Tao Te Ching Chapter 47 – 鑑远 (道德經 第47章)
Paul PengShare
Tao Te Ching — Chapter 47: Surveying What Is Far-Off
道德經 第四十七章 · 鑑远 · Lao Tzu · Bilingual Edition with Classical Commentaries
Original Text — 原文
English Translation — James Legge
Without going outside his door, one understands all that takes place under the sky; without looking out from his window, one sees the Dao of Heaven. The farther that one goes out from himself, the less he knows.
Therefore the sages got their knowledge without travelling; gave their right names to things without seeing them; and accomplished their ends without any purpose of doing so. This inward knowing connects to the stillness that is the standard for all under heaven — and to the contentment that needs no outward seeking.
✦ Key Insight
Chapter 47 is one of the most striking in the Tao Te Ching: without leaving the house, one can know the whole world; without looking out the window, one can see the Dao of Heaven. The further one travels outward, the less one knows. The sage’s knowledge is inward — knowing without moving, naming without seeing, accomplishing without acting. This is not mysticism but the Taoist understanding that the principles governing all things are accessible through stillness and self-knowledge.
Classical Commentaries — 古典注释
王弼注 Wang Bi's Commentary
Wang Bi explains that without going out the door, one can know the world. Without looking out the window, one can see Heaven’s Dao. The further one goes, the less one knows. The sage knows without traveling, understands without seeing, accomplishes without acting.
河上公注 Heshang Gong's Commentary
Heshang Gong says the sage knows the world by knowing himself — the human body mirrors the world. Heaven and humanity communicate through essence. The further one goes externally, the less one understands. The sage knows through the heart and achieves without acting.
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 →
