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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.

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