Chapter 57

以正治国

Chapter Translation

以yǐ正zhèng治zhì国guó，

以yǐ奇qí用yòng兵bīng，

以yǐ无wú事shì取qǔ天tiān下xià。

吾wú何hé以yǐ知zhī其qí然rán哉zāi？

以yǐ此cǐ：

天tiān下xià多duō忌jì讳huì，

而ér民mín弥mí贫pín；

人rén多duō利lì器qì，

国guó家jiā滋zī昏hūn；

人rén多duō伎jì巧qiǎo，

奇qí物wù滋zī起qǐ；

法fǎ令lìng滋zī彰zhāng，

盗dào贼zéi多duō有yǒu。

故gù圣shèng人rén云yún：

我wǒ无wú为wéi，

而ér民mín自zì化huà；

我wǒ好hǎo静jìng，

而ér民mín自zì正zhèng；

我wǒ无wú事shì，

而ér民mín自zì富fù；

我wǒ无wú欲yù，

而ér民mín自zì朴pǔ。

a> To order a state use uprightness; to lead troops use stratagems; to control the world undertake nothing.

How do I know it is so? By means of this.

b> As the world is filled with more taboos the people grow poorer; as the people possess more sharp weapons the state grows benighted; as men use more crafty skills strange goods increasingly appear; as laws are proclaimed with increasing clarity bandits become more common.

c> Hence the sage says: If I take no action the people will transform of themselves; if I love tranquility the people will be upright of themselves; if I undertake nothing the people will create wealth of themselves; if I have no desires the people will of themselves become uncarved blocks.

A modern classroom translation, with labeled subsections for study.