Tao Te Ching

Chapter 19
[Original text]

When the Dao [1] is abolished, there is benevolence and righteousness; when wisdom [2] emerges, there is great hypocrisy; when the six relatives [3] are discordant, there is filial piety [4]; when the country is in chaos, there are loyal ministers.

【Note】

[1] Dao: The real operation law of all things.

[2] Wisdom: This is a derogatory term, referring to hypocritical actions made in order to compete for victory.

[3] Six relatives: father, mother, brother (sister), younger brother (sister), husband (wife), and children, generally referring to family members.

[4] Xiaoci: filial piety, love.

【Analysis】

The so-called benevolence and righteousness came into being only after the "great way" representing the laws of the world was abandoned.After the ingenuity of the victories came the serious frauds.The harmony between the family members is lost, and the so-called fatherly kindness and sonly filial piety appear.The country's politics fell into chaos, and only then did the so-called loyal and patriotic people appear.

To put it simply, if everything follows the original law, which is the "Tao", then there will be no phenomena such as "benevolence", "filial piety" and "wisdom". Don't think that these phenomena are good things. As mentioned above, good and bad They are interdependent and appear. When these seemingly good elements appear, bad elements must also appear accordingly.In short, I hope that everything can operate according to the law of the original source and reach the state of Tao.

【Explanation by Famous Artists】

Mr. He Shang:
At the time of the Dao, there are filial sons in the family, loyalty and trustworthiness in the household, and benevolence and righteousness are not seen.Dao is abandoned, and evil is reborn, but there is benevolence and righteousness to preach.A wise king despises virtue and values ​​speech, and despises quality but esteems writing, and the underworld will regard him as hypocrisy and treachery.Liu Jijue, relatives are not compatible, but there is filial piety and kindness to shepherd them.Government orders are ineffective, high and low are resenting each other, and evil and out-of-the-way struggle for power, but there are loyal ministers who correct their lords.It is said that the world is peaceful and does not know benevolence, people who have no desires do not know integrity, each cleans himself and does not know chastity.In the world of Dao, benevolence and righteousness are gone, filial piety and compassion are gone, the sun is still shining, and the stars are losing their light.

(End of this chapter)