Dao De Jing 3

Archie Bahm (1958):
If no distinctions of superiority and inferiority prevail among officers, they will devote themselves to their tasks rather than to rivalries with one another. If no special value is placed upon rare things, one will have no incentive for stealing them. If nothing appears to arouse envy, one will remain satisfied with things as they are. Since this is so, the wise administrator does not lead people to set their hearts upon what they cannot have, but satisfies their inner needs. He does not promote ambition to improve their status, but supports their self-sufficiency. He does not complicate their lives with knowledge of multifarious details or with an urge to attend to this, that and the other. By keeping people contented, he prevents those who mistakenly believe that ambition is better than contentment from leading the contented astray. By being calm and contented himself, he sets an example for his people.

Frank J. MacHovec (1962):
LEADERS WORK HUMBLY. Leaders should not seek power or status; people will not then crave power or status. If scarce goods are not valued highly, people will have no need to steal them. If there is nothing available to arouse passion, people will remain content and satisfied. The truly wise lead by instilling humility and open-mindedness, by providing for fair livelihoods, by discouraging personal ambition, and by strengthening the bone-structure of the people. The wise avoid evil and radical reform; thus the foolish do not obstruct them. They work serenely, with inner quiet.

D. C. Lau (1963)
Not to honor men of worth will keep the people from contention; not to value goods which are hard to come by will keep them from theft; not to display what is desirable will keep them from being unsettled of mind. Therefore in governing the people, the sage empties their minds but fills their bellies, weakens their wills but strengthens their bones. He always keeps them innocent of knowledge and free from desire, and ensures that the clever never dare to act. Do that which consists in taking no action, and order will prevail.

Gia-fu Feng and Jane English (1972)
Not exalting the gifted prevents quarreling. Not collecting treasures prevents stealing. Not seeing desirable things prevents confusion of the heart. The wise therefore rule by emptying hearts and stuffing bellies, by weakening ambitions and strengthening bones. If people lack knowledge and desire, then intellectuals will not try to interfere. If nothing is done, then all will be well.

Hua-Ching Ni (1979)
When the superior are not exalted, envy will not be aroused. Then there will be no rivalry or contention among people. When wealth is not treasured, desire for possessions will not be stirred up. Then people will not be tempted to rob one another. By shutting that which is desirable out of sight, the heart will remain undisturbed. Then there will be no confusion in the hearts of people. The guidance of the Universal One of natural wholeness is therefore: Empty your mind. Enjoy good health. Weaken your ambitions. Strengthen your essence. When people are free from cunning, desire, and artifice, everything will be well-ordered of its own accord.

Stan Rosenthal (1984)
WITHOUT SEEKING ACCLAIM. By retaining his humility, the talented person who is also wise, reduces rivalry. The person who possesses many things, but does not boast of his possessions, reduces temptation, and reduces stealing. Those who are jealous of the skills or things possessed by others, most easily themselves become possessed by envy. Satisfied with his possessions, the sage eliminates the need to steal; at one with the Tao, he remains free of envy, and has no need of titles. By being supple, he retains his energy. He minimizes his desires, and does not train himself in guile, nor subtle words of praise. By not contriving, he retains the harmony of his inner world, and so remains at peace within himself. It is for reasons such as these, that an administration which is concerned with the welfare of those it serves, does not encourage status and titles to be sought, nor encourage rivalry. Ensuring a sufficiency for all, helps in reducing discontent. Administrators who are wise do not seek honours for themselves, nor act with guile towards the ones they serve.

Jacob Trapp (1985)
SIMPLICITY. In gorvernment let the aim be Simplicity: ess envious rivalry For place and reward; Less conniving and scheming For things falsely valued; Less over-stimulation of desire Through noise, glitter and display. The people should be taught rather To satisfy their real and simpler needs: Thus to have inner resources, Strength in reserve, Values well ordered and genuinely their own. Then the false lures of the ambitious will not lead them astray. Thus without strain or constraint, By clearer thinking and simpler living, By action without contention, Men will be better governed And live more securely.

Stephen Mitchell (1988):
If you overesteem great men, /people become powerless. /If you overvalue possessions, /people begin to steal. //The Master leads /by emptying people's minds /and filling their cores, /by weakening their ambition /and toughening their resolve. /He helps people lose everything /they know, everything they desire, /and creates confusion /in those who think that they know. //Practice not-doing, /and everything will fall into place.

Victor H. Mair (1990)
Not exalting men of worth prevents the people from competing; Not putting high value on rare goods prevents the people from being bandits; Not displaying objects of desire prevents the people from being disorderly. For these reasons, The sage, in ruling, hollows their hearts, stuffs their stomachs, weakens their wills, builds up their bones, Always causing the people to be without knowledge and desire. He ensures that the knowledgeable dare not be hostile, and that is all. Thus, His rule is universal.

