Tao Te Ching Ch 24

The Door of all Wonders: 
The Commentary on the Tao Te Ching
by Nirguna Chor-kok Lam

Chapter 24

He who tiptoes cannot stand steadily.

He who strides cannot walk for long.

He who shows himself is not conspicuous.

He who considers himself right is not illustrious.

He who brags will have no merit.

He who is arrogant will not last and progress.

From the viewpoint of the Truth,

these behaviours are like leftover food and tumors.

People detest them.

He who has the Truth does not abide in them.

Review

    This Chapter tells us the same message about the signs of people who are abiding in the Truth. Humility is their virtue. They are naturally humble to people. On the contrary, those people who have pride in their mind, speech and act are not the sages mentioned by Lao Tzu. They are ordinary people in majority who do not know the Truth, having no interest to know the Truth. These people also have signs for us to recognize. Similar to the messages told in Chapters 20 and 23, this Chapter also tells us that humility is the virtue, while arrogance is far away from the Truth. This Chapter uses two analogies to explain:

“He who tiptoes cannot stand steadily.

He who strides cannot walk for long.

    How can a person keep on tiptoeing for long? How can a person keep walking in big steps for long? It is correlated to Chapter 23:

“Strong wind cannot last all morning.

Sudden downpour cannot last all day.”

(Chapter 23)

    For Chapter 23, Lao Tzu tells us about the natural environment, while here in this Chapter, he tells us about the human behavior. Both cannot last long, thus in Chapter 23, Lao Tzu says:

“Even the Heaven and the Earth cannot be long-lasting,

how can human be?”

(Chapter 23)

    Therefore, Lao Tzu continues to elaborate the human situation how people cannot last long by intensive and severe behavior as answering his question put forth in Chapter 23. Here Chapter 24 is the same as Chapter 22 telling the same messages but in the opposite expressions. Chapter 22 tells us what a sage should behave while here Chapter 24 tells us what a sage should not behave. Both are telling the same messages.

“He does not show himself, and so is conspicuous;” (Chapter 22)

“He who shows himself is not conspicuous.”(Chapter 24)

“He does not consider himself right, and so is illustrious.” (Chapter 22)

“He who considers himself right is not illustrious.”(Chapter 24)

“He does not brag, and so has merit;” (Chapter 22)

“He who brags will have no merit.”(Chapter 24)

“He does not boast, and so is lasting.” (Chapter 22)

“He who is arrogant will not last and progress.”(Chapter 24)

“He who boasts, will not last.” (Chapter 24, another translation)

    People who love the worldly life and do not see the Truth behave in the way as being fond of showing off, bragging, boasting and considering himself right without realizing the whole picture of people and event. Unlike the sages who are conspicuous, illustrious, having merits and can last long, the worldly people are not conspicuous, not illustrious, having no merits and cannot last long. On the contrary,they will turn into being disgusted as “leftover food” and “tumors”, a kind of undesirable diseases:

“From the viewpoint of the Truth,

these behaviours are like leftover food and tumors.

People detest them.”

    To desire for fame and honor by intentions and deeds is a disease against the Truth which people should discard as told by Lao Tzu. He who has no desire for any fame and honor by doing good deeds, he who does no harm to anyone and is ready to leave without demanding for anything, he has the Mysterious Virtue showing that he has merged with the Truth as Oneness. He does not depend on other people to admire his good deeds, therefore, Lao Tzu says in the end:

“He who has the Truth does not abide in them.”