Principles (li) are distinctions such as square‑round, short‑long, coarse‑fine, hard‑brittle. Thus only when concrete principles are fixed can one grasp the Dao.
Fixed principles involve existence and extinction, life and death, rise and decline. Things that exist then perish, live then die, flourish then fade cannot be called eternal.
Only what arises together with the separation of heaven and earth, and never dies nor declines even when heaven and earth dissolve, may be called eternal.
The eternal undergoes no change and has no fixed concrete principles. Having no fixed principles, it dwells in no constant place and thus cannot be put into words.
Sages observe its profound emptiness, follow its universal circulation, and force‑name it the Dao so that it may be discussed. Hence the saying: “The Dao that can be spoken of is not the eternal Dao.”
Note
This passage defines Han Fei‘s core metaphysics: the Dao is the eternal universal principle beyond all transient concrete principles; what can be described in language is merely limited worldly rules, not the true eternal Dao.
Han Fei
Late Warring‑States Legalist philosopher. This passage is from Explaining Laozi (Jie Lao), his commentary on the Dao De Jing. He refines the Dao‑li distinction: concrete changing principles vs. the eternal unchanging Dao.
Li‑Dao Distinction
Li = variable, observable specific principles of individual things; Dao = the one eternal, boundless universal principle underlying all existence.
Eternal vs. Transient
All worldly phenomena are transient; only the Dao is eternal, formless and ineffable.
The Spoken Dao Is Not the Eternal Dao
Han Fei’s rational interpretation of the opening line of the Dao De Jing: verbalized teachings are limited concrete rules, not the ultimate cosmic Dao.
凡理者，方圓、短長、麤靡、堅脆之分也。故理定而後可得道也。故定理有存亡，有死生，有盛衰。夫物之一存一亡，乍死乍生，初盛而後衰者，不可謂常。唯夫與天地之剖判也具生，至天地之消散也不死不衰者謂常。而常者，無攸易，無定理，無定理非在於常所，是以不可道也。聖人觀其玄虛，用其周行，強字之曰道，然而可論，故曰：「道之可道，非常道也。」
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