Tao Te Ching 10

In this particular day I shall interpret a verse from the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, namely verse 10.  In A Source Book In Chinese Philosophy, Wing Tsit Chan presents the verse:

“10.  Can you keep the spirit and embrace the One without departing

                from them?

Can you concentrate your vital force (ch’i) and achieve the highest

                Degree of  weakness like an infant?

Can you clean and purify your profound insight so it will be

 spotless?

Can you love the people and govern the state without knowledge

                (cunning)?

Can you play the role of the female in the opening and closing

                of the gates of Heaven?

Can you understand all and penetrate all without

                taking any action?

                To produce things and to rear them,

                To produce but not to take possession of them,

                To act and not to rely on one’s own ability,

                To lead them but not to master them-

                This is called profound and secret virtue (hsuan-te)” ¹

Firstly, let us discuss the theme of the verse.  The theme of the verse revolves around the concept of following the way as non-action.  Non-action implies not doing what is unnecessary of a particular situation or event.  Such attitude is important in living out one’s life in accordance to the course of Nature.  This is because it is in non-action that one can stop himself from causing harm to his own being.  It saves him from wasting both his effort and his time in doing such a feat which is unnecessary. 

 Let us go over the first twelve lines in the verse.

“Can you keep the spirit and embrace the One without departing

                from them?

Can you concentrate your vital force (ch’i) and achieve the highest

                degree of weakness like an infant?

Can you clean and purify your profound insight so it will be

 spotless?

Can you love the people and govern the state without knowledge

                (cunning)?

Can you play the role of the female in the opening and closing

                of the gates of Heaven?

Can you understand all and penetrate all without

                taking any action?”

The notion of non-action is expressed in the implication of not submitting to one’s selfish desires.   This notion is expressed in the metaphors of keeping the spirit, concentrating one’s vital force, cleaning and purifying one’s profound insight, governing without knowledge, playing the role of the female and not taking any action.  When one departs from himself, it only implies overworking or going to the extremes.   Overworking, on the other hand, usually involves a desire to gratify oneself or to possess something.  When one desires something or wishes to possess something, he is not contented.  He cannot be at ease because he is preoccupied with the different things that he desires to have.  With this, he fails to concentrate his vital force and thus proceed into using brutish strength to everything.  He fails to purify and realize the profoundness of his insights.  Instead he becomes bitter about everything.  Selfish desire makes one fail to be efficient and effective in his responsibilities because he first focuses on the benefits for himself.  In prioritizing one’s selfish desires, one fails to take a step back and think about what is really necessary.  In this way, one leads himself to harm and chaos.

Now let us proceed to the remaining lines in the verse.

“              To produce things and to rear them,

                To produce but not to take possession of them,

                To act and not to rely on one’s own ability,

                To lead them but not to master them-

                This is called profound and secret virtue (hsuan-te).”

These last lines in the verse emphasize that doing only what is necessary of a situation can make an individual appreciate things around him.  It can make him a deep and better person. This good character then, initiates order in his community. This invites harmony with others.  This is because he does not boast of his talents or does not dominate or underestimate anyone with such talents. He simply co-exists with everyone.  He lives his life according to what he is.  He does not long for more.  By these, he avoids the extremes and the unnecessary things.

“Non-action” or doing only what is necessary allows one to become wise by being true to what he is.  The essential responsibilities of one are to accept and appreciate the realities that come along the way.  This means that one should avoid being reactive and conclusive about realities or things of life.  Instead he considers these as ways to discover the principles of Nature. He understands them by heart and practices them rightly.

The principle of “non-action” by Lao Tzu teaches one to deepen one’s self-knowledge through the realities and things that happen every day.  When one has deep self-knowledge, whether with small and great things, he remains faithful to what he is. The so-called profound and secret virtue implies that one has learned wisdom from the natural flow of realities of life by simply letting them touch his inner being without resistance and desire.  His life shows the balance of opposites and the essence of a wise man.

Source:

   1.       Wing Tsit Chan, “The Natural Way of Lao Tzu”, (United States: Princeton University Press, 1963), In A Source Book In Chinese Philosophy, 144.