Michael LaFargue (1992)
Not promoting the wise and worthy brings it about that the people are not contentious. Not prizing goods hard to come by brings it about that the people do not become thieves Not paying attention to the desirable brings it about that the people's minds do not become disordered. And so, the government of the Wise Person: Empty their minds, fill their bellies weaken their ambitions, strengthen their bones. Always bring it about that the people are without knowledge and without desires. Bring it about that the clever ones do not presume to set about doing. Do Not Doing and nothing will be left un-governed.

Stephen Addiss and Stanley Lombardo (1993)
Don't glorify heroes, And people will not contend. Don't treasure rare objects, And no one will steal. Don't display what people desire, And their hearts will not be disturbed. Therefore, the Sage rules By emptying hearts and filling bellies, By weakening ambitions and strengthening bones; Leads people Away from knowing and wanting; Deters those who know too much From going too far: Practices non-action And the natural order is not disrupted.

Ursula K. Le Guin (1997)
HUSHING. Not praising the praiseworthy keeps people uncompetitive. Not prizing rare treasures keeps people from stealing. Not looking at the desirable keeps the mind quiet. So the wise soul governing people would empty their minds, fill their bellies, weaken their wishes, strengthen their bones, keep people unknowing, unwanting, keep the ones who do know from doing anything. When you do not-doing, nothing’s out of order.

Wang Keping (1998)
Try not to exalt the worthy, So that the people shall not compete. Try not to value rare treasures, So that the people shall not steal. Try not to display the desirable, So that the people's hearts shall not be disturbed. Therefore the sage governs the people by Purifying their minds, Filling their bellies, Weakening their ambitions, And strengthening their bones. He always keeps them innocent of knowledge and desires, And makes the crafty afraid to run risks. He conducts affairs on the principle of take-no-action, and everything will surely fall into order.

Ron Hogan (2002)
If you toss compliments around freely, people will waste time trying to impress you. If you give things too much value, you're going to get ripped off. If you fulfill people's desires, you'll only leave them dissatisfied. The Master leads by clearing the crap out of people's heads and opening their hearts. He lowers their aspirations and makes them suck in their guts. He shows people how to forget what they know and what they want, so nobody can push them around. If you think you've got the answers, he'll mess with your head. Stop doing stuff all the time, and watch what happens.

Roger T. Ames and David L. Hall (2003)
Not promoting those of superior character Will save the common people from becoming contentious. Not prizing property that is hard to come by Will save them from becoming thieves. Not making a show of what might be desired Will save them from becoming disgruntled. It is for this reason that in the proper governing by the sages: They empty the hearts-and-minds of the people and fill their stomachs, They weaken their aspirations and strengthen their bones, Ever teaching the common people to be unprincipled in their knowing (wuzhi) And objectless in their desires (wuyu), They keep the hawkers of knowledge at bay. It is simply in doing things noncoercively (wuwei) That everything is governed properly.

Red Pine (2009)
Bestowing no honors /keeps people from fighting /prizing no treasures /keeps people from stealing /displaying no attractions /keeps people from making trouble /thus the rule of the sage /empties the mind /but fills the stomach /weakens the will /but strengthens the bones /by keeping the people from knowing or wanting /and those who know from daring to act /the sage governs them all.

William Scott Wilson (2010)
Do not respect the clever, and the people will not be induced to conflict. Do not be impressed by hard-to-get material things, and the people will not be induced to covet what they lack and grab what is not theirs. Do not stare at the desirable, and the people will not be induced to entangling thoughts. Therefored the sage manages the flow of their activities like this: He empties their minds, but fills their stomachs; He weakens their willfulness, but strengthens their bones. He constantly leads the people toward less "knowledge" and less desire. Thus, "masters" and "wise men" will not dare to act. Act without fabrication, and there will be nothing you cannot manage.

David Hinton (2015)
Never bestow honors and people won’t quarrel. Never prize rare treasures and people won’t steal. Never flaunt alluring things and people won’t be confused. This is how a sage governs. Fill bellies and empty minds, strengthen bones and weaken ambition, always keep the people from knowing and wanting, then those who know are those who never presume to act. If you’re nothing doing what you do all things will be governed well

Bruce R. Linnell (2015)
Not honoring those who are esteemable Ensures that the citizens do not strive. Not valuing rare goods Ensures that the citizens do not act like thieves. Not showing that which can be desired Ensures that the citizens’ heart/minds do not become confused. Thus the governing of the sage Empties their heart/minds, fills their stomachs, Weakens their ambitions, strengthens their bones. By always ensuring that the citizens are without-knowledge and without-desire, Those who make men wise will not dare to act. Act with non-action, then all will be governed!