[DDJ Meaning] Chapter 57

[dawei]

David Hinton 2002
57

You may govern the nation through principle
and lead armies to victory through craft,
but you win all beneath heaven through indifference.
How can I know this to be so?
Through this.
The more prohibitions rule all beneath heaven the deeper poverty grows among the people.
The more shrewd leaders there are the faster dark confusion fills the nation.
The more cleverness people learn the faster strange things happen.
The faster laws and decrees are issued the more bandits and thieves appear.
Therefore a sage says:
I do nothing
and the people transform themselves.
I cherish tranquility
and the people rectify themselves.
I cultivate indifference
and the people enrich themselves.
I desire nothing
and the people return of themselves to uncarved simplicity.

 

 

Chad Hansen 2009
57

Use correcting to order the state. 
Use shock in deploying military force. 
Use absence of social matters to take charge of the social world. 
How do I know these are so? 
With this. 
The more the social world has to elude, 
the more the people are impoverished. 
The more the people have beneficial artifacts, 
the more the state and society are befuddled. 
The more humans are skilled and clever 
the more strange natural kinds crop up. 
The more standards of behavior and commands are promulgated, 
the more thieves and robbers there are. 
Hence sages say: 
I lack deeming-action and the people self-transform. 
I remain calm and the people self-correct. 
I avoid social matters and the people self-enrich. 
I lack desires and the people self-simplify (become like uncarved wood). 

 

 

Moss Roberts 2001
57

Rule kingdoms by right;
Wage war by deceit;
To win the world forsake ambition;
How do I know that this is so?
The more thou-shalt-nots for the world,
The more the people are deprived.
The more devices that bring gain,
The more the clan and kingdom’s bane.
The more that clever crafts expand,
The more strange artifacts abound.
The more the laws and writs declared,
The more that crime and violence spread.
Hence the wise in rule have said,
“May we under-govern and
The ruled uplift themselves.
May we forsake ambition and
The ruled enrich themselves.
May we have no more desire
And the ruled keep their simple ways.”

 

 

Lok Sang Ho 2002
57

We rule a nation with the straight mind.
We deploy the military forces with surprises.
We win the hearts of all under heaven with non-intervention.
How do I know that this should be so, with this:
The more prohibitions that are imposed by the emperor101,
The poorer the people become.
The more clever products that people own,
The less clever the nation becomes.102
The more people use their tricks and knacks,
The more odd products there are, and
The more rules and laws there are,
It is likely that there are the more thieves and bandits.
The Sage says: “I do not contrive, and people
 automatically become cultured and well-mannered.
I keep still, and people automatically become straight;
I do not intervene, and people automatically become rich;
I do not crave, and people automatically lead a simple life.” 

 

Gu Zhengku 1993
57

Rule the state with peace and inaction;
Wage a war with crafty tricks;
Governing the world by not troubling the people.
How do I know it is the right way?
The reason is as follows:
The more prohibitions there are in the world,
The poorer the people;
The more weapons the people own,
The more chaotic the state;
The more skills the people have,
The more strange things occur;
The more laws and orders are issued,
The more thieves and robbers there are.
Thus the sage says,
If I prefer inaction,
The people will naturally crave for peace;
If I act little,
The people will be naturally rectified;
If I am not meddlesome,
The people will naturally become rich;
If I get rid of desires,
The people will naturally become simple.

 

 

Lin Yutang 1948
57

Rule a kingdom by the Normal. 
Fight a battle by (abnormal) tactics of surprise. 
Win the world by doing nothing. 
How do I know it is so?

Through this: - 
   The more prohibitions there are, 
      The poorer the people become. 
   The more sharp weapons there are, 
      The greater the chaos in the state. 
    The more skills of technique, 
      The more cunning things are produced. 
   The greater the number of statutes, 
      The greater the number of thieves and brigands.

Therefore the sage says: 
   I do nothing and the people are reformed of themselves. 
   I love quietude and the people are righteous of themselves. 
   I deal in no business and the people grow rich by themselves. 
   I have no desires and the people are simple 
      and honest by themselves.

 

 

Flowing Hands 1987
57

When ruling a nation, use as little force as necessary and leave people
to follow their own path.
In this way you become the ruler of the Universe by not striving.
How do I know this?
Because the more laws and restrictions,
the poorer the poor become and wealthier the rich get.
Men take to sharpening their swords.
People become cunning and ingenious and more trouble
is seen in the land.
The more rules and regulations made will only cause robbers and thieves to appear.
And people will feel bitterness, and rebellion in their hearts.
Therefore the Sage goes about doing nothing and people are left free.
He enjoys peace and tranquillity and people become simple and honest.
He returns to the fullness of the Dao, and so people become
full and contented.
He is unattached and open and so people return to
a good and simple life.

 

[Marblehead]

Well, I remained in my peace and contentment, left the people alone,

 

and guess what.

 

They are still screwed up.

 

Maybe we need different rulers of nations.

 

[OldDog]

The timing of these passages is remarkable. The chapters of Laozi dealing most directly with governing are presented just as we approach the midterms.

 

It certainly would not hurt to reflect on our government as we read these passages.

 

Is it providence or dawei that brings us to this. 

 

 

[dawei]

9 hours ago, OldDog said:

The timing of these passages is remarkable. The chapters of Laozi dealing most directly with governing are presented just as we approach the midterms.

 

It certainly would not hurt to reflect on our government as we read these passages.

 

Is it providence or dawei that brings us to this. 

 

 

 

Oh please, the wind blows and I sometimes observe how a leaf stumbles about the landscape...   I see the the political landscape similarly.  But.. who knows.   Did you ever wonder if you caused an outcome vs you knew the outcome...  We will continue to ponder that, I am sure. 

[Rara]

I'm not sure about line 2 overall. Lau's is "Wage war by being crafty", which still doesn't sit well with me.

 

On 14/10/2018 at 7:09 PM, dawei said:

lead armies to victory through craft

 

Here, Hinton's using a better sentence structure, to effectively say that armies should be deployed creatively and tactfully.

 

On 14/10/2018 at 7:09 PM, dawei said:

We deploy the military forces with surprises.

 

Lin Yutang also

 

On 14/10/2018 at 11:54 PM, Marblehead said:

 

Maybe we need different rulers of nations.

 

100%. I don't think leaving people alone is the moral of this story, but less deceit and interference. Don't make people paranoid, don't give them guns, don't give them a reason to want more and go stealing etc.

[Sketch]

 

• Verse Fifty Seven

 

When you rule your kingdom

Correctly

The military can be a small, specialized thing.

 

You can deal with the world

And everything that happens in it

In the space between breaths

How do I know this?

 

Here it is;

 

When you have too many rules for the people to follow,

 

The people wind up impoverished.

 

They put what little they have into weapons.

 

This weakens the nation,

And many skillful ministers will show up with

Their solutions and they will

Run things right into the ground.

 

Strange things begin to happen. 

The laws cause many people 

To be criminals, thieves.

 

Look up - read the wise person’s

 thought bubble.

 

I’d do nothing. That would cause 

The people to change their ways.

 

I’m peaceful and quiet 

And the people return 

To the correct path.

 

I live simply and the people prosper.

 

I want nothing and the people are 

Frugal and satisfied.