Chapter 3: Quieting desire

CHINESE ORIGINAL

不尚贤，使民不争；不贵难得之货，使民不为盗；不见可欲，使民心不乱。

是以圣人之治，虚其心，实其腹，弱其志，强其骨。

常使民无知无欲。

使夫智者不敢为也。

为无为，则无不治。

ENGLISH · JAMES LEGGE, 1891

Not to value and employ men of superior ability is the way to keep the people from rivalry among themselves; not to prize articles which are difficult to procure is the way to keep them from becoming thieves; not to show them what is likely to excite their desires is the way to keep their minds from disorder.

Therefore the sage, in the exercise of his government, empties their minds, fills their bellies, weakens their wills, and strengthens their bones.

He constantly (tries to) keep them without knowledge and without desire, and where there are those who have knowledge, to keep them from presuming to act (on it). When there is this abstinence from action, good order is universal.

Legge’s translation uses nineteenth-century English. Parentheses are the translator’s; English chapter headings are editorial reading aids. Sources & method ↗

A CONTEMPORARY READING

Modern English reading

Do not exalt the wise, so that the people will not contend; do not value rare goods, so that the people will not steal; do not display desirable things, so that the people's hearts will not be chaotic. Therefore, the sage's governance is to empty the people's minds, fill their bellies, weaken their will, and strengthen their bones. Always make the people have no knowledge and no desire. Make the wise not dare to act. By taking no action, everything will be governed.

Modern English readings and commentary translations are AI-assisted study aids, not a published critical translation. Compare the Chinese source when wording matters.

Modern Chinese reading

不推崇有才德的人，导使老百姓不互相争夺；不珍爱难得的财物，导使老百姓不去偷窃；不显耀足以引起贪欲的事物，导使民心不被迷乱。因此，圣人的治理原则是：排空百姓的心机，填饱百姓的肚腹，减弱百姓的竞争意图，增强百姓的筋骨。经常使老百姓没有伪诈的心智，没有争欲的念头。使那些自作聪明的人也不敢妄为造事。实行无为之治，天下就没有治理不好的。

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Historical commentaries

Xiang’er / attributed to Zhang Daoling 张道陵

Xiang’er commentary

ENGLISH STUDY TRANSLATION

'Do not see the desirable, so that the heart is not disturbed.' [Three characters missing.] Do not wish to look at it; act as though you have not seen it, and do not let the heart stir. If it stirs, admonish yourself immediately; [one character missing] the Way, having departed, returns. If the heart becomes disturbed and pursues the desire, the Way departs from it.

'The sage governs by making the heart numinous and filling the belly.' The heart is a regulator, containing auspicious and inauspicious, good and evil. The belly is the Way's pouch, and its qi should always be full. If the heart does evil, the Way departs and the pouch becomes empty. When it is empty, evil enters and kills the person. Empty the heart of evil, and the Way returns to it; the belly is then full.

'Weaken their ambitions; strengthen their bones.' Ambitions follow the heart in goodness or evil; the bones depend on the belly and look to qi for support. When strong ambition does evil, qi departs and the bones wither. Weaken evil ambition, and qi returns and marrow fills.

'Always keep the people without knowledge and desire.' When the Way is cut off and no longer practiced, deviant writings multiply, and wealth and bribes become a livelihood. The people compete in greedily learning these things. Their lives consequently incline toward danger; this must be prohibited. Let them not know deviant writings or covet treasures and goods, and the state is easy to govern. The influence of those above on those below is like wind bending grass. To bring this about, those above must understand and trust the Way.

'Make those who know not dare not to act.' When those above trust the Way tirelessly, men of extensive knowledge, even if they have deviant hearts, still recognize right and wrong. Seeing the diligence of those above, they too do not dare not to act.

'Then nothing is ungoverned.' Thus the state is governed.

Chinese commentary

“不见可欲，使心不乱。”□□□不欲视之，比如不见，勿令心动。若动自诫，即□道去复还，心乱遂之，道去之矣。

“圣人治，灵其心，实其腹。”心者，规也，中有吉凶善恶。腹者，道囊，气常欲实。心为凶恶，道去囊空。空者耶入，便煞人。虚去心中凶恶，道来归之，腹则实矣。

“弱其志，强其骨。”志随心有善恶，骨随腹仰气。强志为恶，气去骨枯，弱其恶志，气归髓满。

“常使民无知无欲。”道绝不行，耶文滋起，货赂为生，民竟贪学之。身随危倾，当禁之。勿知耶文，勿贪宝货，国则易治。上之化下，犹风之靡草。欲如此，上要当知信道。

“使知者不敢不为。”上信道不倦，多知之士，虽有耶心，犹志是非。见上勤勤，亦不敢不为也。

“则无不治。”如此国以治也。

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Manuscripts and variants

Differences are computed from transcribed Chinese characters, with punctuation excluded. ∅ marks an insertion or omission; highlights do not establish which reading is earlier.

Mawangdui silk manuscript 81% similarity · 13 changed spans