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6.15 The Master said, “Meng Zhifan is no boaster. When his people were routed he was the last to flee; but when they neared the city-gate, he whipped up his horses, saying, ‘It was not courage that kept me behind. My horses were slow.’”
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When your good reputation goes hand in hand with your high morals, you should not treat these achievements exclusively as your own, but share them with others. That way you preserve yourself from distant dangers. Shameful conduct and unsavoury reputation should not be foisted off entirely onto others, but some should be taken on…
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Chapter 56 explores the concept of Xuan Tong (“Mysterious Unity”), advocating a transcendent state beyond dualistic distinctions (e.g., good/bad, self/other). Laozi teaches that true wisdom lies in harmonizing with all things—blending into the natural order without imposing oneself, thereby achieving unity with the Dao.