The simple life
The Dao De Jing describes a small state with few people who find their food sweet and their homes peaceful (chapter 80), asks for the plainness of the uncarved block (chapters 19, 28, 32 and 57), and counts frugality among its three treasures (chapter 67).
Chapter 80 draws the picture: “A small state with few people” (小国寡民), with tools, boats, carts, armor and weapons that nobody needs to use, where people “go back to knotting cords to keep records, find their food sweet, their clothes beautiful, their homes peaceful, and delight in their customs.” Neighbors are close enough to “hear each other's cocks and dogs”, “yet the people grow old and die without ever visiting each other.”
The people of that state are plain, and the book asks the same plainness of everyone. Chapter 19 gives people “something to hold on to: look at the essence and embrace simplicity. Lessen selfishness and reduce desire,” where simplicity is 朴, the uncarved block. Chapter 28 returns “to the uncarved block”; chapter 32 says “Though the uncarved block is small, no one in the world can make it a subject”; chapter 37 calms desire “with the nameless uncarved block.” In chapter 57 the sage says “I have no desires, and the people become simple of themselves,” and in chapter 58, “When government is dull and quiet, the people are simple and honest.” Chapter 65 says those of old used the Way not “to make the people clever, but to keep them simple.”
Plainness shows in things too. Chapter 39: “Do not wish to glitter like jade, but be plain and hard like stone.” The sage “wears coarse cloth but carries jade inside” (chapter 70). Chapter 67 names frugality (俭) the second of three treasures and says “with frugality, one can be generous”; chapter 59 says that in governing people and serving heaven “nothing is better than frugality.” “Knowing what is enough is wealth” (chapter 33), and when the world has the Way, “galloping horses are sent back to manure the fields” (chapter 46).
Chapter 53 shows the opposite: “The court is spotless, while the fields are full of weeds and the granaries empty;” the rulers wear embroidered robes, are “sated with food and drink, and have wealth to spare: this is called the boasting of robbers.” Chapter 75 gives the cause of hunger: “those above eat up too much in taxes.” Against these, the people of chapter 80 have boats and carts but “no need to ride them”.
| Chapter | What it says |
|---|---|
| Chapter 19 绝圣弃智 | Look at the essence, embrace simplicity, lessen selfishness and reduce desire. |
| Chapter 28 知其雄守 | One returns to the uncarved block, and once it is dispersed, instruments are made. |
| Chapter 32 道常无名 | Though the uncarved block is small, no one in the world can make it a subject. |
| Chapter 33 知人者智 | Knowing what is enough is wealth. |
| Chapter 37 道常无为 | The nameless uncarved block brings an end to desire. |
| Chapter 39 昔之得一 | Do not glitter like jade; be plain and hard like stone. |
| Chapter 46 天下有道 | When the world has the Way, galloping horses are sent back to manure the fields. |
| Chapter 53 使我介然 | A spotless court over weedy fields and empty granaries is the boasting of robbers. |
| Chapter 57 以正治国 | The sage has no desires, and the people become simple of themselves. |
| Chapter 58 其政闷闷 | Under a dull and quiet government the people are simple and honest. |
| Chapter 59 治人事天 | In governing people and serving heaven, nothing is better than frugality. |
| Chapter 65 古之善为 | Those of old used the Way to keep the people simple, not to make them clever. |
| Chapter 67 天下皆谓 | Frugality is the second of three treasures, and with it one can be generous. |
| Chapter 70 吾言甚易 | The sage wears coarse cloth but carries jade inside. |
| Chapter 75 民之饥以 | The people go hungry because those above eat up too much in taxes. |
| Chapter 80 小国寡民 | A small state with few people, content with its food, clothes, homes and customs. |
Every line on the theme
Chapter 19
-
故令有所属，
therefore let people have something to hold on to:
-
见素抱朴，
look at the essence and embrace simplicity.
-
少私寡欲。
Lessen selfishness and reduce desire.
Chapter 28
-
复归于朴。
ever returning to the uncarved block.
-
朴散则为器，
Once simplicity is dispersed, so as to craft an instrument,
Chapter 32
-
道常无名，朴虽小，
The Way is constantly nameless. Though the uncarved block is small,
-
天下莫能臣也。
no one in the world can make it a subject.
Chapter 33
-
知足者富，强行者有志，
Knowing what is enough is wealth; persevering is having will.
Chapter 37
-
吾将镇之以无名之朴。
I would calm them with the nameless uncarved block.
-
无名之朴，
The nameless uncarved block
-
夫亦将无欲。
brings an end to desire.
Chapter 39
-
不欲琭琭如玉，
Do not wish to glitter like jade,
-
珞珞如石。
but be plain and hard like stone.
Chapter 46
-
天下有道，却走马以粪。
When the world has the Way, galloping horses are sent back to manure the fields.
Chapter 53
-
大道甚夷，而民好径。
The great Way is very smooth, yet people love side paths.
-
朝甚除，
The court is spotless,
-
田甚芜，仓甚虚；
while the fields are full of weeds and the granaries empty;
-
服文彩，
they wear embroidered robes,
-
带利剑，厌饮食，
carry sharp swords, are sated with food and drink,
-
财货有余；
and have wealth to spare:
-
是为盗夸。
this is called the boasting of robbers.
-
非道也哉！
This is not the Way!
Chapter 57
-
我无事而民自富，
I leave things alone, and the people grow rich of themselves;
-
我无欲而民自朴。”
I have no desires, and the people become simple of themselves."
Chapter 58
-
其政闷闷，其民淳淳；
When government is dull and quiet, the people are simple and honest;
-
其政察察，其民缺缺。
when government is sharp and prying, the people are discontented.
Chapter 59
-
治人事天，莫若啬。
In governing people and serving heaven, nothing is better than frugality.
-
夫唯啬，是谓早服；
Being frugal means submitting early;
Chapter 65
-
古之善为道者，非以明民，
Those of old who were good at the Way did not use it to make the people clever,
-
将以愚之。
but to keep them simple.
Chapter 67
-
我有三宝，持而保之。
I have three treasures, which I hold and keep:
-
一曰慈，二曰俭，
the first is compassion, the second is frugality,
-
三曰不敢为天下先。
the third is not daring to be first in the world.
-
慈故能勇，
With compassion, one can be brave;
-
俭故能广，
with frugality, one can be generous;
Chapter 70
-
是以圣人被褐怀玉。
So the sage wears coarse cloth but carries jade inside.
Chapter 75
-
民之饥，以其上食税之多，
The people go hungry because those above eat up too much in taxes;
-
是以饥。
that is why they go hungry.
Chapter 80
-
小国寡民，使有什伯之器而不用，
A small state with few people: let them have tools for ten or a hundred, and not use them;
-
使民重死而不远徙。
let the people take death seriously and not travel far.
-
虽有舟舆，无所乘之；
Though they have boats and carts, they have no need to ride them;
-
虽有甲兵，无所陈之。
though they have armor and weapons, they have no need to display them.
-
使人复结绳而用之，
Let people go back to knotting cords to keep records,
-
甘其食，美其服，
find their food sweet, their clothes beautiful,
-
安其居，
their homes peaceful,
-
乐其俗。
and delight in their customs.
-
邻国相望，鸡犬之声相闻，
Neighboring states can see each other, and hear each other's cocks and dogs,
-
民至老死，不相往来。
yet the people grow old and die without ever visiting each other.