Tao Te Ching Chapter 74 – 制惑 (道德经 第74章)
Paul PengAktie
Tao Te Ching — Chapter 74: Controlling Delusion
道德经 第七十四章 · 制惑 · Lao Tzu · Bilingual Edition with Classical Commentaries
Original Text — 原文
English Translation — James Legge
The people do not fear death; to what purpose is it to try to frighten them with death? If the people were always in awe of death, and I could always seize those who do wrong, and put them to death, who would dare to do wrong?
There is always One who presides over the infliction of death. He who would inflict death in the room of him who so presides over it may be described as hewing wood instead of a great carpenter. As shown in Chapter 73, Heaven’s net is vast and loses nothing — the true executioner is Heaven itself, not the ruler. And as Chapter 57 shows, the more laws and punishments, the more disorder — ruling by fear of death is the surest path to chaos. Seldom is it that he who undertakes the hewing, instead of the great carpenter, does not cut his own hands.
✦ Key Insight
Chapter 74 addresses a ruler’s temptation to use the death penalty as a tool of control. Lao Tzu’s answer is blunt: if people do not fear death, threatening them with it is useless. And if they do fear death, there is already a celestial executioner who handles this — the ruler need not interfere. The carpenter metaphor is precise: a clumsy apprentice who tries to do the master’s work will injure himself. The ruler who usurps Heaven’s role as judge and executioner will bring ruin upon himself.
Classical Commentaries — 古典注释
王弼注 Wang Bi's Commentary
Wang Bi questions: since people do not fear death, why threaten them with it? There is an executioner of all — acting on behalf of this celestial executioner is like chopping wood for a master carpenter; one is sure to injure one’s hands.
河上公注 Heshang Gong's Commentary
Heshang Gong criticizes harsh punishments. The ruler should first teach by virtue. The true executioner is Heaven — the seasons and stars have their order. The ruler who tries to take Heaven’s role as executioner is like a clumsy carpenter — sure to injure himself.
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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