Tao Te Ching – Verse 19
Throw away holiness and wisdom,
and people will be a hundred times happier.
Throw away morality and justice,
and people will do the right thing.
Throw away industry and profit,
and there won’t be any thieves.
If these three aren’t enough,
just stay at the center of the circle
and let all things take their course.-+-+-+-
End sagacity; abandon knowledge
The people benefit a hundred times
End benevolence; abandon righteousness
The people return to piety and charity
End cunning; discard profit
Bandits and thieves no longer exist
These three things are superficial and insufficient
Thus this teaching has its place:
Show plainness; hold simplicity
Reduce selfishness; decrease desires
(translation by Derek Lin, 2006)
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Pretense is folly.
If they must, ask them to study.
Ask them to remember the beginning.
Exhausted, they may find the peace of Zero.
(translation by Jeremy M. Miller, 2013)
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(translation by Stephen Mitchell, 1995)
from I Ching Online
