Tao Te Ching 19: Cease trying to be good

- 19 -

Give up sainthood, renounce wisdom

and the people will be a hundred times happier.

Throw away morality and justice

and people will naturally do the right thing.

Throw away industry and profit

and there will be no thieves.

All of these are superficial outward forms alone;

they are not sufficient in themselves.

Therefore they should be subordinated to

a higher principle:

see the simplicity,

embrace the Primal,

cast off selfishness

and curb the desires.

Commentary

At first glance, this might appear to be...