This reveals the original meaning of Daodejing for the first time in history showing fundamental human rights and the long lost authority social responsibility which is believed to be one way to tackle the worldwide worsening poverty problem.

 

Click to jump to individual chapter		Brief notes
Part I : The Book of Dao – Fundamental Human Rights
Ch.1 The existing way of living		When the social system does not fit, a fundamental shift will have to be taking place. Laozi meant the monarchic system back then and what he demanded was the people-oriented republic democratic system before the monarchic system ever existed which is known as the “magnificently equal society." Laozi defined it as the “non-possession administration" as opposed to the “possession administration" or the monarchic system.
Ch.2 When all of the people know		A good social system must be fully welcome by all people.
Ch.3 Do not acclaim		A good social system must encourage all people to live a pragmatic life.
Ch.4 By exploring new knowledge		Widely open our mind and envisage what equality is all about. We may recollect what the social system was before the first emperor existed.
Ch.5 The Great Nature		With reference to the Great Nature, we will know how the way of a leader is to treat the people.
Ch.6 The spirit of life		The energy provided by the Great Nature for life never ends.
Ch.7 The Great Nature has endured		The Great Nature co-exists with all things. That makes the Great Nature long-lasting.
Ch.8 A perfect leader should bear		A good leader should bear the seven attributes of water. This chapter gives a definition for shengren.
Ch.9 Any attempt to sustain		A leader should not abuse his power for his own wealth. He should also retire after the work is done.
Ch.10 When you act		The leader must fulfill his promise and his duty completely in taking care of his people.
Ch.11 It takes thirty radial spokes		The point of possessing power is to benefit the country. The point of not possessing the country is to actuate the use of power.
Ch.12 The regal vision		Those who are in the position of power should not be blinded by his position.
Ch.13 Being flattered		Those who are in the position of power should bear society on his shoulder.
Ch.14 Anything caught in the eye		This chapter gives the definition for the subconscious information or qi in Chinese. The flow of qi is crucial for pre-logical thinking which is depicted by Chapters 14, 15, 16 and 21. The process of pre-logical thinking is the course of inspiration or creativity. Here, it requests the people to use pre-logical thinking to open their mind widely to examine the evil monarchic system.
Ch.15 In the very early time, those people		Pre-logical thinking is the foundation of inventions and innovation.
Ch.16 Empty your preoccupied thoughts		Open our mind widely. We will see the principle of fairness.
Ch.17 Leaders in the very early time		This chapter describes the transition from the earliest republic to the monarchic system which kept on worsening through the first three Dynasties in China. The people later became accustomed. Chapters 17, 18, 19 and 20 explains how unjust of such monarchic system was.
Ch.18 After the magnificent dao collapsed		Ever since the monarchic system emerged, the free and equal society had disappeared.
Ch.19 Cease to respect the holiness		In such unjust society, lives of the people were not guaranteed.
Ch.20 Cease to learn the feudal codices		Some people learned how to please the rulers and became servile.
Ch.21 The enormous capacity of de		Laozi urged the people to examine this system clearly.
Ch.22 Anything which is able to yield		Those who are in the position of power should introspect and give up their privilege in order to keep society intact.
Ch.23 The Great Nature does not speak		Those who are in the position of power share gain and lost with the people.
Ch.24 Standing on your tiptoes		Those who are in the position of power should not vaunt.
Ch.25 Matter had already existed		The world had survived such a long time before human beings walking on earth. The reason for that ought to be harmony upon observation. In order to master the complicatedness of the world for survival, we ought to follow the Nature to be harmony. This chapter gives the definition for dao.
Ch.26 The weighty should be placed below		Those who are in the position of power should not sit on top of the people.
Ch.27 Those who know how to drive		Those who are in the position of power should be carefully taking every move and be a role model for the people. This chapter gives the definition for “subconscious education."
Ch.28 When the masculine characteristics show		Those who are in the position of power should bear the feminine attitude like the Great Nature to take care of the people so that they can make a living on their own. This chapter gives the definition for “feminine leadership."
Ch.29 If anyone tries to seize the world		The environment that all things rely on to live cannot be seized by anyone.
Ch.30 Those people who serve the lords		It cannot even be seized by anyone by force.
Ch.31 All fine weapons are ominous		All fine weapons are ominous and hurting a lot of people.
Ch.32 Dao always falls in the world beyond		The oppressed lower strata of society will never surrender.
Ch.33 Taking the human way is crafty		Only those who often introspect and well behave are recognized to be strong.
Ch.34 The stream of dao		A true leader should assure an environment for the people to live freely and happily.
Ch.35 As a leader, you need to realize		A true leader should be aware of the life of the lowest strata of society. When they can make a living, society will then be regarded as peaceful and harmonious.
Ch.36 When you are intended to		It is not to use the direct confronting approach to deal with stubbornness.
Ch.37 Dao will always		Even when society is peaceful, it is necessary to examine it from time to time to detect any social extremism about to appear.
Part II : The Book of De – Authority Social Responsibility
Ch.38 When the leader has de		This chapter depicts the different quality of a leader through the transition of social forms from the earliest republic to the monarchic system. The worst was the feudal system that most of the people hated it.
