Original Text
There is something formless yet complete, born before heaven and earth. Silent and vast, it stands alone and never changes, cycles endlessly without tiring, and can be the mother of all things. I do not know its name, so I call it the Tao. Forced to name it, I call it Great. Great means flowing, flowing means far-reaching, far-reaching means returning. Thus the Tao is great, heaven is great, earth is great, and humanity is also great. In the universe, there are four greats, and humanity is one of them. Humanity follows earth, earth follows heaven, heaven follows the Tao, and the Tao follows what is natural.
Guide
The Way is independent and unchanging, yet it moves in cycles; it is the origin of all things in heaven and earth, and everything in the world operates through it, so humans must act in accordance with it to endure. Here, Laozi presents the principle that "man follows the earth, earth follows heaven, heaven follows the Way, and the Way follows nature."
Analysis
This chapter speaks of the Way as the mother of all things under heaven. There are four great things in the world: the king, the earth, heaven, and the Way. The king represents humanity. Humanity, earth, and heaven are all governed by higher laws, but the Way itself is natural. "The Way follows nature" does not mean there is a "nature" outside the Way; rather, it means the Way's activity follows the law of self-sufficiency and independent existence.
"There is something formlessly created, born before Heaven and Earth." Here, "something" is synonymous with the Tao, whose connotation includes both the material and the immaterial, formed by the unity of mind and matter. This concept of the unity of mind and matter originates from the I Ching. The I Ching presents the two symbols of Yin and Yang, which interact, transform, and mutually overcome each other. If we take Yang as the symbol of spirit, then Yin is the symbol of matter; with Yin and Yang in harmony and mind and matter intermingling, an infinite and inexhaustible world unfolds.
So, what exactly is the situation of "There is a thing formed from chaos, born before heaven and earth"? Laozi describes it as: "Silent and empty! Standing alone without changing, moving around without danger, it can be regarded as the mother of heaven." "Silent" means absolute emptiness and tranquility, so pure that there is no trace of sound or form. "Empty" describes its vastness. "Standing alone without changing" means it transcends all existence, quietly self-reliant, without sound or form, unaffected by physical changes in the phenomenal world, and not born or destroyed by the birth and death of the physical world. "Moving around without danger" refers to its omnipresence; the Way exists everywhere. Whether in matter or mind, it is always present, endless and inexhaustible. "It can be regarded as the mother of heaven" means this thing is the foundation of all things in the universe, which is why it is called the "mother of heaven."
In the passage above, Laozi once again discusses the nature and laws of the Dao: the Dao is material, the first existing entity, yet this entity is invisible and intangible, both silent and empty, not subject to human will, operating everywhere without ceasing. The great Dao has no form, no specific shape we can recognize. However, the Dao truly exists, but it is not like the things we know; it is a chaotic whole that existed before the creation of heaven and earth, thus it transcends the concepts of time and space. People cannot see its form with their eyes nor hear its sound with their ears. Though we cannot see or hear it, this does not mean the Dao does not exist. The Dao is right beside us, influencing our actions and constraining them. When people's actions do not align with the Dao, it imposes severe punishment. The Dao exists at all times, without hierarchy, without distinction, completely independent. Precisely because the Dao has no hierarchy and no contradictory aspects, it never turns into its opposite, never changes, and remains constant forever. The Dao is a whole, pervading the entire universe; in this sense, the Dao is the origin of all things.
"I do not know its name, so I style it 'the Way' and give it the makeshift name of 'great.'" The term "makeshift" here implies a general or approximate meaning. The origin of the world is extremely minute and should be named with "small." However, in this chapter, Laozi does not use "small" but instead names it with the character "Way," endowing it with profound philosophical connotations. Because it is truly immeasurable and boundless, it can also be called "great." The original meaning of "Way" is "path," later extended to refer to behavior, rules, methods, and so on. Here, Laozi uses the character "Way" to name the origin of the world, aiming to show people the correct path to understand the world—that is, first to recognize the essence of the world, allowing people to grasp the law of the unity of opposites manifested in the movement, development, and change of the Way. This is also the life principle and social law that people should follow. The ultimate goal of understanding is to know the Way, which is "seeing the small"; only by seeing the small can one achieve "clarity." What is clarity? Clarity refers to understanding the law of the unity of opposites embodied by the Way. The Way is the origin of the universe; its essence is "small," which is eternal, while its appearance is "great," which is ever-changing. Small and great are relative, can transform into each other, and exist in unity.
"Great means passing away, passing away means far-reaching, far-reaching means returning." "Great" is also "passing away," which signifies perpetual expansion in all directions, implying the universe's infinite extension. This statement illustrates that all things in the world develop from small to large, from large to small, in a cyclical and transformative manner, embodying the law of the unity of opposites. Here, "returning" signifies both the creative activity of the Dao and its outcome—the real world. The real world is a great masterpiece created and held in the Dao's hands, with heaven, earth, and humanity as its most important and fundamental structures and components. At this point, the Dao is no longer a silent, formless, and solitary existence; it transforms into a diverse and multifaceted real world.
Thus the Way is great, Heaven is great, Earth is great, and humanity is also great. Within the realm there are four greats, and humanity occupies one of them. The essence of the Way is small, yet all things in the world are generated by the Way, therefore the Way is the universe. Compared to Heaven and Earth, the Way is great; compared to Earth, Heaven is great; Earth gives birth to all things.
