Tao Te Ching Chapter 50 – 貴生 (道德經 第50章)
Paul PengShare
Tao Te Ching — Chapter 50: The Value Set on Life
道德經 第五十章 · 貴生 · Lao Tzu · Bilingual Edition with Classical Commentaries
Original Text — 原文
English Translation — James Legge
Men come forth and live; they enter again and die. Of every ten three are ministers of life to themselves; and three are ministers of death. There are also three in every ten whose aim is to live, but whose movements tend to the land of death. And for what reason? Because of their excessive endeavours to perpetuate life.
But I have heard that he who is skilful in managing the life entrusted to him travels on the land without having to shun rhinoceros or tiger, and enters a host without having to avoid buff coat or sharp weapon. The rhinoceros finds no place in him into which to thrust its horn, nor the tiger a place in which to fix its claws, nor the weapon a place to admit its point.
And for what reason? Because there is in him no place of death. As shown in Chapter 44, excessive pursuit of life is itself the path to death.
✦ Key Insight
Chapter 50 opens with one of the most enigmatic statements in the Tao Te Ching: three in ten are on the side of life, three in ten are on the side of death, and three in ten move toward death while seeking life — because they cling too hard to living. The one who is truly skilled in life has no place of death within him: no vulnerability, no grasping, no fear. The rhinoceros finds no angle for its horn; the tiger finds no place for its claws; the weapon finds no gap for its blade. This is not invincibility through force, but through the absence of the conditions that invite harm.
Classical Commentaries — 古典注释
王弼注 Wang Bi's Commentary
Wang Bi discusses life and death: three in ten are ministers of life, three in ten are ministers of death, and three in ten move toward death through their pursuit of life. The skilled in living meet no danger because they have no place for death.
河上公注 Heshang Gong's Commentary
Heshang Gong relates life and death to the control of desire. The ‘thirteen’ refers to the nine orifices and four limbs. One who does not let the eyes wander or the mouth speak rashly is on the path of life. The skilled in nurturing life are protected by the spirit.
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 →