Ch.39 In the very early time, this was		Observation of harmony in the Nature.
Ch.40 Any extremism will		Extremism will inflict counter-action which sometimes will be devastating. Society will be benefited only when such extremism is weakened by means of harmonization by certain authority.
Ch.41 Those who have top abilities		It takes time to deliver the message of freedom and equality. Be patient.
Ch.42 Dao actuates		It takes the principle of social harmony to address the poverty issue. Back in the time of Laozi, it was the feudal system that caused poverty and inequality.
Ch.43 There is nothing lither than water		Water does not possess any rigid form. It is a metaphor for showing how nice of the “non-possession administration" is.
Ch.44 Between fame and your own self		Those who are in the position of power should find contentment.
Ch.45 The magnificent assistance		Those who are in the position of power should always be creative in order to fulfill his duty to serve the people.
Ch.46 When the world abides by dao		When those who are in the position of power never feel satisfied and go to war, it will only be disastrous to the people.
Ch.47 It is not necessary to leave home		The social phenomena will show how unfair society is.
Ch.48 Run the country with		Eradicate the unnatural behaviour in society day by day until the day when society get back to natural. Then everybody will be fair to each other.
Ch.49 The shengren does not		A true leader will only sit in the people’s position.
Ch.50 Going outward		The way of Nature is the way to live and the opposite is the way to die. One should know how to stay away from the fatal spot.
Ch.51 It is dao of the Great Nature		The Great Nature actuates a viable environment for all things to live. All things living is natural. In human society, the leader is only an assistant to the Great Nature in assisting to actuate a viable environment for people. There is nothing for him to feel conceited and be higher than other people.
Ch.52 There once was a beginning		If harmony is the key point for the world to be long-lasting, people should follow the Nature to pass on this natural character from generation to generation to be long-lasting.
Ch.53 All of a sudden		People have a tendency to be lazy. We should avoid any way of giving without endeavours.
Ch.54 Those who know how to build		A good leader is also best to be a role model for his colleagues or followers. Meanwhile, his leading position will also be strengthened along the way.
Ch.55 Taking the newborn baby		Harmony is one of the fundamental truths about mankind. Knowing it means enlightenment.
Ch.56 Those who know how dao works		Everybody should be treated equally disregarding his relationship.
Ch.57 Govern the country with fairness		A well-governed harmonious society is only judged by social phenomena.
Ch.58 When nothing spectacular happens		When there are chaos and public resentment, it only reflects there is something wrong in governing.
Ch.59 The way of governing people		A true leader should be frugal and treasure everything.
Ch.60 Governing a powerful country		A true leader should pursue his goal physically rather than rely on supernatural spirit and be harmonious with the Great Nature.
Ch.61 Powerful countries should		The powerful country should respect the less powerful ones. That is the way to avoid international dispute.
Ch.62 Dao is the reservoir		Everybody can make a living on his own with guidance and a viable environment.
Ch.63 Run the country in the fashion of		Settling public resentment is by guaranteeing their opportunities to live. Solving problems is easier when they are at the very early stage.
Ch.64 It will be easier		It is easier to govern when there is no turmoil.
Ch.65 In the very early time, those who		It is not to discipline people to behave. People can behave well naturally by learning from how they are being treated well.
Ch.66 The reason for the river and the sea		A true leader should be like a large device to well receive the people.
Ch.67 Most people say		Laozi’s three principles of leadership: 1. maternal care, 2. be economical, 3. stay behind the people.
Ch.68 Those who know well how to fulfill		The top leadership in engaging people to work is to actuate them to work autonomously.
Ch.69 The military commander often says		Don’t be contemptuous of your rivals. Always stay calm and reactive.
Ch.70 My words are very easy		Laozi felt difficult to share his view point with his contemporaries because the people then had accepted the reality as normal.
Ch.71 Knowing that something exists beyond		We should always open up our minds.
Ch.72 When the people feel no fear		Guarantee the people enough dwelling space to abide. Guarantee the people enough food to eat and let them not loathe what they are producing.
Ch.73 Those who dare to breach		It is hard to judge those people who violated the law. Rather, it is better to solve the dilemma by guaranteeing a viable living environment for everyone.
Ch.74 The people are not afraid		Capital punishment is not a proper instrument to govern people.
Ch.75 The people are suffering		Hunger and poverty then were caused by levying high taxes. The opportunity to live was taken away. Therefore the people were taking whatever risk in order to survive.
Ch.76 While people are living		Those who are in the position of power should give up their hard line ruling. The way of Nature is to be fair to all people.
Ch.77 Abiding by dao		The way of Nature is to lessen wealth of the rich to compensate the poor.
Ch.78 There is nothing more fragile		Those who bear the responsibility to let the people live will earn respect from the people.
Ch.79 Settling deep resentment		A true leader should observe the way of Nature instead of blaming the people.
Ch.80 Diminish the power		This chapter depicts the scenes of the “magnificently equal society."
Ch.81 Factual words are not pleasing		A true leader is to actuate wealth to go into the people’s pockets rather than into his own.