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[Original]

If you are not virtuous (1), you will not quarrel with the people, if you are not expensive and rare (2), if you are not willing to steal (3), if you do not see what you want, (4), so that the people will not be in chaos. It is the rule of a saint, who is humble in his heart (5), solid in his belly, weak in his will (6), strong in his bones, and constantly makes the people ignorant and desireless. If the husband does not dare (7) and the Buddha only does (8), then there is no cure (9).

[Translation]

Those who do not respect the virtuous will lead the common people not to compete with each other, the people will not be deceived if they do not cherish the rare possessions, and the people will not be deceived if they do not show off things that are enough to arouse greed. Therefore, the governing principle of the sages is: to empty the people's scheming, fill the people's stomachs, weaken the people's desire to compete, strengthen the people's muscles and bones, and often make the people have no wisdom and no desire. As a result, those who have wisdom do not dare to do things in vain. If a saint does things according to the principle of "non-action" and does things according to nature, then the genius will not be unpeaceful.

[Notes]

(1) Shangxian: Shang, the same as "Shang", that is, advocating, respecting. Xian: A virtuous and talented person.

(2) Expensive: Valuable, precious. Goods: Property.

(3) Theft: stealing property.

(4) See (xian): through "present", appear, reveal. This is the meaning of showing, showing off.

(5) Emptiness: emptiness, emptiness. Heart: The ancients thought that the heart was the main thought, which refers to the thought, the mind. Empty their hearts, so that their hearts are empty, and they have no thoughts and desires.

(6) Weaken their ambition: make them weaken their ambition. Weaken their intention to compete.

(7) Dare: enterprising.

(8) Buddha is: the same as "non-action".

(9) Governance: governance, which means to govern the world peacefully.

[Quote]

At the end of the Spring and Autumn Period in which Lao Tzu lived, the world was in turmoil, countries fought and annexed each other, large countries dominated and small countries protected themselves, and the rulers recruited talents to govern the country and secure the country in order to maintain their rule. In the social life of that time, the virtuous were admired everywhere, and many schools and scholars put forward the idea of "Shangxian", which was originally for the sake of the country. However, under the banner of Shang Xian, some ambitious people competed for power. The seizure of money has also had a bad impact on the people. For a time, the people's hearts were disordered, thieves were everywhere, and the society was in a situation of turmoil and great changes. In the third chapter, Lao Tzu puts forward the view that he is not virtuous, and at the same time criticizes the desire for material interests caused by "virtuous".

In this chapter, Lao Tzu advocates "not being virtuous" and "making the people ignorant and desireless", and he wants people to return to a state of "non-action" without contradictions. However, the material civilization and spiritual civilization of human society must be constantly developed and improved, so this idea of Lao Tzu is impossible to realize and is negative.

Lao Tzu saw that the ancient social reality was turbulent and unstable, and the contradictions were prominent, which was due to the existence of differences, and Lao Tzu wanted to reduce differences to reduce or avoid social contradictions, which also had his progressive side.

[Commentary]

In the previous chapter, Lao Tzu put forward the concept of "non-action", arguing that it is necessary to conform to the laws of nature and achieve "non-action". In this chapter, Lao Tzu further elaborates on his socio-political thoughts. Lao Tzu's non-action is not to do, but not to act recklessly, not to do. He believed that the "sage" who embodies the "Tao" should not respect the talents and abilities of the people if they want to govern the people, so that the people will not compete for power, fame and fortune. As mentioned earlier, the doctrine of selecting and using talents in the pre-Qin era has become a powerful social opinion, and the competition for the use of talents by various vassal states has also formed an inevitable trend. In this context, Lao Tzu dared to put forward the view of "not being virtuous", which seemed to be out of place to form an opposition to the sons of a hundred schools. However, in Lao Tzu's view, it does not contain the meaning of belittling talents and denying talents. Rather, it is said that the ruler should not give the virtuous too much superior status, power, and fame, so as not to make the "virtuous" a temptation and cause people to compete for power and profit.

In this chapter, Lao Tzu reveals the starting point of his philosophy of life, he neither talks about the good nor the evil of human nature, but says that human nature is originally pure and simple, like a blank piece of paper. If there is a virtuous atmosphere in society, people will certainly not turn a blind eye to this, and it will definitely provoke people's desire for possessiveness and pursuit, which will lead to chaos in the world. If people are not shown what they can covet, then they can maintain their pure nature of "ignorance and desirelessness."

