits don't harm each other is because they look up to the sage. And the sage never harms anyone."
             'ENG says, "The reason spirits don't harm the people is not because they can't but because the sage is able to harmonize the energy of the people so that 
they don't injure the energy of the spirit world. The reason neither injures the other is due to the sage's virtue. Hence they both rely on the virtue of the sage."
HS UAN-TSUNG says, '''Neither' refers to spirits and the sage."
LI JU NG says, "Spirits and sages help others without harming each other. One is hidden, the other manifest. But both rely on virtue."
                 'ANG-HSING says, "Spirits are spirits because they respond but can't be seen. The sage is a sage because he governs but doesn't act. The virtue of the sage 
and the virtue of spirits is the same."
Commentators are divided as to whether the subjects of lines nine and ten are spirits and the people or spirits and the sage. Although both are possible, I pre· fer the latter interpretation.












12 1


61	The great state is a watershed the confluence of the 
world
the female of the world
through stillness the female conquers the male in order to be still
she needs to be lower
the great state that is lower governs the small state
the  small state that is  lower is governed by the great 
state
some lower themselves to govern some lower themselves to be governed 
the great state's only desire
is to unite and lead others the small state's only 
desire is to join and serve others
for both to achieve their desire the greater needs to be 
lower



LAO-TZU says, "The reason the sea can govern a hundred rivers / is because it has mastered being lower" (66).
HO-SHANG KUNG says, "To lead a great state we should be like the sea: we should be at the bottom of a watershed and not fight even the 
smallest current. A great state is the meeting place of the high and the low. The female refers to everything yin: weak, humble, yielding, what doesn't lead."
TS' AO TAO-CH' UNG says, "The female is the mother. Al creatures revere their mother. The sage recognizes the male but upholds the female. Hence 
all crea­ rures rurn to the sage."



       '
 SU CH 


E says, "The world rurns to a 
great statejust as rivers flow 
downstream.


If a great state can lower itself, small states will attach themselves to it. If a

122


small state can lower itself, a great state wil take it under its care. A great state lowers itself to govern others.  A small state lowers itself to be governed by others."
wu CH'ENG says, "The female doesn't make the first move. It is always the male who makes the first move. But to move means to lose. To wait means to gain. To move means 
to be above. To wait means to be below. The great state that doesn't presume on its superiority gains the voluntary support of the small state. The small state that is 
content with its inferiority enjoys the generosity of the great state. The small state doesn't have to worry about being lower, while the great state does. Hence the 
great state needs to be lower."
WANG AN-SHIH says, "To serve someone greater is easy. To serve someone smaller is hard. Because it is hard, Lao-tzu says 'the greater needs to be lower.'"
MENCIUS says, "Only a virtuous ruler is able to serve a smaller state. Only a wise ruler is able to serve a greater state" (IB.3).
WANG PI says, "By cultivating humility; each gets what it wants. When the small state cultivates humility; it preserves itself, but that is all. It can't make the world 
turn to it. The world turns to the great state that cultivates humil­ ity. Thus each gets what it wants, but it is the great state that needs to be more humble."
The Fuyi edition adds t'ien-hsifl-chih:o! the world to line one, and the Mawangtui texts invert lines two and three. I have decided against both variants in favor of the standard edition. 
However, I have followed the Mawangtui texts in their worcling of lines five and six. And I have followed them again, along with the Fuyi text, in their addition of the particle 
yu:by to line ten. This variant clarifies a relationship between great and small which was previously ambiguous and easily misinterpreted in the standard edition.












123


62	The Tao is creation's sanctuary treasured by the good
it keeps the bad alive
beautiful words might be the price noble deeds might be the gift
how can we abandon people who are bad
thus when emperors are enthroned or ministers installed
though there be great discs of jade followed by teams of horses
they don't rival one who sits and offers up this Way
why the ancients exalted it did they not proclaim
who searches thereby finds who errs thereby 
escapes thus the world exalts it



THE HSISHENGCHING says, "The Tao is the sanctuary of the deepest depth and the source of empty nothingness."
WU CH' ENG says, '''Sanctuary' means the most honored place. The layout of ancestral shrines includes an outer hall and an inner chamber. The southwest corner 
of the inner chamber is called the 'sanctuary,' and the sanctuary is where the gods dwell."
su CH'E says, ':All we see of things is their outside, their entrance hall. The Tao is their sanctuary. We all have one, but we don't see it. The wise alone are able to find it. Hence 
Lao-tzu says the good treasure it. The foolish don't find it. But then, who doesn't the Tao protect? Hence he says it protects the bad. The Tao doesn't leave people. People leave 
the Tao."


124


WANG PI says, "Beautiful words can excel the products of the marketplace. Noble deeds can elicit a response a thousand miles away. "
TE-CH' ING says, "The Tao is in us all. Though good and bad might differ, our natures are the same. How, then, can we abandon anyone?"
lAO-TZU says, "The sage is good at saving / yet he abandons no one / thus the good instruct the bad / the bad learn from the good" (27).
WANG P' ANG says, 'Jade discs and fine horses are used to attract talented men to the government. But a government that finds talented men and does not implement the Tao is not 
followed by the people."
CHIANG HSI-CH'ANG says, "In ancient times, the less valuable presents came first, hence jade discs preceded horses."
LI HSI-CHAI says, "Better than discs ofjade followed by teams of horses would be one good word or one good deed to keep the people from losing sight of the good."
LU NUNG-SHIH says, "If words and deeds can be offered to others, how much more the Tao."
WA N G AN -S H I H says, "There is nothing that is not the Tao. When good people seek it, they are able to find it. When bad people seek it, they are able to avoid punishment."
In line one, both Mawangtui texts have chu:jlowlchiefinstead of ao:sanctuary. But this destroys the rhyme in the following lines and is not supported by any other edition. In lines four and five, 
commentators have long suspected an er­ ror, and the Mawangtui texts have given us a partial solution. In line five, I have used their ho-jen:g;ve to people in place of the standard chia-jen:surpass people. 
However, I have deleted jen:people as a copyist error for the word that begins the next line in Chinese. In my translation, I have inverted the order of the two lines that follow.










125


63	Act without acting work without working
taste without tasting
great or small many or few repay each wrong with virtue 
plan for the hard while it's easy
work on the great while it's small
the hardest task in the world begins easy the greatest goal in the world begins 
small therefore the sage never acts great
he thus achieves great things
who quickly agrees is seldom trusted who makes it all easy finds it all hard 
therefore the sage makes everything hard he thus finds nothing hard



HO-SHANG KUNG says, "To act without acting means to do only what is natural. To work without working means to avoid trouble by preparing in 
advance. To taste without tasting means to taste the meaning of the Tao through meditation."
LI HSI-CHAI says, "When we act without acting, we don't exhaust ourselves. When we work without working, we don't trouble others. When we taste 
without tasting, we don't waste anything."
WANG TAO says, "What people do involves action. What the sage does accords with the Tao of inaction. 'Work' refers to the conditions of action. 'Taste' refers to the 
meaning of action."
                 ' ANG-HSING says, "To act without acting, to work without working, to taste without tasting is to conform with what is natural and not to impose 
oneself on others. Though others treat him wrongly. the wrong is theirs and not the sage's. He responds with the virtue within his heart. Utterly empty and detached, he 
thus moves others to trust in doing nothing."

126


CHIAO HUNG says, 'i\ction involves form and thus includes great and small. It is also tied to number and thus includes many and few. This is where wrongs come from. Only the Tao is 
beyond form and beyond number. Thus the sage treats everything the same: great and small, many and few. Why should he respond to them with anger?"
TS' AO TAO-CH'UNG says, "If we repay wrongs with kindness, we put an end to revenge. If we repay wrongs with wrongs, revenge never ends."
HAN FEI says, "In terms of form, the great necessarily starts from the small. In terms of duration, the many necessarily starts from the few. The wise ruler detects small schemes and 
thus avoids great plots. He enacts minor punish­ ments and thus avoids major rebellions."
DUKE WEN OF CHIN told KUO YEN, "In the beginning, I found it easy to rule the kingdom. Now I find it hard." Kuo Yen replied, "If you consider something easy. it is bound 
to become hard. If you consider something hard, it is bound to become easy" (Kuoyu: ChinA).
WANG CHEN says, "If a ruler disdains something as easy. misfortune and trouble are sure to arise from it. If a ruler does not pay attention to small matters, even­ tually they will overwhelm 
even the greatest virtue. Thus the sage guards against the insignificant lest it amount to something great. If he waits until something is great before he acts, his action will come too 
late."
TE-CH' ING says, "When I entered the mountains to cultivate the Way. at first it was very hard. But once I learned how to use my mind, it became very easy. What the world considers 
hard, the sage considers easy. What the world con­ siders easy. the sage considers hard."
In Wentzu: I, line three appears as "know without knowing." But this variant occurs nowhere else. Lines ten and eleven also appear in verse 34.













127


64
	Z.
,



It's easy to rule while it's 
peaceful


•	?	•	* ?	it's easy to plan before it arrives
'" JlIJ	t;,t	jf,;	?	it's easy to break while it's fragile


? J& A * :jt:


it's easy to disperse while it's small


* ?	•
	*






act before it exists


M§J


Pl.
:
J
L
  
??
?
	
g
o
v
e
r
n
 
b
e
f
o
r
e
 
i
t
 
r
e
b
e
l
s


•	k tk z. it


a giant tree grows from the tiniest shoot


mi	.	•	a great tower rises from a basket of dirt
:f	¥ J&  ? :jt:	a thousand-mile journey begins at your feet
? ? - ..	?	but to act is to fail
to control is to lose
•	tk  f"	:jt:	therefore the sage doesn't act


mi	-1}c


.f.z.  ??



he thus doesn't fail


..
•


?•	ff?  tt


he doesn't control


•	he thus doesn't lose
z. jf,;
z.	tt ){. z.
?	. r	jf,;	they always fail near the end
o	0	:t*-	care at the end as well as the start


¥:f	jf,;·tx



z.	.



means an end to failure
the sage thus seeks what 
no one seeks





mi	mi z.	jf,;


he doesn't prize hard-to-get goods


1t	J&
AW  z.


?•	*.L

 


h
e
 
s
t
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d
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s
 
w
h
a
t
 
n
o
 
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s
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s
 
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t
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n
s
 
t
o
 
w
h
a
t
 
o
t
h
e
r
s
 
p
a
s
s
 
b
y


•
z. t? ?	?	to help all things be natural
he thus dares not act



LU HUl-CH' ING says, 'We should act before things exist, while they are peace­ ful and latent. We should govern before they rebel, while they are fragile and


128


small. But to act before things exist means to act without acting. To govern before things rebel means to govern without governing."



'
su	CH E


says, "To act before 
things exist comes 
first. To govern before 
they


rebel comes next."
KUAN-TZU says, "Know where gain and loss lie, then act" (47).
HUAl-NAN-TZU says, '1'1. needle makes a tapestry. A basket of earth makes a wall. Success and failure begin from something small" (16).
SUNG CH'ANG-HSING says, "From a sprout, the small becomes great. From a basket of earth, the low becomes high. From here, the near becomes far. But trees are cut down, 
towers are toppled, and journeys end. Everything we do eventually results in failure. Everything we control is eventually lost. But if we act before things exist, how can we fail? If we govern before 
they rebel, how can we lose?"
WANG p' ANG says, "Everything has its course. When the time is right, it arrives. But people are blind to this truth and work to speed things up. They try to help Heaven and end up ruining 
things just as they near completion."
HO-SHANG KUNG says, "Others seek the ornamental. The sage seeks the sim­ ple. Others seek form. The sage seeks Virtue. Others study facts and skills. The sage studies what is 
natural. Others study how to govern the world. The sage studies how to govern himself and how to uphold the truth of the Way."
HAN FEI says, "The wise don't fil their lessons with words or their shelves with books. The world may pass them by. but the ruler turns to them when he wants to study what no one 
studies."
'
WU CH ENG says, "The sage seeks without seeking and studies without study­
ing. For the truth of all things lies not in acting but in doing what is natural. By not acting, the sage shares in the naturalness of all things."
For line nine, the Mawangtui texts have: "a height of a hundred fathoms."










129







z.t*


,9;nt!  ?	Z.	tried not to enlighten


•	.f


•	JI #A ?


but to keep men in the dark


II*'	*m


?1:J


4fl!	what makes the 
people hard to rule


•	·	?	.


is knowledge


??
ffi.


1F	1Il 1?:J,?


w
h
o
 
r
u
l
e
s
 
t
h
e
 
r
e
a
l
m
 
w
i
t
h
 
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w
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s
p
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e
a
d
s
 
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i
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t
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e
a
l
m


? 1Il 1!Jl	who rules without knowledge
•


J'J•	,t!	?


JIf.	spreads virtue in the 
realm


•
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who understands these two
understands the universal key


•	??  z.·	understanding the universal key


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this is called Dark Virtue
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?	t? I:J	until it reaches perfect harmony












       '
 WU CH 


ENG says, "To make the 
people more natural, the 
ancient sages did not


try to make the people more knowledgeable but to make them less knowledge· able. This radical doctrine was later misused by the First 
Emperor of the Ch'in dynasty, who burned all the books (in 213 BC) to make the people ignorant."
CH UANG-TZU says, "When the knowledge of bows and arrows arose, the birds above were troubled. When the knowledge of hooks 
and nets proliferated, the fish below were disturbed. When the knowledge of snares and traps spread, the creatures of the wild were 
bewildered. When the knowledge of argument and
disputation multiplied, the people were confused. Thus are the world's troubles due to the love of knowledge" (10-4).
WANG PI says, "When you rouse the people with sophistry. treacherous thoughts arise. When you counter their deceptions with more 
sophistry. the people see through your tricks and avoid them. Thus they become secretive and devious."

130


               ' LIU 
CHUNG-P 


ING says, "Those who rule without 
knowledge turn to Heaven.


Those who rule with knowledge turn to Man. Those who turn to Heaven are in harmony. Those who are in harmony do only what requires no effort. Their government is lenient. Those 
who turn to Man force things. Those who force things become lost in the Great Inquisition. Hence their people are dishonest." Liu's terminology here is indebted to Chuangtzu: 19.2 and 
Mencius: 48.26.
HO-SHANG KUNG says, '''Two' refers to 'knowledge' and 'without knowledge: Once you know that knowledge spreads evil and lack of knowledge spreads virtue, you 
understand the key to cultivating the self and governing the realm. Once you understand the key. you share the same virtue as Heaven. And Heaven is dark. Those who possess Dark Virtue 
are so deep they can't be fath­ omed, so distant they can't be reached, and are always doing the opposite of others. They give to others, while others think only of themselves."
SUNG CH' ANG-HSING says, "Because it is so deep, you can't hear it or see it. Be­ cause it is so far, you can't talk about it or reach it. Dark Virtue differs from ev­ erything else, but it agrees 
with the Tao."
su CH'E says, "What the sage values is virtue. What others value is knowledge. Virtue and knowledge are opposites. Knowledge is seldom harmonious, while virtue is always in 
harmony."
LIN HSI-YI says, '''Perfect harmony' is whatever is natural."
Line one also begins verse 15. I have followed the Mawangtui texts in line six, where they omit to:too much, and also in line nine, where they replacefo:blessing with te:virtue. This last variant 
also appears in Wentzu: 1.

















13 1


66	The reason the sea can govern a hundred rivers is because it has mastered being lower
thus it can govern a hundred rivers
thus if the sage would be above the people he should speak as if  he were below 
them if he would be before them
he should act as if he were behind them thus when the sage is above
the people are not burdened when he is in front
the people are not hindered the world never 
wearies
of pushing him forward
because he doesn't struggle
no one can struggle against him




YEN TSUN says, "Rivers don't flow toward the sea because of its reputation or its power, but because it does nothing and seeks nothing."
TE-CH' ING says, 'J\ll rivers flow toward the sea, regardless of whether they arc muddy or clear. And the sea is able to contain them all because it is adept at sta ng 
below them. This is a metaphor for the sage. The world turns to him because he is selfless."
                   'ING says, "When the sage possesses the kingdom, he speaks of him­ self as 'orphaned, widowed, and impoverished,' or 'inheritor of the 
country's shame and misfortune.' Thus in his speech, he places himself below others. He does not act unless he is forced. He does not respond unless he is moved. He does 
not rise unless he has no choice. Thus in his actions, he places himself behind others."
HO-SHANG KUNG says, "When the sage rules over the people, he doesn't op­ press those below with his position. Thus the people uphold him and don't 
think of him as a burden. When he stands before them, he doesn't blind them

132


with his glory. Thus the people love him as a parent and harbor no resentment. The sage is kind and loving and treats the people as if they were his children. Thus the whole world wants him for 
their leader. The people never grow tired of him because he doesn't struggle against them. Everyone struggles against something. But no one struggles against a person who doesn't struggle 
against anything. "



       ' 
SU CH 


E says, "The 
sage doesn't try 
to be above or in 
front of others. 
But when


he finds himself below or behind others, the Tao can't help but lift him up and push him forward."
.

