38 Teachings of Dao De Jing - Complete Taoist Guide

The autumn wind carried red leaves across the courtyard of Tianshi Mansion. I had come to Longhu Mountain three years earlier as a young man burning with ambition—to learn Taoism, yes, but also to master it, to possess its secrets. My master sensed this in me the moment we met.

"You want to take," he said. "But the Dao gives only to those who first learn to receive."

For the first year, he gave me no teachings at all. He assigned me to copy the Dao De Jing—not once, but eighty-one times, one for each chapter. I thought it was punishment. Now I understand it was the first lesson.

Where This Number Comes From

Du Guangting (杜光庭) lived during the Five Dynasties period, a time of constant upheaval in China. Warlords ruled through force. Scholar-officials lived in fear. The common people suffered. Du Guangting was born into this chaos—and he believed the Dao De Jing held the answer.

He was one of the most prolific commentators on the Dao De Jing in all of Taoist history, and he wrote his Comprehensive Meanings of the Holy Dao De Jing (《道德真经广圣义》) not as an academic exercise, but as a survival guide for a fractured world.

In the opening lines of his commentary, he laid out his framework: the Dao De Jing contains thirty-eight distinct teachings on governance and self-cultivation. Thirty-eight principles that, if understood and applied, could bring order to chaos.

My master once told me that Du Guangting's list isn't just a taxonomy. It's a map. Each of the thirty-eight teachings points to a different aspect of the same fundamental truth—that the sage ruler and the serious practitioner follow the same path.

The first teaching concerns governing through wu wei—through non-action. The twenty-second concerns preserving life and nurturing one's natural vitality. The thirty-eighth concerns understanding that those who embody the Dao will inevitably receive its blessings.

These aren't separate lessons. They're different faces of one teaching, seen from different angles.

The 38 Teaching of Dao De Jing: Complete List

Du Guangting organized the thirty-eight teachings into two main categories: teachings for governing the state (the first nineteen) and teachings for cultivating the self (the last nineteen). Together, they form a complete system where self-cultivation and social harmony are inseparable.

Teachings 1-19: Governing the State

| # | Teaching | Core Principle |

|---|----------|----------------|

| 1 | Teach through non-action (wu wei) | The ruler governs by creating conditions for self-ordering, not by intervening |

| 2 | Teach the way of cultivation for the world | The ruler embodies virtue and inspires others through example |

| 3 | Govern through the principle of the Dao | Align governance with natural law, not arbitrary will |

| 4 | Govern without incident, following heaven | Operate in harmony with cosmic patterns |

| 5 | Do not elevate yourself above the world | True leadership means serving, not dominating |

| 6 | Do not elevate the worthy or treasure rare objects | Avoid creating artificial scarcity and competition |

| 7 | Transform through non-incident and non-desire | Lead by example of contentment, not by demanding change |

| 8 | View all things equally, release attachment to achievement | Judge no one, desire no fame |

| 9 | Hold without grasping, flow without obstruction | Adapt to circumstances without rigidity |

| 10 | Take the subordinate as the foundation | True strength lies in supporting others |

| 11 | Guide regional lords with upright governance | Lead locally before attempting broader influence |

| 12 | Rulers must not be harsh or oppressive | Mercy and restraint are the marks of wise rule |

| 13 | Assist the sovereign with the Dao, not military force | Wisdom prevails over violence every time |

| 14 | Lords should guard the Dao and transform the people | Transform through virtue, not coercion |

| 15 | Lords should not delight in military display | Peace comes from restraint, not strength |

| 16 | Lords should not be extravagant; lighten taxes and labor | True prosperity comes from滋养, not extraction |

| 17 | Lords should never display weapons or authority | Power that must be displayed has already been lost |

| 18 | Govern the state by cultivating the self; honor the Three Treasures | Personal cultivation is the foundation of all leadership |

| 19 | Cultivate the body: yield and you shall be preserved; embrace softness and you shall overcome | Flexibility and humility are the roots of strength |

