Tao Te Ching, Ch 54

The Door of all Wonders: 

The Commentary on the Tao Te Ching

by Nirguna, Chor-kok Lam

 Chapter 54

What is firmly rooted cannot be pulled out.

What is tightly held in the arms will not slip loose.

Through this the offering of sacrifice by descendants will never come to an end.

Cultivate the Truth in yourself; 

your virtue will be genuine.

Cultivate the Truth in a family; 

its virtue will be more than sufficient.

Cultivate the Truth in a hamlet; 

its virtue will be honoured.

Cultivate the Truth in a country;

 its virtue will be prosperous.

Cultivate the Truth in the world; 

its virtue will be pervasive.

Hence, look at another person through your own;

Look at another family through your own family;

Look at another hamlet through your own hamlet;

Look at another country through your own country;

Look at another world through your own world.

How do I know what the world is like?

By means of this.

Review

  

The Truth upholding in the Tao Te Ching is not only beneficial to individual life but also beneficial to the family, society, country and the whole world. This is how the Truth works for the whole:

 

“It is the Truth alone that excels in bestowing and in accomplishing.”

(Chapter 41)

 

The Truth can bestow and accomplish in all aspects of life once we hold fast to the Truth and do not let it slip loose, thus begin the verses here:

 

“What is firmly rooted cannot be pulled out.

What is tightly held in the arms will not slip loose.”

 

Tao is our root we should firmly attach to it, like a tree having a strong root without pulling out. Once the root is healthy, the tree will not die in any circumstances. However, when the root is cut off from the tree, the tree cannot live any longer even all the branches, stems, leaves and flowers are fresh and good. Or like a person who embraces tightly some valuable belonging with his arms, he will never forget the belonging and slip loose, then he can keep the belonging with himself. This valuable belonging is the Truth that we must cherish the most. Once we can do as Lao Tzu says to hold fast to the Truth all the time, we will have benefits coming forth one by one in all aspects of life from the individual level up to the gross level, thus Lao Tzu says:

 

“Through this the offering of sacrifice by descendants will never come to an end.”

 

To abide in the Truth individually, we will have benefit not only to ourselves, but the benefit will extend from generations to generations, hence Lao Tzu says, “the offering of sacrifice by descendants will never come to an end.”  Religions tell us this Truth. People’s good deeds and bad deeds will affect not only themselves but their family and descendants also. Once we, as an individual, hold fast to the Truth, our family will be benefited first because our family members are the people closest to us. We can live in peace and harmony. Our life will become a living model for our family members to follow the Truth. Our descendants will become pious and faithful to the Truth, the highest value in our life; therefore, they will keep offering sacrifice to their forefathers as the act of piety and respect. The Truth is more important than only the offering of sacrifice without knowing its meaning behind, thus Lao Tzu tells us to cultivate the Truth, not only following any rituals without the virtues.

 

“Cultivate the Truth in yourself; your virtue will be genuine.”

 

First, we must be genuine to the Truth, without hypocrisy or any pretension to show off. Our virtue should be truthful and enduring without swaying here and there by different situations. We do not ask for any fame and honor for our virtue. It becomes our nature which shows in our conduct. This is the truthfulness to the Truth. To be genuine is the starting point for the blessing coming forth from the Truth.

 

“Cultivate the Truth in a family; its virtue will be more than sufficient.”

 

Once we are genuine to the Truth, our family will get the benefit first. If we can deal with our family with the Truth, our virtue will grow stronger. We are not only truthful to ourselves, but we can also deal with our family truthfully with good deeds. Then our virtue will enlarge to the family level. It will be more than sufficient for our family to live in bliss and harmony.

 

“Cultivate the Truth in a hamlet; its virtue will be honoured.”

 

From the family level, the virtue can extend to the social level. When more and more families in one locality, as in a village, a hamlet or a city, abide by the virtue of the Truth, the virtue will be further strengthened to be honoured and followed. The impact of the virtue will be more in social level. The benefit will be also more because more people can contribute their goodness for the whole. Our living environment will be improved.

 

“Cultivate the Truth in a country; its virtue will be prosperous.”

 

Once the virtue of the Truth extends further in a country, the country will be prosperous. Humanity is the virtue of the Truth. People can live well in a country where people’s benevolence is respected and guaranteed. There are some countries where people can live well because people stress on humanity. Humanity is more important than democracy. The aim of democracy is for humanity. Without humanity, any political system is harmful to people only.

 

“Cultivate the Truth in the world; its virtue will be pervasive.”

 

If all countries can have the virtue of the Truth as their foundation, the whole world will be in peace and harmony as the virtue of the Truth is pervasive. However, we can find many victims of atrocities in some countries politically in chaotic situations. People’s livelihood is in chaos all the time. There is no humanity in these countries, therefore, people suffer much.

 

How can we cultivate the virtue of the Truth? Lao Tzu tells us we should see other people as our own self. All people want others to be nice to them, so they must be also nice to other people. No one wants to be harmed, so let no one harm other if they can have the feeling of other people. We need to extend ourselves into larger being to imagine any situation that other people may have by our words and deeds. If people can all be nice to other people as themselves, then we all can have the virtue of the Truth, the humanity to all people, thus Lao Tzu says:

 

“Hence, look at another person through your own;

Look at another family through your own family;

Look at another hamlet through your own hamlet;

Look at another country through your own country;

Look at another world through your own world.”

 

See another person as ourselves. See another family as our own family. See another hamlet as our own hamlet. See another country as our own country. See another world as our own world. Then how can people exploit other people? How can people prefer to harm themselves? No one wants to harm themselves. We all want people to be kind to us. We will understand the situation of other people and avoid doing harm to anyone. To protect ourselves is the same as to protect other people. How can we have warfare to rob and destroy other people if everyone can have the feeling of other people? This is the humanity people nowadays realize its importance; thus, Lao Tzu says in the end:

 

“How do I know what the world is like?

By means of this.”