YAN G HS 1 U NG says, "He who holds himself back is advanced by others. He who lowers himself is lifted up by others" (Fayen: 7).
Ll HSI-CHAI says, "The people aren't burdened when the sage is above them, because they aren't aware they have a ruler. And the people aren't hindered when the sage is before 
them, because he isn't aware they are his people."
WANG CHEN says, "Through humility the sage gains the approval of the people. Once he gains their approval, he gains their tireless support. And once he gains their tireless support, struggling 
over rank naturally comes to an end."
There is a relative lack of commentary for this verse. Wang Pi, for example, says nothing at all. The only texrual issue is whether to read the last two lines as a statement or as a rhetorical 
question CIs it not because he doesn't struggle / no one can struggle against him?"). The Mawangtui and Fuyi texts word them as a question, while the Suotan and standard versions, 
which I have followed, word them as a statement. Both lines also appear as a statement In verse 22.
















133


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HO-SHANG KUNG says, "Lao-tzu says the world calls his virtue great. But if his virtue were great in name alone it would bring him harm. Hence he acts stu­ pid and 
useless. He doesn't distinguish or differentiate. Nor does he demean others or glorify himself."


134


WANG PI says, "To be useful is to lose the means to be great."
su CH' E says, "The world honors daring, exalts ostentation, and emphasizes progress. What the sage treasures is patience, frugality, and humility. all of which the world 
considers useless."
TE-CH' ING says, '''Compassion' means to embrace all creatures without reser­ vation. l\usterity' means not to exhaust what one already has. 'Reluctance to excel' means to drift 
through the world without opposing others."
WANG AN-SHIH says, "Through compassion, we learn to be soft. When we are soft, we can overcome the hardest thing in the world. Thus we can be valiant. Through austerity. we 
learn when to stop. When we know when to stop, we are always content. Thus we can be extravagant. Through reluctance to excel, we are excelled by no one. Thus we can be 
chief of all tools. Valor, extrava­ gance, and excellence are what everyone worries about. And because they
worry. they are always on the verge of death."
LIU SHIH- P' Ei says, "To be chief of all tools means to be the chief official." For "chief of all tools:' see verse 28.
CONFUCIUS says, "The gentleman is not a tool" (Lunyu: 2.12).
wu CH' ENG says, "Compassion is the chief of the three treasures. The last sec­ tion only mentions compassion because it includes the other two. All people love a compassionate 
person as they do their own parents. How could anyone
oppose their parents? Hence he who attacks or defends with compassion meets no oppOSI, tI. On."
MENCIUS says, "He who is kind has no enemy under Heaven" (78.3).
Several editions read line one: "The world calls my Tao great." But the word Tao does not appear in the Fuyi or Suotan editions, the Mawangtui texts, or in other early copies. In line 
sixteen, Han Fei and Mawangtui Text A have ch'eng­ shih-chang:chief of those who succeed. For the penultimate line, I have followed the Mawangtui version, which haschien:create instead of 
the standard chiu:save.









135


68	In ancient times
the perfect officer wasn't armed the perfect warrior wasn't 
angry the perfect victor wasn't hostile
the perfect commander acted humble this is the virtue of 
nonaggression this is using the strength of  others this is uniting with 
Heaven
which was the ancient end









CHIAO HUNG says, "In ancient times, officers went to battle in chariots. They	/ were dressed in mail, and there were three to a vehicle: one on the left armed with a bow; one on the right armed with a spear, and one in the middle ill 
charge of the reins, the flag, and the drum. Below and arrayed around every chariot were seventy-two soldiers."
SUN-TZU says, ''A ruler must not mobilize his armies in anger. A general must not engage the enemy in wrath. Anger can turn to joy; and wrath can turn to 
gladness. But once a state is destroyed, it cannot be restored. And once a man is dead, he cannot be reborn" (12.18-21). Sun-tzu also says, "To win every battle 
is not supreme excellence. Supreme excellence is to conquer without fighting" (302).
HO-SHANG KUNG says, "Those who honor the Way and Virtue are not fond of weapons. They keep hatred from their hearts. They eliminate disaster before it 
arises. They are angered by nothing. They use kindness among neighbors and virtue among strangers. And they conquer their enemies without fighting. They 
commmand through humility."
LIE H -TZU says, "He who governs others  with  worthiness  never  wins them over. He who serves them with worthiness never fails to gain their 
support" (6.3).
WANG CHEN says, "You must first win their hearts before you can command others."








136


KUMARAJI VA	says, "Empty your body and mind. No one can fight against nothing."



        ' WU
	CH 


ENG	says, 
"Even though our 
wisdom and power 
might surpass that


of others, we should act as if we possessed neither. By making ourselves lower than others, we can use their wisdom and power as our own. Thus we can win 
without taking up arms, without getting angry. and without making enemies. By using the virtue of nonagression and the power of others, we are like Heaven, 
which overcomes without fighting and reaches its goal without moving."
TZU-SSU says, "Wide and deep, he is able to support others. High and bright, he is able to protect others. He who is wide and deep unites with Earth. He who is 
high and bright unites with Heaven" (Chungyung: 26.4-5).
.IE-CH'ING says, "Heaven is yang and Earth is yin. But if Heaven and Earth re­ main stationary. everything stops, and nothing comes into existence. Only when 
yang descends and yin rises does everything flourish. Thus Heaven's po­ sition is to be above, but its function is to descend. When the sage is above the people, and his heart 
is below, we call this uniting with Heaven. This was the pole star of the ancient kings."
Some editions drop the opening phrase: ku-chih:in ancient times and combine this with the previous verse. I have followed the Fuyi edition in retaining it as it stands 
(Mawangtui Text B has ku:thus). In line seven, both Mawangtui texts omit the phrase: chih-li:the strength of, but no other edition follows suit. Finally. some 
commentators read the last two lines as one line, eliminating ku:ancient as a copyist error: "we call this the end of uniting with Heaven." But this is not supported by any 
early commentary or text.














137


69	In warfare there is a saying rather than a host
better to be a guest
rather than advance an inch better to retreat a foot
this means to form no column to wear no armor
to brandish no weapon to repulse no enemy
no fate is worse than to have no enemy without an enemy we would lose our treasure thus 
when opponents are evenly matched
the remorseful one prevails




WANG CHEN says, "In warfare, we say the one who mobilizes first is the host and the one who responds is the guest. The sage only goes to war when 
he has no choice. Hence he is the guest."
CHIAO HUNG says, "This was a saying of ancient military strategists." If so, they remain unnamed. Sun-tzu, meanwhile, calls the invading 
force the k'o:guest (n.2o).
HO-SHANG KUNG says, ':According to the Tao of warfare, we should avoid be­ ing the first to mobilize troops, and we should go to war only after 
receiving Heaven's blessing."
                    '	says, "The host resists, and the guest agrees. The host toils, and the guest relaxes. One advances with pride, while the other 
retreats in humil­ ity. One advances with action, while the other retreats in quiet. He who meets resistance with agreement, toil with relaxation, pride with 
humility, and action with quiet has no enemy. Wherever he goes, he conquers."
                'ANG-HSING says, "In warfare, the sage leaves no traces. He advances by retreating."


138


WU CH' ENG says, "Those who go to war form themselves into columns, equip themselves with weapons, and advance against the enemy. But when the sage goes 
to war, he acts as if columns did not exist, armor did not exist, weapons did not exist, as if enemies did not exist."
SUN-TZU says, "The general who advances with no thought of fame, who re­ treats with no fear of punishment, who thinks only of ptotecting his country and 
helping his king is the treasure of the realm" (10.24).
su CH'E says, "The sage regards compassion as his treasure. To treat killing lightly would be to lose the reason for compassion."
TE-CH ING says, "When opponents are evenly matched, and neither is supe­ rior, the winner is hard to determine. But if one is remorseful and compassion­ ate, he 
wil win. For the Way of Heaven is to love life and to help those who are compassionate to overcome their enemies."
WANG PI says, 'Those who are remorseful sympathize with their opponents. Th(}y don't try to gain an advantage but to avoid injury. Hence they always
.	"
Win.
WANG p ANG says, "To be remorseful is to be compassionate. He who is com­ passionate is able to be courageous. Thus he triumphs."
LIN HSI-Yl says, "Those who attack with drums and cheer the advent of war are not remorseful. They are remorseful who do not consider warfare a plea­ sure but 
an occasion for mourning. In this verse, warfare is only a metaphor for the Tao."
LAO-TZU says, "When you kill another / honor him with your tears / when the battle is won / treat it as a wake" (31).
The standard edition reverses lines eight and nine. In lines ten and eleven, it also has ch 'ing-ti:treat enemies lightly in place of wu-ti:without enemies. And in line twelve, it has 
hsiang-chia:meet each other in place of hsiang-juo:evenly matched. In all three cases, I have followed the Mawangtui and Fuyi editions.









139


70	•	??	i !  My words are easy to understand







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but no one can understand them


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words have an ancestor


tit	?  ;f	?	deeds have a master


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TS AO TAO-CH UNG says, "Nothing is simpler or easier than the Tao. But be­ cause it's so simple, it can't be explained by reasoning. Hence no 
one can un­
derstand it. And because it's so near, it can't be reached by stages. Hence no one
.
can put It to use.
WANG p' ANG says, "Because the sage teaches us to be in harmony with the course of our life, his words are simple, and his deeds are ordinary. 
Those who look within themselves understand. Those who follow their own nature do what is right. Difficulties arise when we turn away from the trunk 
and follow the branches."
LI HSI-CHAI says, "The Tao is easy to understand and easy to put to use. It is also hard to understand and hard to put to use. It is easy because 
there is no Tao to discuss, no knowledge to learn, no effort to make, no deeds to perform. And it is hard because the Tao cannot be discussed, because 
all words are wrong, because it cannot be learned, and because the mind only leads us astray. Effortless stillness is not necessarily right. And actionless 
activity is not neces­ sarily wrong. This is why it is hard."

su CH E says, "Words can trap the Tao, and deeds can reveal its signs. But if the
Tao could be found in words, we would only have to listen to words. And if it could be seen in deeds, we would only have to examine deeds. But it cannot be

140


found in words or seen in deeds. Only if we put aside words and look for their ancestor, put aside deeds and look for their master, can we find it."

WU	' ENG says, "The ancestor unites the clan. The master governs the state.
Softness and humility are the ancestor of all words and the master of all deeds."
YEN TSUN says, "Wild geese fly for days but don't know what exists beyond the sky. Officials and scholars work for years, but none of them knows the extent of the Way. 
It's beyond the ken and beyond the reach of narrow-minded, one­ sided people."
LU HUI-CH' ING says, "The reason the Tao is exalted by the world is because it cannot be known or perceived. If it could be known or perceived why should it be exalted? 
Hence Lao-tzu is exalted because so few understand him. Thus the sage wears an embarrassed, foolish expression and seldom shows anyone his great and noble 
virtue."
HO-SH G- K NG says, "The reason people don't understand me is because my vir.ru€ls dark and not visible from the outside."
CONFUCIUS says, "I study what is below and understand what is above. Who knows me? Only Heaven" (Lunyu: 14.37).
WANG PI says, "To wear coarse cloth is to become one with the mundane. To keep one'sjade inside is to treasure the truth. The sage is difficult to know be­ cause he 
does not differ from the mundane and because he does not reveal his treasure ofjade."
In line ten, the word ts<:thus can also mean follow, and some commentators have read the line: "who follows me is exalted." As with geodes, jade is found inside 
ordinary-looking rocks. Officials once wore it on their hats as an em­ blem of their status, and alchemists often included it in their elixirs.












141 


71	To understand yet not understand is transcendence
not to understand yet understand is affliction
the reason the sage is not afflicted
is because he treats affliction as affliction hence he is not afflicted



CONFUCIUS says, "Shall I teach you about understanding? To treat understand­ ing as understanding and to treat not understanding as not understanding, this is understanding" 
(Lultyu: 2.17).
TE-CH ING says, "The ancients said that the word 'understanding' was the door to all mysteries as well as the door to all misfortune. If you realize that you don't 
understand, you eliminate false understanding. This is the door to all mysteries. If you cling to understanding while trying to discover what you don't understand, you 
increase the obstacles to understanding. This is the door to all misfortune."
WU CH'ENG says, "Those who understand yet who seem not to understand are the wisest of men. They protect their understanding with stupidity. Those who don't 
understand yet who think they understand are, in fact, the stupidest of men. They think blind eyes see and deaf ears hear. This is what is meant by 'affliction.'"
TS'AO TAO-CH'UNG says, "If someone understands, but out of humility he says he doesn't understand, this is when reality is superior to name. Hence we call it 
transcendence. If someone doesn't understand but says he does understand, this is when name surpasses reality Hence we call this an afflic­ tion. Those who are 
able to understand that affliction is affliction are never afflicted. "
SU CH' E says, "The Tao is not something that can be reached through reason­ ing. Hence it cannot be understood. Those who do not yet understand do not understand that 
there is no entrance. And if they do understand, and they think about their understanding, they become afflicted by understanding."



142


CHIAO HUNG says, 'i\nything that is understood is a delusion. Anything that is a delusion is an affliction. Understanding is not the affliction. It is the 
under­ standing of understanding that becomes the affliction. To understand what is the affliction is to cure the illness without medicine."
LI HSI-CHAI says, "Understanding depends on things, hence it involves fabrica­ tion. Not understanding returns to the origin, hence it approaches the 
truth. If someone can understand that not understanding approaches the truth and that understanding involves fabrication, they are transcendent. 
If they don't understand that understanding involves fabrication and vainly increase their understanding, they use the affliction as the medicine. Only by 
understanding that understanding is affliction can one be free of affliction. This is why the sage is not afflicted."
HO-SHANG KUNG says, "To understand the Tao yet to say that we don't is the transcendence ot virtue. Not to understand the Tao and to say that 
we do is the a	.of virtue. Lesser people don't understand the meaning of the Tao and vainly act according to their forced understanding and thereby 
harm their spirit and shorten their years. The sage doesn't suffer the affliction of forced understanding because he is pained by the affliction of others."
The Fuyi and standard editions include two additional lines between lines four and five: "because he treats affliction as affliction / he is not afflicted." But 
this makes the last lines more redundant than they already are, and they are not included by Han Fei, the Mawangtui texts, the Chinglung edition, or at 
least two Tunhuang copies.
















143


72	When people no longer fear authority a greater authority will appear
don't restrict where people dwell don't repress how people live
if they aren't repressed they won't protest
thus the sage knows himself but doesn't reveal 
himself he loves himself
but doesn't exalt himself thus he picks this over 
that



WU CH ENG says, "The authority we fear is what shortens years and takes lives. The 'greater authority' is our greater fear, namely death. When 
people no longer fear what they ought to fear, they advance their own death until the greater fear appears."
WANG P' ANG says, "When people are simple and their lives are good; they fear authority But when those above lose the Way and enact all sorts of 
measures to restrict the livelihood of those below, people respond with deceit and are no longer subdued by authOrity. When this happens, natural 
calamities occur and misfortunes arise."
WANG  CHEN says, "When ordinary officials and the common people have no fear, punishment occurs. When ministers and high officials have 
no fear, banishment occurs. When princes and kings have no fear, warfare occurs."
WEI YUAN says, '''Where they dwell' refers to conditions such as wealth and poverty. 'How they live' refers to bodily activities such as toil and rest. 
When people think that where they dwell or how they live is not as good as others.
. they feel embarrassed and thus restricted, restricted and thus repressed. And when they feel repressed, they protest against 'this' and seek 'that: not 
mow­ ing that once their desire is fulfilled what they fear comes close behind."
WANG PI says, "In tranquility and peace is where we should dwell. Humble and empty is how we should live. But when we forsake tranquility to pursue 
desires

144


and abandon humility for authority. crearures are disrurbed and people are distressed. When authority cannot restore order, and people cannot endure authority. the 
link between those above and those below is severed, and naru­ ral calamities occur."
HO-SHANG KUNG says, "He knows what he has and what he doesn't have. He doesn't display his virrue outside but keeps it hidden inside. He loves his body and 
protects his essence and breath. He doesn't exalt or glorify himself before the world. 'That' refers to showing and glorifying himself. 'This' refers to knowing and loving 
himself."
TS' AO TAO-CH' UNG says, "'That' refers to external things. 'This' refers to one's inner reality."
Lao-tzu begins this verse with two puns. The force of the first pun in lines one and two is somewhat weakened in the standard edition by the use of homo- phones for 
"fear" and			In his edition of 1587, Chiao Hung noted that in ancient times			interchangeable, and he 
suggested using one character for both		is, in fact, what occurs in the second pun in lines five and six, where the	character is used for "repress" as 
well as for "pro- test." The Mawangrui texts, it rums out, agree with Chiao Hung, and I have amended lines one and two accordingly. In lines three and four, I have also 
turned to the Mawangrui texts for the negative injunction wu:don't. Other edi­ tions have wu:has not orpu:does not, both of which result in problems regarding the referant and thus 
different interpretations of the entire verse. The last line also occurs at the end of verses 12 and 38 .





