Tao Te Ching Chapter 75 – 贪损 (道德经 第75章)
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Tao Te Ching — Chapter 75: The Injury of Greed
道德经 第七十五章 · 贪损 · Lao Tzu · Bilingual Edition with Classical Commentaries
Original Text — 原文
English Translation — James Legge
The people suffer from famine because of the multitude of taxes consumed by their superiors. It is through this that they suffer famine.
The people are difficult to govern because of the excessive agency of their superiors in governing them. It is through this that they are difficult to govern. As shown in Chapter 57, the more laws and prohibitions, the poorer the people — the ruler’s interference is the root of disorder.
The people make light of dying because of the greatness of their labours in seeking for the means of living. It is this which makes them think light of dying. Thus it is that to leave the subject of living altogether out of view is better than to set a high value on it. As shown in Chapter 74, those who do not fear death cannot be controlled by the threat of death — the ruler who overtaxes and over-governs creates the very conditions that make people reckless.
✦ Key Insight
Chapter 75 presents three parallel diagnoses of social failure, each tracing the problem to the ruler. People starve because the ruler takes too much in taxes. People are hard to govern because the ruler interferes too much. People risk death recklessly because the ruler has made life too burdensome to value. The closing line is the cure: those who do not strive after life — who are not consumed by the pursuit of survival — are wiser than those who cling to life at all costs. Non-attachment to life, paradoxically, is what makes life worth living.
Classical Commentaries — 古典注释
王弼注 Wang Bi's Commentary
Wang Bi explains that people starve because their rulers consume too much in taxes. People are hard to govern because their rulers are too active. People take death lightly because they exhaust themselves pursuing life. Those who do not strive after life are wiser than those who overvalue it.
河上公注 Heshang Gong's Commentary
Heshang Gong says the people starve because the ruler taxes too much. The people are hard to govern because the ruler has too many desires. Those who do not strive after wealth and position — whom no ruler can employ — are wiser than those who overvalue life.
About the Author
Paul Peng
Paul Peng is a Zhengyi Taoist priest from Longhu Mountain, Jiangxi — the ancestral home of the Celestial Masters' tradition. Ordained at 25 after a dream from the Celestial Master, he has practiced for 25 years under Master Zeng Guangliang. He is the curator of this store, which is officially authorized by Tianshi Fu. All items are consecrated at the temple by the resident priest team.
Read his full story →
