Tao Te Ching, Ch 62

 The Door of all Wonders: 

The Commentary on the Tao Te Ching

by Nirguna, Chor-kok Lam

Chapter 62

The Truth is the refuge for all creatures,

the treasure of the good people,

 the protection of the bad people.

Beautiful words when offered will win respect in return.

Beautiful deeds can upgrade a man above others.

Even if a man is not good, 

why should he abandon the Truth?

Therefore, when crowning the Emperor and 

installing the three great ministers,

there is the offering of jade before the four horses’ chariot;

but none of them can compare with the one

who is seated and offer the Truth as a gift.

Why did the ancients value the Truth so much?

Is it not said that those who seek the Truth will find,

and those with guilt will be pardoned?

Therefore, it is the most highly valued in the world.

Review

“The Truth is the refuge for all creatures,”

    Here in this Chapter, Lao Tzu tells us that all creatures shall return to the Truth because the Truth is the refuge for all creatures, no matter whether the creatures are good or bad, high or low. There is no difference for the Truth as the Truth is beneficial to all creatures. Lao Tzu further says that the Truth is:

“the treasure of the good people, 

the protection of the bad people.

    For the good people, the Truth is the great treasure that its uses will never be exhausted. The treasure of the Truth is unlimited. It will benefit the good people more greatly than the bad people because the bad people have not yet realized the Truth. Once they realize the Truth within them, they will naturally become good people and will be benefited by the Truth without limits. However, for most people who do not know the Truth and will easily behave wrongly, they need to seek for the Truth in order to protect them from being destroyed. At least the Truth can protect the bad people not transgressing too much. Without any guidance, when people have transgressed from the Truth severely, they are just heading to the path of destruction.

    They will destroy their life and they will also destroy the life of other people. Without the Truth, everything will turn upside down which Lao Tzu has explained so much in Chapter 39:

“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)

    Then how do we know that we are abiding by the Truth or not? With the Truth in us, we will have good words and good deeds naturally. We do not need to pretend or to show off to be a virtuous person because there is no pretending in Truth. Being truthful is to be straightforward without crookedness. Naturally we are fond of good words and good deeds. Everyone likes good words and good deeds. Who likes to be abused and harmed? Therefore, Lao Tzu encourages us to have good speeches and good deeds to maintain harmony among us:

“Beautiful words when offered will win respect in return.

Beautiful deeds can upgrade a man above others.”

    With the Truth, people will have beautiful words and beautiful deeds that we all admire and enjoy. Here Lao Tzu tells us how we can abide in the Truth. The answer is simple: by having beautiful words and beautiful deeds. Although not all people can reach the ideal stage of abiding in the Truth fully, we should strive hard for being closer to the Truth. We should never abandon the Truth no matter who we are, thus Lao Tzu says:

“Even if a man is not good,

 why should he abandon the Truth?”

    No one should abandon the Truth because the Truth is the only refuge for all creatures ultimately. This very Truth Lao Tzu tells us in this Chapter is marvelously one of the main themes in the Quran that Allah tells us to seek refuge in Him only. In the last three Chapters (surah) of the Quran, Allah teaches us to seek refuge in Him which all Muslims are advised to ceaselessly recite these last three Chapters in their daily worship of Allah:

“Say, “He is Allah, who is the One, Allah, the Eternal Refuge.

He is neither begets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent.”

(Surah al-ikhlas)

“Say, “I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak,

from the evil of that which He created,

and from the evil of darkness when it settles,

and from the evil of the blowers in knots*,

and from the evil of an envier when he envies.” (Surah al-Falaq)

(* i.e. those who practice black magic.)

“Say, “I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind,

the Sovereign of mankind, the God of mankind.

From the evil of the retreating whisper –

Who whispers (evil) into the breasts of mankind –

From among the Jinn* and mankind. (Surah an-Nas)

(* Jinn means invisible creatures other than human.)

    Lao Tzu tells us that we should seek refuge in the Truth even we are not the good people, as only the Truth can save us from calamities. The Truth, in the Tao Te Ching, is the greatest gift for all beings. It is far more precious than anything in the world. Lao Tzu continues to depict that the most precious offering of jade in the most honorable ceremony of crowning the emperor and installing the three great ministers cannot be compared with the Truth as a gift for us. The Truth is more valuable than the jade in the most grand and solemn ceremony of the state, so Lao Tzu says:

“Therefore, when crowning the Emperor and installing the three great ministers,

there is the offering of jade before the four horses’ chariot;

but none of them can compare with the one

who is seated and offer the Truth as a gift.”

    Here “crowning the emperor” was the highest ceremony in ancient China, while the next was the installing of the three great ministers. The three great ministers were the highest officials in the state next to the emperor. During the ceremony, the most precious jade would be offered by a person holding the jade with bowing posture and leading the chariot in the procession marching to the palace. The chariot in ancient China was driven by four horses which was the most solemn for the emperor and great ministers only. Here Lao Tzu tells us that the best gift in this highest ceremony is the Truth itself rather than the jade. The jade cannot be matched with the Truth. The person who is sitting inside the chariot holding the Truth as the best offering is much greater than offering the jade in this highest ceremony in the state. Then Lao Tzu asks the question:

“Why did the ancients value the Truth so much?”

    In ancient China, the Truth was valued as the highest among all people. This ancient Truth was lost, and so we need to find out and be benefited by living with the Truth, thus Lao Tzu gives us the answer:

“Is it not said that those who seek the Truth will find,

and those with guilt will be pardoned?

Therefore, it is the most highly valued in the world.”

    We all have lost the ancient Truth; therefore, we need to find out within us. The Truth is only beneficial for all beings. It is also the most forgiving. With the power of the Truth, people can forgive each other and reconcile with each other because of the blessing of the Truth. In the Quran, Allah always tells us that He is the most forgiving, the most merciful that we all should return to Him. Both the Quran and the Tao Te Ching here tell us the same Truth.