Monday, February 21, 2022

Daodejing, Laozi, Chapter 65

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
Chapter 65 


"Those who, in ancient times, were eminent for the practice of Tao, abstained from enlightening the people, and kept them simple.
The difficulty of governing the people arises from their excess of shrewdness.
He who employs shrewdness in governing a State, becomes a robber of the State;
he who does not do so, is a blessing to it.
The man who knows both these things presents an ideal of good government, and a knowledge of this ideal
constitutes Sublime Virtue.
Sublime Virtue is deep and far-reaching, and is in direct opposition to all objects of desire;
thus it is able to bring about universal accordance with the Tao."
-  Translated by Frederic Henry Balfour, 1884, Chapter 65    


"In days gone by, those who knew how to follow the Dao did not seem enlightened but ignorant.
The reason why people are hard to govern is because they know too much.
And so to use knowledge to govern a country is to be its curse.
Not to use knowledge to govern a country is to be its blessing. 
There are two primal principles, and to understand them always brings the deepest virtue (De).
How hidden, deep and far-reaching virtue (De) is.
It makes all things return to their source and so attain oneness."
-  Translated by Tim Chilcott, 2005, Chapter 65  


"The ancient Masters
who understood the way of the Tao,
did not educate people, but made them forget.

Smart people are difficult to guide,
because they think they are too clever.
To use cleverness to rule a country,
is to lead the country to ruin.
To avoid cleverness in ruling a country,
is to lead the country to prosperity.

Knowing the two alternatives is a pattern.
Remaining aware of the pattern is a virtue.
This dark and mysterious virtue is profound.
It is opposite our natural inclination,
but leads to harmony with the heavens."
-  Translated by John H. McDonald, 1996, Chapter 65  



古之善為道者, 非以明民, 將以愚之.
民之難治, 以其智多.
故以智治國, 國之賊.
不以智治國, 國之福.
知此兩者亦  式.
常知  式, 是謂玄德.
玄德深矣遠矣.
與物反矣.
然後乃至大順.
-  Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 65 



ku chih shan wei tao chê, fei yi ming min, chiang yi yü chih.
min chih nan chih, yi ch'i chih to.
ku yi chih chih kuo, kuo chih tsê.
pu yi chih chih kuo, kuo chih fu.
chih tz'u liang chê yi chi shih.
ch'ang chih chi shih, shih wei hsüan tê.
hsüan tê shên yi yüan yi.
yü wu fan yi.
jan hou nai chih ta shun.
-  Wade-Giles Romanization, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 65  


"In olden times the best practitioners of Tao did not use it to awaken people to knowledge,
But used it to restore them to simplicity.
People are difficult to govern because they have much knowledge.
Therefore to govern the country by increasing the people's knowledge is to be the destroyer of the country;
To govern the country by decreasing knowledge is to be the blesser of the country.
To be acquainted with these two ways is to know the standard;
To keep the standard always in mind is to have sublime virtue.
Sublime virtue is infinitely deep and wide.
It goes to reverse all things;
And so it attains perfect peace."
-  Translated by Ch'u Ta-Kao, 1904, Chapter 65  


"Los antiguos que seguían el Tao
no necesitaban esclarecer con ello al pueblo,
ya que lo conservaban en su sencillez natural.
El pueblo se volvió dificil de gobernar
cuando recibió el adoctrinamiento.
Quien gobierna adoctrinando
arruina el Estado.
Quien gobierna sin servirse de la astucia
enriquece el Estado.
Conocer estas dos cosas
es conocer la verdadera norma.
Conocer esta norma
es poseer la Misteriosa Virtud.
La Misteriosa Virtud es profunda y extensa;
es lo inverso a todas las cosas,
pero por ella todo se armoniza.
"
-  Translation from Wikisource, 2013, Tao Te Ching, Capitulo 66


"Sound old rulers, it is said,
Left people to themselves, instead
Of wanting to teach everything
And start the people arguing.
With mere instruction in command,
So that people understand
Less than they know, woe is the land;
But happy the land that is ordered so
That they understand more than they know.
For everyone's good this double key
Locks and unlocks equally.
If modern man would use it, he
Could find old wisdom in his heart
And clear his vision enough to see
From start to finish and finish to start
The circle rounding perfectly."
-  Translated by Witter Bynner, 1944, Chapter 65 




Chapter and Thematic Index (Concordance) to the Tao Te Ching



Taoism: A Selected Reading List 





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