Compared to all things on earth, the earth is great; compared to the common people, the king is great. The Way is great, heaven is great, and earth is great, all are relative, and the king's greatness is also relative. Here, Laozi highlights the "king" as one of the four greats, emphasizing the relationship between the people and the king. Although humans are esteemed as the most spiritual of all beings, they must still accept the king's governance; if the relationship between people and the king cannot be harmonized, equality among people cannot be achieved. In the text, Laozi uses the word "also" to admonish the king, the ruler of a nation, to hold the Way in his heart and understand the dialectical relationship between the people and the sovereign. If the king becomes arrogant and self-important, he will distance himself from the people and become their enemy; in that case, a new king will emerge from the people's resistance.
The Great Way operates with immense speed, and when it reaches a certain limit, it automatically returns, thus it never depletes. Unlike water, if we spill a cup of water on the ground, it flows with the terrain, stops when it reaches its limit, then evaporates without a trace. But the Great Way never runs dry, primarily because it can return to its original state and cycle endlessly.
"Man follows the earth, earth follows heaven, heaven follows the Tao, and the Tao follows nature." To follow means to take as a model. Regarding the relationship among man, earth, heaven, the Tao, and nature, Laozi concludes: man takes earth as his model, earth takes heaven as its model, heaven takes the Tao as its model, and the Tao takes nature as its model. The Tao, vast and profound, generates all things in heaven and earth. Yet, where does the Tao itself come from? Through the phrase "the Tao follows nature," we understand that the Tao arises spontaneously. The Tao learns from nature, emulates it, and aligns with it. The Tao is supreme, yet even it must align with and emulate nature—how much more so for humanity? Therefore, humans should not presume that with their clever minds and independent thoughts they can dominate all things in the world; instead, they should follow nature and revere it. If they disrupt nature's harmony, slaughter livestock wantonly, or fell forests arbitrarily, then the Tao and heaven and earth will punish them at any time. Thus, humans must unite with heaven and earth, learn from the Tao's inclusive spirit, and coexist harmoniously with nature. Only in this way can humans live joyfully and freely, achieving everything by doing nothing.
In summary, this chapter emphasizes the nature of the Way as embodied by the Way. The Way is profound, containing truth. Only by understanding the Way can humanity grasp truth. Thus, the Way is both the object of understanding and the method of understanding and practice. The concept of the Way is a product of the combination of intuitive and rational thinking, not arbitrary fabrication. As the origin of the world, the Way is the mother of all things in the universe; as the most universal principle, it pervades the cosmos, society, and human life. The greatness of Laozi's philosophical concept of the Way lies in its provision of followable principles for self-cultivation and governance.
Classic Translation
The nature and laws of the Tao have been largely discussed in previous chapters; here, Laozi revisits them primarily to illustrate the principles that it can be the mother of heaven and earth and that man follows earth, earth follows heaven, heaven follows the Tao, and the Tao follows nature, pointing out the root of why humans should act in accordance with the Tao.
The ancients often said "Heaven gives birth to all things," yet rarely explored how heaven and earth were formed, or whether the story of Pangu creating the world was true. Even the erudite Confucius remained silent on these ethereal and elusive matters of "strange forces and chaotic spirits" that were unhelpful for governance. But Laozi here presents the astonishing assertion that "there is a thing formed in chaos, born before heaven and earth." He posits that the "Dao" is the origin of all things in the universe, and that heaven and earth are generated and operate according to the "Dao." The "Dao" is silent and formless, independent and eternal, cycling without end.
"The Way is vast, Heaven is vast, Earth is vast, and Humanity is also vast." The Way is the origin of all things and the norm governing their operation; Heaven covers and nurtures all things, enveloping them; Earth bears and nurtures all things; Humanity, as the most intelligent of beings, can utilize and transform all things. The four forces of the Way, Heaven, Earth, and Humanity are all infinite and boundless. However, Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, which the ancients called the "Three Powers," are not without limits; they all operate according to the Way. "Humanity follows Earth, Earth follows Heaven, Heaven follows the Way." The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, seasons and solar terms, tides ebb and flow, all cycle according to natural laws. Born between Heaven and Earth, humanity can actively transform the world and nature, but must also emulate Earth, align with the Way, and comply with natural rules. To defy these rules and attempt to dominate the world and nature is merely to "go against Heaven" and bring trouble upon oneself.
As exploration of the world deepens, countless rules have been discovered, from the movements of atoms and electrons to the existence and operation of galaxies and nebulae, yet people still do not know why these laws exist. Countless great scientists and philosophers have tried to unravel these perplexing questions, only to end up lamenting humanity's insignificance in the universe and the shallowness of its understanding. Many renowned scholars immersed themselves in science for a lifetime, only to turn to the embrace of theology in their later years—a testament to the helplessness of humanity's quest to understand the world. And Laozi could only say, "The Tao follows nature," meaning that the Tao is inherently as it is.
Although people cannot yet fully understand all the mysteries of the universe, the natural world around us offers many revelations. Since the dawn of humanity, we have continuously learned from nature—how to obtain food from plants, how to coexist with animals, how to harness various natural energies, and how to survive in harsh environments. Today, human science has made tremendous progress, yet nature remains an indispensable teacher. Only by respecting natural laws can human production and life be sustained. Deviating from these laws and excessively damaging nature ultimately harms humanity itself.