•













































































145


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AAt		0		the Net of Heaven  is  all-embracing ffi	T-	t?	its mesh is wide 
but nothing escapes

LI HSI-CHAI says, "Everyone knows about daring to act but not about daring not to act. Those who dare to act walk on the edge of a knife. Those 
who dare not to act walk down the middle of the path. Comparing these two, walking on a knife-edge is harmful, but people ignore the harm. Walking 
down the middle of the path is beneficial, but people are not aware of the benefit. Thus it is said, 'People can walk on the edge of a knife but not down 
the middle of a path'" (Chungyung: 9).
'
SU CH E says, "Those who dare to act die. Those who dare not to act live. This
is the normal pattern of things. But sometimes those who act live, and some­ times those who don't act die. What happens in the world depends on 
luck. Sometimes what should happen doesn't. The Way of Heaven is far-off. Who knows where its love and hate come from?"



SUN
G 


' ANG-HSING 
says, "The 
mechanism 
whereby some 
live and others 
die


is obscure and hard to fathom. If the sage finds it difficult to know, what about ordinary people?"
YEN	TSUN says, "Heaven does not consider life in its schemes or death in its work. It is impartial."

146


LU NUNG-SHIH says, "Loosely viewed, the hard and the strong conquer the soft and the weak. Correctly viewed, the soft and the weak conquer the hard and the strong. 
Hence the hard and the strong are what Heaven hates."
wu CH ENG says, "Because the sage does not lightly kill others, evildoers slip through his net, but not the Net of Heaven. Heaven does not use its strength to fight against evildoers 
as Man does, and yet it always triumphs. It does not speak with a mouth as Man does, and yet it answers faster than an echo. It does not have to be summoned but arrives on its 
own. Evil has its evil reward. Even the clever cannot escape. Heaven is unconcerned and unmindful, but its retri­ bution is ingenious and beyond the reach of human plans. It 
never lets an evil­ doer slip through its net. The sage does not have to kill him. Heaven will do it for him."
WANG AN-SHIH says, "Yin and yang take turns, the four seasons come and go, the moon waxes and wanes. All things have their time. They don't have to be summoned to 
come."	,/
Ll HUNG-FU says, "It wins beca e it doesn't fight. It answers because it doesn't speak. It comes because it is ' summoned. If it had to fight to win, something would escape, 
even if its mesh were fine."
After line seven, the Fuyi, Suotan, and standard editions have: "thus even the sage finds it hard." However, this line does not appear in the Mawangtui, Chinglung, or 
Suichou editions, Tunhuang copies P.2347, P.25I7, s.6453, or the Yen Tsun text. Ma Hsu-lun considers it an interpolation from verse 63, where it also appears, and I tend to 
agree. The last two lines have become a proverb.
















147


74	If people no longer fear death why do we threaten to kill 
them
and if others fear death and still act 
perverse
and we catch and kill them who else will dare
as long as people fear death the executioner will 
exist
to kill in the executioner's place
is to take the carpenter's place who takes the carpenter's 
place is bound to hurt his hands



YIN WEN says, "Lao-tzu says if people are not afraid to die, what good is threat­ ening to kill them? If people are not afraid to die, it is because 
punishments arc excessive. When punishments are excessive, people don't care about life. When they don't care about life, the ruler's might 
means nothing to them. When punishments are moderate, people are afraid to die. They are afraid to die be­ cause they enjoy life. When 
you know they enjoy life, you can threaten them with death" (2).
LI HSI-CHAI says, "This implies that punishments cannot be relied upon for governing. If people are not afraid of death, what use is 
threatening them with execution? And if they are afraid of death, and we catch someone who breaks the law, and we execute them, by killing 
one person we should be able to gov­ ern the rest. But the more people we kill, the more break the law. Thus punish­ ment is not the answer."
MING T' AI-TSU says, "When I first ascended the throne, the people were un­ ruly and officials corrupt. If ten people were executed in 
the morning, a hun­ dred were breaking the same law by evening. Being ignorant of the Way of the ancient sage kings, I rurned to the Taoteching. 
When I read: 'If the people no longer fear death / why do we threaten to kill them,' I decided to do away with



148


capital punishment and put criminals to work instead. In the year since then, the burdens of my heart have been lightened. Truly; this book is the 
greatest teacher of kings."



       ' WU 
CH 


ENG says, 
'''Perverse' means 
'unlawful.' If those 
who act perverse 
and


break the law do not meet with misfortune at the hands of Man, they will cer­ tainly be punished by Heaven."
HO-SHANG KUNG says, "If the ruler teaches according to the Tao, and people respond with perversion instead, the ruler is within his rights to 
arrest them and kill them. Lao-tzu, however, was concerned that the ruler should use the Tao first before he turned to punishment."
LU HUI-CH ING says, "The meaning of 'the executioner will exist' is the same as 'the Net of Heaven is all-embracing / its mesh is wide but nothing 
escapes' (verse 73). The executioner is Heaven."
           ' E says, "Heaven is the executioner. If the world is at peace and someone engages in perversity and rebellion, en surely he has been 
abandoned by Heaven. If we kill him, it is Heaven 0 kills him and not us. But if we kill those whom Heaven has not	this is to take the executioner's place. 
And he who takes the executioner's place puts himself within reach of the axe."
THE LUSHIH CHUNCHIU says, "A great carpenter does not cut" (1.4).
MENCIUS says, "The wise are not alone in desiring something greater than life and in hating something greater than death. This is true of everyone. 
But the wise don't forget it" (6A.ro).
Line seven appears only in the Mawangtui texts, but it seems needed to com­ plete the meaning of line eight. At the end of line eight, the Fuyi and 
standard editions add an extra sha:to kill. I have followed the Suotan, Chingfu, and Mawangtui texts in omitting it.












149


75	The reason the people are hungry
is because those above levy so many taxes thus the people are hungry
the reason the people are hard to rule is because those above are so 
forceful thus the people are hard to rule
the reason the people think little of death
is because those above think so much of life thus the people think little of death 
meanwhile those who  do nothing to  live are more esteemed than those who love life



DUKE Al approached YU JUO, "The year is one of famine, and my revenues are wanting. What am I to do?" Yu Juo replied, "Return to the IO percent rate of 
taxation." Duke Ai said, "But I cannot get by on 2I) percent, how will I survive on 10 percent?" Yu Juo replied, "When the people do not want, why should the 
ruler want. When the people want, why should the ruler not want?" (Lunyu: I2.9).
WANG PI says, "The reason the people hide and disorder prevails is because of those above, not because of those below. The people follow those above."
Ll HSI-CHAI says, "If those above take too much, those below will be impover­ ished. If those above use too much force, those below will rebel. This is a mat­ ter of 
course. When someone thinks his own life is more important, and he disregards the lives of others, why should others not treat death lightly. The sage doesn't think 
about life unless he is forced to."
TE-CH' ING says, "Robbers and thieves arise from hunger and cold. If people are hungry and have no means to live, they have no choice but to steal. When people 
steal, it's because those above force them. They force people to turn to stealing and then try to rule them with cleverness and laws. But the more laws they make, the more 
thieves appear. Even the threat of the executioner's axe doesn't frighten them. And the reason the people aren't frightened by death is because those above are so 
concerned with life."


150


SU CH'E says, "When those above use force to lead the people, the people re­ spond with force. Thus do complications multiply, and the people become hard 
to rule."
WANG CHEN says, '''Forceful' refers to the ruler's love of might and arms. But once arms prevail, disorder is certain."
HUAI-NAN-TZU says, "The reason people cannot live out their alloted years and are sentenced to death in mid-life is because they think so much of life. Mean­ while, 
those who do nothing to stay alive are able to lengthen their lives" (7).
HO-SHANG KUNG says, "Only those who do nothing to stay alive, who aren't moved by titles or sinecures, who aren't affected by wealth or advantages, who refuse to 
serve the emperor or run errands for lesser lords, they alone are more esteemed than those who love life."
YEN TSUN says, "The Natural Way always tl,lrns things upside down. What has no body lives. What has a body dies. To alive and to seek advantages is the beginning 
of death. Not to be alive and 0 get rid of advantages is the begin­ ning of life. Those who don't work to 've live long."
WANG TAO says, "The meaning of the last two lines is: If I didn't have this body of mine, what worries would I have?"
WANG p' ANG says, "If you understand only one of these three, you can under­ stand the other two."
In line eight, I have followed the Fuyi edition in reading ch'i-shang:those above.
Other editions have simply ch'i:those, leaving the referent in doubt.















151


76	When people are born they are soft and 
supple
when  they perish they are hard and 
stiff
when plants shoot forth
they are soft and tender when they die
they are withered and dry thus it is said
the hard and strong are followers of death the soft and weak are followers of life
when an army becomes strong it suffers defeat when a plant becomes hard it snaps
the hard and strong dwell below the soft and weak dwell 
above



HO-SHANG KUNG says, "When people are born, they contain breath and spirit. This is why they are soft. When they die, their breath 
ceases and their spirit disappears. This is why they are hard."
'
wu CH ENG says, "Seeing that the living are soft and the dead are hard, we can
infer that those whose virtue is hard and those whose actions are forceful die before they are ready, while those who are soft and weak 
are able to preserve their lives."
LI HSI-CHAI says, 'f\.lthough the soft and weak aren't the same as the Tao, they approach its absence of effort. Hence they aren't far from 
the Tao. Although the hard and strong aren't outside the Tao, they involve effort. Hence they lead people away from it."
LIEH-TZu says, "The world has a path of perennial victory and a path of peren­ nial defeat. The path of perennial victory is weakness. The 
path of perennial defeat is strength. These two are easy to recognize, but people remain oblivi­ ous to them" (2.17).

152


LAO-TZU says, "The weak conquer the strong" (36).
WANG CHEN says, "It isn't hard for an army to achieve victory. But it is hard to hold onto victory. There is no great army that has not brought on 
its own defeat through its victories."
HSI T' UNG says, 'When wood becomes hard, it loses its flexibility and becomes easy to break."
WANG p' ANG says, "In terms of yin andyang, yin comes before, andyang comes after. In terms of Heaven and Earth, Heaven is exalted, and Earth is 
humble. In terms of Virtue, the soft and the weak overcome the hard and the strong. But
. in terms of material things, the hard and the strong control the soft and the weak. The people of this world only see things. They don't understand 
Virtue."

su CH E says, 'i\s long as it contains empty breath, the body does not suffer
from rigidity. As long as they reflect perfect reasoh, actions are not burdened
by severity. According to the unchanging princip e of things, the refined rises to the top, while the coarse sinks to the bottom The refined is soft and 
weak, while the coarse is hard and strong."
LI JUNG says, "The living belong above. The dead belong below."
In line five, most editions include the phrase wan-wu:ten thousand creatures be· fore tS'ao-wu:plants. Chiang HSi-ch'ang thinks that in light of the plant-
specific adjectives of lines six and eight this must be an interpolation, and I agree. It does not appear in Yen Tsun or the Fuyi edition. In line nine, I 
have relied on the Mawangtui texts for the addition of yueh:it is said. In line thirteen, I have turned to Liehtzu: 2.17, Huainantzu: I, and Wentzu: 1 for 
che:snap. Meanwhile, the standard, Suotan, and Fuyi editions have the puzzling kung:together, Wang Pi has the equally strange ping:army, and the 
Mawangtui texts offer no help with keng:end and ching:compete.












153


77	The Way of Heaven
is like stringing a bow pulling down the 
high lifting up the low shortening the long 
lengthening the short the Way of Heaven 
takes from the long
and supplements the short unlike the Way of 
Man taking from the short
and giving to the long who can find the 
long and give it to the world
only those who find the Way
thus the sage does not presume on what he does or claim what he achieves
thus he chooses to hide his skill




KAO HENG says, "In attaching a string to a bow. we pull the bow down to attach the string to the top. We lift the bow up to attach it to the bottom. If 
the string is too long, we make it shorter. If the string is too short, we make it longer. This is exactly the Way of Heaven." My reading of line two, which 
agrees with that of Kao Heng, is based on the Shuowen, which says, "Chang means to attach a string to a bow."
TU ER-WEI says, "Not only the Chinese, but the ancient Greeks and Hindus, the Finns, the Pawnee, the Arapaho all likened the moon to a bow. 
Thus the Way of Heaven is like a bow" (pp. 97-98).
HO-SHANG KUNG says, "The Way of Heaven is so dark, we need metaphors to understand it. To prepare a bow for use, we string it by pulling 
down the top


154


and by lifting up the bottom. Likewise, the Way of Heaven takes from the strong and gives to the weak."
LU HU I-CH' I NG says, "The Way of Heaven does not intentionally pull down the high and lift up the low. It does nothing and relies 
instead on the nature of things. Things that are high and long cannot avoid being pulled down and shortened. Things that are low 
and short cannot avoid being lifted up and lengthened. The full suffer loss. The humble experience gain."
TE-CH ING says, "The Way of Heaven is to give but not to take. The Way of Man is to take but not to give."
WANG p' ANG says, "The Way of Heaven is based on the natural order. Hence it is fair. The Way of Man is based on desire. Hence it is 
not fair. Those who pos­ sess the Way follow the same Way as Heaven."
su CH' E says, "Those who possess the Way su ply the needs of the ten thou­ sand creatures without saying a word. Only t ose who 
possess the Way are capable of this."
LU HSI-SHENG says, "Who can imitate the Way f Heaven and make it the Way of Man, take what one has in abundance and give it to 
those in need? Only those who possess the Way. The Yiching says, 'To take means to take from the low and give to the high (41). To give 
means to take from the high and give to the low' (42)."
LI JU N G says, 'l\lthough the sage performs virtuous deeds, he expects no re­ ward and tries to keep his virtue hidden."
                 ' ANG-HSING says, "The skill of the sage is unfathomable and inex­ haustible. How could it be revealed?"
In lines thirteen and fourteen, I have followed the simpler wording of Mawang­ tui Text B and the Suoran edition. Lines sixteen and 
seventeen also appear in verses 2 and 51. For the last line, I have used the briefer Fuyi version.










