| Stop looking for rare, moral persons (hsien) to put in power. There will be jealousies among people, jealousies and strife. If we cease to set store by products that are hard to get, there will be less outright thieves. If the people never see such things as excite desire, their hearts can remain placid and undisturbed. Therefore the wise one rules by emptying their hearts [like the clown]. He fills their bellies, weakens their brightness and toughens their bones, ever striving to make the people without knowledge. He sees to it that if there are any who are bright and clever, they dare not interfere. Through his non-do actions all [such subjection] runs well [for some time]. |
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