#Click on a sentence 1 2 3 4 5 6 Chapter 2 Chapter 4 Back to index #

Ch. 03	Sentence 2
Beck	Do not value rare treasure, so that people will not steal.
Blackney	If goods that are hard to obtain are not favoured, The people will cease to turn robbers or bandits.
Bynner	Not to pile up rich belongings Lest they rob,
Byrn	If you overvalue possessions, people will begin to steal.
Chan	Do not value rare treasures, so that the people shall not steal.
Cleary	Not putting high prices on hard-to-get goods causes the people not to steal.
Crowley	to prize rarities is to encourage robbery;
Hansen	Don't value limited commodities: cause people not to contemplate stealing.
LaFargue	Not prizing goods hard to come by brings it about that the people do not become thieves
Legge	not to prize articles which are difficult to procure is the way to keep them from becoming thieves;
Lindauer	Being without treasuring goods difficult to obtain Results in people who do not act as thieves
LinYutan	Prize not rare objects, So that the people shall not steal;
Mabry	Do not value precious goods Or the people will become thieves.
McDonald	If we cease to set store by products that are hard to get, there will be less outright thieves.
Merel	Not esteeming the valuable prevents theft,
Mitchell	If you overvalue possessions, people begin to steal.
Muller	If you do not value rare treasures, you will stop others from stealing.
Red Pine	prizing no treasures keeps people from stealing
Ta-Kao	Not valuing rare things keeps them from theft.
Walker	When exotic goods are traded and treasured, the compulsion to steal is felt.
Wieger	Not to prize rare objects will have the result that no one will continue to steal.
World	Overvaluing goods creates the desire for ownership and therefore creates the temptation to steal.
Wu	By not prizing goods hard to get, you will cause the people to cease from robbing and stealing.

Ch. 03	Sentence 3
Beck	Do not display objects of desire, so that people's hearts will not be disturbed.
Blackney	If things much desired are kept under cover, Disturbance will cease in the minds of the people.
Bynner	Nor to excite by display Lest they covet.
Byrn	Do not display your treasures or people will become envious.
Chan	Do not display objects of desire, so that the people's hearts shall not be disturbed.
Cleary	Not seeing anything to want causes the mind not to be confused.
Crowley	to display desirable things is to excite the disorder of covetousness.
Hansen	Don't display the desirable: prevent confusing the people's hearts-'n-minds.
LaFargue	Not paying attention to the desirable brings it about that the people's minds do not become disordered.
Legge	not to show them what is likely to excite their desires is the way to keep their minds from disorder.
Lindauer	Being without seeing what one can desire Results in the minds of people not being confused.
LinYutan	Shut out from site the things of desire, So that the people's hearts shall not be disturbed.
Mabry	Do not make a public display of riches and finery Or the people's hearts will be envious and discontent.
McDonald	If the people never see such things as excite desire, their hearts can remain placid and undisturbed.
Merel	Not displaying the beautiful prevents desire.
Mitchell
Muller	If people do not see desirables, they will not be agitated.
Red Pine	displaying no attractions keeps people from making trouble
Ta-Kao	Not showing what is desirable keeps their hearts from confusion.
Walker	When desires are constantly stimulated, people become disturbed and confused.
Wieger	To show nothing as alluring will have the effect of putting the people's hearts at rest.
World	When people do not distinguish things as valuable, they remain focused on the oneness of all things and do not become confused in the material world.
Wu	By not displaying what is desirable, you will cause the people's hearts to remain undisturbed.

Ch. 03	Sentence 4
Beck	Therefore the wise lead by keeping their hearts pure, their bellies full, their ambitions weak, and their bones strong,
Blackney	The Wise Man's policy, accordingly, Will be to empty people's hearts and minds, To fill their bellies, weaken their ambition, Give them sturdy frames
Bynner	A sound leader's aim Is to open people's hearts, Fill their stomachs, Calm their wills, Brace their bones
Byrn	The Master leads by emptying people's minds, filling their bellies, weakening their ambitions, and making them become strong.
Chan	Therefore in the government of the sage, He keeps their hearts vacuous, Fills their bellies, Weakens their ambitions, And strengthens their bones,
Cleary	Therefore the government of sages empties the mind and fills the middle, weakens the ambition and strengthens the bones,
Crowley	Therefore the sage governs men by keeping their minds and bodies at rest, contenting the one by emptiness, the other by fullness. He satisfies their desires, thus fulfilling their wills, and making them frictionless; and he makes them strong in body, to a similar end.
Hansen	Using these: The governance of sages: empties their hearts-'n-minds, stuffs their guts Weakens their resolve, and strengthens their bones.
LaFargue	And so, the government of the Wise Person: Empty their minds, fill their bellies weaken their ambitions, strengthen their bones.
Legge	Therefore the sage, in the exercise of his government, empties their minds, fills their bellies, weakens their wills, and strengthens their bones.
Lindauer	Appropriately the governing of sages happens. Baring the mind Solidifying the center Lessening the will Strengthening self-nature
LinYutan	Therefore in the government of the Sage: He keeps empty their hearts Makes full their bellies, Discourages their ambitions, Strengthens their frames;
Mabry	Therefore, the wise leader will empty their hearts of coveting and fill their bellies with sustenance. He discourages their ambition and strengthens their bones.
McDonald	Therefore the wise one rules by emptying their hearts [like the clown]. He fills their bellies, weakens their brightness and toughens their bones, ever striving to make the people without knowledge.
Merel	In this manner the sage governs people: Emptying their minds, Filling their bellies, Weakening their ambitions, And strengthening their bones.
Mitchell	The Master leads by emptying people's minds and filling their cores, by weakening their ambition and toughening their resolve..
Muller	Therefore, when the sage governs, He clears peoples' minds, Fills their bellies, Weakens their ambition and Strengthens their bones.
Red Pine	thus the rule of the sage empties the mind but fills the stomach weakens the will but strengthens the bones
Ta-Kao	Therefore the Sage rules By emptying their hearts, Filling their stomachs, Weakening their ambitions And strengthening their bones.
Walker	Therefore, the wise person sets an example by emptying her mind, opening her heart, relaxing her ambitions, relinquishing her desires, cultivating her character.
Wieger	Therefore the politics of Sages consists in emptying the minds of men and filling their stomachs, in weakening their initiative and strengthening their bones.
World	Therefore, harmonious leaders empty the people's minds but nourish their bodies. They undermine desires and improve endurance.
Wu	Therefore, the Sage's way of governing begins by Emptying the heart of desires, Filling the belly with food, Weakening the ambitions, Toughening the bones.