155


78	Nothing in the world is weaker than water but against the hard and the strong
nothing excels it
for nothing can change it the soft overcomes the 
hard
the weak overcomes the strong this is something everyone 
knows but no one is able to practice
thus the sage declares
who accepts a country's disgrace we call the lord of  soil and grain 
who accepts a country's misfortune we call the king of all under Heaven 
upright words sound upside down



HSUAN-TSUNG says, "The nature of water is to stay low, not to struggle, and to take on the shape of its container. Thus nothing is 
weaker. But despite such weakness, it can bore through rocks, while rocks cannot wear down water."'
LI H UNG-FU says, "The soft and the weak do not expect to overcome the hard and the strong. They simply do."'
HSI T'UNG says, "You can hit it, but you can't hurt it. You can stab it, but you can't wound it. You can hack it, but you can't cut it. You 
can light it, but you can't burn it. Nothing in the world can alter this thing we call water."
CHU TI-HUANG says, "We can alter the course and shape of water, but we can't alter its basic nature to descend, by means of which it 
overcomes the hardest and strongest things."
TS' AO TAO-CH'UNG says, "The reason people know this but don't put this into practice is because they love strength and hate weakness."
SUNG CH' ANG-HSING says, "Spies and traitors, thieves and robbers, people who have no respect for the law, disloyal subjects and 
unfilial children, these


156


are disgraces. Excessive drought and rain, epidemics and locusts, untimely death, famine and homelessness, ominous plants, and misshapen animals, these 
are misforrunes."
PO-TSUNG says, "Rivers and swamps contain mud. Mountains and marshes harbor diseases. The most beautiful gem has a flaw. The ruler of a state suffers disgrace. 
This is the Way of Heaven" (Tsochuall: Hsuan.I5).
SHU N says, "If I commit an offense, it has nothing to do with my people. If my people commit an offense, the offense rests with me" (Shuchillg: 4C.8).
CH UANG -TZU says, "Everyone wants to be first, while I alone want to be last: which means to endure the world's disgrace" (33.5).
MENCIUS says, "If the ruler of a state is not kind, he cannot protect the spirits of the soil and grain" (4A.3).
su CH' E says, "Upright words agree with the Tao and contradict the world. The world considers enduring disgrace shameful and enduring misforrune a calamity"
LI J UNG says, "The world sees disgrace and innocence, forrune and misfor­ rune. The Taoist sees them all as empty"
KAO YEN-TI says, "The last line sums up the meaning of the abstruse phrases that occur throughout the Taotechillg, such as 'to act without acting.' The words 
may contradict, but they complement the truth."
In line four, yi:challge can also mean "to be easy" (Ho-shang Kung), "to slight" (Li Hung-fu), or "to replace" (Ch'en Ku-ying). In line five, Mawangrui Text B has shui:water in 
place of jou:soft, in which case, kallg:hard would be read "metal." Wu Ch'eng puts the last line at the beginning of the next verse, Yen Tsun combines both verses, and 
some commentators suggest combining this with verse 43.











157


79 ?-fi'  i??  :fJ;A  -fi'?	*?
ii]	•	•	•


In 
re
so
lvi
ng 
a 
gr
ea
t 
di
sp
ut
e a 
di
sp
ut
e 
is 
su
re 
to 
re
m
ai
n
how can this be good	,


•	1t  ?A


;It
? 1if



thus the sage holds the left 
marker


•
!'-? #.1if AfA ?? flJL   i3'J   ?  !Jt 'tI•	?   
W   i;A


he 
makes 
no 
claim 
on 
others 
thus 
the 
virtuou
s 
overse
e 
marker
s the 
virtuele
ss 
overse
e taxes
the Way of Heaven favors no one
,
but always helps the good











TE-CH' ING says, "In Lao-tzu's day. whenever the feudal rulers had a dispute, the most powerful lord convened a meeting to resolve it. But the 
resolution of a great dispute invariably involved a payment, And if the payment was not forth­ coming, the dispute continued."
WANG PI says, "If we don't arrange a contract clearly. and a dispute results, even using virtuous means to settle it won't restore the injury. 
Thus a dispute will
,
remaI·    n."
SU CH E says, "If we content ourselves with trimming the branches and don't pull out the roots, things might look fine on the outside, 
but not on the inside. Disputes come from delusions, and delusions are the product of our nature. Those who understand their 
nature encounter no delusions, much less disputes,"
HO-SHANG KUNG says, "Murderers are killed, and criminals are punished in ac­ cordance with their crime. But those who inflict such 
punishments offend their own human feelings and involve innocent people as well. If even one person sighs, we offend the Heart of 
Heaven, How can resolving disputes be consid­ ered good?"
CH' ENG HSUAN-YING says, "If someone lets go of both sides but still clings to the middle, how can they be completely good?"
'
SUNG CH ANG-HSING says, "Seeking to make peace with others is the Way of
Man. Not seeking to make peace but letting things make peace by themselves is the Way of Heaven, Despite the expenditure of energy 
and action, energy

158


and action seldom bring peace. Thus the sage holds the left marker because he relies on inaction and the subtlety of letting things be."
CHENG LIANG-SHU says, "In ancient times, contracts were divided in rwo. In the state of Ch'u, the creditor kept the left half, and Lao-tzu was from Ch'u. In the central 
plains, this was reversed, and the creditor kept the right half."
                             ' says, "If one does not make demands of others, disputes
cannot arise. If one constantly takes from others, great disputes cannot h.elp but occur."
WANG AN-SHIH says, "Those concerned with taxes cannot avoid making claims on others and thus cannot prevent disputes. This is why they lack virtue."
MENCIUS says, "The rulers of the Hsia dynasty exacted a kung:tribute on every five acres of land. The rulers of the Shang exacted a chu:share on every seven acres. 
The rulers of the Chou exacted a ch'e:tax on every ten acres. In reality; what was paid was a tithe of ten percent" (3A.3). See also Lunyu: 12.9.
LU TUNG-PIN says, "Those who are good cultivate themselves. They don't con­ cern themselves with others. Once you concern yourself with others, you have disputes. The 
good make demands of themselves. They don't make demands of others. The Way of Man is selfish. The Way of Heaven is unselfish. It isn't concerned with others, 
but it always is one with those who are good."
The last rwo lines were a common saying. In the Shuoyuan: 10.25, they conclude an exhortation to keep still. They also appear in slightly different form in the Shuching and 
in Ch'u Yuan's Lisao: "High Heaven favors no one / but it helps the virruous."















159


80	Imagine a small state with a small population let there be labor-saving tools
that aren't used
let people consider death and not move far
let there be boats and carts
but no reason to ride them
let there be armor and weapons but no reason to employ 
them
let people return to the use of knots and be satisfied with their food
and pleased with their clothing and content with their 
homes and happy with their customs let there be a state so 
near
people hear its dogs and chickens and live out their lives
without making a visit




HUANG-TJ says, 'f\. great state is yang. A small state is yin."
SU CH' E says. "Lao-tzu lived during the decline of the Chou. when artifice flourished and customs suffered. and he wished to restore its virtue through 
doing nothing. Hence at the end of his book he wishes he had a small state to try rhis on. Bur he never got his wish."
YAO NAI says, "In ancient rimes. states were many and small. In later times. they were few and great. But even if a grear srate wanted ro return to the 
ancient ways. how could it?"
HO-SHANG KUNG says, 't\ithough the sage governs a great state. he rhinks of ir as a small state and is frugal in the use of irs resources. Alrhough rhe 
people are many, he rhinks of rhem as few and is careful not to exhaust them."

160


H U SHIH says, "With the advance of civilization, the power of technology is used to replace human labor. A cart can carry a thousand kilos, and a 
boat can carry hundreds of passengers. This is the meaning of 'labor-saving tools' " (p. 64).
WANG AN-SHIH says, "When the people are content with their lot, they don't concern themselves with moving far away or going to war."
THE YICHING CHITZU says, "The earliest rulers used knots in their govern­ ment. Later sages introduced the use of books" (B.2).
WU CH' ENG says, "People who are satisfied with their food and pleased with their clothes cherish their lives and don't tempt death. People who are 
content with their homes and happy with their customs don't move far away. They grow old and die where they were born."
CH'ENG HSUAN-YING says, "They are satisfied with their food because they taste the Tao. They are pleased with their clothing because they 
are adorned with virtue. They are content with their homes because they are content everywhere. And they are happy with their customs because 
they soften the glare of the world."
    ' TAO-CH'U NG says, "Those who do their own farming and weaving don't lack food or clothes. They have nothing to give and nothing to seek. 
Why should they visit others?"
In line two, some editions delete jen:man in the compound shih-po-jen:labor­ saving. I have followed Yen Tsun, Ho-shang Kung, and the Suotan and 
Mawangrui texts, all of which include it. This phrase can also be interpreted, with or without jen, to mean "tools of war." But Hu .shih's reading, 
seconded by Cheng Liang-shu, is, I think, more profound. After line ten, Ssu-ma Ch'ien and the Fuyi edition add: "the goal of perfect rule / and 
everyone is . . ." But this appears to be an interpolation. Finally; some editions reverse the order of lines thirteen and fourteen but thereby abandon the 
rhyme.











161 


81	True words aren't beautiful beautiful words aren't true
the good aren't eloquent the eloquent aren't good 
the wise aren't learned the learned aren't wise
the sage accumulates nothing but the more he does for others the 
greater his existence
the more he gives to others the greater his abundance 
the Way of Heaven
is to help without harming the Way of the sage
is to act without struggling




HUANG-TI says, "There is a word for everything. Words that are harmful we say are not true" (Chingfa: 2).
TE-CH'ING says, '?t the beginning of this book, Lao-tzu says the Tao can't be put into words. But are its 5,ooo-odd characters not words? Lao-tzu waits 
until the last verse to explain this. He tells us that though the Tao itself includes no words, by means of words it can be revealed-but only by words 
that come from the heart."
           ' E says, "What is true is real but nothing more. Hence it isn't beautiful. What is beautiful is pleasing to look at but nothing more. 
Hence it isn't true. Those who focus on goodness don't try to be eloquent, and those who focus on eloquence aren't good. Those who have one 
thing that links everything to­ gether have no need of learning. Those who keep learning don't understand the Tao. The sage holds onto the one and 
accumulates nothing."
HO-SHANG KUNG says, "True words are simple and not beautiful. The good cultivate the Tao, not the arts. The wise know the Tao, not 
information. The

162


sage accumulates virtue, not wealth. He gives his wealth to the poor and uses his virtue to teach the unwise. And like the sun or moon, he never stops shining."
CHUANG-TZU says, "When Lao Tan and Yin Hsi heard of people who consid­ ered accumulation as deficiency; they were delighted" (33.5).
SUNG CH' ANG-HSING says, "People only worry that their own existence and abundance are insufficient. They don't realize that helping and giving to oth­ ers 
does them no harm but brings them benefit instead."
TS ' AO TAO-CH' UNG says, "The wealth from giving generously is inexhaustible. The power from not accumulating is boundless."



wu CH 


ENG 


says, "Help is the 
opposite of harm. 
Where there is help, 
there


must be harm. But when Heaven helps, it doesn't harm, because it helps with­ out helping. Action is the start of struggle. Where there is action, there must be 
struggle. But when the sage acts, he doesn't struggle, because he acts with-
out actm.	g."

CHIAO HU NG says, "The past 5,000 words all explain 'the Tao of not accumu­ lating: what Buddhists call 'non-attachment.' Those who empty their minds on the 
last two lines will grasp most of Lao-tzu's book."
WANG CHEN says, "The last line summarizes the entire 5,000 words of the pre­ vious eighty verses. It doesn't focus on action or inaction but simply on action that 
doesn't involve struggle.
In lines three and four, the Fuyi edition adds yen:words. In the Mawangtui texts, lines three and four are inverted with lines five and six. I haven't used either of these variants, 
nor have I accepted the variation of the last line introduced by Mawangtui Text B and the Suotan edition, both of which havejen:man in place of sheng-jen:sage. This would 
result in "the Way of Man," which does appear in verse 77, but in a pejorative sense.











163


Glossary


In addition to proper names and Chinese terms, the following list includes the names and dates of all commentators quoted in the preceding pages along with the titles of 
texts from which I have quoted selected passages.
Chang Tao-ling !:Ji!l:t1\i (34-157 AD). Patriarch of the Way of Celestial Masters, the earliest-known Taoist movement, which emphasized physical and moral training as 
well as spiritual cultivation. His commentary was lost until a partial copy. including verses 3 through 37, was found in the Tunhuang Caves: s.6825. Lao-tzll hsiang-erh-chll.
Chankllotse ?I!lilj:ft . Collection of narratives,  some historical,  some  fictional, based on the events of the Warring States Period (403-221 BC). Compiled by Liu Hsiang (c. 79-6 
BC) and re-edited by later scholars.
Chao Chih-chien I!e¥? (fl. 1270). Tao-te-chen-ching shll-Yi.
Ch'en Ku-ying ??m. (1935- ). Classical scholar and philosopher who has taught in Taipei and Peking and annoyed authorities in both places with his outspoken views. LaO-
tZII chll-yi chi-p'ing-chieh.
Ch'eng Chu ffi1fJl, (I078-II44). Scholar-official and fearless critic of government policies with which he did not agree. Lao-tzlI-llln.
Ch' eng Hsuan-ying Jl?? (fl. 647-{i63). Taoist master and proponent of using an eclectic approach to explain the teachings of Lao-tzu. His commentary. re­ cently re-edited 
from portions in the Taoist Canon and Tunhuang manuscript S.2517, reflects the influence of Chuang-rzu along with Buddhist Sanlun and Tientai teachings. It was 
required reading for Taoists seeking ordination dur­ ing the T'ang dynasty Lao-tzlI-shll.
Cheng Liang-shu	(1940- ).  Classi'cal scholar and leading authority on the Mawangtui texts, His presentation of differences between 
the Mawangtui and other editions appears in Ta-lll tsa-chih vols. 54-59 (April 1977-0ctober 1979), His study of Tunhuang copies of the Taoteching is also excellent: LaO-
tZII llln-chi.


165


Chiang Hsi-ch'ang ??? (pub!, 1937). Lao-tzu chiao-chieh.
Ch'iang Ssu-ch'i	(fl. 920). Taoist master of the Former Shu dynasty (Szechuan province) during the Five Dynasties period. His edition is invaluable for its 
preservation of the comments of LiJung, Ch'eng Hsuan-ying, and Yen Tsun, as well as those of Hsuan-tsung and Ho-shang Kung. Tao-te-chen-ching hsuan-te-tsuan-shu.
Chiao Hung;\li\JI/i; (1541-1620). Noted compiler of bibliographic works. His 1587 edition of the Taoteching includes his own occasional comments as well as se­ lected commentaries of mostly 
Sung dynasty authors, especially Su Ch'e, Lu Hui-ch'ing, and Li Hsi-chai. It remains one of the most useful such compila­ tions. Lao-tzu-yi.
Chiehm (d. 1766 BC) and Chou M' (d. II22 BC). Tyrants whose reigns concluded the Hsia and Shang dynasties respectively.
Chingfu :!lt?Iil' Inscription of the Taoteching carved in the second year of the Chingfu period (893) at Lunghsing Temple in Yichou, southwest of Peking.
Chinglung :!ltilK. Inscription of the Taoteching carved in the second year of the Chinglung period (708) also at Yichou's Lunghsing Temple. Authorities in charge of the temple's former site 
have no idea what happened to these two stelae, though several elderly village women told me they were moved south to another county in the same province-. they didn't know which county or 
when the move took place. A third Taoteching stele, carved in 738, is the lone survivor of Lunghsing Temple's collection of ancient inscriptions.
Chinjenming ?A?' An inscription that Confucius reports seeing on the back of a metal statue whose mouth was papered over. The statue, he says, was at the entrance to an early Chou dynasty 
shrine to Houchi, the God of Crops. (Kungtzu Chiayu: II). A copy of the inSCription now stands near the entrance to the Duke of Chou's shrine in Confucius' home town of Chufu.
Chu Ch'ien-chih *?Z (1899-1972). Classical scholar and teacher of philoso­ phy and history. His edition of the Taotechingpresents variants, rhymes, and us­ ages, along with his own comments. 
Lao-tzu chiao-shih.
Chu Ti-huang *'i:l.!il (1885-1941). Ch'ing dynasty official and early revolution­ ary. After fleeing the country. he returned to China to devote himself to Bud­ dhism and Chinese philosophy.
Ch'u Yuan Jim\ (340?-278 Be). China's first great poet and author of the Lisao.

