老子道德經序
Preface to the Daode Jing of Laozi
太極左仙公葛 玄造
Composed by Ge Xuan, the Immortal Lord of the Left of the Great Ultimate
老子體自然而然，生乎太無之先，起乎無因，經歷天地，終始不可稱載。終乎無終，窮乎無窮，極乎無極，故無極也。與大道而倫化，爲天地而立根，布炁於十方，抱道德之至淳，浩浩蕩蕩，不可名也。煥乎其有文章，巍巍乎其有成功，淵乎其不可量，堂堂乎爲神明之宗。三光持以朗照，天地禀以得生，乾坤運以吐精，高而無民，貴而無位，覆載無窮，闡教八方，諸天普弘。大道開闢以前，復下爲國師，代代不休，人莫能知之。匠成萬物，不言我爲，玄之德也。故衆聖所共尊，道尊德貴，夫莫之命而常自然，惟老氏乎。周時復託神李母，剖左腋而生，生即皓然，號曰老子。老子之號，因玄而出，在天地之先，無衰老之期，故曰老子。世人謂老子當始於周代。老子之號，始於無數之刼，甚窈窈冥冥，眇邈久遠矣。世衰，大道不行，西遊天下。關令尹喜曰：大道將隱乎！願爲我著書。於是作道德二篇，五千文上下經焉。夫五千文，宣道德之源，大無不苞，細無不入，天人之自然經也。
The Daoist Master Laozi embodies the natural state of the Dao itself. He existed before the Great Simplicity, arose without any cause, and has traversed through the formation and dissolution of the universe countless times, with a beginning and end too vast to be measured. His end is the endless; his limit is the limitless; his ultimate is the boundless—therefore, he is called the Boundless.
He transforms in harmony with the Great Dao, establishing himself as the root of heaven and earth. He spreads his energy throughout the ten directions, embracing the purest virtue of the Dao. Limitless and vast, he cannot be named. Radiant are his patterns, majestic are his achievements, profound is his immeasurable depth, and dignified is he as the ancestral source of all divine beings.
The three lights (sun, moon, stars) rely on him to shine; heaven and earth receive him to exist; the forces of creation depend on him to emit their essence. Soaring high, yet without subjects; noble, yet without position; he supports and covers all things endlessly, spreading teachings across the eight directions, and shining universally upon all heavens.
Before the Great Dao opened the universe, he descended to become a teacher of the nations—generation after generation, without end—yet humans are unable to know him. He crafts and completes the ten thousand things without claiming credit. This is the mystery of his virtue.
Thus, he is revered by all sages. The Dao is honored, and virtue is precious. No one commands them, yet they naturally exist. Only Laozi can truly embody this.
During the Zhou Dynasty, he was miraculously born from the left armpit of the Venerable Mother Li. From birth, he was already white-haired and therefore called "Laozi." The name "Laozi" (Old Master) arises from the mystery of the Dao. It existed before heaven and earth, with no age of decline. Hence, the name "Laozi."
People of the world claim that Laozi originated in the Zhou Dynasty. But in truth, the name "Laozi" dates back to countless eons ago—deep, profound, and far beyond ordinary time.
When the world declined and the Great Dao was no longer practiced, Laozi traveled westward across the land. The frontier guardian, Yin Xi, said, "Is the Great Dao about to disappear? Please write it down for me." Thus, Laozi composed the two chapters of the Dao and Virtue—the five-thousand-character scripture of both the upper and lower texts.
These five thousand words reveal the source of Dao and Virtue. The great contains nothing outside itself; the subtle penetrates every particle. It is the natural scripture of both heaven and humanity.
余先師有言：精進研之，則聲參太極，高上遥唱，諸天歡樂，則携契玄人，靜思期真，則衆妙感會，内觀形影，則神炁長存，體洽道德，則萬神震伏，禍滅九陰，福生十方，安國寧家，孰能知乎？無爲之文，誇之不辱，飾之不榮，撓之不濁，澄之不清，自然也。應道而見，傳告無窮，常者也。故知常曰明。大道何爲哉，弘之由人，斯文尊妙，可不極精乎！粗述一篇，唯有道者寶之焉。
My late teacher once said: “If you practice diligently and investigate deeply, your voice will harmonize with the Great Ultimate. The highest realms will sing in response, and all heavens will rejoice. Then you will be united with the profound and mysterious. If you quietly contemplate and sincerely seek truth, all wondrous things will resonate with you. If you look inward at your own form and shadow, your spirit and vitality will endure forever. If you embody the Way and its Virtue, all spiritual powers will be subdued. Disaster will vanish from the darkest depths, blessings will arise in all directions, the country will be at peace, and the family will be calm. Who can truly understand this?
