One who knows how to govern himself keeps his deliberations calm; one who knows how to nurture his innate nature keeps his sense‑organs empty and tranquil.
Calm deliberations preserve inherent virtue; empty sense‑organs draw harmonious vital energy daily inward. Hence the saying: “Accumulate virtue steadily.”
To retain original virtue and receive fresh harmony each day is early compliance with the Dao. Hence: “Early compliance means steady accumulation of virtue.”
Accumulated virtue calms the spirit; a calm spirit multiplies harmony; abundant harmony brings sound planning; sound planning enables mastery over all things. Mastery over all things makes military victory easy. Easy victory produces peerless wisdom and strategy. Peerless wisdom brings universal triumph.
Universal triumph springs from steady virtue accumulation, hence: “Steady virtue accumulation brings universal triumph.”
Easy conquest enables annexing the whole realm; peerless wisdom wins popular obedience. Advancing to rule all‑under‑heaven and retreating to secure the people, such statecraft is profound. Ordinary people cannot perceive its beginning or end, hence cannot grasp its ultimate scope.
Therefore it is said: “Universal triumph means no one can know its limits.”
Note
This passage establishes a political‑ethical principle: continuous inner virtue accumulation through calmness and emptiness empowers rulers to master all things, achieve universal victory, and attain boundless supreme power.
Late Warring‑States Legalist philosopher. This passage is from Explaining Laozi (Jie Lao), his commentary on the Dao De Jing. He transforms Daoist inner spiritual cultivation into a step‑by‑step political strategy for kingship and unification.
Step‑by‑Step Cultivation‑Governance Chain
Han Fei creates a sequential path: calm mind → empty senses → accumulate virtue → harmony → wise planning → mastery of all things → military victory → unification of the realm.
Early Compliance & Steady Virtue Accumulation
From the Dao De Jing. Han Fei re‑interprets these spiritual concepts as political self‑discipline for rulers to gain supreme power.
Dao‑Legalist Syncretism
Inner Daoist tranquility and virtue become the foundation of Legalist state power, military conquest and people‑winning governance.
知治人者其思慮靜，知事天者其孔竅虛。思慮靜，故德不去。孔竅虛，則和氣日入。故曰：「重積德。」夫能令故德不去，新和氣日至者，蚤服者也。故曰：「蚤服是謂重積德。」積德而後神靜，神靜而後和多，和多而後計得，計得而後能御萬物，能御萬物則戰易勝敵，戰易勝敵而論必蓋世，論必蓋世，故曰「無不克」。無不克本於重積德，故曰「重積德則無不克」。戰易勝敵則兼有天下，論必蓋世則民人從。進兼天下而退從民人，其術遠，則眾人莫見其端末。莫見其端末，是以莫知其極，故曰：「無不克則莫知其極。」
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