Chapter 49
Mind
The Sage Has No Fixed Mind
The sage has no fixed mind — the people's mind is their mind. To the good, I am good. To the bad, I am also good — this is the goodness of virtue. To the trustworthy, I am trustworthy. To the untrustworthy, I am also trustworthy — this is the trust of virtue.
圣人常无心，以百姓之心为心。
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。
圣人在天下，歙歙焉，为天下浑其心。
百姓皆注其耳目，圣人皆孩之。
The sage has no fixed mind —
the people's mind is their mind.
To the good, I am good.
To the bad, I am also good —
this is the goodness of virtue.
To the trustworthy, I am trustworthy.
To the untrustworthy, I am also trustworthy —
this is the trust of virtue.
The sage in the world
is harmonious and humble;
the sage makes the world's mind simple.
The people all attend to their ears and eyes,
and the sage treats them all as children.
| Term | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 无常心 | wú cháng xīn | no fixed mind — no rigid, predetermined attitudes |
| 以百姓心为心 | yǐ bǎi xìng xīn wéi xīn | the people's mind is their mind — taking the people's heart as one's own |
| 德善 | dé shàn | the goodness of virtue — goodness that comes from the Dao's virtue, not personal judgment |
| 德信 | dé xìn | the trust of virtue — trustworthiness that comes from the Dao's virtue |
| 浑其心 | hún qí xīn | making the mind simple — helping the people return to simplicity |
| 孩之 | hái zhī | treating them as children — with unconditional care |
"The sage has no fixed mind — the people's mind is their mind."
The sage doesn't impose their own perspective. They empty themselves and receive the perspectives of others. This is radical empathy — not just understanding others, but letting others' experiences become your own.
"To the good, I am good. To the bad, I am also good — this is the goodness of virtue."
The sage's goodness is unconditional. It doesn't depend on the other person's behavior. This is not naiveté — it is the Dao's own nature, which gives to all without discrimination. The sun shines on both the just and the unjust.
"To the trustworthy, I am trustworthy. To the untrustworthy, I am also trustworthy — this is the trust of virtue."
Similarly, the sage's trustworthiness is not conditional on the other's trustworthiness. This creates a powerful dynamic: by being consistently trustworthy, the sage eventually transforms the untrustworthy.
"The sage treats them all as children."
Not condescendingly, but with the unconditional care of a parent. Children make mistakes; the parent doesn't stop loving them. The sage's relationship to the world is parental — nurturing without judgment.
This means the sage is a pushover.
The sage is not weak — they are unconditionally good. This is the strongest possible position: nothing anyone does can change your nature. It's invulnerability through goodness.
This means you should trust everyone blindly.
It means you should be trustworthy regardless of others' behavior. Trust is your character, not your strategy.
💡 Unconditional Positive Regard
Therapist Carl Rogers' core principle: accept the client unconditionally. Laozi said it 2,500 years earlier. In relationships, be good regardless of the other's behavior.
🏢 Leadership Philosophy
The best leaders treat all team members with the same respect and care, regardless of performance. This doesn't mean ignoring problems — it means maintaining unconditional dignity.
📚 Parenting
Children need unconditional love — not love based on performance or behavior. "The sage treats them all as children" — with patience, care, and acceptance.
Wang Bi 王弼 (226–249 CE)
"The sage has no mind of his own — he takes the people's mind as his own. This is the highest expression of selflessness."
Selflessness as radical empathy.
Heshang Gong 河上公 (Han dynasty)
"The sage's goodness is like the sun — it shines on all without discrimination."
Universal benevolence as natural law.
Chen Guying 陈鼓应 (b. 1935)
"Laozi's description of the sage's unconditional goodness is one of the most ethically demanding passages in the Tao Te Ching."
Ethical radicalism of Laozi's position.
🔗 Cross-References
📖 Within the Tao Te Ching
📚 Other Classics
Buddhism: Metta (loving-kindness) — unconditional love for all beings
Christianity: "Love your enemies" — unconditional goodness
🌍 Modern Thought
Carl Rogers: Unconditional positive regard
Nonviolent Communication — Marshall Rosenberg