When the Tao Prevails

知足常足

Zhī Zú Cháng Zú

When the Tao prevails, war horses are sent back to the fields. When it fails, the people are starved of rest and their wants have no end — and that is the worst poverty.

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4 sentences · 2 notes

天tiān下xià有yǒu道dào，却què走zǒu马mǎ以yǐ粪fèn。

1When the Tao prevails in the world, they send back their swift horses to (draw) the dung-carts.

天tiān下xià无wú道dào，戎róng马mǎ生shēng于yú郊jiāo。

2When the Tao is disregarded in the world, the war-horses breed in the border lands.

罪zuì莫mò大dà于yú可kě欲yù；祸huò莫mò大dà于yú不bù知zhī足zú；咎jiù莫mò大dà于yú欲yù得dé。

3There 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.

故gù知zhī足zú之zhī足zú，常cháng足zú矣yǐ。

4Therefore the sufficiency of contentment is an enduring and unchanging sufficiency.

Chinese commentary · 2 notes

The notes printed with this chapter in Chinese editions, kept in Chinese, for readers who come to the text that way.

1走马：战马。原意为善跑的马。粪：通“播”，耕种。

2咎：过失，罪过。

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