What Is Well Planted

What is well planted is not uprooted. What is well embraced does not slip away. Generations of descendants will honor it without end. Cultivate it in yourself — its virtue is real. Cultivate it in your family — its virtue is abundant. Cultivate it in your community — its virtue endures. Cultivate it in your state — its virtue is rich. Cultivate it in the world — its virtue is universal.

善建者不拔，善抱者不脱，子孙以祭祀不辍。

修之于身，其德乃真；修之于家，其德乃余；

修之于乡，其德乃长；修之于邦，其德乃丰；修之于天下，其德乃普。

故以身观身，以家观家，以乡观乡，以邦观邦，以天下观天下。

吾何以知天下然哉？以此。

What is well planted is not uprooted.
What is well embraced does not slip away.
Generations of descendants
will honor it without end.

Cultivate it in yourself — its virtue is real.
Cultivate it in your family — its virtue is abundant.
Cultivate it in your community — its virtue endures.
Cultivate it in your state — its virtue is rich.
Cultivate it in the world — its virtue is universal.

Therefore, observe others through yourself.
Observe families through your family.
Observe communities through your community.
Observe states through your state.
Observe the world through the world.

How do I know the world is like this?
By this.

Term	Pinyin	Meaning
善建	shàn jiàn	well planted — skillfully established, deeply rooted
善抱	shàn bào	well embraced — skillfully held, securely maintained
修之于身	xiū zhī yú shēn	cultivate it in yourself — practice it personally
修之于家	xiū zhī yú jiā	cultivate it in your family — practice it in the household
修之于邦	xiū zhī yú bāng	cultivate it in your state — practice it in governance

"What is well planted is not uprooted. What is well embraced does not slip away."

The principle of deep roots: anything established with genuine depth cannot be destroyed. A tree with deep roots survives storms. A relationship built on genuine trust survives conflicts.

"Cultivate it in yourself — its virtue is real. Cultivate it in your family — its virtue is abundant."

Laozi's concentric circles of cultivation: start with yourself, then extend outward. Personal virtue is the foundation; family virtue is the next level; community, state, and world follow. Each level depends on the one before it.

"Therefore, observe others through yourself. Observe families through your family."

You understand others by understanding yourself. You understand other families by understanding your own. This is not projection — it is the recognition that human nature is fundamentally the same. The principle of self-knowledge as the key to understanding the world.

"How do I know the world is like this? By this."

Laozi's method: he knows the world through himself. Self-knowledge is the method, not an end in itself. The sage uses self-understanding as a lens for understanding everything.

This is only about self-improvement.

It's about a chain of cultivation: self → family → community → state → world. Each level amplifies the previous one.

"Observe others through yourself" means projecting.

It means using self-knowledge as a tool for understanding others — recognizing shared human nature, not imposing your perspective.

💡 Leadership Development

Start with yourself. You can't lead others if you haven't cultivated your own character. The concentric circles of influence begin at the center.

🏢 Organizational Culture

Culture starts at the top. If the CEO embodies the values, the organization will follow. "Cultivate it in your family" — start with your team.

📚 Social Change

Want to change the world? Start with yourself. This is not selfishness — it's the only effective method. Change radiates outward from the center.

Wang Bi 王弼 (226–249 CE)

"The sage cultivates virtue in himself first, then extends it outward. Each level amplifies the previous one. This is the method of the Dao."

Concentric cultivation as method.

Heshang Gong 河上公 (Han dynasty)

"What is deeply rooted cannot be torn up. What is firmly held cannot be taken away. Virtue, when deep, is unshakable."

Deep virtue as invulnerability.

Chen Guying 陈鼓应 (b. 1935)

"Laozi's method of knowing the world through self-knowledge is one of the earliest epistemological statements in Chinese philosophy."

Self-knowledge as epistemology.

🔗 Cross-References

📖 Within the Tao Te Ching

Ch.16 — Returning to the root is called stillness Ch.33 — Knowing the self is enlightenment Ch.59 — Deep root, firm foundation

📚 Other Classics

Confucius: "Cultivate the self, regulate the family, govern the state, pacify the world" (修身齐家治国平天下) Mencius: Self-cultivation as the foundation of governance

🌍 Modern Thought

Stephen Covey: "Private victory precedes public victory" Systems thinking: The whole is shaped by its parts