Tao Te Ching Chapter 75
第75章
民之饑，以其上食稅之多，是以饑。民之難治，以其上之有為，是以難治。民之輕死，以其上求生之厚，是以輕死。夫唯無以生為者，是賢於貴生。
The people suffer from famine because of the multitude of taxes consumed by their superiors. It is through this that they suffer famine.
The people are difficult to govern because of the (excessive) agency of their superiors (in governing them). It is through this that they are difficult to govern.
The people make light of dying because of the greatness of their labours in seeking for the means of living. It is this which makes them think light of dying. Thus it is that to leave the subject of living altogether out of view is better than to set a high value on it.
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
- 民míncitizens, subjects; a nation's people
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 饑jīfamine; to starve, to go hungry
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 上shàngabove, on top, superior; to go up; to at
- 食shífood; to eat
- 稅shuìtaxes
- 多duōmuch, many, multi-; more than, over
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 難nánhard, difficult, arduous; unable
- 治zhìto administer, to govern, to regulate
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 輕qīnglight, gentle; simple, easy
- 死sǐdead; death; impassable, inflexible
- 求qiúto seek; to request, to demand; to besee
- 生shēnglife, lifetime; birth; growth
- 厚hòugenerous; substantial; deep (as a friend
- 夫fūman, husband; worker; those
- 唯wéionly; sole
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 賢xiánvirtuous, worthy; good, able
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 貴guìexpensive, costly; valuable, precious
Similar passages
- Zhuangzi Man Among Men
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 65
- Zhuangzi Robber Chê
- Zhuangzi Kêng Sang Ch’u
- Zhuangzi Autumn Floods
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 70
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.