From the third chapter of Tao Te Ching written by Laozi during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.
The original text is as follows:
Without Shang Xian, the people will not dispute; Expensive and rare goods, so that people do not steal; If you can't see what you want, you won't be chaotic.
It is the rule of saints that empty their hearts, strengthen their bellies, weaken their aspirations and strengthen their bones, often making the people ignorant and have no desire.
Let the husband who knows dare not do it.
If you do nothing, you will die.
Vernacular translation:
Do not admire talented people and guide people not to compete with each other; Do not cherish rare property and guide people not to steal; If you don't show off what is enough to cause greed, you won't be confused.
Therefore, the sage's principle of governing the country is: emptying people's hearts, filling people's stomachs, weakening people's competitive intentions, and strengthening people's bones and muscles, which often makes people have no desire or desire. That those smart people dare not do anything. Saints do things according to the principle of "inaction" and conform to nature, then the world will not be restless.
Extended data
No, Shang Xian won't let the people fight?
Interpretation of the third chapter of Laozi's Tao Te Ching?
In Laozi's concept, the noumenon of Tao is "nothing", which is manifested as "inaction". The so-called "inaction" means not making progress and believing in nature. Besides, "nothing" as the noumenon of Tao seems to be nothing, while "inaction" as the operating law of Tao shows what? The behavior of "nothing" is to let nature take its course, not to be reckless or promising.
That's why I advocate "no Shang Xian" and "good quality and cheap goods are hard to get"? "、? " I can't see what I want ",so that the people don't fight for power and profit, don't be stolen by rare treasures, and don't be confused by showing off things that cause trouble.
Of course, Lao Tzu's thoughts are not without pertinence. At the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, Lao Tzu lived in an era of chaos, in which countries fought and merged with each other, and big countries dominated and small countries protected themselves. In order to maintain their own rule, rulers recruit talents and govern the country.
At that time, talents were advocated everywhere, and many schools put forward the idea of "Shang Xian". However, under the banner of Shang Xian, some ambitious people compete for power and money, which has brought bad influence to society. At that time, people were in chaos, thieves were rampant and society was in turmoil. In view of the negative influence of "Shang Xian" advocated by people in the society at that time, Lao Tzu severely criticized it. ?
How to govern? Laozi emphasized the principle of "the rule of saints". "hollowing out one's heart and weakening one's ambition" means that governing the country and reassuring the people should purify the people's hearts, not steal money, not be competitive, and "strengthen one's muscles and bones" will make people have ample food and clothing and not be competitive.
"No wisdom" means that there is no clever and false mind and mentality. "No desire" means keeping the mind pure and simple without the expansion of greed, so as to conform to nature and achieve inaction. This chapter echoes the previous chapter, and from the social point of view, makes everyone return to the natural nature of purity, selflessness and unrequited, so that people can be governed by natural laws and the world can be governed naturally. ?
This chapter reflects Lao Zi's dissatisfaction and criticism of the social reality of material desires in the legal period, and emphasizes the importance of purifying people's minds and improving people's spiritual realm.
Laozi believes that the reason why material desires are rampant is that people have lost their normal spiritual world, and their peaceful hearts have been ruined and destroyed by those behaviors that show off their talents, valuables, and covet fame and wealth, thus leading to social chaos and world disputes. Therefore, Laozi proposed "governing by doing nothing".
The rulers are required to act according to the principle of "inaction", not to be reckless, to conform to nature, to respect the laws of nature, to be selfless and calm, to downplay subjective will in concept, to enter the spiritual realm of selflessness, to mobilize and give play to the role of the mind, to maximize the wisdom and strength of the masses, and to promote social development and progress. ?
Laozi's "inaction" thought has its progressive side and reasonable factors under the historical conditions at that time. In his view, the development of history has its own natural laws, which are objective and natural, regardless of the subjective will of God or human beings. This view destroyed the concept of respecting ancestors and some religious superstitions in the ideological circle at that time.