166


His suicide in the Milo River is now celebrated on thefifth day of the fifth moon as Poet's Day and marked by dragon boat races to save his body from the fishes.
Chuang-tzu (369-286 Be). After Lao-tzu. the greatest of the early Taoist philosophers. The work that bears his name contains some of the most imagi­ native examples of early Chinese 
writing and includes numerous quotes from the Taoteching. The work was added to by later writers and edited into its present form by Kuo HSiang (d. 312).
Chungyung	(Doctrine of the Mean). Attributed to Tzu-ssu. the grandson of Confucius. It forms part of a larger work known as the Lichi, or Book of Rites.
Confucius	(551-479 Be). China's most revered teacher of doctrines em­ phasizing the harmony of human relations. His teachings. along with those of his 
disciples. were compiled into the Lunyu (Analects). the Chungyung (Doctrine of the Mean). and the Tahsueh (Great Learning) and until recently formed the basis of moral education in 
China.
Diamond Sutra ??m? (Vajracchedika  Prajnaparamita  Sutra).  Along with the shorter Heart Sutra and the longer Lotus Sutra, this is one of the most popular of all Buddhist texts. It 
was first translated into Chinese by Kumarajiva around 400 AD.
Duke Ai ?? (fl. fifth cent. Be). Ruler of the state of Lu and interlocutor of
Lunyu: 12.9.
Duke Wen of Chin tf>c? (fl. seventh cent. Be). Ruler of the state of Chin and hegemon of the central states.
Fan Ying-yuanm.l!7C (fl. 1240-1269). One of the first scholars to examine varia­ tions in pronunciation and wording in the Taoteching. Lao-tzu tao-te-ching ku­ pen-chi-chu.
Five Emperors 1iW. According to the lineage of Ssu-ma Ch'ien. they included Shao Hao (c. 2600-2500 Be), Chuan Hsu (c. 2500-2400 Be). Ti K'u (c. 2400-2350 Be). Yao (c. 2350-2250 Be). 
and Shun (c. 2250-2150 Be).
Fu Hsi     (c. 3500 Be). Sage ruler of prehistoric times and the reputed inven­ tor of the system of hexagrams on which the Yiching is based.
Fuyi Copy of the Taoteching that came to light in 574 near the town of Hsuchou in the grave of one of the concubines of Hsiang Yu. Although the date




167


of her death is unknown, HSiang Yu died in 202 BC. Along with the Mawangtui texts, which date from the same period, this constitutes one of the earliest known copies. Fu Yi 
(555-639) was a court astrologer and outspoken opponent of Buddhist monasticism who published the text along with his own commen­ tary. Subsequent editions of the 
text suggest he made some minor changes in­ volving grammatical particles. Fu-yi chiao-ting ku-pen-lao-tzu.
Han Fei"?F (d. 233 BC). Student of the Confucian philosopher, Hsun-tzu. His collection of rhetoric and antecdotes, known as the Hanfeitzu, is noted for its Legalist philosophy. 
Chapters 20 and 21 consist of numerous quotes from the Taoteching and include commentaries on verses 38, 46, 50, 53, 54, 58, 59, 60, and
67. Although Han Fei often misconstrues phrases to support his own ideas, his is the earliest-known commentary.
Hanku Passi?hi'l-iJaJ. A 17-kilometer-long defile through the loess plateau on the border between Honan and Shensi provinces. Lao-tzu reportedly conveyed to the Warden of the 
Pass the text that makes up the Taoteching.
Ho-shang Kung7i..:l} (d. 159	Taoist master who lived in a hut beside the Yellow River-hence his name, which means "Master 
Riverside." His com­ mentary emphasizes Taoist yoga and was reportedly composed at the request of Emperor Wen (179-156 BC). It ranks next to that of Wang Pi in 
popularity. Some scholars think it originated in the third or fourth century AD from the Taoist lineage that included Ko Hung (283-343). There is at least one English 
translation: Eduard Erkes, Artibus Asiae (Switzerland), 1950. Lao-tzu-chu.
Houhanshu	(History of the Latter Han Dynasty). Compiled by Fan Yeh (398-445) for the period 25-220 AD.
Hsi T'ung	(1876-1936). Official and classical scholar known for his com­ mentaries on the philosophical texts of the Warring States period (403-221 
BC). Lao-tzu chi-chieh.
Hsin Tu-tzu {AlIl"r' Interlocutor in Liehtzu: 8.25.
Hsishengching i!§7T? (Book of the Western Ascension). Taoist work apparently composed during the first centuries AD. It is one of several texts that recount Lao-tzu's reappearance in India 
following his transmission of the Taoteching to Yin Hsi.
Hsu Yung-chang	(pub!. 1992). Hsu's commentary, which took forty years to publish, is prefaced by a thorough and wide-ranging 
discussion of the Taoteching as poetry. Lao-tzu shih-hsueh yu-chou.



168


Hsuan-tsung 3l:* (Li Lung-chi $lIiIf) (r. 712-762). One of China's greatest emperors. He was also a skilled poet and calligrapher and deeply interested in 
Taoism as well as Buddhism. I have quoted from his own commentary; written in 732, as well as from another commentary compiled under his direction that 
expands on his earlier effort. Yu-chu tao-te-chen-ching and Yu-chih tao-te-chen­ ching-shu.
Hsueh Hui il¥iJ (1489-1541). Official, classical scholar, and student of the oc­ cult. His work on the Taoteching is notable for its critical review of previous 
commentaries. Lao-tzu chi-chieh and Lao-tzu k'ao-yi.
Hsun-tzu m'T (fl. 300-240 Be). Teacher of Han Fei as well as Li Ssu, the First Emperor's infamous prime minister. He is considered the third of the great 
Confucian philosophers, after Confucius and Mencius, though his rationalism is often at odds with their idealism. His teachings are contained in a book of 
essays that bears his name.
Hu Shih ;lj!j? (1891-1962). Student ofJohn Dewey and leader of the New Cul­ ture Movement that helped establish vernacular Chinese  as  a legitimate form of 
literary expression. Chung-kuo che-hsueh-shih ta-kang.
Huai-nan-tzu iitWi'T (Liu An	(d. 122 Be). Grandson of Liu Pang, the first Han emperor. He was a devoted Taoist, although 
his search for the elixir of im­ mortality was prematurely interrupted when he was accused of plotting to succeed to the throne and forced to commit 
suicide. The book that bears his title is a collection of treatises on mostly Taoist themes written by a group of scholars at his court.
Huang Mao-ts'ai Jiatt (fl. II74-90). Scholar and military official. Lao­ tzu-chieh.
Huang Yuan-chi Ji:7G15' (fl. 1820-1874). Taoist master famous for his sermons and oral exposition of Taoist texts. His commentary; which he dictated to a 
disciple, focuses on internal yoga as well as on points in common between the teachings of Lao-tzu and Confucius. Tao-te-ching ching-yi.
Huang-ti JiW (Yellow Emperor) (c. 2700-2600 Be). The patriarch (some now say matriarch) of Chinese civilization and leader of the confederation of tribes that 
established themselves along the Yellow River. When excavators opened the Mawangtui tombs, they also found four previously unknown texts attrib­ uted 
to Huang-ti: Chingfa, Shihtaching, Cheng, and Taoyuan.
Huangti Neiching JiWpg? (Internal Treatise of the Yellow Emperor). Earliest



169





work that bears his name more likely incorporates the views of the Chi-hsia Academy that flourished in the Ch'i capital about the same time.
Kumarajiva	(344-413). Native of the Silk Road kingdom of Kucha and greatest of all translators of Buddhist scriptures into Chinese. Lao-
tzu-chu.
Kuo Yen	(fl. seventh cent. Be). Chief minister of the state of Chin during the reign of Duke Wen.
Kuoyu         (Dialogues of the States). Like the  Tsochuan, with which it overlaps and shares much material, this is a compilation of Chou dynasty history and fictional 
narrative focusing primarily on the period 770-464 Be. Traditionally, but erroneously. attributed to Tso Ch'iu-ming.
Kushihyuan	Anthology of pre-T'ang dynasty poetry compiled by Shen Te-ch'ien (1673-1769) and published in 1719.
Li Hsi-chai	(fl. n67). Taoist master, practitioner of Taoist yoga, and noted Yiching scholar.  His commentary extends Lao-tzu's teachings to 
the state as well as to the individual. Tao-te-chen-ching yi-chieh.
Li Hung-fu	(fl. 1574). His commentary can be found appended to a re­ issue of Su Ch'e's commentary. In his preface, he says the 
differences between Confucius and Lao-tzu are no more significant than the preference for wheat in North China and rice in the South. Lao-tzu-chieh.
Li Jung	(fl. 670). Taoist master and proponent of the Chunghsuan (Double-Darkness) approach to the truth that first uses 
darkness to break through  the  dialectic  of  darkness  and  light  and  then  renounces  darkness as well.  His commentary has been recently re-edited from 
portions that sur­ vive in the Taoist canon as well as from several Tunhuang copies. Tao-te-chen­ ching-chu.
Li Yueh	(fl. 683). Military official, accomplished poet, calligrapher, and painter of the plum  tree.  He viewed the Confucian  classics  as no  more 
than leaves and branches and the Taoteching as the root. Tao-te-chen-ching hsin-chu.
Lichi (Book of Rites). Anthology of Confucian writings, including the Chungyung and the Tahsueh. It wasfirst put together around the second century Be and further 
edited by Tai Te and his cousin during the following century.
Lieh-tzu	(fl. fourth century Be). Taoist master about whom nothing is known, other than that he could ride the wind. The book that 
bears his name was probably the work of his disciples and later generations of Taoists. The present version dates from the fifth century AD.


171 


Lin Hsi-yi:f*1!l-lf!l (fl. 1234--60). Scholar-official who produced commentaries to a number of classics. His commentary on the Taoteching is noted for its clarity. Lao-
tzu k'ou-yi.
Liu  Ch'en-weng  ?J?$   (1232-1297).  Poet  and  essayist.   He  held  several official posts but spent most of his life in obscurity. if not seclusion. Lao-tzu tao-te-
ching p'ing-tien.
Liu Ching	(fl. 1074)· Recognized for his literary talent by Wang An-shih, he was given several minor posts but failed to advance due to his 
fondness for argument. Lao-tzu-chu.
Liu Chung-p'ing ?j{<pSjZ (fl. 1060). Official and member of Wang An-shih's re­ form clique. Lao-tzu-chu.
Liu Pang ?Jfj) (247-195 BC). Helped overthrow the Ch'in dynasty and became the first emperor of the Han dynasty.
Liu Shili-li itlW:l.Z: (fl. 1200). Lao-tzu-chieh-chieh.
Liu Shili-p'ei ?JW!ff (1884-1919). Adds to the work of Wang Nien-sun and oth­ ers in locating ancient usages. Lao-tzu-chiao-pu.
Lo Chen-yu	(1866-1940). Archaeologist, educator, bibliographer, advisor to the last emperor, and among the first scholars to srudy the 
Tunhuang copies of the Taoteching. Tao-te-ching k'ao-yi and Tun-huang-pen laO-TZU yi-ts'an-chuan.
L'U Hsi-sheng IIi;fW (fl. 890). High official and scholar known for his wide learning. His commentary reflects the view that Lao-tzu and Confucius were the 
spirirual heirs of Fu Hsi (c. 3500 BC), with Lao-tzu emphasizing the yin and Confucius the yang aspects of the Way of Heaven. Tao-te-chen-ching-chuan.
Lu Hui-ch'ing §l!WIl  (1031-1111). Chosen by Wang An-shih to help draft his reform proposals and later by Emperor Shen-tsung to replace Wang as prime 
minister. His commentary, presented to the emperor in 1078, is quoted at length by Chiao Hung. Tao-te-chen-ching-chuan.
Lu Nung-shili IIiRlW (1042-1102). High official and scholar known for his knowledge of rirual usage. His commentary makes extensive use of quotes from 
Liehtzu and Chuangtzu. Lao-tzu-chu.
Lu Tung-pin§jfllil: (fl. 845). Leader of the legendary Eight Immortals and au­ thor of a number of Taoist works, including Secret ofthe Golden Flower. Several 
commentaries have been attributed to him. I have used the Tao-te-chingshih-yi.
Lushih Chunchiu §.fJ;wt:k (The Spring and Autumn Annals of Mr. Lu). Commis-
1 72 


sioned by Lu Pu-wei (d. 235 BC), this was probably the first Chinese text written with a unified plan. It purported to contain all that anyone needed to know of the world 
and was Taoist in conception. Not to be confused with The Spring and AutumnAnnals of Master Yen or The Spring and Autumn Annals written in the state of Lu and attributed to 
Confucius.
Ma Hsu-lun J.!',?fIjIj(1884-1970). Minister of Education, member of several leg­ islative bodies, and classical scholar. One of the first scholars to suggest re­ arranging 
passages of the Taoteching to remedy inconsistencies which he thought were the result of inadvertant shuffling of the wooden strips on which the text was first 
written. Lao-tzu chiao-ku.
Mawangtui J.!',:E?. Suburb of Changsha, capital of Hunan province, and the site of several Han dynasty graves that were excavated in 1973-4. Among the contents of one 
of the graves were two copies of the Taoteching written on silk. Although the grave was sealed in 168 BC, the presence or absence of certain characters proscribed 
after the onset of the Han dynasty suggest that Text A was copied before 206 BC and Text B was copied between 206 and 194 BC. Along with the Fuyi text, they 
constitute our earliest copies of the Taoteching. One noteworthy difference in the Mawangtui texts is the re-ordering of several verses and the placement of the 
second half of the text first.
Mencius:i!L.:r (390-305 BC). Ranked with Confucius and Hsun-tzu as one of the foremost teachers of the philosophy known as Confucianism. He studied with Confucius' 
grandson, Tzu-ssu. The work that bears his name records his con­ versations with his disciples and various rulers.
Ming T'ai-tsu B)tiil (Chu Yuan-chang	(1328-1398). Grew up in a family of destitute farmers, 
became a Buddhist monk, joined a rebellion against the Mongols (who had occupied the Chinese throne since 1278), and founded the Ming dynasty (1368-
1644). His commentary. which he appar­ ently wrote without the help of tutors, was completed in 1374. Tao-te-chen­ ching yu-chu.
Mo-tzu !l\.:r (fl. fifth cent. Philosopher whose arguments in favor of uni­ versal love and against costly funerals put him at odds with the Confucian school, 
especially Mencius and Hsun-tzu. The work that bears his name was apparently composed after his death by his disciples, who themselves betray differences of 
opinion concerning their master's views.
,


Mou-tzu tp.:r (MouJungtpM!l!) (fl. third cent.). High official and author of the Lihuolun, the earliest-known work that addresses the problems ariSing from Buddhist 
practice and Chinese tradition.

1 73


Pao-ting I@T. Knife-wielding cook of Chuangtzu: 3 .2.
Pi Kan    (fl. 1I50 BC). Advisor to the last emperor of the Shang dynasty; who had Pi killed for his frank counsel.
Pi Yuan	(1730-1797). Prominent scholar-official with interests in history. philology. and geography. Lao-tzu tao-te-ching k'ao-yi.
Po-tsung m* (fl. eighth cent. BC). Minister at the court of Chin. His views are reported in the Tsochuan: Hsuan.15.
Shanhaiching il.J#if? (Book of Mountains and Seas). Shaman's guide to China's mountains and waterways. Attributed to Yu the Great (fl. 2200 BC), it was ed­ ited into its 
present form by Liu Hsin (c. 50 BC-23 AD). A reliable English trans­ lation was published by Taiwan's National Institute for Compilation and Translation in 1985.
Shao Juo-yu B?;ti? (fl. 1I35-70). Tao-te-chen-ching chih-chieh.
Shen Nung (c. 2800-2700 BC). Legendary ruler of China's prehistoric pe­ riod. He is venerated as the father of agriculture and herbal medicine in China.
Shihching if?. Collection of some 300 poems from China's earliest historical period, between the twelfth and seventh century BC. Arranged by style and re­ gion, it 
was reportedly compiled by Confucius from a larger corpus of over 3,000 poems. It remained an essential part of traditional education until the 
twentieth century.
Shuching .?. Collection of memorials from China's earliest historical period: the Hsia, Shang, and Chou dynasties. Reputedly edited by Confucius, there are two 
versions, one of which contains 28 chapters and which most scholars think is genuine and another with an additional 22 chapters of debatable 
authenticity.
Shun ? (c. 2250-2150 BC). Early sage ruler noted for his filial piety and non-in­ terference in public affairs.
Shuowen    Greatest of China's early etymological dictionaries. It was com­ piled and first published by Hsu Shen in 121 AD and revised and updated with new 
materials in the T'ang, Sung, and Ch'ing dynasties.
Shuoyuan iti/;:f Collection of moral tales and political discourses. Attributed to Liu Hsiang (c. 79-{5 BC), who also compiled the Chankuotse.
Ssu-ma Ch'ien	(45-85 BC). Together with his father, Ssu-ma T'an, author of the first comprehensive history of China. His 
biography of Lao-tzu


1 74













































Tomb ofSu Ch'e (Su Tzu-yu). Located in Honan province near the town ofJuchou. Beyond Su's grave are the graves ofhisfather and his
morefamous brother, Su Tung-p'o. Photo by Bill Porter.


constitutes the earliest known record of the Taoist patriarch. Shih-chi (Records ofthe Historian): 63.
Ssu-ma  Kuang	(roI9-ro86).  One  of  the  most  famous  writers  and political figures of the Sung dynasty and adversary of Wang 
An-shih. His multi-volume history of China  remains  one  of  the  most  thorough treatments of China's past through the Tang dynasty. His commentary 
interprets Lao-tzu's text using Confucian terminology and Neo-Confucian concepts. Tao-te-chen-ching-lun.
Su Ch'e	(ro39-III2). Along with his father and brother, he was one of the eight great prose writers of the T'ang and Sung dynasties. Although his 
com­ mentary reflects his own Neo-Confucian sympathies, it is treasured by Bud­ dhists and Taoists alike. Tao-te-chen-ching-chu.
Suichou . Inscription of the Taoteching carved during the T'ang dynasty at Suichou's Lunghsing T<zmple. Not dated.

