dawei Posted November 17, 2018 David Hinton 2002 75 The people are starving, and it's only because you leaders feast on taxes that they're starving. The people are impossible to rule, and it's only because you leaders are masters of extenuation that they're impossible to rule. The people take death lightly, and it's only because you leaders crave life's lavish pleasures that they take death lightly, they who act without concern for life: it's a wisdom far beyond treasuring life. Dwight Goddard 1919 75 Starvation of a people comes when an official appropriates to himself too much of the taxes. The reason a people are difficult to govern is because the officials are too meddlesome; the people make light of death because they are so absorbed in life's interests. The one who is not absorbed in life is more moral than he who esteems life. Bradford Hatcher 2005 75 The hunger of the people Is from their superiors eating up so much of their tax grain This is behind the hunger The difficulties in governing the people Are due to their superiors having to take action This is behind the difficulties in government The people come to take death lightly Because they pursue life’s riches This is behind their taking death lightly Only when one does not think life a performance Will there be skill in valuing life Wing-Tsit Chan 1963 75 The people starve because the ruler eats too much tax-grain. Therefore they starve. They are difficult to rule because their ruler does too many things. Therefore they are difficult to rule. The people take death lightly because their ruler strives for life too vigorously. Therefore they take death lightly. It is only those who do not seek after life that excel in making life valuable. Gu Zhengku 1993 75 The hunger on the part of the people Is the result of exorbitant taxes on the part of the ruler; Thus the people are hungry. The unruliness on the part of the people Is the result of meddlesome actions on the part of the ruler; Thus the people are unruly. Making light of life on the part of the people Is the result of setting too much store by life on the part of the ruler; Thus the people make light of life. Those who make light of their own life Are wiser than those who overvalue their life. Ch'u Ta-Kao 1904 75 The people starve. Because their officials take heavy taxes from them, therefore they starve. The people are hard to rule. Because their officials meddle with affairs, therefore they are hard to rule. The people pay no heed to death. Because they endevour to seek life; therefore they pay no heed to death. Flowing Hands 1987 75 Why do people starve to death? Because governments use up all the money in taxes and military operations. Why then do people become rebellious? Because governments interfere and have too much control over people's lives. Therefore people feel frustrated and cheated. Why do people lose care in their hearts? Because their lives are preyed upon by the rich and the lawmakers. So people become wild and lose any care about what they do. Go back to a simple life, have nothing, but be free. Be at one with nature, with all her beauty and ugliness, and troubles will be simplified and their solutions more easily found. But people find it hard to let go of what they have. By letting go, you can free yourself from bondage. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OldDog Posted November 22, 2018 On 11/17/2018 at 3:46 PM, dawei said: But people find it hard to let go of what they have. By letting go, you can free yourself from bondage. This seems to sum it up pretty well. There are always going to be those who through the governing take advantage of the people. There.seems to be no end to the greed. The only thing people.can do is tolet go and live their lives as simply as possible. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Still_Waters Posted December 29, 2018 On 11/21/2018 at 8:53 PM, OldDog said: This seems to sum it up pretty well. There are always going to be those who through the governing take advantage of the people. There.seems to be no end to the greed. The only thing people.can do is to let go and live their lives as simply as possible. Those words of wisdom are applicable throughout the ages, including today. Well said ! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rideforever Posted December 29, 2018 75 Gia Fu Feng Why are the people starving? Because the rulers eat up the money in taxes. Therefore the people are starving. Why are the people rebellious? Because the rulers interfere too much. Therefore they are rebellious. Why do the people think so little of death? Because the rulers demand too much of life. Therefore the people take death lightly. Having little to live on, one knows better than to value life too much. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rideforever Posted December 29, 2018 (edited) What the people end up doing is a natural result of how they are taught, and they are taught badly .... so don't you do the same. You must understand the right way to live, if your teachers had been teaching right. Why are the rulers doing bad things .... this isn't explained. Why do people laugh and sing and drink ... when inside they are suffering, they are sad, they are tearful. Why do rulers try to do big things, to talk about big talks, always a great bold bright amazing future .... the more they say it, the more they are suffering inside, they try to carry on their distraction one more time. Such pain inside. What happens in the big people happens in the small people, we must be kind and feel their hearts though they do not feel them themselves. Will either the big or the small people remember ? The small hope for the big to remember, the big hope for the small to remember. Do you remember ? Will you live through remembrance ? The rulers are meant to teach us, and they teach us very much .... if we have eyes to see and ears to hear, they can teach us all the lessons we need to learn, and when we respond with understanding then we return to the course and we are grateful. Our oars are straight and our stroke is true, we sense dawn just beyond the horizon and steer for it. Edited December 29, 2018 by rideforever Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rara Posted July 6, 2020 On 17/11/2018 at 9:46 PM, dawei said: The people pay no heed to death. Because they endevour to seek life; therefore they pay no heed to death. In addition to the above, I'd like to point out the point here that is on the people as well, again striving and being distracted and having little concern about their own mortality. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sketch Posted November 22, 2020 Verse Seventy Five The people are starving And you tax their food. This is the cause of famine. The people are difficult to rule Because of the yoke of laws put on them. That is why rulers see people as resistant to rule. Rulers talk about the people making sacrifices Because they value their lives So the people sacrifice And only the so called grownups in charge Reap the benefits. The lives of the people should not be wasted to Gratify the desires Of the so called grownups in charge. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Immortality Posted October 5, 2021 O the famine of the people! for lords consume their crops and take their wealth for their own. How shalt thou succeed in governing a people roused by hunger bitter? It is as if thou eatest of corpses like the carrion crow eats the flesh of the dead. But how shall a tree hope to live if he plunders the earth in which his roots should remain firmly settled? O the Taoist mystic! whom in Void finds his great abundance, he alone is worthy of being called a noble lord. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
