第三章 Dao De Jing · Chapter 3

The sage governs by not stirring up envy and ambition, and acts without acting.

不bù尚shàng贤xián，使shǐ民mín不bù争zhēng，

Not adulating the worthy, makes people non-contentious.
不bù贵guì难nán得dé之zhī货huò，使shǐ民mín不bù为wéi盗dào。

Not valuing hard-to-get goods, makes people refrain from stealing.
不bù见xiàn可kě欲yù，使shǐ民mín心xīn不bù乱luàn。

Not seeing what can be desired, appeases people's soul.
是shì以yǐ圣shèng人rén之zhī治zhì，

Thus, governs the sage,
虚xū其qí心xīn，实shí其qí腹fù，弱ruò其qí志zhì，强qiáng其qí骨gǔ。

Clear people's minds, fill their bellies, weaken their ambitions and strengthen their bones.
常cháng使shǐ民mín无wú知zhī无wú欲yù，使shǐ夫fú智zhì者zhě不bù敢gǎn为wéi也yě，

Always keep the people ignorant and devoid of desire, make the cunning ones dare not agitate the rest.
为wéi无wú为wéi，则zé无wú不bù治zhì。

Act without acting, and nothing will be out of order.

Words in this chapter

Words in chapter 3, with pinyin and meaning
Word	Pinyin	Meaning
不	bù	not
尚	shàng	to exalt, to honor
贤	xián	the worthy, the talented
使	shǐ	to make, to cause
民	mín	the people
不争	bù zhēng	not contending
贵	guì	to value, to prize
难得	nán dé	hard to obtain
之	zhī	of, 's (linking particle)
货	huò	goods, valuables
为	wéi	to be, to count as
盗	dào	thief, robber
见	xiàn	to display, show
可	kě	can be
欲	yù	desire, to desire
心	xīn	heart, mind
乱	luàn	disturbed, in disorder
是以	shì yǐ	therefore, for this reason
圣人	shèng rén	the sage
治	zhì	to govern; in order
虚	xū	empty, to empty
其	qí	its, his, their
实	shí	to fill
腹	fù	belly
弱	ruò	to weaken
志	zhì	will, ambition
强	qiáng	to strengthen
骨	gǔ	bones
常	cháng	always, ever
无知	wú zhī	without knowing, without cunning
无欲	wú yù	without desire
夫	fú	those, that
智	zhì	clever, cunning
者	zhě	one who, that which
敢	gǎn	to dare
为	wéi	to act, to do, to make
也	yě	final particle (assertion)
无为	wú wéi	non-action
则	zé	then
无	wú	not have, without, no

Compare: James Legge (1891)

Not to value and employ men of superior ability is the way to keep the people from rivalry among themselves; not to prize articles which are difficult to procure is the way to keep them from becoming thieves; not to show them what is likely to excite their desires is the way to keep their minds from disorder.

Therefore the sage, in the exercise of his government, empties their minds, fills their bellies, weakens their wills, and strengthens their bones.

He constantly (tries to) keep them without knowledge and without desire, and where there are those who have knowledge, to keep them from presuming to act (on it). When there is this abstinence from action, good order is universal.

Public domain. Source: Wikisource.

Meaning of chapter 3

Chapter 3 is about government and reads as advice to a ruler. If the worthy are not exalted, people do not compete; if rare goods are not prized, they do not steal; if nothing desirable is put on show, their hearts are not troubled. The causes of disorder are placed in what the ruler chooses to honor.

The sage governs by emptying minds and filling bellies, weakening ambitions and strengthening bones. Keeping the people "without knowledge and without desire" can sound harsh to a modern reader. This site reads 知 here as scheming cleverness, the kind that sets people competing; Wang Bi explains the line as keeping the people genuine. The next clause says the clever do not dare to act. The chapter closes on 为无为, acting through non-action: then nothing is out of order.

The hard-to-get goods return in chapter 12, and the call to give up cleverness and profit in chapter 19. Chapter 65 takes up again the idea of a people kept simple.

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Meaning of chapter 3