Chapter 21: The Content of Great Alignment¶
How 德 relates to 道—the structural relationship specification
Original Text¶
孔德之容，唯道是從。 道之為物，唯恍唯惚。 惚兮恍兮，其中有象； 恍兮惚兮，其中有物。 窈兮冥兮，其中有精； 其精甚真，其中有信。 自古及今，其名不去，以閱眾甫。 吾何以知眾甫之然哉？以此。
Character-by-Character Decomposition¶
Key Structural Terms¶
| Character | Components | Structural Function |
|---|---|---|
| 孔 (kǒng) | 子 + 乚 | Great, vast, profound (also: opening, hole) |
| 德 (dé) | 彳 + 直 + 心 | Alignment—walking straight from heart |
| 容 (róng) | 宀 + 谷 | Content, capacity, what is contained |
| 從 (cóng) | 彳 + 从 | Follow, accord with, derive from |
| 恍 (huǎng) | 忄 + 光 | Indistinct, vague (light-related) |
| 惚 (hū) | 忄 + 忽 | Indistinct, vague (sudden-related) |
| 象 (xiàng) | Elephant | Image, appearance, form-template |
| 窈 (yǎo) | 穴 + 幼 | Deep, profound, receding |
| 冥 (míng) | 冖 + 日 + 六 | Dark, obscure, deep |
| 精 (jīng) | 米 + 青 | Essence, refined, concentrated |
| 真 (zhēn) | 匕 + 目 + 八 | True, genuine, real |
| 信 (xìn) | 人 + 言 | Trust, reliability, what can be relied upon |
| 閱 (yuè) | 門 + 兌 | Review, inspect, pass through |
| 甫 (fǔ) | 父 + 用 | Beginning, fathers, origins |
Structural Translation¶
Part 1: The Specification¶
孔德之容，唯道是從。
The content of great alignment— it only follows pattern.
Character breakdown:
- 孔德 (kǒng dé) = great/profound alignment
- 之容 (zhī róng) = its content, what it contains
- 唯 (wéi) = only, exclusively
- 道是從 (dào shì cóng) = pattern is what it follows
Structural analysis:
This is the relationship specification between 德 and 道.
孔 (kǒng) = great, vast, profound. Also means "opening" or "hole"—suggesting 德 as aperture through which 道 flows.
德之容 = the content of alignment. Not what alignment does but what it contains, what's inside it.
唯道是從 = "only pattern is followed." The content of great alignment is nothing but pattern-following. 德 contains 道 because 德 is the vessel that follows/accords with 道.
This is the structural relationship: - 道 = pattern (the structure to follow) - 德 = alignment (the accumulated following) - 德之容 = what alignment contains = pattern-following itself
Part 2: Pattern as Indistinct¶
道之為物，唯恍唯惚。
Pattern as thing— only indistinct, only vague.
Character breakdown:
- 道之為物 (dào zhī wéi wù) = pattern as thing, pattern being a thing
- 唯恍唯惚 (wéi huǎng wéi hū) = only indistinct, only vague
Structural analysis:
This addresses the paradox: if 德 follows 道, what is 道?
道之為物 = "pattern-as-thing." The text acknowledges the question: considered as an object, what is pattern?
唯恍唯惚 = "only 恍, only 惚." Both characters contain 忄 (heart/mind radical)—these are perceptual states, not properties of the thing.
恍 (huǎng) = contains 光 (light). Indistinct like looking into bright light. 惚 (hū) = contains 忽 (sudden). Indistinct like something glimpsed peripherally.
Pattern-as-object is inherently indistinct—not because we fail to perceive it clearly, but because that's its mode of being as object.
This connects to Chapter 14's three imperceptibles: 夷/希/微. The observation boundary means pattern-as-thing can only appear as indistinct.
Part 3: What's Within the Indistinct¶
惚兮恍兮，其中有象；恍兮惚兮，其中有物。
Vague and indistinct—within it there is image. Indistinct and vague—within it there is thing.
Character breakdown:
- 惚兮恍兮 (hū xī huǎng xī) = vague, ah, indistinct, ah
- 其中有象 (qí zhōng yǒu xiàng) = within it there is image
- 恍兮惚兮 (huǎng xī hū xī) = indistinct, ah, vague, ah
- 其中有物 (qí zhōng yǒu wù) = within it there is thing
Structural analysis:
The indistinctness isn't empty—it contains:
| Within 惚恍 | What's found |
|---|---|
| 其中有象 | Image (象)—form-template, appearance-pattern |
| 其中有物 | Thing (物)—specific manifestation |
象 (xiàng) = image, template, appearance-form. The elephant character suggests something large/complex that casts a recognizable shape.
