Volume II — Te

The Three Treasures

Chapter 67 of the Tao Te Ching

天下皆謂我道大，似不肖。夫唯大，故似不肖。若肖久矣，其細也夫。我有三寶，持而保之：一曰慈，二曰儉，三曰不敢為天下先。慈故能勇；儉故能廣；不敢為天下先，故能成器長。今舍慈且勇，舍儉且廣，舍後且先，死矣。夫慈以戰則勝，以守則固。天將救之，以慈衛之。

All under heaven say my Tao is great, yet it seems like nothing special. Only because it is great does it seem like nothing special. If it seemed special for long, it would have become small indeed. I have three treasures which I hold and preserve: The first is compassion, the second is frugality, the third is not daring to be ahead of all under heaven. With compassion, one can be courageous. With frugality, one can be generous. Not daring to be ahead, one can become the leader of all. Now if one is courageous without compassion, generous without frugality, ahead without being behind— this is death. With compassion, in battle one will win, in defense one will be secure. When heaven wishes to save someone, it protects them with compassion.

Commentary

This verse introduces the Three Treasures (san bao, 三寶), the foundational virtues of Taoist practice that correspond to the essential qualities the practitioner must cultivate. "All under heaven say my Tao is great, yet it seems like nothing special"—tian xia jie wei wo dao da, si bu xiao (天下皆謂我道大，似不肖). Xiao (肖) means resembling, similar, comparable. The Tao seems unlike anything because it is greater than all categories of comparison. "Only because it is great does it seem like nothing special. If it seemed special for long, it would have become small indeed"—fu wei da, gu si bu xiao; ruo xiao jiu yi, qi xi ye fu (夫唯大，故似不肖。若肖久矣，其細也夫). Xi (細) is small, fine, minute. What can be defined has already become limited; what can be categorized has already become small. The Tao's indefinability is the signature of its greatness. "I have three treasures which I hold and preserve"—wo you san bao, chi er bao zhi (我有三寶，持而保之). Chi (持) is to hold, maintain; bao (保) is to preserve, protect. These are not abstract principles but living qualities to be actively cultivated and guarded. "The first is compassion"—yi yue ci (一曰慈). Ci (慈) is compassion, loving-kindness, the maternal nurturing quality. This is not mere sentiment but a fundamental orientation toward all beings. "The second is frugality"—er yue jian (二曰儉). Jian (儉) is frugality, moderation, simplicity. This is not poverty but the wisdom of using only what is needed, of not accumulating excess. "The third is not daring to be ahead of all under heaven"—san yue bu gan wei tian xia xian (三曰不敢為天下先). This is humility in action—not claiming first place, not pushing to the front, not asserting priority. "With compassion, one can be courageous"—ci gu neng yong (慈故能勇). Yong (勇) is courage, bravery.

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

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