Ch. 03	Sentence 5
Beck	so that the people may be purified of their thoughts and desires; and the cunning ones will not interfere.
Blackney	and always so, To keep them uninformed, without desire, And knowing ones not venturing to act.
Bynner	And so to clarify their thoughts and cleanse their needs That no cunning meddler could touch them:
Byrn	Preferring simplicity and freedom from desires, avoiding the pitfalls of knowledge and wrong action.
Chan	He always causes his people to be without knowledge (cunning) or desire, And the crafty to be afraid to act.
Cleary	always keeping the people innocent and passionless. It makes the sophisticated not dare to contrive;
Crowley	He delivers them from the restlessness of knowledge and the craving of discontent. As to those who have knowledge already, he teaches them the way of non-action.
Hansen	He treats causing the people to lack both knowledge and desire as constants. Causing those with knowledge not to venture deeming-actions.
LaFargue	Always bring it about that the people are without knowledge and without desires. Bring it about that the clever ones do not presume to set about doing.
Legge	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).
Lindauer	These entirely result in people Who are absent of knowing and absent of desire
LinYutan	So that the people may be innocent of knowledge and desires. And the cunning ones shall not presume to interfere.
Mabry	If people are simple and free from desire, the crafty will not dare to take advantage of them.
McDonald	He sees to it that if there are any who are bright and clever, they dare not interfere.
Merel	If people lack knowledge and desire Then they can not act;
Mitchell	He helps people lose everything they know, everything they desire, and creates confusion in those who think that they know.
Muller	If the people are kept without cleverness and desire It will make the intellectuals not dare to meddle.
Red Pine	by keeping the people from knowing or wanting and those who know from daring to act
Ta-Kao	He always keeps them from knowing what is evil and desiring what is good; thus he gives the crafty ones no chance to act.
Walker	having conquered her own cunning and cravings, she can't be manipulated by anyone.
Wieger	Their constant care is to hold the people in ignorance and apathy. They make things such that clever people dare not to act,
World	They keep the people focused on their oneness with Infinity and free them from attachments to material things. They redirect the energies of those who would manipulate others.
Wu	In this way he will cause the people to remain without knowledge and without desire, and prevent the knowing ones from any ado.

Ch. 03	Sentence 6
Beck	By acting without interfering, all may live in peace.
Blackney	Be still while you work And keep full control Over all.
Bynner	Without being forced, without strain or constraint, Good government comes of itself.
Byrn	For those who practice not-doing, everything will fall into place.
Chan	By acting without action, all things will be in order.
Cleary	action being without contrivance, nothing is disordered.
Crowley	This being assured, there is no disorder in the world.
Hansen	They deem the absence of deeming-action and thus nothing is ungoverned.
LaFargue	Do Not Doing and nothing will be left un-governed.
Legge	When there is this abstinence from action, good order is universal.
Lindauer	In the end they also result in the wise not venturing to act. Acting absent of acting An absence of being without governing follows.
LinYutan	By action without deeds May all live in peace.
Mabry	By practicing "not doing," nothing will remain undone.
McDonald	Through his non-do actions all [such subjection] runs well [for some time].
Merel	If no action is taken Harmony remains.
Mitchell	Practice not-doing, and everything will fall into place.
Muller	Acting without contrivance, there is no lack of manageability.
Red Pine	he thus governs them all
Ta-Kao	He governs by non-action; consequently there is nothing un-governed.
Walker	Do by not-doing. Act with non-action. Allow order to arise of itself.
Wieger	for there is nothing that cannot be sorted out through the practice of non-action.
World	If you remember your oneness with Infinity, and flow with life by refusing to distinguish good and bad, you will flow in the peace and harmony that is the essence of Infinity.
Wu	Practice Non-Ado and everything will be in order.