1 75





mythology and a proponent of the view that Taoism had its origin in the wor­ ship of the moon. Lao-tzu-te yueh-shen tsung-chiao.
1\1 Tao-chien tf:ii? (fl. 1264-1306). Taoist master and author of commentar­ ies to a number of Taoist classics. His Taoteching commentary makes extensive use of 
quotes from the Confucian classics. Tao-te-hsuan-chingyuan-chih.
Tung Ssu-ching jVi!? (fl. 1246-1257). Taoist master and compiler of Taoist texts in the  Ling-pao  tradition.  His  commentary  includes  extensive  quotes from T'ang 
and Sung dynasty commentators as well as his own comments. Tao-te-chen-ching chi-chieh.
Tunhuang?i1i!. China's westernmost outpost on the Silk Road as early as the Han dynasty and the location of dozens of Buddhist devotional caves carved into 
a hillside from the fourth through the fourteenth centuries. At the end of the nineteenth century; a Taoist caretaker opened a sealed side-room in one of the 
caves and found more than 30,000 manuscripts, most of which dated from the eighth through the eleventh century. From 1907 onward, he began selling these 
manuscripts to collectors, and the majority ended up in the national ar­ chives of France and England. Although most were Buddhist sutras, they in­ cluded at 
least 60 copies of various portions of the Taoteching.
.
Tzu-ssui"Ji!, (d. 483 Be). Grandson of Confucius and author of the Chungyung.
Wang An-shih :E3(E  (1021-1086). One of China's most famous prime minis­ ters. His attempt to introduce sweeping reforms directed against merchants and 
landowners galvanized Chinese intellectuals into a debate that continues to this day. He was also one of the great poets and prose writers of his day. His 
commentary has been re-edited from scattered sources by Yen Ling-feng. Lao-tzu-chu.
Wang Chen:EJi  809). T'ang dynasty general and student of the Taoteching. His commentary; which he presented to Emperor Hsiuan Tsung, remains unique for 
its display of pacificist sympathies by a military official. Tao-te-ching lun-ping yao-yi-shu
Wang Nien-sun :E?l* (1744-1832). Distinguished philologist whose analysis of grammatical particles used in ancient texts is unrivalled. His approachis also unique 
in not taking characters at their face value but in viewing them as pos­ sible homophones. Lao-tzu tsa-chih.
Wang P'ang :E3lf (1044-1076). Brilliant scholar, writer, and son of Wang An­ shih. His commentary. written in 1070, was "lost" until Yen Ling-feng re-edited it 
from scattered sources. Lao-tzu-chu.


1 77


Wang Pi:El!fJ (226-249 AD). Famous for the quickness of his mind as well as the breadth of his learning, he grew up with one of the best private libraries of his time. 
Although he died of a sudden illness at the age of twenty-four, he was among the first to discuss Taoism as metaphysics rather than religion. As a re­ sult, his 
commentary has been preferred over that of Ho-shang Kung by Con­ fucian scholars. At least two English translations exist: Paul Lin, University of Michigan 
Center for Chinese Studies, 1977; Ariane Rump, University of Hawaii Press, 1979. Lao-tzu-chu.
Wang Tao	(1476-1532). Incorporates Confucian interpretations in his commentary. Lao-tzu-yi.
Wang Wu-chiu	(fl. 1056). Scholar-official. He gave up a promising offi­ cial career in order to devote himself to studying and teaching. 
Lao-tzu-yi.
Wei Yuan	(1794-1856). Classicist, historian, geographer, and admired ad­ ministrator. While his own views are insightful, his commentary 
consists largely in selections from Chiao Hung's edition. Lao-tzu pen-yi.
Wen-tzu	(fl. fifth cent. Be). Taoist recluse and teacher of Fan Li, prime minister of the state of Yueh. According to theHanshu, he was a disciple of 
Lao­ tzu and a contemporary of Confucius. The book that bears his name is attrib­ uted to his disciples.
Wu Ch'eng ?m (1249-1333). One of the great prose writers of the Yuan dy­ nasty. surpassea only by his student, Yu Chi (1272-1348). His commentary re­ veals 
unique insight and provides essential background information. It is also noted for its division of the text into 68 verses. Tao-te-chen-ching-chu.
Yang 1l! . The bright side, the male, the strong.

Yang Hsiungm? (53 Be-18 AD). Gifted writer of courtly odes and philosopher. Known for his view that man is neither good nor bad by nature but wholly subject 
to his environment. A number of his odes are preserved in the Wenhsuan. The Fayen contains his philosophical maxims.
Yao Nai!!Jliili (1732-1815). One of the most famous literary figures of the Ch'ing dynasty and advocate of writing in the style of ancient prose. His anthology of ancient 
literary models, Kuwentzu Leitsuan, has had a great influence on writ­ ers and remainsin use. Lao-tzu chang-chu.
Yellow Emperor (Huang-ti j[W) (c. 2700-2600 Be). Patriarch of Chinese cul­ ture. He was also among the earliest known practitioners of Taoist yoga and other 
hygienic arts.

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Yen Fu	(1853-1921). Naval officer, scholar, and the first Chinese commen­ tator to use Western philosophical concepts in interpreting Lao-tzu. Lao-tzu 
tao-te-ching p'ing-tien.
Yen Ling-feng IUIlIf$ (1910- ). Classical scholar and specialist in Taoteching studies. In addition to his own books on the subject, he re-published most of the surviving 
commentaries in his monumental Wu-ch'iu-pei-chai lao-tzu chi­ ch'eng, including a number of "lost" commentaries which he re-edited from scattered sources. Lao-tzu chang-
chu hsin-pien.
Yen Tsun Mli. (Chun-p'ing ?SjZ) (fl. 53-24 Be). Urban recluse of Chengtu. He supported himself as a fortune-teller and spent his remaining time reading and pondering the 
Taoteching. The lengthy commentaries that he produced are sometimes quite profound but more often obscure, and those that survive are incomplete. He divides the text 
into 72 verses. Tao-te-ching chih-kuei.
Yentiehlun ••IDili (Discource on Salt and Iron). Record of debates on govern­ ment   policies   and  other  problems   of  the   day  compiled  by  Huan   K'uan (fl. 73 Be).
Yiching Jlb? (Book of Changes). Ancient manual of divination based on a system of hexagrams invented by Fu Hsi (c. 3500 Be) with judgments attributed to Duke Wen and the Duke of 
Chou (c. 1200-1100 Be), and commentaries added some 600 years later, ostensibly by Confucius.
Yiching Chitzu.  Jlb??1$ (Appended Judgments on the Yiching).  Attributed  to Duke Wen.
Yin ?. The dark side, the female, the weak.
Yin Hsi jOt# (fl. sixth cent. Be). Taoist astronomer who met Lao-tzu at Hanku Pass and to whom Lao-tzu subsequently conveyed the Taoteching. Several works have been 
attributed to him, though those that survive are probably by later Taoists.
Yin Wen jOtX (350-284 Be). Eclectic philosopher of the state of Ch'i and author of a book of discourses that bears his name.
YuJuo?;s (fl. fifth cent. Be). Disciple of Confucius known for his resemblence to the sage as well as for his love of antiquity After Confucius' death, many of his disciples 
wanted to render to Yu Juo the same observances they had con­ ferred on Confucius. But this was opposed by Tseng-tzu.
Yunchi Chichien	Anthology of Taoist writings edited by Chang Chun-fang (fl. 1017-21). One of the most influential such 
compilations, it is also called the Shorter Taoist Canon.

1 79































































































Sung dynasty stele at the grave oJLao-tzu's mother. Photo by Bill Porter.



     On the Spelling af Chinese Names

A modified Wade-Giles system, in which umlauts have been omitted, is used throughout. According to this system, aspirated consonants  are unvoiced Ct'" is 
pronounced "t" as in "toy," and "ch'" is pronounced "ch" as in "church"). Unaspirated consonants are voiced Ct" is pronounced "d" as in "dog" and "ch" is 
pronounced "j" as in "jam"). The only unusual pronunciation is "j," which is pronounced "r" as "row." And the only vowel that is pronounced differently from 
what one might expect in English is the final "e" or "u," which is given little or no emphasis. Thus the "tzu" in "Lao-tzu" is pronounced the same as the final part 
of the word "adze." For the names of places and books, I have omitted the apostrophes and hyphens and run words together. Thus Tao-te­ ching becomes 
Taoteching, and Lao-tzu the person becomes Laotzu the book. I have also retained commonly used spellings based on other romanization sys­ tems. Thus, Yangtze 
instead of Changchiang.


Acknowledgments


The translator is indebted to Michael O'Connor and Christina McLennan for critical readings of the English text, to Paul Hansen for his fine map, to Steven
R. Johnson for his photo of the Mawangtui texts. to Martin Merz for help in China. and to Paul Hansen. Jack Estes. Fred Goforth. Nicholas Gould. and the
U. S. Department of Agriculture's Food Stamp program for various forms of financial assistance.

















Cover, interior design in Dante and Columbus, and typesetting by Thomas Christensen. Chinese characters typeset by Katherine Loh Design.
Map on p. viii by Paul Hansen. Edited by Thomas Christensen and Kirsten Janene-Nelson, with assistance from Victoria 
Bullman, Sarah Fallon, andJiirgen Mollers;
proofread by Catherine Park. Printing and binding by Data Reproductions, using 
sixty-pound Springhill
vellum paper.




The cover and title page calligraphy
    of the character Tao	is by one of China's greatest calligraphers, 
Yen Chen-ch'ing
(709-785). It is part of a longer inscription written circa
775 at the Taoist center of Maoshan	while Yen was 
Military Commissioner of
the Huchou area.


$12.95 u.s.
Eastern SpirituaUty / Asia11 Studies




"Here is an honest, fresh renditio11 of the Taoteching that has much to recom­ n1cnd it. The language, tl1ough simple, aptly captures the austere and mystical 
poetry of  the original. Red Pine, because he hin1se]f  has  experienced  the life of a true Taoist ascetic, possesses an almost unique ability to convey the 
nuance and sense of this elusive text. . . . One feature chat sets it apart from virtually all others is  the  illuminating,  eclectic  commentaries  following  each  
chapter that have been judic.iously  assen1bled  by Red Pine. These are extraordinar­ ily valuable for those who want to understand l1ow the Chinese have 
tra­ ditionally interpreted the thoughr embodied in the Taoteching.	I
wholeheartedly endorse Red Pine's sensitive translation of the classic and enthusiastically e11courage anyone with an interest in early Taoism
to read it in confider1ce that it cornes as close as possible
to expressing the Chinese text in English."

-	Victo r H. Mair, Professer of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies.
University of Pennsylvania



Award-w mning	translator  Red  Pine,  whose.. previous  books  from		Mercury House inc]ude 
Road to Heaven: Encounters i.:vith Chincse Hennits and	his tr ans ­ lation  of  Su11g  Po -jen's  Guide to Capturing a  Plurn  Blossom,  renders  the  class1c Chinese text into 
exquisite English in  a  breakthrough  translation  that includes for  the  first  time  essential	commentanes,
	considered  by  Chinese scholars to be  vital to understanding		the w1sdom of 
Taoism.

MERCURY	HousE
San Fra11cisco, Califor111a

ISBN 1 - 5 6 2 7 9 - 0 8 5 - 4


5
11111 1 11 111 ,


2 9 5
>


A way that can be walked is not The Way
A name that can be named is not The Name
Tao is both Named and Nameless
As Nameless, it is the origin of all things As Named, it is the mother of 
all things
A mind free of thought, merged within itself, beholds 
the essence of Tao
A mind filled with thought,
identified with its own perceptions, beholds the mere forms of this 
world
Tao and this world seem different
   but in truth they are one and the same The only difference is in what 
we call them
How deep and mysterious is this unity How profound, how great!
It is the truth beyond the truth, the hidden within the 
hidden
It is the path to all wonder,
the gate to the essence of everything!





Everyone recognizes beauty only because of 
ugliness
Everyone recognizes virtue only because of sin
Life and death are born together Difficult and easy
Long and short High and low—
   all these exist together Sound and silence blend as 
one Before and after arrive as one

The Sage acts without action and teaches without 
talking
All things flourish around him
   and he does not refuse any one of them He gives but not to 
receive
He works but not for reward
He completes but not for results
He does nothing for himself in this passing world so nothing he does ever passes





Putting a value on status
   will cause people to compete Hoarding treasure
   will turn them into thieves Showing off 
possessions
will disturb their daily lives

Thus the Sage rules
by stilling minds and opening hearts
   by filling bellies and strengthening bones He shows people how to be 
simple
   and live without desires To be content
   and not look for other ways With the people so 
pure
Who could trick them?
What clever ideas could lead them astray?

When action is pure and selfless
everything settles into its own perfect place





Tao is empty
   yet it fills every vessel with endless supply Tao is hidden
yet it shines in every corner of the universe

With it, the sharp edges become smooth the twisted knots loosen
the sun is softened by a cloud the dust settles into 
place
So deep, so pure, so still
It has been this way forever
You may ask, “Whose child is it?”— but I cannot say
This child was here before the Great Ancestor

































 





Endlessly creating Endlessly pulsating
The Spirit of the Valley never dies She is called the Hidden 
Creator
Although She becomes the whole universe Her immaculate purity is never 
lost
Although She assumes countless forms Her true identity remains 
intact
Whatever we see or don’t see Whatever exists or doesn’t exist
Is nothing but the creation of this Supreme Power

Tao is limitless, unborn, eternal—
   It can only be reached through the Hidden Creator She is the very face of the 
Absolute
The gate to the source of all things eternal

Listen to Her voice
   Hear it echo through creation Without fail, She reveals her 
presence
Without fail, She brings us to our own perfection





Heaven is ancient Earth is long-lasting 
Why is this so?—
   Because they have no claims to life By having no claims to life
they cannot be claimed by death

The Sage puts his own views behind so ends up ahead
He stays a witness to life so he endures
What could he grab for
that he does not already have?
What could he do for himself
that the universe itself has not already done?





The best way to live is to be like water
For water benefits all things
   and goes against none of them It provides for all 
people
and even cleanses those places a man is loath to go
In this way it is just like Tao

Live in accordance with the nature of things: Build your house on solid ground
Keep your mind still When giving, be kind
When speaking, be truthful When ruling, be just
When working, be one-pointed
When acting, remember—timing is everything

One who lives in accordance with nature does not go against the way of 
things
He moves in harmony with the present moment always knowing the truth of just 
what to do





Grabbing and stuffing— there is no end to it
Sharpen a blade too much
   and its edge will soon be lost Fill a house with gold 
and jade
and no one can protect it
Puff yourself with honor and pride and no one can save you from 
a fall
Complete the task at hand Be selfless in your 
actions
This is the way of Heaven This is the way to 
Heaven





Hold fast to the Power of the One It will unify the body
   and merge it with the spirit It will cleanse the 
vision
   and reveal the world as flawless It will focus the life-force
and make one supple as a newborn

As you love the people and rule the state can you be free of self-
interest?
As the gates of Heaven open and close
can you remain steadfast as a mother bird who sits with her nest?
As your wisdom reaches the four corners of the world can you keep the innocence of a 
beginner?

