Heshang Gong Chapter 35 – 仁德 (Benevolent Virtue)
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Heshang Gong Chapter 35 – 仁德 (Benevolent Virtue)
老子河上公章句 · 第35章 · Heshang Gong's Commentary on Laozi
Section 1 — 第1节
Original Chinese
Grasping the great image, all under heaven will go to it. Zhi means "to hold" or "to observe." Xiang refers to the Dao. When a sage ruler observes the great Dao, then all the people under heaven will shift their hearts and turn toward him. If one cultivates oneself, Heaven will bestow divine wisdom, which comes and goes within oneself. Going without causing harm — this is peace, tranquility, and ultimate harmony. If the people all turn toward it without being harmed, then the state will be peaceful and attain great peace. If one cultivates oneself without harming divine wisdom, then one's body will be at peace and enjoy a long life. Pleasure and delicacies attract passing travelers to stop; E means "delicious" or "beautiful." Passing travelers refer to one person. If a person can find joy and beauty in the Dao, then he will remain and stay. One refers to someone who removes fullness and resides in emptiness, passing by like a transient traveler. The Dao when spoken of is tasteless and bland; when the Dao enters or leaves through the mouth, it is faint and not like the five flavors — sour, salty, bitter, sweet, pungent. Looking at it, one cannot see it clearly; Zu means "to obtain" or "to fully grasp." The Dao has no form and is not like the five colors — blue, yellow, red, white, black — that can be clearly seen. Listening to it, one cannot hear it fully; the Dao is not like the five musical notes — gong, shang, jue, zhi, yu — that can be heard. Using it, there will never be an end to its benefits. Ji means "to exhaust" or "to finish." Using the Dao to govern a state, then the country will be peaceful and the people prosperous. Cultivating oneself leads to an extended life span with no time of exhaustion or end.
About the Author
Paul Peng
Paul Peng is a Zhengyi Taoist priest from Longhu Mountain, Jiangxi — the ancestral home of the Celestial Masters' tradition. Ordained at 25 after a dream from the Celestial Master, he has practiced for 25 years under Master Zeng Guangliang. He is the curator of this store, which is officially authorized by Tianshi Fu. All items are consecrated at the temple by the resident priest team.
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