To prevent people from being greedy does not mean to deprive them of their right to subsistence, but to "strengthen their stomachs" and "strengthen their bones" as much as possible, so that the common people can have enough food and clothing in their lives, and that they can protect themselves and support themselves in a healthy body; in addition, they should "be weak in their hearts" and "weak in their wills" so that the people do not have the desire to steal profits and have no desire to compete for the strong. This chapter echoes the previous one, and from a social point of view, everyone returns to the pure, ignorant and desireless nature of nature. In this way, the law of nature can govern personnel, and the world can naturally be governed.

Lao Tzu's "Wu Wei" thought and doctrine had its progressive side and rational factors under the historical conditions at that time. He believes that the development of history has certain natural laws. This law is not arranged or manipulated by God, nor is it governed by man's subjective will, but is objective and natural. This viewpoint played a certain destructive role in the concept of respecting heaven and Dharma ancestors and certain religious superstitious concepts that existed in the ideological circles at that time.

[Interpretation] rule by doing nothing is great rule

The appointment of talents, the enrichment of the country and the strengthening of the army, and then the unification of the countries was originally one of the characteristics of the development of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period from the Shiqing Shilu system with blood relations as the link to the feudal centralized state. The importance of, using, and even studying talents became a hot issue in the pre-Qin society for five and a half centuries. The pre-Qin era was the age of the princes, the age of scholars, and the golden age of intellectuals. Because all countries attach importance to the use of talents, the social status of intellectuals has been greatly improved. They either lobbied the princes, or wrote books and speeches, freely expounding their own views. The pluralistic political landscape and the turbulent and chaotic social reality have provided them with the broadest historical stage for the display of their wisdom and talents. However, it is undeniable that the various ills arising from the great social changes, especially the economic decline and hardship caused by heavy taxes and labor, frequent wars, and the hypocrisy, greed, and cruelty of the rulers, have all given the sons a reflection on them. They want to theoretically explore the reasons for this. As a result, we have studied the nature of human beings from the perspective of social ontology, and have sought the cornerstone of building an ideal society.

Mohists and Legalists made the assumption of "evil" in human nature, and put forward the idea of "advocating virtue and talent" because of this. He advocated the use of positive and fighting methods to promote social reform. They exalted the creative spirit of mankind and played a good and positive role in the development of pre-Qin society.

On the contrary, Lao Tzu believes that human nature is good and innocent. All kinds of ugly human behaviors should be abnormal phenomena caused by the distortion of human nature caused by an irrational and imperfect social system. Therefore, Lao Tzu insisted on removing the false and retaining the truth, and retained the goodness and beauty of human nature and the things that fit the way of nature. The rejection of all things that aroused people's greed, especially the prevailing fashion of the time, which was the most susceptible to sin, was considered to be the most sinful abyss. His political ideas, to today's view, seem incomprehensible. The people of his ideal society, well-limbed and simple-minded, had no extravagant desire for material comfort, and were not troubled by all sorts of dizzying cultural or intellectual troubles. He was a cyclist of history. In his eyes, allowing people to maintain the simple and innocent spiritual life of human beings in a free and relaxed social environment is in line with the way of nature, and is obviously more in line with human nature than the social system of material civilization, which is developed but full of crises, strife, murder and conspiracy.

The "inaction" he emphasized is to conform to nature, and its effectiveness in governing society is obviously much more reasonable and powerful than using laws, regulations, systems, morality, and knowledge to restrain people's social behavior. This is the basic meaning of "doing nothing and doing nothing". Lao Tzu's social ideal is closely related to his theory of "Tao".

Out of a deep understanding of the laws of nature, Lao Tzu regarded the movement adapted to the Tao as the highest standard that human political systems, social life, and moral codes should follow. The concrete embodiment of his political thinking is the "rule of inaction" and "teaching without words" that he advocated. The so-called "rule of non-action" is not inaction, but emphasizes that people's social behavior should conform to nature and apply to the movement of "Tao". Joseph Needham interpreted this pattern of behavior as "the suppression of actions contrary to nature." Specifically, it is to ask the ruler to give the common people a relaxed environment for living and production, and not to force intervention, so as to conform to nature. In such a comfortable living environment, the common people will naturally feel the benefits of this policy without the suffering of harsh government and the worry of heavy taxes, thus achieving the educational effect of "teaching without words."

