Chapter 75 Dyer
When taxes are too high people go hungry.
When the government is too intrusive people lose their spirit.
Act for the people's benefit.
Trust them.
Leave them alone.
Chapter 75 Henricks
1. The reason why people starve,
2. Is because they take so much in tax-grain.
3. Therefore they starve.
4. The reason why the common people cannot be ruled,
5. Is because their superiors have their reason for acting.
6. Therefore they cannot be ruled.
7. The reason why people take death lightly,
8. Is because they so avidly seek after life.
9. Therefore they take death lightly.
10. Only those who do not act for the purpose of living—
11. Only these are superior to those who value life.
Chapter 75 Lau
The people are hungry:
It is because those in authority eat up too much in taxes
That the people are hungry.
The people are difficult to govern.
It is because those in authority are too fond of action
That the people are difficult to govern.
The people treat death lightly:
It is because the people set too much store by life
That they treat death lightly.
It is just because one has no use for life that one is wiser than the man who values life.
Chapter 75 Wu
Why are the people starving?
Because those above them are taxing them too heavily.
That is why they are starving.
Why are the people hard to manage?
Because those above them are fussy and have private ends to serve.
That is why they are hard to manage.
Why do the people make light of death?
Because those above them make too much of life.
That is why they make light of death.
The people have simply nothing to live upon!
They know better than to value such a life!