Know this Primal Power
that guides without forcing that serves without 
seeking
that brings forth and sustains life yet does not own or 
possess it
One who holds this Power brings Tao to this very Earth
He can triumph over a raging fire or the freeze of winter 
weather
Yet when he comes to rule the world


it’s with the gentleness of a feather





Wu is nothingness, emptiness, non-existence

Thirty spokes of a wheel all join at a common hub yet only the hole at the center
   allows the wheel to spin Clay is molded to form 
a cup
yet only the space within allows the cup to hold 
water
Walls are joined to make a room
yet only by cutting out a door and a window can one enter the room and 
live there
Thus, when a thing has existence alone it is mere dead-weight
Only when it has wu, does it have life





The five colors blind the eye The five tones deafen the 
ear The five flavors dull the palate
Racing, hunting, and galloping about only disturb the mind
Wasting energy to obtain rare objects only impedes one’s 
growth
So the Sage is led by his inner truth and not his outer eye
He holds to what is deep
and not what lies on the surface





“Be wary of both honor and disgrace” “Endless affliction is bound to 
the body”
What does it mean,
“Be wary of both honor and disgrace”?
Honor is founded on disgrace
   and disgrace is rooted in honor Both should be avoided
Both bind a man to this world That’s why it says,
“Be wary of both honor and disgrace”

What does it mean,
“Endless affliction is bound to the body”?
Man’s true self is eternal,
yet he thinks, “I am this body, I will soon die”
This false sense of self
is the cause of all his sorrow
When a person does not identify himself with the body tell me, what troubles could 
touch him?
One who sees himself as everything is fit to be guardian of the 
world
One who loves himself as everyone is fit to be teacher of the 
world





Eyes look but cannot see it Ears listen but cannot hear 
it Hands grasp but cannot touch it
Beyond the senses lies the great Unity— invisible, inaudible, intangible
What rises up appears bright What settles down 
appears dark
Yet there is neither darkness nor light just an unbroken dance of 
shadows
From nothingness to fullness and back again to 
nothingness
This formless form This imageless image
   cannot be grasped by mind or might Try to face it
In what place will you stand? Try to follow it
To what place will you go?

Know That which is beyond all beginnings and you will know everything 
here and now
Know everything in this moment
and you will know the Eternal Tao





The masters of this ancient path are mysterious and 
profound
Their inner state baffles all inquiry Their depths go beyond all 
knowing Thus, despite every effort,
we can only tell of their outer signs—
Deliberate, as if treading over the stones of a winter brook Watchful, as if meeting danger on 
all sides
Reverent, as if receiving an honored guest Selfless, like a melting block of 
ice
Pure, like an uncarved block of wood Accepting, like an open 
valley

Through the course of Nature muddy water becomes 
clear
Through the unfolding of life man reaches perfection
Through sustained activity
that supreme rest is naturally found

Those who have Tao want nothing else Though seemingly empty
   they are ever full Though seemingly old
they are beyond the reach of birth and death





Become totally empty
Quiet the restlessness of the mind Only then will you witness 
everything
   unfolding from emptiness See all things flourish and 
dance
in endless variation
And once again merge back into perfect emptiness— Their true repose
Their true nature
Emerging, flourishing, dissolving back again This is the eternal process of 
return
To know this process brings enlightenment To miss this process brings 
disaster
Be still
Stillness reveals the secrets of eternity Eternity embraces the all-possible
The all-possible leads to a vision of oneness
A vision of oneness brings about universal love Universal love supports the great 
truth of Nature The great truth of Nature is Tao
Whoever knows this truth lives forever
The body may perish, deeds may be forgotten But he who has Tao has all 
eternity





To know Tao alone,
without trace of your own existence, is the highest
Next comes loving and praising it Then fearing it
Then despising it

If one doesn’t trust himself
how can he trust anyone else?

The great ruler speaks little and his words are 
priceless
He works without self-interest and leaves no trace
When all is finished, the people say, “It happened by itself”





When the greatness of Tao is present action arises from one’s 
own heart
When the greatness of Tao is absent action comes from the rules
of “kindness” and “justice”
If you need rules to be kind and just, if you act virtuous,
   this is a sure sign that virtue is absent Thus we see the great 
hypocrisy
Only when the family loses its harmony do we hear of “dutiful sons”
Only when the state is in chaos
do we hear of “loyal ministers”





Abandon holiness Discard cleverness
   and the people will benefit a hundredfold Abandon the rules of “kindness”
Discard “righteous” actions and the people will 
return
   to their own natural affections Abandon book learning
Discard the rules of behavior
   and the people will have no worries Abandon plots and 
schemes
Discard profit-seeking
and the people will not become thieves

These lessons are mere elaborations The essence of my 
teachings is this:
See with original purity Embrace with original simplicity 
Reduce what you have
Decrease what you want





The difference between a formal “yes” and a casual “yeah”—how 
slight!
The difference between knowing the Truth and not knowing it—how 
great!
Must I fear what others fear?
Should I fear desolation when there is abundance?
Should I fear darkness
when that light is shining everywhere?
Nonsense!
The people of this world are steeped in their merrymaking as if gorging at a great feast
   or watching the sights of springtime Yet here I sit, without a 
sign,
staring blank-eyed like a child

I am but a guest in this world
While others rush about to get things done I accept what is offered
Oh, my mind is like that of a fool
   aloof to the clamor of life around me Everyone seems so bright 
and alive
with the sharp distinctions of day

I appear dark and dull
with the blending of differences by night

I am drifting like an ocean, floating like the high winds


Everyone is so rooted in this world yet I have no place to rest my 
head
Indeed I am different….
I have no treasure but the Eternal Mother
I have no food but what comes from her breast





Verse 21

Perfect action, True virtue, 
Supreme power,
This is how Tao is revealed
through those who follow it completely

Though formless and intangible It gives rise to form
Though vague and elusive It gives rise to shapes 
Though dark and obscure
It is the spirit, the essence, the life-breath of all 
things
“But is it real?” you ask—
I say its evidence is all of creation!

From the first moment to the present The Name has been 
sounding
It is the gate
   through which the universe enters The witness
by which the universe sees

How have I come to know all this? That very Name has told 
me,
That Name which is sounding right here,


right now





“Surrender brings perfection” The crooked become 
straight The empty become full
The worn become new
Have little and gain much Have much and be 
confused
So the Sage embraces the One
   and becomes a model for the world Without showing himself, he 
shines forth
Without promoting himself, he is distinguished Without claiming reward, he gains 
endless merit Without seeking glory, his glory endures
The Sage knows how to follow so he comes to 
command
He does not compete
so no one under Heaven can compete with him

The ancient saying,
“Surrender brings perfection,” is not just empty words
Truly, surrender brings perfection
and perfection brings the whole universe





Speak little
Hold to your own nature
A strong wind does not blow all morning A cloudburst does not last 
all day
The wind and rain are from Heaven and Earth and even these do not last 
long
How much less so the efforts of man?

One who lives in accordance with the Truth becomes the embodiment of Tao
His actions become those of Nature his ways those of Heaven
It is through such a one that Heaven rejoices 
that Earth rejoices that all of life rejoices





On his tiptoes a man is not steady Taking long strides he cannot 
keep pace
To the self-serving, nothing shines forth
To the self-promoting, nothing is distinguished To the self-appointing, nothing 
bears fruit
To the self-righteous, nothing endures

From the viewpoint of Tao, this self-indulgence
   is like rotting food and painful growths on the body— Things that all creatures despise
So why hold onto them?
When walking the path of Tao this is the very stuff
that must be uprooted, thrown out, and left behind




































 





The inner is foundation of the outer The still is master of the 
restless
The Sage travels all day
yet never leaves his inner treasure
Though the views are captivating and beg attention he remains calm and 
uninvolved
Tell me, does the lord of a great empire go out begging for rice?
One who seeks his treasure in the outer world is cut off from his own roots
Without roots, he becomes restless Being restless, his mind 
is weak And with a mind such as this
he loses all command below Heaven


























 


“The great wonder” “The essential mystery”
“The very heart of all that is true”





Hold your male side with your female side Hold your bright side with your 
dull side Hold your high side with your low side
Then you will be able to hold the whole world

When the opposing forces unite within
there comes a power abundant in its giving and unerring in its effect
Flowing through everything
   It returns one to the First Breath Guiding everything
   It returns one to No Limits Embracing everything
It returns one to the Uncarved Block

When the Block is divided
it becomes something useful
   and leaders rule with a few pieces of it But the Sage holds the Block 
complete Holding all things within himself
he preserves the Great Unity which cannot be ruled or 
divided





Those who look down upon this world
   will surely take hold and try to change things But this is a plan
I’ve always seen fail
The world is Tao’s own vessel It is perfection manifest
It cannot be changed It cannot be 
improved
For those who go on tampering, it’s ruined For those who try to grasp, 
it’s gone
Allow your life to unfold naturally Know that it too is a vessel of 
perfection Just as you breathe in and breathe out
Sometimes you’re ahead and other times behind Sometimes you’re strong and other 
times weak Sometimes you’re with people and other times alone
To the Sage
   all of life is a movement toward perfection So what need has he
for the excessive, the extravagant, or the extreme?





Those who rule in accordance with Tao do not use force against the 
world
For that which is forced is likely to return— Where armies settle
   Nature offers nothing but briars and thorns After a great battle has been 
fought
the land is cursed, the crops fail,
the Earth lies stripped of its motherhood

A knower of the Truth does what is called for then stops
He uses his strength but does not force things In the same way
complete your task seek no reward 
make no claims
Without faltering
   fully choose to do what you must do This is to live without 
forcing
to overcome without conquering

Things that gain a place by force will flourish for a time
but then fade away
They are not in keeping with Tao Whatever is not in keeping 
with Tao
will come to an early end





Even the finest warrior is defeated when he goes against 
natural law
By his own hand he is doomed
and all creatures are likely to despise him

One who knows Tao
never turns from life’s calling
When at home he honors the side of rest When at war he honors the 
side of action
Peace and tranquility are what he holds most dear so he does not obtain weapons
But when their use is unavoidable
he employs them with fortitude and zeal

Do not flaunt your excellence Do not rejoice over 
victory With the loss of others
   weep with sorrow and grief After winning a battle
do not celebrate,
observe the rites of a funeral

One who is bound to action, proud of victory, and delights in the 
misfortune of others
will never gain a thing
from this world below Heaven





Tao is eternal, one without a second Simple indeed
   yet so subtle that no one can master it If princes and kings could 
just hold it All things would flock to their kingdom Heaven and Earth 
would rejoice
   with the dripping of sweet dew Everyone would live in 
harmony,
not by official decree,
but by their own inner goodness

This world is nothing but the glory of Tao expressed through different names 
and forms
One who sees the things of this world as being real and self-
existent
has lost sight of the truth
To him, every word becomes a trap every thing becomes a 
prison
One who knows the truth that underlies all 
things
lives in this world without danger
To him, every word reflects the universe every moment brings 
enlightenment
Rivers and streams are born of the ocean All creation is born of Tao
Just as all water flows back to become the ocean All creation flows back to 
become Tao





One who knows others is intelligent One who knows himself is 
enlightened
One who conquers others is strong
One who conquers himself is all-powerful

One who approaches life with force surely gets something
One who remains content where he is surely gets everything
One who gives himself to his position surely lives long
One who gives himself to Tao surely lives forever





The great Tao flows everywhere It fills everything to the 
left
and to the right
All things owe their existence to it and it cannot deny any one of 
them
Tao is eternal
It does not favor one over the other It brings all things to 
completion
without their even knowing it

Tao nourishes and protects all creatures yet does not claim lordship 
over them
So we class it with the most humble
Tao is the home to which all things return yet it wants nothing in return
So we call it “The Greatest”

The Sage is the same way—
He does not claim greatness over anything He’s not even aware of his own 
greatness
Tell me, what could be greater than this?





Hold fast to the Great Form within and let the world pass as it 
may
Then the changes of life will not bring pain but contentment, joy, and 
well-being
Music and sweets are passing pleasures yet they cause people to 
stop
How bland and insipid are the things of this world when one compares them with 
Tao!
One tastes, but the sweetness turns bitter One sees, but the colors grow 
faint
One hears, but the sound fades into silence

One may look for fulfillment in this world but his longings will never be 
exhausted
The only thing he ever finds
is that he himself is exhausted





Contraction pulls at that which extends too far
Weakness pulls at that
   which strengthens too much Ruin pulls at that
   which rises too high Loss pulls at life
when you fill it with too much stuff

The lesson here is called “The wisdom of 
obscurity”—
The gentle outlast the strong The obscure outlast the 
obvious
Hence, a fish that ventures from deep water is soon snagged by a net
A country that reveals its strength is soon conquered by an 
enemy





Tao does not act
   yet it is the root of all action Tao does not move
yet it is the source of all creation

If princes and kings could hold it
   everyone under them would naturally turn within Should a doubt or old desire rise 
up
   The Nameless Simplicity would push it down The Nameless Simplicity frees the 
heart of desire
and reveals its inner silence

When there is silence one finds peace 
When there is silence
one finds the anchor of the universe within himself





To give without seeking reward
To help without thinking it is virtuous— therein lies great virtue
To keep account of your actions
To help with the hope of gaining merit— therein lies no virtue
The highest virtue is to act without a sense of self The highest kindness is to give 
without condition The highest justice is to see without preference
When Tao is lost one must learn the rules of virtue When virtue is lost, the rules of 
kindness
When kindness is lost, the rules of justice When justice is lost, the rules of 
conduct
And when the high-blown rules of conduct are not followed people are seized by the arm and 
it is forced on them
The rules of conduct
are just an outer show of devotion and loyalty— quite confusing to the heart
And when men rely on these rules for guidance— Oh, what ignorance abounds!
The great master follows his own nature and not the trappings of life
It is said,
“He stays with the fruit and not the fluff” “He stays with the firm and 
not the flimsy” “He stays with the true and not the false”





From ancient times till now
   the One has been the source of all attainments By realizing the One
Heaven becomes clear, Earth becomes still spirits gain power and hearts fill 
up with joy
By realizing the One
kings and lords become instruments of peace and all creatures live joyfully 
upon this earth
Without the One
Heaven has no clarity and would crack Earth has no peace and would 
crumble
   spirits have no power and would lose their charm Without the One
hearts would dry up, empires would fall,
all things would go lifelessly upon this earth

Long ago kings and lords called themselves “orphaned,” “lonely,” and 
“unworthy” What honor can there be without humility?
What heights can be reached without being low?

