Tao Te Ching Chapter 17 – 淳風 (道德經 第17章)
Paul PengShare
Tao Te Ching — Chapter 17: The Unadulterated Influence
道德經 第十七章 · 淳風 · Lao Tzu · Bilingual Edition with Classical Commentaries
Original Text — 原文
信不足，焉有不信焉。
悠兩，其貴言。功成事遂，百姓皆謂我自然。
English Translation — James Legge
In the highest antiquity, the people did not know that there were their rulers. In the next age they loved them and praised them. In the next they feared them; in the next they despised them.
Thus it was that when faith in the Dao was deficient in the rulers a want of faith in them ensued in the people.
How irresolute did those earliest rulers appear, showing by their reticence the importance which they set upon their words! Their work was done and their undertakings were successful, while the people all said, ‘We are as we are, of ourselves!’
✦ Key Insight
Chapter 17 presents Lao Tzu's four-tier hierarchy of rulers: the best is barely known; the next is loved; the next is feared; the worst is despised. The highest governance is invisible — it works through non-action, and when the work is done, the people believe they did it themselves. This is the Taoist ideal of wu wei in politics, and it mirrors the same selfless principle at the heart of Taoist ritual and inner cultivation.
Classical Commentaries — 古典注释
王弼注 Wang Bi's Commentary
Wang Bi explains that the highest ruler practices non-action and wordless teaching — all things arise without him claiming to be their origin, so the people merely know he exists. The next ruler establishes goodness and earns love. The third relies on authority and fear. The worst governs by cleverness, and the people evade and despise him. When trust is insufficient, distrust naturally follows. The best ruler is unhurried and values his words; when the work is done, the people believe they did it themselves.
河上公注 Heshang Gong's Commentary
Heshang Gong describes the ancient nameless ruler — the people merely knew he existed but did not serve him as subjects, for they were simple and unaffected. The next best ruler had visible virtue worthy of praise. The third used punishments; the fourth relied on excessive decrees that could not inspire loyalty, so the people despised him. The best ruler was hesitant and valued his words, fearing to depart from the Dao and lose naturalness. When all was accomplished, the people did not know their ruler's virtue — they thought it was simply their own natural way.
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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