Chapter 19 Cease to respect the holiness

 

Chapter 19

絕聖棄智,民利百倍;絕仁棄義,民復孝慈;絕巧棄利,盜賊無有。此三者以為文不足,故令有所屬,見素抱樸,少私寡欲。

jue sheng qi zhi, min
li bai bei
絕聖棄智,民利百倍

Cease to respect the holiness of the ruler and expel the crafty mindset. Then, the people will benefit a hundred times more.

jue ren qi yi, min fu
xiao ci
絕仁棄義,民復孝慈

Cease to emphasize ren and expel yi. Then, the people will restore their trust in the leader and
acknowledge his leadership.

jue qiao qi li, dao
zei wu you
絕巧棄利,盜賊無有

Cease to introduce the shortcut for an unrealistic life and expel the desire of accumulating wealth. Then, there will be no more thieves and robbers.

ci san zhe yi wei wen
bu zu, gu ling you suo shu
此三者以為文不足,故令有所屬

These three suggestions indicate that written decrees are insufficient to restore social order. It needs certain extraordinary measures other than that like role-modeling.

xian su bao pu, shao
si gua yu
見素抱樸,少私寡欲

As a leader, you are better to live a simple life and care for those people in the lower level of society and better to lessen your wealth and diminish your desires.