If you overesteem great men, people become powerless. If you overvalue possessions, people begin to steal. The Master leads by emptying people's minds and filling their cores, by weakening their ambition and toughening their resolve. He helps people lose everything they know, everything they desire, and creates confusion in those who think that they know. Practice not-doing, and everything will fall into place.

Não exaltar os homens de valor, a fim de que o povo não rivalize. Não estimar os bens difíceis de adquirir, a fim de que o povo não roube. Não exibir o que provoca a cobiça, a fim de que o coração do povo não se conturbe. Por isso o Santo-Homem tem por regra fazer o vazio nos corações e encher os estômagos. Enfraquece as vontades e fortalece os ossos. Faz com que o povo seja sem saber e sem desejos, de modo que os que sabem não ousem agir. Pratica o Não-agir, e assim nada há que não seja bem governado, certamente.

If we stop looking for “persons of superior morality” to put in power, There will be no more jealousies among the people. If we cease to set store by products that are hard to get, There will be no more thieves. If the people never see such things as excite desire, Their hearts will remain placid and undisturbed. Therefore the Sage rules By emptying their hearts And filling their hearts? Weakening their intelligence And toughening their sinews Ever striving to make the people knowledgeless and desireless. Indeed he sees to it that if there be any who have knowledge, They dare not interfere. Yet through his actionless activity all things are duly regulated.

Not to value and employ men of superior ability is the way to keep the people from rivalry among themselves; not to prize articles which are difficult to procure is the way to keep them from becoming thieves; not to show them what is likely to excite their desires is the way to keep their minds from disorder.

Therefore the sage, in the exercise of his government, empties their minds, fills their bellies, weakens their wills, and strengthens their bones.

He constantly keep them without knowledge and without desire, and where there are those who have knowledge, to keep them from presuming to act . When there is this abstinence from action, good order is universal.

Ames

Not promoting those of superior character Will save the common people from becoming contentious. Not prizing property that is hard to come by Will save them from becoming thieves. Not making a show of what might be desired Will save them from becoming disgruntled. It is for this reason that in the proper governing by the sages: They empty the hearts-and-minds of the people and fill their stomachs, They weaken their aspirations and strengthen their bones, Ever teaching the common people to be unprincipled in their knowing And objectless in their desires , They keep the hawkers of knowledge at bay. It is simply in doing things noncoercively 8 That everything is governed properly.

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A. Ne pas faire cas de l’habileté, aurait pour résultat que personne ne se pousserait plus. Ne pas priser les objets rares, aurait pour résultat que personne ne volerait plus. Ne rien montrer d’alléchant, aurait pour effet le repos des cœurs.

B. Aussi la politique des Sages consiste t elle à vider les esprits des hommes et à remplir leurs ventres, à affaiblir leur initiative et à fortifier leurs os. Leur soin constant, est de tenir le peuple dans l’ignorance et l’apathie.

C. Ils font que les habiles gens n’osent pas agir. Car il n’est rien qui ne s’arrange, par la pratique du non agir.

En n’exaltant pas les hommes de talent, on obtient que le peuple ne lutte pas.

En ne prisant pas les biens d’acquisition difficile, on obtient que le peuple ne soit pas voleur.

En ne lui montrant pas ce qu’il pourrait convoiter, on obtient que le cœur du peuple ne soit pas troublé.

Voilà pourquoi le Saint, dans son gouvernement, vide le cœur et remplit leur ventre, affaiblit leur volonté et fortifie leurs os, de manière à obtenir constamment que le peuple soit sans savoir et sans désirs, et que ceux qui savent n’osent pas agir. Il pratique le Non agir, et alors il n’y a rien qui ne soit bien gouverné.

III. — N’exalter pas les sages, c’est vouloir que les hommes ne luttent pas ; sans richesse, et avec la difficulté de s’enrichir, c’est vouloir que les hommes ne combattent pas pour leurs intérêts ; ne pas regarder les choses du désir et du sentiment, c’est vouloir que les hommes aient le cœur tranquille. Voici ce que l’homme parfait commande : cœur vide, beaux dehors ; faibles apparences, corps vigoureux. C’est vouloir que les hommes ne sachent ni ne désirent. C’est vouloir connaître agir, et ne pas aller jusqu’à agir. Agir consiste aussi à ne pas agir. Ainsi on n’est jamais sans agir.