The pieces of a chariot are useless
   unless they work in accordance with the whole A man’s life brings nothing
   unless he lives in accordance with the whole universe Playing one’s part
in accordance with the universe


is true humility

So whether you’re a gem in the royal court or a stone on the common 
path
If you accept your part with humility
the glory of the universe will be yours





The movement of Tao is to return The way of Tao is to yield
Heaven, Earth, and all things are born of the existent 
world
The existent world is born of the nothingness of Tao





When the best seeker hears of Tao
   he strives with great effort to know it When an average seeker hears 
of Tao
   he thinks of it now and again When the poorest seeker 
hears of Tao
he laughs out loud

Tao is always becoming
   what we have need for it to become If it could not do this
it would not be Tao

There is an old saying,
The clear way seems clouded The straight way seems 
crooked The sure way seems unsteady
The greatest power seems weak The purest white seems 
tainted The abundant seems empty The stable seems 
shaky
The certain seems false
The Great Square has no corners The Great Vessel is never 
filled
A beginner may be clumsy
but after practice—what talent!
A large drum may sit silently


but when banged—what noise!
Tao lies hidden
yet it alone is the glorious light of this world





Tao gives life to the one The one gives life to the 
two
The two give life to the three
The three give life to ten thousand things

All beings support yin and embrace yang and the interplay of these 
two forces fills the universe
Yet only at the still-point,
between the breathing in and the breathing out, can one capture these two in 
perfect harmony

People suffer at the thought of being
   without parents, without food, or without worth Yet this is the very way that
kings and lords once described themselves

Who knows what fate may bring—
one day your loss may be your fortune one day your fortune may 
be your loss
The age-old lesson that others teach, I also teach— “As you plant, so you reap”
“As you live, so you die”
Know this to be the foundation of my teachings





The most yielding thing in the world will overcome the most 
rigid
The most empty thing in the world will overcome the most 
full
From this comes a lesson—
Stillness benefits more than action Silence benefits more than words
Rare indeed are those who are still Rare indeed are those who 
are silent And so I say,
Rare indeed are those
who obtain the bounty of this world





One’s own reputation—why the fuss? One’s own wealth—why 
the concern?
I say, what you gain
is more trouble than what you lose

Love is the fruit of sacrifice Wealth is the fruit of 
generosity
Be content,
   rest in your own fullness— You will not suffer from 
loss
You’ll avoid the snare of this world
You’ll have long life and endless blessings





The Great Perfection seems imperfect
   yet this world it creates is never impaired The Great Fullness seems 
empty
yet this world it creates is never lacking

Great truth seems false Great skill seems 
clumsy
Great eloquence seems like babble

Keep moving and you’ll miss the cold Keep silent and you’ll beat 
the heat
Be tranquil like the rain of spring Be pure like the sheen of 
silk
Then the Great Perfection will be perfect and the Great Fullness will be 
full





When Tao is present in the empire men follow their own 
nature
   and riding horses work the fields When Tao is absent from 
the empire
men go astray
and war horses breed on sacred ground

There is no greater loss than losing Tao No greater curse than desire
No greater tragedy than discontentment No greater fault than 
selfishness
Contentment alone is enough Indeed, the bliss of 
eternity
can be found in your contentment





Without going outside
   one can know the whole world Without looking out the 
window
   one can see the ways of Heaven The farther one goes
the less one knows

Thus the Sage does not go, yet he knows He does not look, yet he 
sees
He does not do, yet all is done





To become learned, gain daily To obtain Tao, reduce 
daily Reduce and reduce again
   until all action is reduced to non-action Then no one is left
Nothing is done
yet nothing is left undone

One who gives freely and without attachment gets a full life in return
One who gives with the secret hope of getting is merely engaged in business
Truly, they neither give nor receive
any of the treasure from this world below Heaven





The Sage has no fixed heart of his own Those who look at him
see their own hearts

Those who are good he treats with goodness Those who are bad he also treats 
with goodness
   because the nature of his being is good Those who are truthful he 
treats with truth
Those who are not truthful he also treats with truth because the nature of his being 
is truthful
The Sage lives in harmony with all below Heaven He sees everything as his own self
He loves everyone as his own child All people are drawn to 
him
every eye and ear is turned toward him





Again and again
Men come in with birth and go out with death
One in three are followers of life One in three are followers of 
death
And those just passing from life to death also number one in three
But they all die in the end Why is this so?
Because they clutch to life
and cling to this passing world

I hear that one who lives by his own truth is not like this
He walks without making footprints in this world Going about, he does not fear the 
rhinoceros or tiger Entering a battlefield, he does not fear sharp weapons For in him the 
rhino can find no place to pitch its horn The tiger no place to fix its claw
The soldier no place to thrust his blade Why is this so?
Because he dwells in that place where death cannot 
enter





Tao gives all things life
   Te gives them fulfillment Nature is what shapes 
them
Living is what brings them to completion Every creature honors Tao and 
worships Te
not by force
but through its own living and breathing

Though Tao gives life to all things Te is what cultivates them
Te is that magic power that raises and rears them 
completes and prepares them comforts and protects 
them
To create without owning To give without 
expecting To fill without claiming
This is the profound action of Tao The highest expression of 
Te





That which creates the universe is the Mother of the 
world
By knowing the Mother one knows her children
By knowing her children one comes to know her
Such is their unity
that one does not exist without the other

Fully embrace your life
   and you will share in the glory of creation The Mother herself will be 
your guardian And all her creation will be your guide
Stay with the Mother, shut the mouth, close the gates and you are never in trouble
Abandon the Mother, open the mouth, be busy with others and you are beyond all hope of 
rescue
Seeing your own smallness is called insight Honoring your own tenderness is called 
strength
The sun in all its glory reveals but a passing world
Only the inner light illumines eternity Only that light can guide us 
back home
Have faith
Follow your own shining


Be aware of your own awareness
On the darkest nights you will not stumble On the brightest days you 
will not blink This is called
“The Practice of Eternal Light”





If I had the least bit of wisdom
I could follow the path of Tao quite well
My only fear would be trying to go my own way The Great Path is simple and 
direct
yet people love to take the side-routes

See how magnificent the courts have become The women dress in colorful 
gowns
The men carry well-crafted swords Food and drink overflow
Wealth and finery abound
Yet in the shadow of all this splendor the fields grow barren
the granaries are all but empty

I say this pomp at the expense of others
   is like the boasting of thieves after a looting Surely it is contrary to Tao
Surely it cuts against the grain of the whole empire





Truth, once established, can never be uprooted Goodness, once imbibed, can never be 
stripped away
A sacrifice to a higher cause is never lost
An offering to an ancestor never goes to waste

When a person embodies Tao his heart becomes true
When a family embodies Tao it thrives
When a village embodies Tao it is protected
When a country embodies Tao it prospers
When the world embodies Tao it reveals its perfection
Tao is everywhere
   it has become everything To truly see it, see it as 
it is In a person, see it as a person In a family, see it as 
a family
In a country, see it as a country In the world, see it as 
the world
How have I come to know all this? Tao has shown me—
Tao as all this!





One who embraces Tao
will become pure and innocent like a newborn babe
Deadly insects will not sting him Wild beasts will not 
attack him Birds of prey will not strike him
He is oblivious to the union of male and female yet his vitality is full
his inner spirit is complete
He can cry all day without straining so perfect is his harmony
so magically does he blend with this world

Know this harmony—it brings the Eternal Know the Eternal—it brings 
enlightenment
A full life—this is your blessing
A gentle heart—this is your strength

Things in harmony with Tao remain Things that are forced, grow 
for a while
   but then wither away This is not Tao 
Whatever is not Tao
comes to an early end





One who speaks does not know One who knows does 
not speak
Shut the mouth Close the gates Blunt 
the sharpness Loosen the knots Temper 
the glare
Become one with the dust of the world This is called
“The Secret Embrace”

One who knows this secret
is not moved by attachment or aversion, swayed by profit or loss,
   nor touched by honor or disgrace He is far beyond the 
cares of men
yet comes to hold the dearest place in their hearts





To rule the state, have a known plan To win a battle, have an 
unknown plan
To gain the universe, have no plan at all

Let the universe itself reveal to you its splendor
How do I know this should be so?
Because of this—
The more restrictions, the more poverty
The more weapons, the more fear in the land The more cleverness, the 
more strange events The more laws, the more lawbreakers
Thus the Sages say,
Act with a pure heart and the people will be transformed Love your own life and the 
people will be uplifted
Give without conditions and the people will prosper Want nothing and the people 
will find everything





When the ruler knows his own heart the people are simple and 
pure
When he meddles with their lives they become restless and 
disturbed

Bad fortune, yes—
   it rests upon good fortune Good fortune, yes—
it hides within bad fortune
Oh the things that Heaven sends— Who can know their final 
aim? Who can tell of their endless ways?
Today the righteous turn to trickery Tomorrow the good turn 
to darkness Oh what delusion abounds
and every day it grows worse!

But the Sage is here upon the Earth to gently guide us back
He cuts but does not harm
He straightens but does not disrupt He illumines but does 
not dazzle





Rule the people and serve Heaven
   yet hold nothing more dear than the Mother’s harvest Let every thought and every 
breath
   be the fruit of your offering— Do it now
Let her power run thick in your blood
There will be no obstacle you cannot overcome No limit you cannot surpass
No empire you cannot rule

Ah, but in all your glory
   never lose sight of the Mother Without her
your empire will crumble your power will waste 
away
For the Mother brings the harvest
She alone causes all things to endure

We call this
“Deep roots and a solid trunk”
“The way of long life and lasting insight”















 





A great state is like a river basin
   that receives everything flowing into it It is the place where all 
things come to rest
where all the world is welcomed

The low is greater than the high The still is greater than the 
restless
The low country wins over its neighbor The still female wins over 
the male
The Sage wants to uplift the people The people want to 
follow the Sage
   only by being low does this come to be The Sage bows to the 
people
The people bow to the Sage
And when they lift up their heads only greatness remains





Tao is the treasure-house the true nature
the secret source of everything
It is the great wealth of those who are awake the great protector of those 
still sleeping
If a person seems wicked do not cast him away—
Awaken him with your words Elevate him with your 
deeds
Requite his injury with your kindness Do not cast him away
cast away his wickedness

When the emperor is crowned
or the three ministers installed
   they receive a gift of jade and horses But how can this compare
   to sitting still and gaining the treasure of Tao This is why the ancient masters
honored the inward path of Tao

Did they not say
“Seek and you will find”?
“Err and you will be forgiven”?
Within, within
This is where the world’s treasure has always been





Act without acting Give without giving 
Taste without tasting
Tao alone becomes all things great and all things small It is the One in many
It is the many in One

Let Tao become all your actions
then your wants will become your treasure your injury will become your 
blessing

Take on difficulties while they are still easy Do great things while they are 
still small Step by step the world’s burden is lifted
Piece by piece the world’s treasure is amassed

So the Sage stays with his daily task and accomplishes the 
greatest thing
Beware of those who promise a quick and easy way for much ease brings many 
difficulties
Follow your path to the end Accept difficulty as an 
opportunity This is the sure way to end up
with no difficulties at all





A still mind can easily hold the truth
The difficulties yet to come can easily be avoided

The feeble are easily broken The small are easily 
scattered
Begin your task before it becomes a burden Put things in order before they 
get out of hand Remember,
A tree that fills a man’s embrace grows from a seedling A tower nine stories high starts 
with one brick
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step

Act and it’s ruined Grab and it’s gone
People on the verge of success often lose patience and fail in their undertakings
Be steady from the beginning to the end and you won’t bring on 
failure

The Sage desires that which has no desires and teaches that which 
cannot be taught
He does not value the objects held by a few but only that which is held by 
everyone
He guides men back to their own treasure and helps all things come to 
know


   the truth they have forgotten All this he does 
without a stir





The ancient ones were simple-hearted and blended with the 
common people
They did not shine forth
They did not rule with cleverness So the nation was 
blessed
Now the rulers are filled with clever ideas
and the lives of people are filled with hardship So the nation is cursed

He who knows the play of Tao and Te knows the nature of the 
universe
Tao brings forth Te from its own being Te expands in all directions
filling every corner of the world becoming the splendor of all 
creation
Yet at every moment Te seeks Tao
This is the movement that guides the universe This is the impulse
that leads all things back home





Why do the hundred rivers
turn and rush toward the sea?
Because it naturally stays below them

He who wishes to rule over the people must speak as if below 
them
He who wishes to lead the people must walk as if behind 
them
So the Sage rules over the people but he does not weigh them 
down
He leads the people
but he does not block their way

The Sage stays low
   so the world never tires of exalting him He remains a servant
so the world never tires of making him its king




























 





The best warrior leads without haste
fights without anger
   overcomes without confrontation He puts himself below
and brings out the highest in his men

This is the virtue of not confronting
of working with the abilities you have of complying with the laws of 
Heaven
This is the ancient path that leads to perfection





The great warriors have a saying, “I dare not act as host
   but would rather be a guest I dare not advance an 
inch
but would rather retreat a foot”

So advance but do not use your feet Seize but do not use your 
arms
Cut but do not use your sword
Fight but do not use your own power

There is no greater misfortune than feeling “I have an enemy”
For when “I” and “enemy” exist together there is no room left for my 
treasure
Thus, when two opponents meet the one without an 
enemy will surely triumph





My teachings are very easy to understand and very easy to practice
Yet so few in this world understand and so few are able to 
practice
My words arise from that ancient source My actions are those of the 
universe itself If people do not know these
how can they know me?

Those who follow my ways are rare and so I treasure them
Even if they wear the clothes of a beggar they carry a priceless gem 
within





Knowing what cannot be known— what a lofty aim!
Not knowing what needs to be known— what a terrible result!
Only when your sickness becomes sick will your sickness disappear
The Sage’s illness has become ill
   his renunciation has been renounced Now he is free
And every place in this world is the perfect place to be





When the people do not fear worldly power a greater power will arrive
Don’t limit the view of yourself
Don’t despise the conditions of your birth Don’t resist the natural course 
of your life
In this way you will never weary of this world

The Sage knows himself, but not as himself he loves himself, but not as 
himself
 he honors himself, but not as himself Thus, he discards the view of 
his own self and chooses the view of the universe





Bold action against others leads to death Bold action in harmony with Tao 
leads to life

Good fortune, bad fortune One seems to bring 
benefit
   the other to cause harm But Heaven rejects them 
both
Both, in the end, tether men to this world

Who can know the reasons of Heaven?
Who can know its endless ways?
Not even the Sage has an answer to this one

Heaven’s way does not strive yet it always overcomes
It does not speak, yet it responds It is not summoned, yet 
it appears
It does not hurry, yet it completes everything on time

The net of Heaven spans the universe
yet not the slightest thing ever slips by





If people do not fear death why threaten them with 
it?
But suppose they did fear death
   and this was the fate handed to lawbreakers Who would dare to do the 
killing?
There is always a Lord of Death
He who takes the place of the Lord of Death is like one who cuts with the 
blade
of a master carpenter
Whoever cuts with the blade of a master carpenter is sure to cut his own hands





Why are the people starving?—
Because their grain is being eaten up by taxes That’s why they’re starving
Why are the people rebellious?—
Because those above them meddle in their lives That’s why they’re rebellious
Why do the people regard death so lightly?— Because they are so involved with their 
own living That’s why they regard death so lightly
In the end,
The treasure of life is missed by those who hold on and gained by those who let go





When life begins
   we are tender and weak When life ends
we are stiff and rigid
All things, including the grass and trees, are soft and pliable in life
dry and brittle in death

So the soft and supple
   are the companions of life While the stiff and 
unyielding
are the companions of death

An army that cannot yield will be defeated
A tree that cannot bend will crack in the wind
Thus by Nature’s own decree
the hard and strong are defeated
while the soft and gentle are triumphant





Heaven operates like the bending of a bow— the high it pulls down
the low it brings up
It takes from that which has too much And gives to that which has 
too little The way of man is otherwise—
he takes from that which is depleted and gives to that which 
has too much
Who can offer an abundance to the world?— One who has Tao
Such a one can give like the heavens

The Sage gives
   without relying on his own effort He completes
   without waiting for reward He illumines
without stepping from the shadow





Nothing in this world
   is as soft and yielding as water Yet for attacking the hard 
and strong
   none can triumph so easily It is weak, yet none can 
equal it
It is soft, yet none can damage it
It is yielding, yet none can wear it away

Everyone knows that the soft overcomes the hard and the yielding triumphs over 
the rigid
Why then so little faith? Why can no one practice 
it?
So the Sages say,
fulfill even the lowest position love even the weakest 
creature
Then you will be called “Lord of every offering”
“King of all below Heaven”





After settling a great dispute
   some resentment is sure to remain Being content with what 
you have
is always best in the end

The Sage always assumes the debt
as if holding the left side of a contract
He gives and gives, and wants nothing in return

One with true virtue
   always seeks a way to give One who lacks true 
virtue
always seeks a way to get
To the giver comes the fullness of life to the taker just an empty 
hand
Though the Tao of Heaven has no favorites
it always sides with one who has a pure heart





Let every state be simple
   like a small village with few people There may be tools to 
speed things up
ten or a hundred times
   yet no one will care to use them There may be boats and 
carriages
   yet they will remain without riders There may be armor and 
weaponry
yet they will sit collecting dust

The people must take death seriously
   and not waste their lives in distant lands Let them return
   to the knotting of cord Let them enjoy their 
food
and care for their clothing
Let them be content in their homes and joyful in the way 
they live
Neighboring villages are within sight of each other Roosters and dogs can be heard 
in the distance Should a man grow old and die
without ever leaving his village
let him feel as though there was nothing he missed





Words born of the mind are not true True words are not born 
of the mind
Those who have virtue do not look for faults Those who look for faults 
have no virtue
Those who come to know It do not rely on learning 
Those who rely on learning do not come to know It

The Sage sees the world
as an expansion of his own self
So what need has he to accumulate things?
By giving to others
   he gains more and more By serving others
he receives everything

Heaven gives,
   and all things turn out for the best The Sage lives,
and all things go as Tao goes
all things move as the wind blows









About the Author



Jonathan Star has been widely acclaimed for his poetic and mystical translations of Rumi, Hafez, and the poet-saints 
of India. His previous works include Rumi: In the Arms of the Beloved, A Garden Beyond Paradise, and The Inner 
Treasure. He lives in upstate
 New York.