Tao Te Ching Chapter 3
第3章
不尚賢，使民不爭；不貴難得之貨，使民不為盜；不見可欲，使民心不亂。是以聖人之治，虛其心，實其腹，弱其志，強其骨。常使民無知無欲。使夫智者不敢為也。為無為，則無不治。
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.
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
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 尚shàngstill, yet; even; fairly, rather
- 賢xiánvirtuous, worthy; good, able
- 使shǐcause, mission, orders; envoy, messenger
- 民míncitizens, subjects; a nation's people
- 爭zhēngto dispute, to fight, to contend, to str
- 貴guìexpensive, costly; valuable, precious
- 難nánhard, difficult, arduous; unable
- 得déto obtain, to get, to acquire; suitable,
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 貨huòproducts, merchandise; goods, commoditie
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 盜dàoto rob, to steal; thief, bandit
- 見jiànto see, to observe, to meet, to appear
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 欲yùdesire, want, longing, intent
- 心xīnheart; mind; soul
- 亂luànanarchy, chaos; revolt
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 聖shèngholy, sacred; sage, saint
- 人rénman, person; people
- 治zhìto administer, to govern, to regulate
- 虛xūfalse; worthless, hollow, empty; vain
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 實shíreal, true; honest, sincere
- 腹fùstomach, belly, abdomen; inside
- 弱ruòweak, fragile, delicate
- 志zhìdetermination, will; mark, sign; to reco
- 強qiángstrong, powerful, energetic
- 骨gǔbone; skeleton; frame, framework
- 常chángcommon, general, normal; always, frequen
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 知zhīto know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 夫fūman, husband; worker; those
- 智zhìwisdom, knowledge, intelligence
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 敢gǎnbold, brave; to dare, to venture
- 也yěalso, too
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
Similar passages
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 64
- Zhuangzi The Universe
- Zhuangzi Opening Trunks
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 12
- Zhuangzi Knowledge travels North
- Mencius 2B.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.
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