Chapter 3 of the Laozi

Chinese Text

不bù尚shàng贤xián, 使shǐ民mín不bù争zhēng; 不bù贵guì难nán得dé之zhī货huò, 使shǐ民mín不bù为wéi盗dào; 不bù见xiàn可kě欲yù, 使shǐ民mín心xīn不bù乱luàn. 
是shì以yǐ圣shèng人rén之zhī治zhì, 虚xū其qí心xīn, 实shí其qí腹fù; 弱ruò其qí志zhì, 强qiáng其qí骨gǔ. 
常cháng使shǐ民mín无wú知zhī无wú欲yù, 使shǐ夫fú知zhī者zhě不bù敢gǎn为wéi也yě. 
为wéi无wú为wéi, 则zé无wú不bù治zhì.

Translation

By not exalting the worthy, the people are prevented from contending.
By not prizing goods that are hard to come by, the people are prevented from stealing.
By not displaying objects of desire, the people’s hearts are kept from being disturbed.
Therefore, when the Sage governs, he empties their hearts and fills their bellies, weakens their wills and strengthens their bones.
He constantly strives to keep the people without knowledge and without desire.
He ensures that those who have knowledge do not dare to act.
He practices non-action, and then there is nothing that is not well governed.

Notes

苏子由Sū Zǐyóu: If great esteem is accorded to the 圣人shèngrén "sages," the people will be ashamed not to be treated the same, and they will come to contend. If goods that are hard to come by (难得之货nándé zhī huò) are prized, the people will grieve over not having them, and they will come to steal. If one’s gaze is fixed on desirable things (可欲kěyù), the people will consider themselves unhappy for not possessing them, and they will come to disorder. All the people of the empire know that these three things are a calamity; but it would be folly to want to renounce them entirely. The 圣人shèngrén never fails to employ the worthy; he simply does not exalt them. He does not reject goods that are hard to come by; he simply does not prize them. He does not renounce desirable things (C: he is not insensitive like a withered tree or dead ashes), he simply does not fix his gaze on them.

E: Although the 圣人shèngrén of high antiquity employed the worthy, they never exalted them. The sages of those distant times held their offices but did not regard them as a source of glory. They bore the burdens but never profited from them. When a thing is neither a source of glory nor profit, how could the people contend for it? In later ages, the worthy enjoyed the fruits of their reputation. The multitude held them in esteem and strove to imitate them. Ambition arose in the hearts of men, and for the first time, a spirit of stubborn struggle and conflict emerged. Therefore, by not exalting the 圣人shèngrén, the people are prevented from contending.

E: The sage kings of high antiquity never failed to use wealth to nourish the people; but in striving to facilitate exchange through trade, their only aim was to help the people obtain clothing and food. As for other kinds of objects, how could the 圣人shèngrén prize them? He guards against valuing rare things (奇货qíhuò) and despising common things. He refrains from doing useless things, for fear of harming what is truly useful. When he has provided the people with sufficient means to clothe and feed themselves, theft and robbery are stopped at their source. Therefore, by not prizing goods that are hard to come by (难得之货nándé zhī huò), the people are prevented from stealing.

E: The heart (心xīn) of man is naturally calm. When it is disturbed and loses its usual state, it is because it is moved by the sight of things that excite desire (可欲kěyù). Therefore, by not looking at things that excite desire, the heart is kept from being disturbed.

In the preceding passages, the words “not esteeming” (不尚bù shàng), “not prizing” (不贵bù guì), show that the words “not looking” (不见bù jiàn) must refer to the king. This meaning, which I find in most commentaries, seems to have escaped 谢朏Xiè Fěi (E); but to determine it further, it is essential to add, according to edition D, the word 民mín “people” before 心xīn “heart”: “The hearts of the people are kept from being disturbed.”

Following commentator E, on the contrary, one would be obliged to translate literally: If a man does not look at desirable things, he will ensure that his heart is not disturbed.

By 可欲kěyù “desiderabilia,” C understands reputation (名míng) and profit (利lì). A believes it refers to voluptuous music (淫声yínshēng) and the beauty of women (美色měisè).

E: When the 圣人shèngrén governs the empire, he blocks the path to fortune and honors (塞兑sè duì), and he removes objects of luxury (闭利bì lì); thereby he teaches the people to stifle their base and greedy inclinations and to preserve their primitive simplicity. He remains calm and detached from all thought, then his heart (the heart of the 圣人shèngrén) is empty (虚xū). Therefore, his spirit (神shén) and vital energy (气qì) are preserved within him, and his belly (腹fù) is filled. (These last words must be taken figuratively.)

A: He expels his greed (欲yù) and sensual desires, and removes everything that could disturb his heart. Ibid. “He fills his belly” means he contains the 道Dào within himself and preserves his five spirits (五神wǔshén).

E: He is humble (柔弱róuruò) and timid, and remains in absolute inaction (无为wúwéi). Then his will weakens.

Therefore, his physical vigor does not wear out and his bones become strong.

A: He makes himself supple (柔róu) and humble (弱ruò); he does not seek to command others.

E: The heart (心xīn) of man is naturally devoid of knowledge (无知wúzhī) and free from desire (无欲wúyù); but contact with creatures perverts it and disturbs its original purity. Then it compromises and loses itself in pursuing a multitude of knowledge and indulging in a host of desires. The words “he makes the people have neither knowledge nor desire” simply mean that he returns them to their original state.

E: Those who have knowledge (有知yǒuzhī) love to create troubles that agitate the empire. But if a man knows the disadvantages of action (有为yǒuwéi) and the advantages of non-action (无为wúwéi), he will be filled with fear and will not dare to act in a disorderly manner.

The best way to provide tranquility to men is 无为wúwéi. Therefore, when one practices 无为wúwéi (this is said of the king), everything is well governed.