Reject sainthood and abandon intelligence, people benefit a hundred ti
還淳 · Huán Chún
Classical Chinese Text
绝圣弃智，民利百倍；绝仁弃义，民复孝慈；绝巧弃利，盗贼无有。 此三者以为文不足，故令有所属；见素抱朴，少私寡欲；绝学无忧。
Translation & Meaning
Reject sainthood and abandon intelligence, people benefit a hundred times over; reject benevolence and abandon righteousness, people return to filial piety and kindness; reject artistry and abandon profit, theft disappear.
Linguistic & Character Analysis
- 绝 (jué): classical character (jué)
- 圣 (shèng): sage / enlightened one
- 弃 (qì): classical character (qì)
- 智 (zhì): classical character (zhì)
- 民 (mín): classical character (mín)
- 利 (lì): benefits / nourishes
- 百 (bǎi): classical character (bǎi)
- 倍 (bèi): classical character (bèi)
- 仁 (rén): benevolence / kindness
- 义 (yì): classical character (yì)
- 复 (fù): classical character (fù)
- 孝 (xiào): classical character (xiào)
- 慈 (cí): classical character (cí)
- 巧 (qiǎo): classical character (qiǎo)
- 盗 (dào): steal / thieves / plunder
- 贼 (zéi): classical character (zéi)
- 无 (wú): formless void / non-being / without
- 有 (yǒu): manifest being / cosmos / to possess
- 此 (cǐ): classical character (cǐ)
- 三 (sān): classical character (sān)
- 者 (zhě): aspects / those who / things
- 以 (yǐ): in order to / by means of
- 为 (wèi): act / deem / become
- 文 (wén): classical character (wén)
- 不 (bù): not / un- / without
- 足 (zú): classical character (zú)
- 故 (gù): therefore / thus / consequence
- 令 (lìng): classical character (lìng)
- 所 (suǒ): place / frontier / that which
- 属 (shǔ): classical character (shǔ)
- 见 (jiàn): see / display / manifest
- 素 (sù): classical character (sù)
- 抱 (bào): classical character (bào)
- 朴 (pǔ): classical character (pǔ)
- 少 (shǎo): classical character (shǎo)
- 私 (sī): classical character (sī)
- 寡 (guǎ): classical character (guǎ)
- 欲 (yù): intent / desire / craving
- 学 (xué): classical character (xué)
- 忧 (yōu): classical character (yōu)