Why Cultivating Virtuous Deeds Comes First in the Pursuit of the Dao

Many Daoist temples hang a couplet: Commit no evil; practice all good deeds. This couplet was widely circulated in the Ming and Qing dynasties through the popular Daoist morality text, Treatise of the Most Exalted One on Action and Response (Tai Shang Gan Ying Pian). Temples display it to remind practitioners: one should devote oneself to good deeds and refrain from wrongdoing throughout life.

Nearly all major religions teach people to be virtuous, and Daoism is no exception. In the Dao De Jing, Laozi states: The Way of Heaven shows no favoritism; it always abides with the virtuous. The Scripture of the Great Peace repeats this teaching: The Way of Heaven has no partiality; it only favors the good.

The word “partiality” refers to two kinds of bonds: blood kinship such as parents and children, siblings; and close friendships. The meaning is clear: Heaven’s Dao does not privilege family or personal connections. It is perfectly impartial, has no special backdoor favors, and only supports those who live virtuously.

The goal of Daoist practitioners is to align themselves with the Dao of Heaven and attain longevity alongside heaven. How can this be achieved? The foremost foundation is to practice goodness and accumulate virtuous merit.

What exactly is “goodness” in Daoism? In Daoism, goodness means acting in harmony with the inherent nature of all things in heaven and earth, never violating natural laws or social principles. Conversely, “evil” means actions that go against nature and the natural order of society. Ge Hong’s words, Be compassionate toward all beings, extend benevolence even to insects, capture this idea. The whole natural world operates in a cycle of mutual generation and restraint. A virtuous person will not disrupt this balance artificially.

We ought to cherish plants and forests. We should not hunt or fish in spring and summer, shoot birds, break eggs or harm living creatures. We should also protect greenery and plant trees and flowers.

As an old saying goes: “One generation plants trees so later generations may enjoy shade.” Planting trees benefits descendants. From the perspective of modern science, its value stretches far beyond that: forests renew air, conserve soil and water, moisten the atmosphere, sustain plants and animals, and ultimately safeguard human health and livelihood.

Ge Hong taught us to accumulate merit and treat others as we would wish to be treated. We can summarize virtuous conduct into ten core virtues:

1. Loyalty: Be loyal to your nation, people and your Daoist faith. Never do anything that dishonors your country, your integrity or the image of Daoism.
2. Empathy / Forbearance: Rejoice in others’ joy, sympathize with their suffering, give aid to those in urgent need, relieve the poor, and forgive others’ faults.
3. Frugality: Reject bribery and extravagance. Remember every grain of food and every blade of grass comes with effort; take thrift as a virtue.
4. Sincerity: Treat others’ gains as your own, others’ losses as your own. Be honest; do not envy, slander, deceive, gossip behind others’ backs, speak double-tongued words or bear false witness.
5. Simplicity: Stay humble and plain. Do not be arrogant, overbearing, or flattering.
6. Filial Piety: Honor your parents and teachers. Care for them consistently whether they are rich or poor. Tend to them with devotion when they grow old and frail.
7. Trustworthiness: Keep your word. Honor promises, repay what you borrow, compensate for any damage you cause to others, and never covet small gains.
8. Compassion: Hold a loving heart toward strangers as well as family. This compassionate understanding is especially vital between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law, teachers and friends.
9. Courtesy: Be polite in all interactions. As the saying goes, no one will blame you for being polite. Courtesy lives in every gesture; it should not be reduced to gift-giving. The old proverb “The gift is light, but the sentiment is heavy” tells us not to judge by the value of presents.
10. Righteousness: Siblings and fellow practitioners uphold principles while supporting and caring for one another. When one meets hardship, others come to help.

The meaning of goodness evolves and gains new layers with the times. Yet the fundamental truth — that the Dao of Heaven is nothing other than Nature — remains unchanged.

Daoist scriptures teach that the Three Corpses (San Shi) live within every human body, recording all good and evil deeds. On the night of Gengshen, while the person sleeps, the Three Corpses ascend to heaven and report their deeds. Based on this report, the heavenly authorities add or subtract years from one’s lifespan. Folk tradition also holds that the Kitchen God travels to heaven every year on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month to report each household’s good and evil, bringing karmic rewards or retribution. The scripture states: To become an earthly immortal, one must complete three hundred good deeds. To become a celestial immortal, one must complete one thousand two hundred good deeds. If you have accumulated one thousand one hundred and ninety-nine good deeds, then commit one evil act, all prior merit will be lost, and you must restart counting your good deeds from zero.

Three hundred or one thousand two hundred good deeds set a very high standard. It is easy to perform a few kind acts; the true challenge is to keep doing good and avoid evil for a lifetime. For this reason, we should continuously build virtuous merit. We honor our ancestors and benefit future generations, and good rewards will follow.