Teachings 20-38: Cultivating the Self

| # | Teaching | Core Principle |

|---|----------|----------------|

| 20 | Cultivate the self through non-action and freedom from desire | Let go of the impulse to add—cultivate through subtraction |

| 21 | Preserve the Dao and nurture vital energy to complete one's life | Protect your jing-qi-shen; don't squander life force |

| 22 | Cultivate the self by honoring goodness and removing wickedness | Identify what harms you and create space for what heals |

| 23 | Cultivate the self by taking virtue as the foundation | Build your life on genuine goodness, not performance |

| 24 | Cultivate the self through diligent devotion to the Dao | Consistency matters more than dramatic breakthrough |

| 25 | Cultivate the self by forgetting fame and worldly learning | Release what others think; discover what you actually value |

| 26 | Cultivate the self by not coveting worldly benefits | Attention goes where desire points; choose wisely |

| 27 | Cultivate the self: externally end the chase for fame; internally stop displaying ability | Humility is strength not yet recognized |

| 28 | Cultivate the self by not pursuing honor or favor | Detach from outcome; focus on process |

| 29 | Cultivate the self through few desires and careful speech | The quiet mind sees more clearly |

| 30 | For those who leave home: the Dao and the worldly are opposites | Renunciation means choosing a different set of values |

| 31 | For those who leave home: nurture spirit and you shall not die | The body may pass; spirit can endure |

| 32 | Understand destiny and cherish longevity without fear | Live fully because you understand impermanence |

| 33 | Cultivate the self: place the body outside and act without self | True action comes from the place beyond ego |

| 34 | Cultivate the self: empty the heart and unite with the Dao | The open mind receives; the full mind blocks |

| 35 | Conduct yourself in the world by harmonizing with all things | Blend without losing yourself; serve without sacrificing |

| 36 | Cultivate the self: end desires, revere humility's light | The quieter you become, the more you hear |

| 37 | Decrease excess and increase what is lacking | Balance, not perfection, is the goal |

| 38 | Practice the Dao and cultivate the self; you will certainly receive its reward | The harvest follows the planting—without fail |

Why the Number Thirty-Eight Matters

You might wonder: why organize the Dao De Jing's teachings this way? The text itself doesn't present itself as a numbered list. So why force it into one?

Here's what took me years to understand: Du Guangting wasn't imposing order on chaos. He was revealing an order that was already there.

The Dao De Jing has 81 chapters. Of those, roughly two-thirds deal with governance—how the sage ruler should behave, how to govern a state, how to maintain harmony. The remaining third deals with personal cultivation—how to nurture the self, how to preserve one's vitality, how to walk the path.

But here's the insight: these aren't actually two different subjects. In Taoist Philosophy, the sage who cannot govern the self cannot govern anything. And the person who cultivates themselves without concern for others is missing half the picture.

Du Guangting's thirty-eight teachings make this connection explicit. When he lists "govern the state through non-action" alongside "preserve life through humility," he's showing us that these are expressions of the same principle.

The number thirty-eight itself isn't sacred. What matters is the recognition that the Dao De Jing's wisdom is systematic, not scattered. It can be mapped. It can be applied. It can be lived.

What This Means for Your Practice

Here's where theory becomes practice. Du Guangting's thirty-eight teachings aren't just historical curiosities. They're a framework you can apply right now, wherever you are on your path.

My First Lesson: Copying the Dao De Jing

I mentioned earlier that my master made me copy the Dao De Jing eighty-one times. At the time, I thought it was pointless busywork. I wanted advanced techniques, secret rituals, powerful methods. Instead, I got a brush, ink, and paper.

But here's what happened: by the fortieth copying, I had stopped seeing the text as a collection of wise sayings. I began to see it as a single, coherent argument. The chapters connected. The themes wove together. By the eightieth copying, I could feel the rhythm of Zhuangzi's prose in my bones.

This, I now understand, is teaching #24 in action—diligent devotion to the Dao. Not seeking breakthrough. Not chasing experience. Simply showing up, day after day, with brush in hand.

My Breakthrough: The Three-Year Retreat

In my third year on the mountain, my master finally agreed to teach me formal meditation. But he imposed a condition: I must spend three months in闭关 (bìguān)—secluded practice.

The first month was agony. I sat in meditation and felt nothing but boredom and self-pity. I had left my career, my city life, my ambitions. For what? To sit in a cold room and watch my thoughts?