物 (wù) = thing, specific entity. More concrete than 象.
Within the indistinct substrate, there are images and things. Not "nothing" but structured content that is indistinct because perceived at the observation boundary.
Part 4: Depth and Essence¶
窈兮冥兮，其中有精；其精甚真，其中有信。
Deep and dark—within it there is essence. That essence is exceedingly genuine—within it there is reliability.
Character breakdown:
- 窈兮冥兮 (yǎo xī míng xī) = deep, ah, dark, ah
- 其中有精 (qí zhōng yǒu jīng) = within it there is essence
- 其精甚真 (qí jīng shèn zhēn) = that essence is very genuine/true
- 其中有信 (qí zhōng yǒu xìn) = within it there is reliability/trust
Structural analysis:
Continuing the "within it there is" pattern:
| Depth level | What's found | Character |
|---|---|---|
| 惚恍 (indistinct) | 象 (image) | Form-template |
| 惚恍 (indistinct) | 物 (thing) | Specific manifestation |
| 窈冥 (deep/dark) | 精 (essence) | Concentrated core |
| — | 真 (genuine) | Quality of essence |
| — | 信 (reliability) | What can be depended on |
窈 (yǎo) = deep, receding into depth 冥 (míng) = dark, obscure (日/sun covered by 冖/cover)
Going deeper than indistinct: into the deep and dark, there is 精 (essence).
精 (jīng) = essence, the refined/concentrated. Contains 米 (rice) + 青 (clear)—the clear grain, the purified core.
其精甚真 = "that essence is very genuine." 真 (zhēn) validates the essence—it's not illusory but genuinely there.
其中有信 = "within it there is reliability." 信 (xìn) = 人 + 言 = person standing by word. What can be counted on.
The deep/dark substrate contains essence that is genuine and reliable. This isn't mystical assertion—it's structural claim: the indistinct contains something dependable, even if not clearly perceived.
Part 5: Persistence of the Name¶
自古及今，其名不去，以閱眾甫。
From ancient times to now, its name does not depart— by means of it, the many beginnings are reviewed.
Character breakdown:
- 自古及今 (zì gǔ jí jīn) = from ancient to present
- 其名不去 (qí míng bù qù) = its name does not depart/leave
- 以閱眾甫 (yǐ yuè zhòng fǔ) = by means of it, review the many beginnings
Structural analysis:
其名不去 = "its name does not depart." Despite being 惚恍 (indistinct), despite being 窈冥 (deep/dark), the name persists.
What name? 道 itself—the pattern that contains 象, 物, 精, 真, 信.
以閱眾甫 = "by means of it, review the many beginnings."
閱 (yuè) = review, inspect, pass through 眾甫 (zhòng fǔ) = many beginnings, multiple origins
甫 (fǔ) is unusual—it can mean "beginning" or "fathers" (ancestral origins). 眾甫 = the multiple origination points, the many ways things begin.
The persistent name (道) is what allows reviewing/understanding all the beginnings. Pattern is the lens through which origins become comprehensible.
Part 6: How I Know¶
吾何以知眾甫之然哉？以此。
How do I know the many beginnings are thus? By means of this.
Character breakdown:
- 吾何以知 (wú hé yǐ zhī) = how do I know
- 眾甫之然 (zhòng fǔ zhī rán) = the many beginnings are thus
- 哉 (zāi) = exclamatory question particle
- 以此 (yǐ cǐ) = by means of this
Structural analysis:
The chapter closes with a self-referential validation:
Question: How do I know that the multiple origins are as described? Answer: 以此—"by means of this."
"This" (此) = the chapter itself, the structure just described, the pattern that contains image/thing/essence/genuineness/reliability.
The pattern validates itself. You know the origins are thus because the pattern that describes them is itself an instance of what it describes.
This is 自然 (self-so) at the epistemological level: the pattern of pattern-following is how you know pattern.
The Complete Teaching¶
Chapter 21 documents the relationship between 德 and 道:
The Specification¶
德之容 (content of alignment) = 唯道是從 (only pattern-following)
Alignment contains nothing but the following of pattern. 德 is the vessel; 道 is what flows through.
The Structure of Pattern-as-Object¶
| Layer | Description | What's Within |
|---|---|---|
| 恍惚 | Indistinct | 象 (image), 物 (thing) |
| 窈冥 | Deep/dark | 精 (essence) |
| 精 | Essence | 真 (genuine), 信 (reliable) |
The Persistence¶
自古及今，其名不去—from ancient to present, the name persists.
