Tao Te Ching Chapter 28 – 反樸 (道德經 第28章)
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Tao Te Ching — Chapter 28: Returning to Simplicity
道德經 第二十八章 · 反樸 · Lao Tzu · Bilingual Edition with Classical Commentaries
Original Text — 原文
知其白，守其黑，為天下式。為天下式，常德不忯，復歸於無極。
知其榮，守其辱，為天下谷。為天下谷，常德乃足，復歸於樸。
樸散則為器，聖人用之，則為官長，故大制不割。
English Translation — James Legge
Who knows his manhood's strength, yet still his female feebleness maintains; as to one channel flow the many drains, all come to him, yea, all beneath the sky. Thus he the constant excellence retains; the simple child again, free from all stains.
Who knows how white attracts, yet always keeps himself within black's shade, the pattern of humility displayed, displayed in view of all beneath the sky; he in the unchanging excellence arrayed, endless return to man's first state has made.
Who knows how glory shines, yet loves disgrace, nor ever for it is pale; behold his presence in a spacious vale, to which men come from all beneath the sky. The unchanging excellence completes its tale; the simple infant man in him we hail.
The unwrought material, when divided and distributed, forms vessels. The sage, when employed, becomes the Head of all the Officers of government; and in his greatest regulations he employs no violent measures.
✦ Key Insight
Chapter 28 presents three paradoxical pairs: know the male, keep to the female; know the white, keep to the black; know glory, keep to disgrace. Each leads to a return — to the infant, to the infinite, to the uncarved block (pu 樸). The uncarved block, when dispersed, becomes the ten thousand things. The sage uses this dispersion to govern without cutting apart. This is the Taoist vision of wholeness: the greatest order does not divide.
Classical Commentaries — 古典注释
王弼注 Wang Bi's Commentary
Wang Bi describes knowing the male yet keeping to the female, knowing the white yet keeping to the black, knowing glory yet keeping to disgrace. This is returning to the infant, the infinite, and the uncarved block. When the uncarved block dissolves, it becomes vessels. The sage uses these as officials and leaders, and the great ruler does not cut apart.
河上公注 Heshang Gong's Commentary
Heshang Gong says knowing one's own eminence yet remaining humble causes all things to flow to one like a stream. The white represents clarity, the black obscurity — though one knows clearly, one should appear obscure. The uncarved block is primal simplicity.
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 →
