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Chapter 65

古之善为道者

古gǔ之zhī善shàn为wéi道dào者zhě，
非fēi以yǐ明míng民mín，
将jiāng以yǐ愚yú之zhī。
民mín之zhī难nán治zhì，
以yǐ其qí智zhì多duō。
故gù以yǐ智zhì治zhì国guó，
国guó之zhī贼zéi；
不bù以yǐ智zhì治zhì国guó，
国guó之zhī福fú。
知zhī此cǐ两liǎng者zhě，
亦yì稽jī式shì。
常cháng知zhī稽jī式shì，
是shì谓wèi玄xuán德dé，
玄xuán德dé深shēn远yuǎn；
与yǔ物wù反fǎn矣yǐ，
然rán后hòu乃nǎi至zhì大dà顺shùn。

a> Men of the past who were good at following the Dao did not use it to enlighten the people, they used it to make them ignorant. People are difficult to govern is when they have much knowledge.

b> Hence one who governs by means of knowledge plunders the state; one who does not govern by means of knowledge brings fortune to the state. Indeed, these two constitute the standard – to be always aware of the standard is called dark virtue (de).

c> Dark virtue is profound, far reaching; it revolves together with things. Only then does it attain great compliance.

A modern classroom translation, with labeled subsections for study.

© 2010, 2016, 2019 Robert Eno. Freely available for personal use and not-for-profit educational settings. For other purposes, apart from fair use, copyright is not waived.