3 - HUSHING

Not praising the praiseworthy

keeps people uncompetitive.

Not prizing rare treasures

keeps people from stealing.

Not looking at the desirable

keeps the mind quiet.

So the wise soul

governing people

would empty their minds,

fill their bellies,

weaken their wishes,

strengthen their bones,

keep people unknowing,

unwanting,

keep the ones who do know

from doing anything.

When you do not-doing,

nothing’s out of order.

UKLG: Over and over Lao Tzu says wei wu wei: Do not do. Doing not-doing. To act without acting. Action by inaction. You do nothing yet it gets done... It’s not a statement susceptible to logical interpretation, or even to a syntactical translation into English; but it’s a concept that transforms thought radically, that changes minds. The whole book is both an explanation and a demonstration of it.