Tao Te Ching Chapter 21 – 虛心 (道德經 第21章)
Paul PengShare
Tao Te Ching — Chapter 21: The Empty Heart
道德經 第二十一章 · 虛心 · Lao Tzu · Bilingual Edition with Classical Commentaries
Original Text — 原文
English Translation — James Legge
The grandest forms of active force
From Dao come, their only source.
Who can of Dao the nature tell?
Our sight it flies, our touch as well.
Eluding sight, eluding touch,
The forms of things all in it crouch;
Eluding touch, eluding sight,
There are their semblances, all right.
Profound it is, dark and obscure;
Things' essences all there endure.
Those essences the truth enfold
Of what, when seen, shall then be told.
Now it is so; 'twas so of old.
Its name — what passes not away;
So, in their beautiful array,
Things form and never know decay.
How know I that it is so with all the beauties of existing things? By this (nature of the Dao).
✦ Key Insight
Chapter 21 describes the Dao as the source of all virtue and all things. It is elusive and formless — yet within its vagueness are images, within its obscurity are things, within its depths is pure essence, and within that essence is truth. This is the paradox at the heart of Taoist cultivation: the Dao cannot be grasped, yet it is the only reliable source of all that is real.
Classical Commentaries — 古典注释
王弼注 Wang Bi's Commentary
Wang Bi explains that great virtue follows only the Dao. The Dao is vague and elusive, yet within it are images, things, and essence. This essence is utterly real and contains trustworthy truth. From ancient times to the present, its name has never departed. Through it, we understand the beginning of all things.
河上公注 Heshang Gong's Commentary
Heshang Gong says the person of great virtue receives everything, including disgrace, and dwells in humility, following only the Dao. The Dao drifts elusively, yet within it are the patterns of all things. Within its profound darkness lies true essence — the pure vital energy that gives life.
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 →
