Tao Te Ching Chapter 27 – 巧用 (道德經 第27章)
Paul PengShare
Tao Te Ching — Chapter 27: Dexterity in Using the Dao
道德經 第二十七章 · 巧用 · Lao Tzu · Bilingual Edition with Classical Commentaries
Original Text — 原文
English Translation — James Legge
The skilful traveller leaves no traces of his wheels or footsteps; the skilful speaker says nothing that can be found fault with or blamed; the skilful reckoner uses no tallies; the skilful closer needs no bolts or bars, while to open what he has shut will be impossible; the skilful binder uses no strings or knots, while to unloose what he has bound will be impossible.
In the same way the sage is always skilful at saving men, and so he does not cast away any man; he is always skilful at saving things, and so he does not cast away anything. This is called ‘Hiding the light of his procedure.’
Therefore the man of skill is a master to be looked up to by him who has not the skill; and he who has not the skill is the helper of the reputation of him who has the skill. If the one did not honour his master, and the other did not rejoice in his helper, an observer, though intelligent, might greatly err about them. This is called ‘The utmost degree of mystery.’
✦ Key Insight
Chapter 27 presents five images of effortless mastery: the traveller who leaves no tracks, the speaker who makes no errors, the counter who needs no tallies, the closer who needs no locks, the binder who needs no ropes. The sage operates the same way — saving all people and things without abandoning any. This is called ‘following the hidden light’ (xi ming 襲明). The good person is teacher to the unskilled; the unskilled provides the occasion for the good person’s teaching. To neglect either is to fall into great confusion.
Classical Commentaries — 古典注释
王弼注 Wang Bi's Commentary
Wang Bi explains that the skilled traveller leaves no tracks, the skilled speaker makes no mistakes, the skilled counter uses no tallies, the skilled closer needs no locks, the skilled binder uses no ropes. The sage is always good at saving people and things — thus nothing is abandoned. This is called ‘following the light.’
河上公注 Heshang Gong's Commentary
Heshang Gong teaches that the skilled practitioner of the Dao finds the Way within himself, never leaving the house. The sage always saves people by teaching loyalty and filial piety. The good person becomes a teacher for others; the bad person provides material for teaching.
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 →
