#49 Mindful Self-Transformation
Tao Te Ching, Chapter 49: Explore the transformative power of the sage mindset in achieving personal fulfillment and effective (self) leadership.
Welcome back to The Wisdom of Lao Tzu.
This week, we're delving into Chapter 49 of the Tao Te Ching, where we learn the way of life of the Taoist sage.
Learning the principles of the sage will better equip us for transformation and self-fulfillment.
Let’s dive in.
**49**
聖人常無心,以百姓心為心。
善者,吾善之;
不善者,吾亦善之;德善。
信者,吾信之;
不信者,吾亦信之;德信。
聖人在天下,歙歙焉,為天下渾其心,百姓皆注其耳目,聖人皆孩之。
Border-crossing: English translations
#1 Lin Yutang’s version
The Sage has no decided opinions and feelings,
But regards the people’s opinions and feelings as his own.
The good ones I declare good;
The bad ones I also declare good.
That is the goodness of Virtue.
The honest ones I believe;
The liars I also believe;
That is the faith of Virtue.
The Sage dwells in the world peacefully, harmoniously.
The people of the world are brought into a community of heart,
And the Sage regards them all so his own children.
#2 Edmund Ryden’s version
The Sage has no fixed mind: he takes the people’s mind
as his mind.
The good ones I value; the not good ones I also value,
Therefore I win goodness;
The trustworthy ones I trust; the untrustworthy ones
I also trust, Therefore I win trust.
The Sage joins with the world,
And with the world he merges his mind.*
The common people all fix their ears and eyes on him:
The Sage treats them all as his children.1
#3 D. C. Lau’s version
The sage has no mind of his own. He takes as his own the mind of the people.
Those who are good I treat as good. Those who are not good I also treat as good. In so doing I gain in goodness.
Those who are of good faith I have faith in. Those who are lacking in good faith I also have faith in. In so doing I gain in good faith.
The sage in his attempt to distract the mind of the empire seeks urgently to muddle it.
The people all have something to occupy their eyes and ears, and the sage treats them all like children.2
Deeper dive
The central theme of this chapter delves into the mindset of the Taoist sage, a personality characterized by their profound awareness of the perils of personal views.
A word of caution: This is not some obscure knowledge reserved for a selected few. Instead, we can all work on our mindset to self-transform.
This wisdom is encapsulated in Lao Tzu's words: "The Sage has no decided opinions and feelings.”
This statement underscores the essence of the sage's approach to life—being constantly aware of (and the relinquishment of, if necessary) personal biases and perceptions.
For the sage, having no decided opinions signifies liberation from the constraints of subjective viewpoints. This mindset fosters openness, tolerance, and broad-mindedness.
Wang Bi's (226-249 A.D.) commentary sheds light on this notion.
He said, “the Sage draws back from the world. With no fixed ideas in his heart, he tries to harmonize the hearts of the world. With no specific intent or direction, he does not discriminate; so why should the people avoid him? He has no requests, so how can the people react? Neither avoiding nor reacting, the people will use their natural feelings.”3
Therefore, the sage mindset is multifaceted. First, it involves dissolving arbitrary personal views, recognizing them as fleeting constructs that obscure the deeper truths of existence.
By withdrawing attention within, the sage navigates the inner landscape with clarity and discernment, unclouded by the noise of ego-driven desires and preferences.
Essentially, the sage refrains from imposing personal opinions on others, understanding that true wisdom arises from within.
In this sense, the sage embodies compassion, empathy, humility, and understanding. They can only assist others in finding authenticity by offering guidance rooted in universal principles rather than subjective judgments and parochial interests.
Spiritual Taoism
What holds us back from pursuing self-fulfillment and living mindfully?
The predicament of the mind.
Specifically, our mindset, when attached to precarious and misleading values and beliefs, could lead us astray.
Even if we can ward off disturbing values, we may still remain stagnant and resistant to constant change.
Therefore, the sage mindset offers invaluable guidance on two aspects of life:
personal fulfillment
effective (self) leadership
It provides a compass for navigating the complexities of life and fosters a more enlightened approach to personal growth and spontaneous (harmonious) social interactions.
1) Being aware of personal views
Adopting the sage mindset is a profound guide in our personal lives, as it steers us away from the pitfalls of attachment to subjective views and narrow-mindedness.
When we remain open to alternative perspectives and possibilities, we unlock a world of potential beyond our limited perceptions.
This openness fosters understanding, empathy, and harmony with others, essential qualities for cultivating meaningful connections and nurturing a peaceful and prosperous social order.
Consider the story of a young executive determined to lead her team to success through her singular vision. Yet, as she became entrenched in her own ideas, she failed to recognize her team members’ valuable insights. A few rounds of reckless business adventures cause her to reflect on her mistakes and look for solutions.
Yet, the real solution lies within.
It is not until she embraces the sage mindset—breaking away from her attachment to personal views and ego-driven desires—that she truly begins to listen and collaborate effectively, leading to more significant business breakthroughs and cohesion within the team.
2) Transforming with a leadership mindset
Moreover, the sage mindset teaches us the importance of self-leadership for excellence and transcendence.
Leadership is firstly about self-governance, which is the precondition for self-transformation.
Self-governance is not necessarily about contending to control all aspects of our lives, as all things in life are in flux. We can still work on it without having a resistant attitude, as resistance is essentially draining and can prove to be counterproductive.
But self-reliance always starts first in the mind.
A true leader also listens to advice from others, recognizing that they also make mistakes.
Trusting in people’s innate goodness, leaders are guided by the sage mindset to empower others to realize their potential rather than imposing their will upon them and forcing others to change.
From Lao Tzu’s political thinking, a wise leader known for his humility and compassion governs with a light touch, allowing all people in the realm the freedom to self-transform4 for self-establishment.
Instead of wielding authority with an iron fist, such a leader will take the responsibility to nurture an environment where individuals feel empowered to make things happen for themselves.
This is how they voluntarily and indirectly contribute to the common good in a natural order. A society in this state is on its way toward harmony and prosperity.
In essence, the sage mindset offers a transformative approach to personal growth and leadership—one that prioritizes collaboration over coercion, empathy over ego, and authenticity over authority.
Thanks for reading!
Wishing you peace and wisdom,
Yuxuan
Daodejing, trans. Edmund Ryden. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008), 103.
Tao Te Ching, trans. D. C. Lau. (London: Penguin Classics, 1963), 56.
「…聖人之於天下,歙歙焉,心無所主也。為天下渾其心焉,意無所適莫也。無所察焉,百姓何避;無所求焉,百姓何應。無避無應,則莫不用其情矣。」See Wang Bi et al., Four Kinds of Laotse 老子四種 (Taipei: National Taiwan University Press, 2016), 43.
Self-transformation (自化) is a critical idea in Taoist thinking for personal growth and political and social management. We will investigate it in more detail in Chapter 57 of the Tao Te Ching.