This enables: 以閱眾甫—reviewing/understanding all beginnings.
The Self-Validation¶
吾何以知...以此—How do I know? By means of this (the pattern itself).
Cross-Reference to Framework¶
Connection to Chapter 14¶
| Ch 14 Term | Ch 21 Correspondence |
|---|---|
| 惚恍 (indistinct) | Same term: 惚兮恍兮 |
| 無狀之狀 (form of formlessness) | 其中有象 (within it there is image) |
| 無物之象 (image of thinglessness) | 其中有物 (within it there is thing) |
| 執古之道 (hold ancient pattern) | 自古及今其名不去 (name persists ancient to now) |
Chapter 14 documents the observation boundary. Chapter 21 documents what's within that boundary: not nothing, but image, thing, essence, genuineness, reliability.
Connection to Chapter 38¶
| Ch 38 | Ch 21 |
|---|---|
| 德 as alignment | 孔德之容 (content of great alignment) |
| 德 follows 道 | 唯道是從 (only follows pattern) |
| 上德 at origin | 德之容 = pattern-following (at origin, alignment IS pattern) |
Chapter 38 documents degradation from 道 through 德. Chapter 21 documents the structural relationship: 德 contains nothing but 道-following.
Connection to 信 (Reliability)¶
信 (xìn) appears here as what's within the deep essence: 其中有信.
This is the 信 from Chapter 38: 忠信之薄 (the thinning of loyalty and trust).
When 德 follows 道 (Ch 21), there is 信 within. When 德 degrades to 禮 (Ch 38), 信 thins out.
信 is a marker of alignment depth: present when 德 contains 道, absent when 德 has degraded.
The 自 (Self) Reference¶
以此 = "by means of this" = self-validation.
This connects to 自然 (self-so) from Chapter 25: 道法自然 (pattern follows self-so).
Pattern validates itself. 德 contains 道-following. 道 is known by means of 道.
There is no external reference point. The system is self-validating because it describes self-reference accurately.
Tier 1 Validation¶
Applying the filtering principle:
| Line | Test Result |
|---|---|
| "Content of great alignment follows pattern" | ✓ Documents structural relationship |
| "Pattern as thing—only indistinct" | ✓ Documents perceptual condition |
| "Within it there is image/thing/essence" | ✓ Documents content structure |
| "That essence is very genuine" | ✓ Documents quality |
| "Within it there is reliability" | ✓ Documents dependability |
| "From ancient to now, name persists" | ✓ Documents persistence |
| "How do I know? By means of this" | ✓ Documents self-validation |
No prescriptive content. Every line documents what the 德/道 relationship is, not what one should do about it.
Traditional Translation (for contrast)¶
"The greatest virtue is to follow Tao and Tao alone. The Tao is elusive and intangible. Oh, it is intangible and elusive, and yet within is image. Oh, it is elusive and intangible, and yet within is form. Oh, it is dim and dark, and yet within is essence. This essence is very real; within it is something that can be tested. From the very beginning until now its name has never been forgotten. Thus I perceive the origins of all things. How do I know about the origins? Through this."
What changes:
Traditional reading treats this as mystical description of the ineffable Tao.
Structural reading reveals: - 孔德之容 = content specification (what alignment contains) - 唯道是從 = derivation relationship (alignment follows pattern) - 惚恍/窈冥 = perceptual layers, not mystical obscurity - 象/物/精/真/信 = structured content within the indistinct - 以此 = self-referential validation, not pointing at external proof
The chapter isn't saying "the Tao is mysterious and contains mysterious things." It's documenting the structural relationship between alignment and pattern, and what that relationship contains.
Summary Formula¶
孔德之容 = 唯道是從
(content of great alignment = only follows pattern)
Pattern-as-object (道之為物):
├── 惚恍 (indistinct) → 象 (image), 物 (thing)
└── 窈冥 (deep/dark) → 精 (essence) → 真 (genuine) → 信 (reliable)
Persistence: 自古及今其名不去
(from ancient to now, name doesn't depart)
Function: 以閱眾甫
(by means of it, review all beginnings)
Validation: 吾何以知...以此
(how do I know? by means of this)
Chapter 21 specifies the 德/道 relationship: alignment contains pattern-following; pattern-as-object is indistinct but contains image, thing, essence, genuineness, reliability; the name persists from ancient to now; knowledge of origins comes through pattern itself.