Heshang Gong Chapter 70 – 知難 (Knowing is Difficult)
Paul PengAktie
Heshang Gong Chapter 70 – 知難 (Knowing is Difficult)
老子河上公章句 · 第70章 · Heshang Gong's Commentary on Laozi
Section 1 — 第1节
Zhang Wu Yan shen yi zhi, shen yi xing. Laozi said: What I say is concise and easy to understand, simple and easy to practice. No one in the world can truly know it, no one can truly put it into practice. People dislike softness and weakness; they prefer firmness and strength. Words have a source, affairs have a leader. What I say has ancestral roots and fundamentals; affairs have hierarchy with rulers and subjects. The world does not understand this, but it is not because I lack virtue—it is because their minds are opposed to mine. It is precisely because they have no knowledge that they do not know me. Precisely because people in the world lack knowledge, my virtue remains obscure and unseen from the outside. It is profound and subtle to an extreme degree, hence there is no understanding of it. Those who truly know me are rare; those who follow me are precious. Xi means "rare" or "few. " Only those who have attained the Dao can truly know me, which is why they are precious. Therefore, a sage wears coarse cloth but carries jade in his heart. Wearing coarse cloth means being humble outwardly; carrying jade inwardly means possessing virtue internally. Concealing treasures and nurturing virtue, one does not display them to others. ---
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.
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