Chapter 70
Easy
My Words Are Easy to Understand
My words are easy to understand, easy to practice. Yet no one in the world understands them, no one practices them. Words have an origin. Actions have a principle. But because people do not understand this, they do not understand me. Those who understand me are rare — those who follow me are precious. Therefore the sage wears coarse cloth but carries jade inside.
吾言甚易知，甚易行。
天下莫能知，莫能行。
言有宗，事有君。
夫唯无知，是以不我知。
知我者希，则我者贵。
是以圣人被褐而怀玉。
My words are easy to understand,
easy to practice.
Yet no one in the world understands them,
no one practices them.
Words have an origin.
Actions have a principle.
But because people do not understand this,
they do not understand me.
Those who understand me are rare —
those who follow me are precious.
Therefore the sage
wears coarse cloth but carries jade inside.
| Term | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 甚易知 | shèn yì zhī | very easy to understand |
| 甚易行 | shèn yì xíng | very easy to practice |
| 言有宗 | yán yǒu zōng | words have an origin — speech has a source |
| 事有君 | shì yǒu jūn | actions have a principle — affairs have a master |
| 被褐而怀玉 | pī hè ér huái yù | wears coarse cloth but carries jade inside — humble exterior, precious interior |
"My words are easy to understand, easy to practice. Yet no one understands them, no one practices them."
Laozi's lament: the Dao is simple, but people can't see simplicity. They expect wisdom to be complex, so they miss what's right in front of them. The Dao's accessibility is its greatest challenge.
"Words have an origin. Actions have a principle."
Every word has a source (the Dao); every action has a principle (the Dao). If you understand the source, you understand all words. If you understand the principle, you understand all actions.
"Therefore the sage wears coarse cloth but carries jade inside."
The sage's appearance is ordinary — coarse cloth, humble bearing. But inside, they carry jade — the most precious thing. Don't judge by appearances. The Dao hides in the ordinary.
This means the Dao is only for elites.
It says the Dao is easy to understand and practice — but most people miss it because they expect complexity. It's for everyone, but most people overlook it.
"Coarse cloth" means the sage is poor.
It means the sage doesn't display their value externally. The treasure is inside, not outside.
💡 Simplicity as Strength
The most profound truths are simple. Don't complicate your message. If people don't understand, it might be because you're making it too complex, not too simple.
🏢 Authentic Leadership
Don't try to look impressive. "Wear coarse cloth but carry jade" — let your substance speak, not your appearance. The best leaders are underestimated.
📚 Being Understood
If your ideas are truly simple and people don't understand them, the problem is not your ideas — it's the audience's expectations. Keep communicating; the right people will understand.
Wang Bi 王弼 (226–249 CE)
"The Dao is the simplest thing — that is why it is the hardest to see. People look for complexity and miss what is right in front of them."
Simplicity as the source of obscurity.
Heshang Gong 河上公 (Han dynasty)
"The sage's words are like plain food — not exciting, but nourishing. People prefer the taste of junk food."
Plain nourishment vs. exciting emptiness.
Arthur Waley (1889–1966)
"Laozi here expresses the perennial frustration of the philosopher: the truth is simple, but simplicity is the last thing people want."
The philosopher's frustration with simplicity.
🔗 Cross-References
📖 Within the Tao Te Ching
📚 Other Classics
Jesus: "For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction" (Matthew 7:13)
Buddhism: The Dharma is simple but hard to practice
🌍 Modern Thought
Occam's Razor: The simplest explanation is usually correct
The paradox of expertise: Experts make things complicated; masters make them simple