Chapter 56 of Laozi's Tao Te Ching is a chapter that emphasizes that true knowledge and enlightenment regarding the Tao (道) cannot be expressed through language or artificial knowledge, but are instead realized in silence and inner tranquility. Through the famous phrase 'Those who know do not speak; those who speak do not know' (知者不言, 言者不知), it points out the limits of words and knowledge. It then presents six attitudes of 'harmonious unity' (和同) with which one who knows the Tao ('知者') engages with the world, and explains that this attitude is the very state of 'Profound Union' (玄同), the fundamental virtue of the Tao.
📜 Original Text (原文)
知者不言
言者不知
塞其兌 閉其門
挫其銳 解其紛 和其光 同其塵
是謂玄同
故不可得而親
不可得而疏
不可得而利
不可得而害
不可得而貴
不可得而賤
故為天下貴
📃 Meaning of the Original Text
Those who know do not speak.
Those who speak do not know.
Block the openings, shut the doors.
Blunt the sharpness, untangle the knots, soften the glare, unite with the dust.
This is called Profound Union.
Therefore, it cannot be approached with intimacy,
Nor can it be treated with distance.
It cannot be benefited,
Nor can it be harmed.
It cannot be honored,
Nor can it be debased.
Therefore, it becomes the most valued thing in the world.
🌲 Line-by-Line Translation
知者不言 言者不知 (zhī zhě bù yán, yán zhě bù zhī)
Those who know do not speak. Those who speak do not know.
塞其兌 閉其門 (sè qí duì, bì qí mén)
Block its openings, shut its doors.
挫其銳 解其紛 和其光 同其塵 (cuò qí ruì, jiě qí fēn, hé qí guāng, tóng qí chén)
Blunt the sharpness, untangle the knots, soften the glare, unite with the dust.
是謂玄同 (shì wèi xuán tóng)
This is called Profound Union.
故不可得而親 不可得而疏 不可得而利 不可得而害 不可得而貴 不可得而賤 (gù bù kě dé ér qīn, bù kě dé ér shū, bù kě dé ér lì, bù kě dé ér hài, bù kě dé ér guì, bù kě dé ér jiàn)
Therefore, it cannot be approached with intimacy, nor can it be treated with distance. It cannot be benefited, nor can it be harmed. It cannot be honored, nor can it be debased.
故為天下貴 (gù wéi tiān xià guì)
Therefore, it becomes the most valued thing in the world.
💧 Verse-by-Verse Commentary and Interpretation (逐句解說與解釋)
1. 知者不言 言者不知 (zhī zhě bù yán, yán zhě bù zhī)
o Literal Meaning: Those who know do not speak. Those who speak do not know.
o Commentary: '知者' (zhī zhě) is one who has true wisdom, one who knows and has realized the Tao. '不言' (bù yán) means does not speak, remains silent, does not attempt to explain with words. '言者' (yán zhě) is one who speaks a lot, one who tries to explain the Tao with artificial knowledge or theories. '不知' (bù zhī) means does not know, has not realized the true Tao.
o Interpretation: Because the Tao is a transcendent truth that cannot be fully captured by human language and concepts (see Chapter 1), one who has truly realized its profound truth does not attempt to express it fully in words. Conversely, those who try to explain and debate the Tao with words have not realized its true essence. This emphasizes that while words can be tools to point to the Tao, the Tao itself lies in a realm of silence beyond language.
2. 塞其兌 閉其門 (sè qí duì, bì qí mén)
o Literal Meaning: Block its openings, shut its doors.
o Commentary: This is the same line presented as a method of self-cultivation for self-preservation in Chapter 52. '塞其兌 閉其門' (sè qí duì, bì qí mén) is a metaphor for blocking and shutting the human sense organs (eyes, ears, mouth, etc.), the channels to the external world, or the gates of the mind through which desire and attachment enter. It signifies the practice of guarding the mind from external stimuli and artificial discrimination.
o Interpretation: This suggests that true knowledge of the Tao is not gained through external sensory stimulation or artificial discrimination, but is made possible by closing the mind off from the external and sinking into inner tranquility. It emphasizes the inner emptiness and quietude connected to 'not speaking' (不言).
3. 挫其銳 解其紛 和其光 同其塵 (cuò qí ruì, jiě qí fēn, hé qí guāng, tóng qí chén)
o Literal Meaning: Blunt the sharpness, untangle the knots, soften the glare, unite with the dust.
o Commentary: This is the same line from Chapter 4 that describes the way the Tao works or the attitude of a person who follows the Tao.
- '挫其銳' (cuò qí ruì): To let go of artificial strength, sharpness, or prominence.
- '解其紛' (jiě qí fēn): To naturally resolve complex entanglements.
- '和其光' (hé qí guāng): To not show off one's talents or brilliance, but to harmonize them softly.
- '同其塵' (tóng qí chén): To become one with and blend in with the most insignificant and lowly places (the dust).
o Interpretation: One who knows the Tao abandons artificial strength, sharpness, complex discrimination, and ostentatious brilliance, adopting a soft and natural attitude, and becomes one with the world by dwelling in the lowest places. This is the outward appearance of a sage who is in a state of 'not speaking,' and the way their inner tranquility is expressed externally.
