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Laozi
Daodejing, Book of the Way and Virtue Chapter 46
Chapter 46 of 81
Canonical reference 46
Classical Chinese
Wang Bi received recension, base text without commentary
天下有道,卻走馬以糞。 天下無道,戎馬生於郊。 禍莫大於不知足;咎莫大於欲得。故知足之足,常足矣。
English
James Legge · The Sacred Books of China, volume 39
When the Tao prevails in the world, they send back their swift horses to (draw) the dung-carts. When the Tao is disregarded in the world, the war-horses breed in the border lands. There is no guilt greater than to sanction ambition; no calamity greater than to be discontented with one's lot; no fault greater than the wish to be getting. Therefore the sufficiency of contentment is an enduring and unchanging sufficiency.
French
Stanislas Julien · Imprimerie royale, Paris
Lorsque le Tao régnait dans le monde, on renvoyait les chevaux pour cultiver les champs. Depuis que le Tao ne règne plus dans le monde, les chevaux de combat naissent sur les frontières. Il n’y a pas de plus grand crime que de se livrer à ses désirs. Il n’y a pas de plus grand malheur que de ne pas savoir se suffire. Il n’y a pas de plus grande calamité que le désir d’acquérir. Celui qui sait se suffire est toujours content de son sort.
Concepts in this passage
Dao
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De, virtuous efficacy
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Desire
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Useful emptiness
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Family
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Knowledge
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Non-contention
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Uncarved simplicity
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Softness
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War and peace
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Wuwei, action without forcing
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Ziran, self-so
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