Cultivate True Merit and Practice Sincerely to Fulfill Life and Nature; Benefit the World and Mankind to Perfect the Great Dao
Celestial Master Zhang Yuchu once stated that "cultivating true merit with sincere practice and benefiting the world and mankind" is what defines a qualified Daoist with genuine attainments. This has always been a beacon guiding my journey of learning and cultivation. Drawing wisdom from classics and tempering my mind through practice, I have increasingly comprehended the profound meaning of "The Daoist path values life; deliver countless beings without limit." Today, I wish to share with you the chapter "Discern Virtue" (Chapter 33) from The Dao De Jing, exploring how to practice the principles of "knowing oneself," "overcoming oneself," and "being content" in contemporary society, so as to settle the mind and body and benefit all beings through Daoist wisdom.
The Dao De Jing · Chapter 33 "Discern Virtue"
"He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened.
He who conquers others has strength; he who conquers himself is truly powerful.
He who is content is wealthy.
He who persists in practice has resolve.
He who does not lose his roots endures long.
He who lives on beyond death attains longevity."
With these eight maxims, this chapter reveals three crucial aspects of Daoist cultivation:
1. The Initial Aspiration
Patriarch Heshang Gong titled this chapter "Discern Virtue," whose profound intent lies in guiding practitioners to clearly distinguish the fundamental direction and focus of cultivating "virtue" (de). The character "discern" (辩) originally means "to govern" or "to judge through reasoning." Why must "virtue" be "discerned"? Because virtue has distinctions—between superior and inferior, internal and external, public and private. A Daoist practitioner must learn to judge: Should one seek externally to "know others" and "conquer others," or turn inward to "know oneself" and "overcome oneself"? Should one chase external pursuits with "forceful effort," or abide in one’s original mind with "contentment"? Should one drift with the tide and lose one’s roots, or return to one’s origin and achieve "life beyond death"? These progressive choices emphasize that at the very start of cultivation, one must clearly discern the direction and choose the fundamental path. To embody and comprehend the Dao, one must recognize one’s own foundation and starting point—this initial aspiration determines the subsequent path and height of one’s practice. Therefore, the core of "discerning virtue" lies first in clarifying the orientation of one’s initial aspiration.
2. The Sequence of Cultivation
If one starts from one’s original mind, one can move from the level of "wisdom" (knowing others) to reflecting inward, understanding oneself, and attaining "enlightenment." Most people "know others" to conquer others, but a practitioner of the Dao reflects inward to overcome oneself. Only by overcoming oneself can one surmount the suffering and worries in cultivation and truly feel the abundance of being in harmony with the Dao and virtue. However, in practicing the Dao, people often lack long-term patience, thus requiring "persistent effort" with resolve. The foundation of such persistence lies in not losing one’s roots—only then can one endure long. The "longevity" pursued by a practitioner of the Dao means that even if the physical body decays, the mind endures forever; this is the true "longevity" in the sense of Daoist cultivation. Specifically, the sequence revealed in the scripture can be divided into four levels:
(1) The Cognitive Level: "He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened"
To recognize others’ qualities is wisdom, but to perceive one’s own original mind is true clarity. Patriarch Chen Jingyuan commented: "To distinguish between others’ good and evil is called wisdom… To know oneself and quietly abide in this knowledge is called enlightenment." People often pride themselves on "knowing others" but rarely face the ignorance within their own hearts. As The Zhuangzi (also known as The Southern Canon) states: "You cannot speak of the sea to a frog in a well, nor of ice to an insect that lives only in summer." If one cannot break through the barriers of self-perception, one will never glimpse the brilliance of one’s true nature.
(2) The Transcendental Level: "He who conquers others has strength; he who conquers himself is truly powerful"
To subdue others with force is brute courage; to overcome one’s own subjective desires is true power. Su Zhe of the Northern Song Dynasty annotated: "If I can restrain myself and restore my original nature—this is beyond the reach of mere strength, so it can be called true power." For example, after Patriarch Wang Chongyang (founder of Quanzhen Daoism) encountered immortals by the Gan River, he resolutely retreated to the mountains for intensive practice, cutting off worldly ties with the resolve to "overcome himself." Today, people are obsessed with comparison and competition, yet they fail to realize that true power lies in subduing one’s own mind.
(3) The Elevation Level: "He who is content is wealthy; he who persists in practice has resolve"
Contentment brings lasting joy, and resolve ensures steadfast practice. These two maxims reveal the key to cultivation: on one hand, abiding in the present; on the other, advancing diligently without pause. As The Yin Fu Jing (Scripture of the Hidden Talisman) says: "Heaven’s nature is embodied in humans; the human mind holds discernment." Humanity’s fundamental nature originates from the natural Dao of heaven, endowing people with the ability to observe, reflect, and adjust. When the human mind aligns with heaven’s nature and follows natural laws, all actions will naturally conform to the Dao. Just as Yu the Great controlled floods not by brute force to block the waters, but by dredging rivers and following the water’s flow—ultimately achieving success. Thus, "contentment" is alignment with one’s innate nature, and "persistent practice" is the continuous refinement of emulating heaven’s Dao.
(4) The Goal of Cultivation: "He who does not lose his roots endures long; he who lives on beyond death attains longevity"
Guarding one’s roots brings endurance; returning to the Great Dao achieves eternal life. A Daoist practitioner who loses their original mind, even if they possess supernatural powers, is like duckweed without roots. But if one can return to one’s origin and fulfill one’s destiny, even if the physical body perishes, one’s spirit will unite with the Dao and attain truth. As the "Zhuangzi" (the "Southern True Person") put it: "The fire is passed on even when the firewood is exhausted"—this is precisely the meaning.
