Tao Te Ching, 38

Only when Tao is lost does the doctrine of virtue arise.

Only when virtue is lost does the doctrine of humanity arise.

Only when humanity is lost does the doctrine of righteousness arise.

Only when righteousness is lost does the doctrine of propriety arise.

Now, propriety is superficial expression of loyalty and faithfulness, and the beginning of disorder. (Tao Te Ching, 38)

Today, I will try to interpret this canon from The Tao Te Ching.

After reading the canon, one can easily see that a person only realizes that right things or right virtues only comes when he has lost them. In this teaching, it is said that when one had lost the Tao or the Way, the doctrine of virtue arise. It means that when one has lost the Way, he then realizes about the virtues he had and the same thing goes to the other teachings mentioned above.When one has realized this, then he should also know that this is a test for him. This is to test him of how far he had gone in following the way.The test is meant for him to measure his loyalty and faithfulness on following the Way. Since there is this "confused mind" of either following the Way or not, disorder comes in a way that he is making new things that he was not used to. This disorder may be with in the self, knowing what he really wants, and with others, how he handle peers.

The canon is telling the man that following the Way is not an easy task. He has to face challenges that would measure his loyalty to the path he has been taking. When he lets the challenges affect him, he will be confused on the path he took and might eventually lost it. When he changes himself, that change would be good for a number of days because he will eventually realize who and what he really is. In trying to change his self, disorder starts to arise and will only be gone if he finds his real self. It is only when he finds his real self that he starts to realize the virtues and see that what made him confuse was only a challenge to test his loyalty.