Tao Te Ching Chapter 18 – 俗薄 (道德經 第18章)
Paul PengShare
Tao Te Ching — Chapter 18: The Decay of Manners
道德經 第十八章 · 俗薄 · Lao Tzu · Bilingual Edition with Classical Commentaries
Original Text — 原文
六親不和，有孝慈；國家昆亂，有忠臣。
English Translation — James Legge
When the Great Dao ceased to be observed, benevolence and righteousness came into vogue. Then appeared wisdom and shrewdness, and there ensued great hypocrisy. When harmony no longer prevailed throughout the six kinships, filial sons found their manifestation; when the states and clans fell into disorder, loyal ministers appeared.
✦ Key Insight
Chapter 18 is one of Lao Tzu's most penetrating social critiques. Benevolence, righteousness, filial piety, and loyalty are not signs of a healthy society — they are symptoms of its decline. When the Dao is present, these virtues are invisible because they are simply lived. It is only when the natural order breaks down that we need to name and enforce them. This is the same paradox at the heart of Taoist ritual and cultivation: the need for ritual arises when spontaneous virtue has faded.
Classical Commentaries — 古典注释
王弼注 Wang Bi's Commentary
Wang Bi notes that when the Great Dao declined, benevolence and righteousness appeared as substitutes for natural virtue. When wisdom emerged, great hypocrisy followed — cleverness is used to detect deceit, but this only teaches people to hide it better. When the six relations fell out of harmony, filial piety arose. When the state fell into chaos, loyal ministers emerged. The noble name is born from great evil — beauty and ugliness share the same gate. If the six relations were naturally harmonious and the state naturally ordered, filial piety and loyalty would be invisible, like fish forgetting the river.
河上公注 Heshang Gong's Commentary
Heshang Gong says that in the age of the Dao, every household had filial children and loyal subjects — but benevolence and righteousness were invisible because they were simply lived. Only when the Dao declined did evil arise and these virtues need to be named and taught. A ruler who prizes cleverness over virtue breeds hypocrisy below. When family bonds break, filial piety becomes visible; when the state falls into chaos, loyal ministers emerge. In the age of the Great Dao, benevolence and filial piety were submerged like stars hidden by the midday sun.
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.
Read his full story →