3. The Goal of Daoist Cultivation
The initial aspiration contains a great goal: to recognize one’s original mind. The sequence of cultivation contains phased goals: moving from knowing others to knowing oneself, from conquering others to overcoming oneself; further, attaining spiritual abundance and comprehending heaven’s Dao; and finally, through sustained realization, striving to ultimately attain the Dao.
In contemporary society, material culture is abundant, and all kinds of "fast-food" entertainment flood in—yet the spiritual world grows increasingly barren. People are either confused by involution and anxiety or indulgent in apathy and emptiness. The wisdom of "discerning virtue" from the Dao’s ancestor is like a wake-up remedy for the world:
(1) Awakening: Breaking the "Barrier of Knowing Others," Awakening to "Self-Knowledge"
In the interactions of today’s youth, many fear others’ judgments while struggling to create a "public persona." The "like anxiety" on social media and the "upward management" in the workplace all stem from excessive focus on "knowing others" while neglecting "knowing oneself." When facing such doubts from young friends, I cannot help but ask: What you pursue—Is it what your heart truly desires, or what others expect of you? The Scripture of Purity and Tranquility states: "Reflect inward on your mind, and the mind itself vanishes; look outward at your form, and the form itself fades." This is the best answer to breaking the obsession with "others’ opinions." Patriarch Sima Chengzhen taught people to return to their true nature through the method of "gathering the mind and separating from external states"—this is precisely the practice of "he who knows himself is enlightened." These views of mine have also been recognized by young friends.
(2) Guidance: From "Strength to Conquer Others" to "Power to Overcome Oneself"
After young friends awaken to "self-knowledge," the next test in cultivation is breaking the "barrier of conquering others." Sweating profusely in the gym just to post photos and "outdo colleagues," writing inspirational captions after working overtime late at night just to showcase a "hardworking image"—beneath these seemingly motivational appearances lies the dissipation of life’s most precious "vitality, spirit, and essence" in worldly competition. The "foundation of life and nature" that a Daoist practitioner should nurture is turned into a tool for mutual comparison. In this regard, The Dao De Jing has long provided a solution: "Nothing in the world is softer or weaker than water, yet nothing can surpass it in overcoming the hard and strong." Water seems extremely soft and weak, yet it can pierce rocks, nourish all things, and gather in deep abysses and vast seas. This clearly reveals the true meaning of "overcoming oneself" for Daoist practitioners: True power does not lie in destroying external things, but in subduing one’s own mind and nurturing one’s nature—like water. I once knew a fellow Daoist who, when faced with colleagues’刁难，did not anger or argue but quietly advanced. After three years, he was promoted to supervisor with genuine talent and ability—truly verifying the saying: "Because he does not contend, no one in the world can contend with him."
(3) Joint Cultivation: Attaining Wealth through "Contentment," Verifying the Dao through "Persistent Practice"
On the basis of awakening and guidance, we must cultivate together with others. Thus, I lead them to take refuge in the Three Treasures (the Dao, the Scriptures, and the Teachers):
- Taking refuge in the Dao Treasure: Understanding where the universe and one’s life come from, where they go, and clarifying the principles of creation.
- Taking refuge in the Scripture Treasure: Feeling the compassionate vow of the sages to deliver all beings; reading scriptures to understand principles and know when to stop—this is the path of cultivation.
- Taking refuge in the Teacher Treasure: Among the myriad methods and teachings, we take the patriarchs of all generations as our guides. The life experiences of these true teachers are the best answers to today’s doubts.
After taking refuge in the Three Treasures, we practice the morning and evening recitations together. Chanting the immortal scriptures unifies the spirit and dissipates restlessness.
It is at this point that the true meaning of "contentment" is revealed. From the maxim "If one can always be pure and tranquil, heaven and earth will all return [to one’s mind]," we glimpse that the essence of "wealth" is not the fame and fortune pursued by the world, but the freedom and abundance of "the spirit not straying outward." After the initial enthusiasm fades, a few fellow practitioners may express feelings of boredom. To this, I share the stories of the patriarchs: Zhang Shouqing, the first patriarch of the "Three Mountains Blood Transmission" lineage, abandoned his official position at the age of 30 to enter the mountains. To build Nanyan Palace (on Wudang Mountain), he led his disciples to hang from ropes, chisel cliffs, and pile stones to build roads. He practiced intensively for 27 years on the precipice, finally embedding the wonder of the "flying cliff and hanging palace" among the sea of clouds. After the flourishing of Wudang Daoism, he retreated at the height of his success and practiced in seclusion at Qingwei Miaohua Grotto. Such practice truly lives up to the profound Daoist truth of "He who is content is wealthy; he who persists in practice has resolve."
The Scripture of Delivering Beings states: "The Daoist path values life; deliver countless beings without limit." As Daoist students in the new era, we must strictly demand ourselves to meet the standards of "reliable in politics, accomplished in religion, respected for virtue, and effective in critical moments," and practice strict governance of religion in all aspects. Taking the "Discern Virtue" chapter as a mirror: Amid the tide of "involution," be an "anchor of contentment and joy"; in the "restless" social atmosphere, be a "guidepost that does not lose its roots." Cultivate true merit and practice sincerely to fulfill life and nature; benefit the world and mankind to perfect the Great Dao—and with concrete actions, promote the healthy and orderly inheritance of Daoism in the new era.
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