Tao Te Ching, ch 43

The Door of all Wonders: 

The Commentary on the Tao Te Ching

by Nirguna, Chor-kok Lam

Chapter 43

The softest in the world can ride over the hardest in the world,

that which is without substance entering that which has no crevices.

That is why I know the benefit of resorting to no action.

The teaching that uses no words,

the benefit of resorting to no action,

these are rarely achieved in the world.

Review

    The Truth is the most gentle, the mildest and the weakest in the world. It is invisible, colourless and soundless. It resembles water, always keeps flowing from the top level to the lower level. Therefore, it seems always in the lowest position. However, the Truth is also the greatest that no one can control it. No one can dare claim its allegiance:

“Though small and subtle, 

no one in the world can control it.”

(Chapter 32)

    On the contrary, all creatures should submit themselves to the Truth. Then they will have their benevolence by following the Truth, otherwise, the whole universe will be destroyed if all the creatures do not follow the Truth:

“Those who have attained the One 

since ancient times:

The sky in virtue of the One is limpid;

The earth in virtue of the One is settled;

The angels in virtue of the One are efficacious;

The valley in virtue of the One is full;

All creatures in virtue of the One are alive;

The lords and princes in virtue of the One can rule the world righteously.

It is the One that makes them what they are.

Without being limpid, the sky might split;

Without being settled, the earth might sink;

Without being efficacious, 

the angels might disappear;

Without being full, the valley might run dry;

Without being alive, all creatures might perish;

Without being righteous, 

the lords and princes might fall.”

(Chapter 39)

    Although the Truth looks gentle, weak and mild like water, it is the Lord of all creatures that they should submit to and be benefited, thus Lao Tzu says in this Chapter:

“The softest in the world can ride over the hardest in the world,

that which is without substance entering that which has no crevices.”

    The Truth is the softest in the world but it is the Lord of the hardest in the world. The hardest means this material world. The Lord, the Spirit, is the Truth riding on the horse which is the world. The master of this horse is the Truth. The spiritual world controls the material world as a rider on the horse running around. The Truth is without substance. It is the spiritual power to master the substance to handle all affairs. It is omnipresent. Nothing can block the presence of the Truth. Hence, Lao Tzu says that the Truth is “without substance that can enter everywhere which has no crevices” for it. “That which is without substance” means the Truth. “That which has no crevices” means this material world. The Truth is all pervading in this material world like the Master riding on His horse.

    Our real master is the Truth. We should act according to the Truth which Lao Tzu says “action without action”. We should let the Truth act in its own way, not our limited ways. The Truth is the greatest Self of all the souls. We should be patient to act carefully and slowly and let the Truth work on us. We should always keep silent inside us to contemplate on the Truth. Speaking too much will turn our attention away from the Truth. No one should control anyone because we should all be controlled by the Truth, not by anyone. Otherwise, someone may spoil and ruin someone by their limited egoistic views.

    To let all of us follow the Truth is to give room and freedom for us to pursue our own way to be the one with the Truth. This is the greatest teaching Lao Tzu says “the teaching that uses no words”. However, most people do not know the Truth and mostly act by themselves with too many actions and words which cause a person to dictate another person like the blind leading people to the darkness. Lao Tzu tells all of us to abide in the Truth by our own internal effort. We all should have freedom to understand the Truth and act with the Truth like action without action, thus Lao Tzu says,

“That is why I know the benefit of resorting to no action.

The teaching that uses no words,

the benefit of resorting to no action,

these are rarely achieved in the world.”