"The rule of inaction" is not a utopia divorced from reality, nor is it an empty mansion erected in an illusory fantasy, it has the feasibility and rationality of being implemented in reality. The most obvious historical example is the rule of Huang Lao in the early Han Dynasty. Due to the brutal rule of the Qin Dynasty and the dispute between Han and Chu, in the early Western Han Dynasty, social production was seriously damaged, the economy withered, and the population was greatly reduced. The "Historical Records and Pingzhun Book" records that at that time, "since the Son of Heaven could not have a junsi, but a general or an ox cart, the people of Qi had no cover." In this dilapidated socio-economic situation, starting from Gaozu Liu Bang, Huang Lao's inaction was implemented and the policy of "resting with the people" was adopted. During the reign of Emperor Wen, the policies of "lightly shaking and thinning" and "prohibiting the law and prohibiting the province" were further implemented, so that production was gradually restored and developed.

In Lao Tzu's view, wise rulers and leaders should understand the way of nature, conform to human nature, and let subordinates and the people do their best, each obey his duties, and get his own place, and be safe with each other, and avoid using too many rules and regulations to impose mandatory constraints, otherwise it will be counterproductive. In other words, the best policy should be a policy of "quiet and inaction", and do not make the people confused by one movement on the left and one policy on the right. To make a country and a society stable and peaceful, just like treating well water, the more fierce the stirring, the more the residue and leaves will rise, the more turbid the water will be, the best way is not to put any bleaching powder or the like, but to stop exerting external force, let it slowly calm down, so that the well water will be naturally quiet. "Governing by doing nothing is great governance", which is a useful inspiration for future generations from Lao Tzu's theory of "doing nothing".

[Original]

Dao Chong (1), and use it to have Fu Ying also (2). Like the Sect of All Things (4). File its exchange (5), solve its conflict (6), and its light (7), and its dust (8). Zhan (9)!Seems or exists (10). I don't know whose son he was, the first of the elephant emperors (11).

[Translation]

The great "Dao" is empty and open, but its role is endless. It is like the ancestor of all things. Wear away its sharpness, dispel its distractions, reconcile its brilliance, and mix it with dirt. It's hidden, but it seems to actually exist. I don't know whose descendant it is, it seems to be the ancestor of the Emperor of Heaven.

[Notes]

(1) Chong: Tong Cup (chong), the void of utensils, a metaphor for emptiness.

(2) There is Fuying: Yes, through again. Ying: full, by extension, is the end.

(3) Abyss: far-reaching. Oh (a): a verbal particle, indicating a pause.

(4) Zong: ancestor, ancestor.

(5) File its exchange: file (cuo): wear, fold. 漢 (rui): sharp, sharp, sharp. File its sharpness: Wear away its sharpness.

(6) Resolve its disputes: dissolve its disputes.

(7) And its light: Reconcile and conceal its light.

(8) Confusing oneself with the world. The above four "the" characters are all attributes of the Tao itself.

(9) Zhan (zhan): sinking, by extension, vague meaning. Duan Yuci said in the "Annotations on the Interpretation of Words" that the "Shen" of "floating and sinking" in ancient books is mostly written as "Zhan". "Zhan" and "Shen" have the same pronunciation in ancient times. It is used here to describe the "Tao" hidden in the darkness and invisible to the traces.

(10) Plausibility or existence: It seems to exist. Together with the above "Zhan Ha", it describes the "Tao" as if it were nothing. See Chapter 14 "The form of nothingness, the image of nothingness, is a trance" and other sentences to understand the meaning.

(11) Elephant: Like.

[Quote]

In this chapter, Lao Tzu is still discussing the connotation of "Tao". He believes that the Tao is imaginary, formless and formless, and people cannot see or touch it, and can only rely on consciousness to perceive it. Although the Tao is imaginary, it is not nothing, but contains the creative elements of the material world. This kind of factor is extremely abundant and extremely ancient, and existed before the birth of the Heavenly Emperor. Therefore, it was the Tao that created the universe, the heavens, and the earth, and the natural world, not the Emperor of Heaven. In this way, Lao Tzu once again explained the properties of "Tao" from the material aspect.

Continuing the content of the first chapter "formless", Lao Tzu praised the "Tao" as although it is formless, but it is not empty, from the perspective of "horizontal", "Tao" is infinitely broad and inexhaustible, and then from the perspective of "vertical".