The second month, something shifted. I stopped trying to achieve anything. I stopped except any special experience. I simply sat. When thoughts arose, I noticed them. When they passed, I returned to the breath. No judgment. No striving.

By the end of the third month, I understood teaching #20 in a way I never had before: cultivate the self through non-action. The entire month, I had "done" nothing. And yet, I had transformed more in three months of not-doing than in three years of striving.

This is the paradox that western practitioners often struggle with. We want to master the Dao. We want to achieve spiritual accomplishment. But the Wu Wei path asks us to release the desire to achieve. In that release, something genuine becomes possible.

Teaching #29: The Power of Few Desires

Last year, a student came to me complaining of anxiety. She had a good career, a loving family, financial security—everything the world told her she should want. Yet she couldn't sleep. She couldn't focus. She felt like a failure.

I asked her: "What do you desire?"

She listed a dozen things: more money, a promotion, recognition, adventure, meaning.

I asked her again: "No. What do you truly desire?"

She paused. Then, quietly: "I want to stop feeling like I'm drowning."

Her true desire wasn't any of the things on her list. It was peace. And yet she was pursuing a hundred different desires that kept her trapped in anxiety.

Teaching #29 says: cultivate the self through few desires and careful speech. Not no desires. Few desires. Choose one thing that truly matters, and let the others fall away.

I told her: "Pick one thing. The one desire that, if fulfilled, would make the others unnecessary. Focus all your energy there. Let the rest go."

She chose peace. Within six months, her anxiety had diminished significantly. Not because her circumstances had changed—but because she had stopped scattering her energy across a hundred competing wants.

Teaching #18: Governing the Self

In Taoist Practice, we speak of the "Three Treasures": jing (essence), qi (vital energy), and shen (spirit). These are not abstract concepts. They are real aspects of your being that can be cultivated or depleted.

When I was young, I burned my jing through overwork and excess. I squandered my qi through anxiety and ambition. I scattered my shen through constant distraction and stimulation.

Teaching #18—govern the state by cultivating the self; honor the Three Treasures—gave me a framework for reversal. Instead of depleting my resources through outward pursuit, I could rebuild them through inward attention.

Today, my daily practice includes:

• Morning stillness: thirty minutes of sitting before the day begins

• Midday restoration: ten minutes of conscious breathing during work

• Evening reflection: reviewing the day's events without judgment

Simple practices. Nothing dramatic. But compounded over years, they have transformed my relationship with my own body and mind.

Misunderstandings to Avoid

The Thirty-Eight Teachings are sometimes misunderstood. Let me address a few common misconceptions.

One misunderstanding: that these teachings are a complete system, and that mastering them means mastering the Dao De Jing. They are not. They are one perspective among many. Du Guangting was a scholar and a practitioner, and his thirty-eight teachings reflect his particular insights. They illuminate certain aspects of the text brilliantly. But other aspects remain in shadow.

Another misunderstanding: that the teachings on governance apply only to rulers. They don't. In Taoist Philosophy, the family is a microcosm of the state. The person who cannot bring order to their own mind cannot bring order to their home. The person who cannot govern themselves cannot truly help others. So the governance teachings are really about self-governance.

A third misunderstanding: that the path of non-action means passivity. Wu wei does not mean doing nothing. It means acting in alignment with the natural order, rather than fighting against it. There is a time for vigorous effort and a time for patient waiting. Wisdom lies in knowing which is called for.

---

The autumn sun was warm on my shoulders as I finished my account for my master that day. He listened in silence, then asked:

"And which of the thirty-eight is most important to you?"

I thought for a moment. "Teaching #37," I said. "Decrease excess and increase what is lacking."

He smiled. "That is a good answer. But—" he paused, "—if you truly understood teaching #1, you would not need the other thirty-seven."

I didn't fully grasp what he meant then. I'm not sure I fully grasp it now. But I've noticed that every time I return to the Dao De Jing, I understand the first teaching a little better.

And perhaps that's the real teaching: the Dao De Jing is not a book to be mastered. It's a practice to be lived.

If something here resonates with you, I'd be glad to hear about it.