What is Virtue in Taoism? 什么是徳

What is Virtue in Taoism?

• A fundamental concept in pre-Qin Daoist thought, synonymous with "attainment". To attain the Dao is to embody De, meaning the Dao is manifested in all concrete things, and De shapes the innate nature of all beings. All things follow the Dao and hold De in reverence, for all heaven and earth and all beings are born of the Dao. Chapter 51 of the Dao De Jing states: "The Dao gives them life, De nourishes them, matter forms them, and circumstance perfects them." That is, the Dao is the primal origin of the universe, bestowing life upon all beings; this life accumulates and manifests as De, which defines the innate nature of all things; matter takes shape for all beings, and circumstance fulfills their functions. The Dao is the essence, and De is its function. The Dao reveals itself as the material world through De, and De is the form in which the Dao exists. "The manifestation of the greatest De is to follow the Dao alone"—the supreme De is the embodiment and operation of the The Dao.

  What is Virtue in Taoism?

• Taoism inherits Laozi’s philosophical principles, incorporating elements of immortology, and regards the attainment of the Dao as De: namely, achieving success in Taoist cultivation, becoming one with the Dao, and attaining longevity and eternal life. The Classic of Nature says: "De, meaning attainment, refers to the fruition gained from the Dao." Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty’s imperial commentary on The Classic of the Ascension to the West states: "What the Dao is within me is De." The Dao gives birth to all things yet does not boast of its merit, nourishes all things yet does not possess them, fosters their growth yet does not dominate them—acting with complete natural non-action. Those who study the Dao cultivate this trait, aligning all their deeds with the Dao, and this too is De. In Taoist theological tenets, De and the Dao hold equally important positions. Meng Anpai wrote in The Pivot of Taoist Doctrines: On the Meaning of Dao and De: "Dao and De are one entity with two connotations—one yet not one, two yet not two." Wu Yun stated in On the Mysterious Principles: "Dao and De are the ancestors of heaven and earth; heaven and earth are the fathers of all things; emperors are the lords of the Three Realms (heaven, earth, and humanity). Thus, Dao, De, heaven, earth, and emperors are one and the same." After the Tang and Song dynasties, with the rise of Internal Alchemy, De became closely associated with individual cultivation and nourishment of the spirit and body. Sima Chengzhen noted in On Sitting in Oblivion: "When the spirit unites with the Dao, one is said to attain the Dao; to attain the Dao is to embody De."
  
  
• Synonymous with the virtue of Confucian ethics and morality. In Taoist doctrinal teachings, to possess De means to have noble conduct. Taoist thought divides De into hidden De and manifest De. Hidden De refers to virtuous deeds unknown to others, while manifest De refers to virtuous deeds recognized by the world. Hidden De is the quiet benevolence that "benefits people in great ways and all creatures in small ways". Taoist doctrinal teachings also require practitioners to cultivate themselves and accumulate De: governing the state, managing the family, and nurturing the self all demand practicing the Dao and accumulating De, so that the Dao may prevail and De overflow throughout the world, bringing universal peace and benevolence.