Daodejing Chapter 20 breakdown: the heart-and-mind of a fool
Chapter 20 of the Daodejing presents a stark contrast between stifling societal norms and the natural, spontaneous state of being that comes with following the natural rhythms of the Dao. It portrays the Daoist sage as someone who, though seemingly foolish and aimless by conventional standards, possesses a deeper understanding and contentment because he prizes the nourishment of the mother of the myriad things.
Section 1
Do away with learning,
And your troubles end.
The passage begins by repeating the call to do away with conventional learning that was made in Chapter 19. This is not a rejection of knowledge itself but a critique of the artificial knowledge and values that distance you from the natural state of existence embodied by the Dao.
Section 2
How different is a polite yes
From a rude no?
How different is good
From evil?
Whatever others fear,
You must fear too.
There is no end
To such prattle!
By questioning the difference between polite affirmations and rude rejections, as well as good and evil, the text is implying that such distinctions are often arbitrary. It challenges you to look beyond superficial differences and societal labels to understand the underlying unity and simplicity of life.
Section 3
Everyone is out
Having a great time
As if enjoying a holiday feast,
As if climbing a terrace in spring.
I alone remain quiet,
Betraying no emotions,
Like an infant yet to smile,
Wandering as if
I have no home to go to.
Everyone else has
Enough to spare.
I alone am lacking.
I have the heart-and-mind of
A complete fool.
The masses think
Everything is crystal clear,
I alone am confused.
The masses think
They are sharp and shrewd,
I alone am dumb and dull,
Drifting like the ocean waves,
Aimless like the gusting wind.
Everyone else has
A clear sense of purpose.
I alone am ignorant and uncouth.
I alone am different from everyone else.
I prize being nourished by the mother.
The author appears to delight in positioning himself as the ultimate outsider in the final section of the chapter. Unlike everyone else in the world out there enjoying themselves, he is a complete fool drifting like the ocean waves and aimless like the gusting wind.
Except, of course, rather than envying others for their lavish holiday banquets and relaxing promenades along the spring terrace, he secretly pities them for being so caught up in such transient pleasures that they have lost touch with the natural flow of the Dao and are unable to find contentment in simply being, rather than constantly doing or having.
He alone is different because he remains connected to the mother, a metaphor for the Dao, free from the artificial social, moral, and intellectual conventions imposed on everyone else by the ruling elite. He is the sage who keeps the “jade” of his insight into the Dao hidden beneath his sackcloth.
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