Chapter 47

1. Without going outside his door, one understands (all that takes place) under the sky; without looking out from his window, one sees the Tao of Heaven. The farther that one goes out (from himself), the less he knows.

Commentary

Commentary

This chapter explores cor e themes of the Tao Te Ching, including non-action, harmony with nature, and the power of simplicity.

Philosophical Insight

1. "Without passing out of the gate The world's course I prognosticate. Without peeping through the window The heavenly Reason I contemplate. The further one goes, The less one knows." 2. Therefore the holy man does not travel, and yet he has knowledge. He does not see things, and yet he defines them. He does not labor, and yet he completes. Next: 48. Forgetting Knowledge | « Previous: The Canon of Reason and Virtue (Tao te Ching): The Old Ph... Next: The Canon of Reason and Virtue (Tao te Ching...