“The text of non-action cannot be humiliated by praise, nor glorified by adornment. It cannot be stirred into turbidity, nor settled into clarity. It is perfectly natural. It appears in response to the Way, and is transmitted infinitely. This is its constancy. Therefore, to know constancy is called enlightenment.
What does the Great Way do? It is spread and realized through people. This scripture is so honored and profound—how could we not devote our utmost effort to it?
Here I have written a simple summary in one chapter. Only those who possess the Way will treasure it.”
河上公者，莫知其姓名也。漢孝文皇帝時，結草爲庵于河之濱，常讀老子道德經。文帝好老子之言，詔命諸王公大臣、州牧二千石、朝直衆官，皆令誦之。有所不解數句，時天下莫能通者。聞侍郎裴楷説河上公誦老子，乃遣詔使賚所不了義問之。公曰：道尊德貴，非可遥問也。文帝即駕從詣之。帝曰：普天之下，莫非王土；率土之賓，莫非王臣。域中有四大，王居其一也。子雖有道，猶朕民也，不能自屈，何乃高乎？朕足使人富貴貧賤。須臾，河上公即拊掌坐躍，冉冉在虚空之中，如雲之昇，去地百餘丈，而止於玄虚。良久，俛而答曰：今上不至天，中不累人，下不居地，何民之有？陛下焉能令余富貴貧賤乎？帝乃悟之，知是神人，方下輦稽首禮謝曰：朕以不德，忝統先業，才不任大，憂於不堪。雖治世事，而心敬道德。直以暗昧，多所不了。惟蒙道君弘愍，有以教之，則幽夕睹太陽之曜光。河上公即授素書老子道德經章句二卷，謂帝曰：孰研此，則所疑自解。余注是經以來，千七百餘年，凡傳三人，連子四矣，勿示非其人。文帝跪受經，言畢，失公所在。論者以爲文帝好老子大道，世人不能盡通其義，而精思遐感，上徹太上道君，遣神人特下教之便去耳。恐文帝心未純信，故示神變以悟帝意，欲成其道真。時人因號曰河上公焉。
The man known as the Riverbank Elder—no one knew his real name. During the reign of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, he built a simple thatched hut along the riverbank. There, he often recited the *Dao De Jing* by Laozi.
Emperor Wen admired the teachings of Laozi and decreed that all princes, ministers, senior officials, and court officers must study and recite the text. However, there were several passages he could not understand, and no one in the kingdom could explain them. When he heard that the court attendant Pei Kai had mentioned the Riverbank Elder's recitations of Laozi, the emperor sent an envoy with written questions about the unclear passages.
The elder replied, “The Dao is revered, and virtue is honored. These matters cannot be inquired about from a distance.”
So Emperor Wen personally went to visit him. He said, “All under heaven is the king’s land. Everyone on this land is the king’s subject. Among the four great powers in the world, the ruler is one of them. Though you possess wisdom, you are still my citizen. How can you refuse to humble yourself? I have the power to grant wealth, poverty, nobility, or lowliness.”
At once, the Riverbank Elder clapped his hands, rose up in meditation, and slowly floated into the air. He rose like a cloud, over a hundred feet above the ground, and stopped in the vast emptiness. After a while, he looked down and replied:
“Now I am above the earth, neither touching the sky, entangled with human affairs, nor standing on the ground. How am I your subject? How can you grant me wealth, poverty, rank, or lowliness?”
Emperor Wen then understood. He realized this was a divine being. Descending from his carriage, he bowed in respect and said, “I lack virtue and am unworthy to carry on the legacy of my ancestors. My abilities are insufficient to bear such a heavy burden. Although I govern worldly affairs, I sincerely respect the Dao and its virtue. Yet I am ignorant and often confused. I only hope that you, wise master, will show compassion and teach me, so that I, like one lost in darkness, may see the light of the sun.”
The Riverbank Elder then presented Emperor Wen with a plain book: the *Dao De Jing* in two volumes, with his commentary. He said, “If you study this diligently, all your questions will be answered. Since I began commenting on this scripture, 1,700 years have passed. I have passed it to only three people. With you, that makes four. Do not show it to those unworthy.”
Emperor Wen knelt and received the book. As soon as the elder finished speaking, he vanished.
Scholars later said that Emperor Wen truly loved the great Dao of Laozi, but worldly people could not fully grasp its meaning. Because of his deep sincerity and contemplation, his devotion reached the Supreme Lord of the Dao, who sent a divine being to teach him directly and then depart. Fearing that the emperor’s faith might not be pure, the elder manifested divine power to inspire him and help him realize the true path. That is why people called him the Riverbank Elder.