4. 是謂玄同 (shì wèi xuán tóng)
o Literal Meaning: This is called Profound Union.
o Commentary: '是謂' (shì wèi) refers to the attitude described before (from 'Block its openings' to 'unite with the dust'). '玄同' (xuán tóng) means 'profound (玄) oneness/identity (同).' It refers to the state of realizing the fundamental unity of the Tao (see Chapters 1, 39, 42) and becoming one with all things, or the state where a follower of the Tao transcends all opposition and discrimination and becomes harmoniously one with all things.
o Interpretation: This attitude of blocking external senses and desires, letting go of artificial characteristics, and becoming one with the lowly places of the world is called the state of 'Profound Union'—a state that has reached the fundamental unity of the Tao and the harmony of all things, which is difficult to understand with shallow human knowledge.
5. 故不可得而親 不可得而疏 不可得而利 不可得而害 不可得而貴 不可得而賤 (gù bù kě dé ér qīn, bù kě dé ér shū, bù kě dé ér lì, bù kě dé ér hài, bù kě dé ér guì, bù kě dé ér jiàn)
o Literal Meaning: Therefore, it cannot be approached with intimacy, nor can it be treated with distance. It cannot be benefited, nor can it be harmed. It cannot be honored, nor can it be debased.
o Commentary: '故' (gù) explains the result that appears when one reaches the state of 'Profound Union.' '不可得而~' (bù kě dé ér~) means 'it (the state of Profound Union) cannot be gotten (得而) and then ~ed (不可).' '親' (qīn), '疏' (shū), '利' (lì), '害' (hài), '貴' (guì), and '賤' (jiàn) are the opposing attitudes or criteria by which humans judge the world: intimacy and distance, benefit and harm, honor and debasement.
o Interpretation: One who has reached the state of the Tao's Profound Union is no longer bound by these opposing relationships or criteria of the world. They do not become intimate with or distant from any particular object, they do not consider things beneficial or harmful, and they do not treat things as honored or debased. It signifies a state that transcends all discrimination and partiality, treating all things equally as they are.
6. 故為天下貴 (gù wéi tiān xià guì)
o Literal Meaning: Therefore, it becomes the most valued thing in the world.
o Commentary: '故' (gù) is the result of transcending all opposition and discrimination ('therefore'). '為天下貴' (wéi tiān xià guì) means 'becomes (為) the valued thing (貴) of the world (天下).' This connects to Chapter 13, which states that through selflessness ('無私'), one can become 'the valued thing of the world' (天下貴).
o Interpretation: Paradoxically, the person who reaches the state of 'Profound Union,' which is free from all the world's opposing value judgments and relationships and treats all things impartially, becomes the being that people of the world most respect and value. This is the paradox that when one lets go of self-interest and discrimination, one gains the respect of all things.
🌳 Overall Interpretation
The fifty-sixth chapter speaks of how true knowledge cannot be fully expressed in words, and how one who knows the Tao engages with the world.
One who truly 'knows' the Tao 'does not try to explain' its profound truth with words. Conversely, one who speaks and debates about the Tao 'does not know' its true essence.
To realize the Tao, one must block the channels of external sensory stimulation and desire, and shut the gates of the mind. Then one must blunt any artificial strength or sharpness, untangle complex thoughts, soften any display of one's own brilliance or talent, and become one with even the most lowly places.
This attitude is called the state of 'Profound Union' (玄同)—a state that has reached the fundamental unity of the Tao and the harmony of all things, which is difficult to grasp with shallow human knowledge.
One who has reached this state of 'Profound Union' is no longer bound by any of the world's opposing relationships or standards of judgment. He does not become 'intimate with or distant from' any particular object, does not consider things 'beneficial or harmful,' and does not treat things as 'honored or debased.' He transcends all discrimination and partiality, treating all things equally as they are.
Therefore, it is paradoxically this very person who has reached the state of 'Profound Union' who becomes the being that people of the world most respect and 'hold as precious.'
🌟 The Meaning and Importance of Chapter 56
Chapter 56 presents the following core ideas:
- Those Who Know Do Not Speak, Those Who Speak Do Not Know (知者不言, 言者不知): One of the most famous phrases in Taoist thought, it points out the limits of language and knowledge and emphasizes that true knowing of the Tao lies in a realm that transcends language.
- Inner Emptiness and Outer Attitude: One who knows the Tao attains inner tranquility by blocking external senses/desires (塞其兌 閉其門), which manifests externally as an attitude of abandoning artificial strength/showiness and dwelling in lowly places (挫其銳~同其塵).
- The State of Profound Union (玄同): It calls the ideal state of transcending all internal and external opposition and discrimination to become one with the unity of the Tao 'Xuan Tong,' a profound state beyond shallow human understanding.
- The Result of Transcending Opposition: Upon reaching the state of Profound Union, one is no longer bound by human, oppositional value judgments and relationships, such as intimacy/distance, benefit/harm, or honor/debasement.
- The Paradox of 'Being Valued by the World': It emphasizes the paradox that the person who lets go of all opposition and discrimination and humbles themselves becomes 'the valued thing of the world,' respected by all beings.
Chapter 56 is a very important chapter that encompasses Taoist epistemology (the nature of knowing), practice (inner emptying), worldly conduct (transcending opposition), and the ideal state (Profound Union). It shows the profundity of the Tao beyond the limits of words and knowledge, and contains the deep wisdom that one can attain true peace, harmony, and respect by emptying the self and transcending all opposition.
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