Tao Te Ching Chapter 72 – 爱己 (道德经 第72章)
Paul PengShare
Tao Te Ching — Chapter 72: Loving One’s Self
道德经 第七十二章 · 爱己 · Lao Tzu · Bilingual Edition with Classical Commentaries
Original Text — 原文
English Translation — James Legge
When the people do not fear what they ought to fear, that which is their great dread will come on them.
Let them not thoughtlessly indulge themselves in their ordinary life; let them not act as if weary of what that life depends on. It is by avoiding such indulgence that such weariness does not arise.
Therefore the sage knows these things of himself, but does not parade his knowledge; loves, but does not appear to set a value on, himself. As shown in Chapter 33, he who knows himself is enlightened, and he who overcomes himself is strong — self-knowledge without self-display is the mark of the sage. And as Chapter 71 shows, the sage is free from the disease of false knowing precisely because he is always aware of it. And thus he puts the latter alternative away and makes choice of the former.
✦ Key Insight
Chapter 72 opens with a political warning: when people no longer fear authority, a greater and more terrible authority will arrive. The ruler must not oppress the people’s living space or exhaust their livelihood. Then the chapter turns inward: the sage knows himself without displaying himself, loves himself without esteeming himself above others. The final line — ‘put the latter away and choose the former’ — is a recurring formula in the Tao Te Ching, always choosing the inner over the outer, the subtle over the showy.
Classical Commentaries — 古典注释
王弼注 Wang Bi's Commentary
Wang Bi warns that when people no longer fear authority, greater authority arrives. Do not narrow their living space or oppress their livelihood. The sage knows himself without displaying himself, loves himself without esteeming himself.
河上公注 Heshang Gong's Commentary
Heshang Gong says when people do not fear small harms, great harm arrives. The heart should be relaxed, not constricted. The sage knows his virtues without displaying them, loves his body by preserving its essence, and does not value worldly glory.
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 →
