Tao Te Ching Chapter 70 – 知难 (道德经 第70章)
Paul PengAktie
Tao Te Ching — Chapter 70: The Difficulty of Being Known
道德经 第七十章 · 知难 · Lao Tzu · Bilingual Edition with Classical Commentaries
Original Text — 原文
English Translation — James Legge
My words are very easy to know, and very easy to practise; but there is no one in the world who is able to know and able to practise them.
There is an originating and all-comprehending principle in my words, and an authoritative law for the things which I enforce. It is because they do not know these, that men do not know me. As shown in Chapter 56, those who know do not speak and those who speak do not know — the Dao cannot be grasped through cleverness alone.
They who know me are few, and I am on that account the more to be prized. It is thus that the sage wears a poor garb of hair cloth, while he carries his jade in his bosom — outwardly plain, inwardly precious.
✦ Key Insight
Chapter 70 is one of Lao Tzu’s most personal statements. His words are simple and easy — yet no one understands or follows them. Why? Because his words have a root principle and his actions have a governing law, and people who do not perceive these cannot perceive him. The fewer who know him, the more precious he becomes. The closing image is unforgettable: the sage wears coarse cloth but carries jade in his bosom. Outwardly plain, inwardly luminous — this is the Taoist ideal of hidden virtue.
Classical Commentaries — 古典注释
王弼注 Wang Bi's Commentary
Wang Bi says his words are easy to know and easy to practice, yet no one can know or practice them. Because people do not understand this, they do not understand him. The sage wears coarse cloth but carries jade in his bosom.
河上公注 Heshang Gong's Commentary
Heshang Gong says his teachings are simple and easy to practice, but people love hardness and hate gentleness. The sage wears coarse cloth outwardly but carries precious jade inwardly — hiding treasure and virtue without display.
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 →
