Dao De Jing – Chapter 67

The Dao, due to its all-encompassing and formless nature, cannot be grasped through the perception of concrete forms. We learn to cultivate the Dao by emulating the sages.

All under heaven say my Dao is great, yet it seems unlike anything else.
Precisely because it is great, it appears unlike anything ordinary;
if it resembled anything familiar, it would have long since become small and insignificant!

I have three treasures which I hold and preserve:
the first is compassion (ci),
the second is frugality (jian),
the third is not daring to put oneself ahead of others.

From compassion comes true courage;
from frugility comes broad capacity;
by not placing oneself ahead of others, one becomes a true leader of all things.

But now people abandon compassion yet seek bravery;
abandon frugality yet seek expansiveness;
abandon humility and put themselves first—
this leads only to ruin!

When compassion is used in battle, victory follows;
when used in defense, strength endures.
Heaven will come to the rescue of those who embody it—
guarding them with compassion.

Note

Chapter 67 of the Tao Te Ching centers on the Three Treasures of the Tao—the core virtues the sage upholds to align with nature and live in harmony with all things. These treasures are: compassion (which gives one courage), frugality (which brings abundance), and humility (which lets one lead without arrogance). Lao Tzu argues that abandoning these simple virtues for brute force, greed, or pride leads to failure, while embracing them allows one to act with ease, care for all creation, and achieve genuine success in governance and self-cultivation. The chapter also emphasizes that compassion is the foundation of all virtuous action, as it fosters benevolence and removes the desire for conflict.

Three treasures

Compassion or Mercy aligns with the Buddhist ideal of boundless loving-kindness or the Confucian virtue of benevolence.

Frugality mirrors the Buddhist principle of dependent origination or emptiness, which transcends duality—neither empty nor substantial, yet both empty and substantial.

Humility signifies modesty, non-contention, non-possession, non-control, and non-dominance.

These Three Treasures are fundamentally rooted in emptiness —the emptiness of self and the emptiness of phenomena (dharma).

Cause and effect

The sage’s courage arises from compassion; their boundless achievements stem from frugality; and their ability to lead emerges from humility.

Yet ordinary people invert cause and effect. They blindly chase outcomes without examining their roots; they focus on external appearances while neglecting inner truth.

Every human heart contains both good and evil. If one indulges desires and harmful habits, they inevitably violate compassion, frugality, and humility. Such actions, defying the laws of the Tao, lead to foreseeable consequences.

The power of Mercy

A compassionate person remains unassailable—no force or person can conquer them. Cultivating compassion is the ultimate protection for humanity.

Further Reading

• Chapters 7 & 22: These chapters share a common philosophy of humility and non-contention in conduct. Chapter 7 proposes that by “placing himself last, he finds himself first,” while Chapter 22 states, “Because he does not contend, no one in the world can contend with him.” This chapter provides the concrete principle of “daring not to be ahead in the world,” explaining why the sage can become the “leader of all vessels.”
• Chapter 8: They resonate in their emphasis on the essence of compassion. Chapter 8 introduces the idea that “the highest good is like water, benefiting all things without contention.” This chapter elevates this spirit of benefiting others into the concept of “compassion” and points out that “through compassion, one can be courageous,” emphasizing that compassion is the source of true bravery.
• Chapter 66: These two chapters are closely connected in their portrayal of the sage’s demeanor. Chapter 66 elaborates on how the sage, “though positioned above the people, does not burden them,” by embodying the way of humility. This chapter builds directly upon that, revealing the internal reason why the sage can “be ahead of the world”: by holding the “three treasures” and thereby winning the allegiance of all under heaven.

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。