還淳章第十九
Key Takeaway: "Manifest plainness, embrace simplicity, reduce selfishness, have few desires." — Laozi, Daodejing Chapter 19
Banish intellectual cleverness and discard calculated profit, and thieves and robbers will vanish. Manifest plainness, embrace the uncarved block of authenticity, and curb self-indulgent ambitions—a foundational perspective explored in Daodejing Chapter 19 Translation.
Daodejing Chapter 19 Translation: Manifesting Plainness and Reducing Selfish Desires
The wisdom of Daodejing Chapter 19 Translation addresses a fundamental human dynamic: how we navigate ambition, quietude, and the natural flow of existence. In the classical tradition, this passage serves as both a metaphysical mirror and a practical compass for daily living and leadership. Explore how this principle translates into contemporary daily life in our guide to Should We Question What a Society Preaches Most?.
By shifting our focus from outer coercion to internal stillness, we uncover a more resilient way of relating to ourselves and the world around us.
Complete Chapter Translation: Modern Western Reading
Banish wisdom, discard knowledge, And the people will be benefited a hundredfold. Banish human kindness, discard morality,
And the people will be dutiful and compassionate. Banish skill, discard profit, And thieves and robbers will disappear.
If when these three things are done they find life too plain and unadorned, Then let them have accessories; Give them Simplicity to look at, the Uncarved Black to hold, Give them selflessness and fewness of desires.
Banish learning, and there will be no more grieving.
道德经中文原文与对照
【原文】 絕聖棄智，民利百倍；絕仁棄義，民復孝慈；絕巧棄利，盜賊無有。此三者爲文，不足。故令有所屬：見素抱樸，少私寡欲，絕學無憂。
核心要义解析 (Philosophical Insights)
- 道义发微：本章通过“還淳章第十九”阐发了《道德经》的核心精髓。从“有”与“无”、“动”与“静”的辩证转化中，提醒我们在日用常行中摒弃过度的功利执念，回归纯粹本真的生命状态。
- 现代启示：当外界喧嚣与评判标准不断施加压力时，保持内心的虚静与不争，反而是最强大的定力与智慧。
Follow the sequential development of the text in Laozi’s next philosophical movement in Differing from the Crowd: The Holy Drifter Nourished by the Great Mother.
For a deeper comparative examination of these ideas, explore our related study on Establishing Precepts: Fame or Life, Wealth or Health?.
