Tao Te Ching, Ch 44

The Door of all Wonders: 

The Commentary on the Tao Te Ching

by Nirguna, Chor-kok Lam

Chapter 44

Your fame or your life,

which one is dearer?

Your life or your wealth,

which one is worth more?

Gain or loss,

which one is worse?

Thus excessive meanness is sure

 to lead to great expense;

Hoarding too much is sure 

to end in immense loss.

Knowing contentment, 

you will suffer no disgrace.

Knowing when to stop, 

you will avoid danger.

You can then endure.

Review

    Here in this Chapter, Lao Tzu tells us what we must cherish the most. Many people value fame and honor. They want to have good reputation being honored by people. However, this hankering for fame and honor is harmful to our spiritual life whether the actions of people to get fame and honor are moral or immoral. Lao Tzu tells us in another Chapter:

“Hence, the highest renown is without renown.”*

*(Another translation: Hence, seeking renown will have no renown.)

(Chapter 39)

    People who seek for reputation turn into no reputation. The highest renown is for those who have done good deeds but never seek for any reward and recognition by anyone. Their real reward is something beyond this world. Their reward of their good deeds will accumulate to nourish their personality and spiritual growth which no external reward can be matched that is why Lao Tzu tells us not to seek fame and honor, but value the life we have which is much important and useful, thus Lao Tzu says:

“Your fame or your life,

which one is dearer?”

       Then Lao Tzu asks another question:

“Your life or your wealth,

which one is worth more?”

    Many people may not value fame because fame cannot be eaten or drunk. Fame is the non-material pride not everyone may cherish. Then many people may cherish wealth to accumulate money in their life for their material enjoyment. But Lao Tzu tells us that even wealth is not more important than our life. If we die or our health is getting worse, what is the use of wealth? Can wealth make us have a better life? If it can, then the wealth is useful. On the contrary, if the accumulation of the wealth will harm our life, then what is the use of this wealth? It is better to go away from hankering for the wealth which is harmful to us.

    Then Lao Tzu asks another question:

“Gain or loss,

which one is worse?”

    We must clearly know the gain and the loss, what we are really in need. If we gain a lot of wealth and a lot of fame but lose our physical life or our spiritual life, what is the use to take the gains by suffering the loss? Can the gain enrich our spiritual life which is the real life? To avoid the loss is more important than getting the gain. There is something that we should not lose in our life; otherwise, all the gains turn into meaningless. Lao Tzu tells us to value our life as the utmost important. Then what is the aim for keeping our life sound and safe? Is it for material enjoyment, eating, drinking, and entertaining? The aim of our life is to realize the Truth inside us and live with the Truth. It is the theme throughout the whole Tao Te Ching.

    Lao Tzu tells us not to seek fame and wealth but value our life the uppermost to realize the Truth. He teaches us not to accumulate wealth for wealth itself only. We must use the wealth with meaning to benefit ourselves and people around us. To be stingy and miserly to accumulate wealth and money and do not want to spend properly will only bring wastages, thus Lao Tzu says:

“Thus excessive meanness is sure

 to lead to great expense;

Hoarding too much is sure

 to end in immense loss.”

    Many people only keep saving money but never use it properly that is not the way for the embodiment of the Truth. Money is used to uphold the righteousness, which is its real importance; otherwise, money is harmful for us if it is used to ruin our morality. However, most people are not generous to use wealth in the meaningful way. In the Quran, Allah tells us that most people are miserly. They are not willing to spend for the benevolence of people, even on the governmental affairs.

    “Say (to them), “If you possessed the depositories of the mercy of my Lord, then you would withhold out of fear of spending.” And ever has man been stingy.” (Quran 17:100)

    The most obvious case is the Hong Kong Government which has accumulated a huge amount of surplus but very cautious in spending to provide housing for the poverty to improve their livelihood for many years. Lao Tzu tells us that the money will be lost and wasted if it is not used well but only for accumulation into larger and larger amount. The larger and the larger amount will be wasted. Lao Tzu tells us to be generous to use wealth for the benefit of the society as a whole, especially to satisfy people’s basic needs. He never means to be generous to enjoy luxurious life which is absolutely harmful for people. The Government should ensure everyone can have a simple good life but not for extravagance. The ideal life for the embodiment of the Truth is simplicity in living. We should be contented with simple living. The more and more desires for material enjoyment will turn us away from our real spiritual life. It will turn out to be disastrous in our life.

    If we know contentment, we are satisfied with our simple life. We will not strive hard to earn fame and wealth far over our need. We will also never act immorally in order to get wealthy with a lot of pride. This is harmful to our soul. We will suffer the disgrace, thus Lao Tzu says:

“Knowing contentment, 

you will suffer no disgrace.”

    There are many people in the world accumulating wealth but fail to have peace and contentment inside their hearts. Then what is more important in life? Peace with contentment or wealth with great fame? Simple and peaceful life, or luxurious honorable life? Lao Tzu says further:

“Knowing when to stop, 

you will avoid danger.

You can then endure.”

    People mostly like to have both, but if the desires turn into harmful for the basic spiritual need, what will we choose? Therefore, Lao Tzu tells us to know when to stop. If we see the danger ahead of us, then do not go further more. To keep us safe and sound is more important than taking the risk to go further like gambling.

    To gamble in life will make us lose the life which is the greatest loss if we do not realize the Truth and die as an ignorant. The ignorance of our soul will stay on even our body is dead. Life is lost. Ignorance remains in the next life in whatever form, human or not human. This is the pain and sorrow of reincarnation which the ancient sages in the Upanisad-s told us to be liberated from these clutches of birth and death in darkness and ignorance. Therefore, Lao Tzu tells us to avoid danger and to endure our life for attainment of the Truth.