Volume II — Te

Those Who Attained the One

Chapter 39 of the Tao Te Ching

昔之得一者：天得一以清；地得一以寧；神得一以靈；谷得一以盈；萬物得一以生；侯王得一以為天下貞。其致之也：天無以清將恐裂；地無以寧將恐發；神無以靈將恐歇；谷無以盈將恐竭；萬物無以生將恐滅；侯王無以貞將恐蹶。故貴以賤為本，高以下為基。是以侯王自謂孤、寡、不穀，此非以賤為本耶？非歟！故致數譽無譽。不欲琭琭如玉，珞珞如石。

In ancient times, those who attained the One: Heaven attained the One and became clear. Earth attained the One and became stable. Spirits attained the One and became numinous. Valleys attained the One and became full. All creatures attained the One and came to life. Lords and kings attained the One and became the standard for all under heaven. What brought this about: Without clarity, heaven would crack. Without stability, earth would quake. Without numinosity, spirits would fade. Without fullness, valleys would dry up. Without life, creatures would perish. Without standards, lords and kings would fall. Therefore, the noble is rooted in the humble. The high is founded on the low. Thus lords and kings call themselves orphan, alone, unworthy. Is this not taking the humble as root? Therefore, the highest praise is no praise. Do not wish to be precious as jade, but common as stone.

Commentary

This verse describes the primordial attainment of "the One" and its consequences. Yi (一)—the One—is the undivided source, the unity before differentiation, the Tao at the moment before it manifests as the ten thousand things. Everything that exists participates in this One; the degree of that participation determines the thing's power and authenticity. "Heaven attained the One and became clear"—qing (清) is clarity, purity, the quality that allows light to pass through. Heaven's transparency is not an accident of its nature but the result of its alignment with the One. "Earth attained the One and became stable"—ning (寧) is stability, peace, the quality that allows all things to rest upon earth's surface. "Spirits attained the One and became numinous"—ling (靈) is spiritual efficacy, the power to influence, the mysterious presence that distinguishes spirit from matter. "Without clarity, heaven would crack"—the verse now describes what happens when the One is lost. Each phrase uses "kong" (恐)—fear, dread—suggesting not certainty but terrible possibility. The universe maintains itself only through continued participation in the One; if that participation fails, existence itself becomes unstable. "The noble is rooted in the humble"—this teaching reverses ordinary understanding. What appears high actually depends on what appears low; what seems exalted is founded on what seems base. "Lords and kings call themselves orphan, alone, unworthy"—these are actual titles used by Chinese rulers, expressing their dependence on the people, their isolation in responsibility, their lack of self-sufficiency. Whether sincere or merely formal, these titles acknowledge the truth: rulership depends on what it rules. "Do not wish to be precious as jade, but common as stone"—lulu (琭琭) describes the gleaming quality of precious jade; luoluo (珞珞) describes rough, unpolished stone.

The full commentary continues with deeper analysis of internal cultivation, classical perspectives, and cross-references. Read the complete chapter →

Key Characters