Tao Te Ching Chapter 19
第19章
絕聖棄智，民利百倍；絕仁棄義，民復孝慈；絕巧棄利，盜賊無有。此三者以為文不足，故令有所屬﹕見素抱樸，少私寡欲。
If we could renounce our sageness and discard our wisdom, it would be better for the people a hundredfold. If we could renounce our benevolence and discard our righteousness, the people would again become filial and kindly. If we could renounce our artful contrivances and discard our (scheming for) gain, there would be no thieves nor robbers.
Those three methods (of government)
Thought olden ways in elegance did fail
And made these names their want of worth to veil;
But simple views, and courses plain and true
Would selfish ends and many lusts eschew.
English: James Legge (1891), The Tâo Teh King, Sacred Books of the East vol. 39 (1891) — public domain. Chinese: Wang Bi recension (王弼本), commentary removed.
Character glossary
- 絕juéto cut, to sever; to break off, to termi
- 聖shèngholy, sacred; sage, saint
- 棄qìto abandon, to discard, to reject; to de
- 智zhìwisdom, knowledge, intelligence
- 民míncitizens, subjects; a nation's people
- 利lìgains, advantage, profit, merit
- 百bǎione hundred; numerous, many
- 倍bèito double; to increase or multiply
- 仁rénbenevolent, humane, kind
- 義yìright conduct, propriety; justice
- 復fùagain, repeatedly; copy, duplicate; to r
- 孝xiàofilial piety, obedience; mourning
- 慈cígentle, humane, kind, merciful
- 巧qiǎoskillful, ingenious, clever
- 盜dàoto rob, to steal; thief, bandit
- 賊zéithief, traitor; cunning, sly
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 此cǐthis, these; in this case, then
- 三sānthree
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 文wénculture, literature, writing
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 足zúfoot; to attain, to satisfy; enough
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 令lìngcommand, decree, order; magistrate; to a
- 所suǒplace, location; "that which", a particl
- 屬shǔclass, category, type; family; affiliate
- 見jiànto see, to observe, to meet, to appear
- 素sùplain; white; vegetarian; formerly; norm
- 抱bàoto embrace, to hold in one's arms; to en
- 樸pǔplain, simple; sincere; surname
- 少shǎofew, little; less; inadequate
- 私sīpersonal, private, secret; selfish
- 寡guǎwidowed; friendless, alone
- 欲yùdesire, want, longing, intent
Similar passages
- Zhuangzi Opening Trunks
- Zhuangzi Mountain Trees
- Zhuangzi Robber Chê
- Zhuangzi On Letting Alone
- Art of War 9.43
- Analects 9.5
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0); Chinese Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.