Tao Te Ching - Lao Tzu Book 1 Verse 3-5

Dao De Jing Book 1,

Verse 3 Not to honour men of worth will keep the people from contention.

Not to value goods which are hard to come by will keep them from theft.

Not to display what is desirable will keep them from being unsettled of mind.

Therefore,

In governing the people,

The sage empties their minds,

But fills their bellies,

Weakens their wills,

But strengthens their bones.

He always keeps them innocent of knowledge and free from desire,

And ensures that the clever never dare to act.

Do that which consists in taking no actions,

And order will prevail.

Verse 4 The way is empty,

Yet use will not reign it.

Deep,

It is like the ancestor of the myriad creatures.

Blunt the sharpness,

Untangle the knots,

Soften the glare,

Let your wheels move only along old ruts.

Darkly visible,

It only seems as if it were there.

I know not whose son it is,

It images the forefather of God.

Verse 5 Heaven and earth are ruthless,

And treat the myriad creatures as straw dogs.

The sage is ruthless,

And treats the people as straw dogs.

Is not the space between heaven and earth like a bellows?

It is empty without being exhausted.

The more it works,

The more comes out.

Much speech leads inevitably to silence.

Better to hold fast to the void.

Verse 5