不bù 尚shàng 贤xián ，使shǐ 民mín 不bù 争zhēng 。不bù 贵guì 难nán 得dé 之zhī 货huò ，使shǐ 民mín 不bù 为wéi 盗dào 。不bú 见jiàn 可kě 欲yù ，使shǐ 民mín 心xīn 不bú 乱luàn 。

Do not emphasize excellence, so that people do not fight. Do not value rare goods, so that people do not steal. Do not show desire, so that people’s hearts do not flutter.

丘qiū 老lăo 师shī 说shuō ：In Chinese philosophy, if there is good, there must be bad on the other side. There is Yin and there is Yang as well. When we emphasize excellence,value or even desire, we create competition, craving or greed. Then we lose peace in our hearts.

万wàn 物wù 作zuò 焉yān 而ér 不bù 为wéi 始shǐ ，生shēng 而ér 不bù 有yǒu ，为wèi 而ér 不bú 恃shì ，成chéng 功gōng 而ér 不bù 居jū 。

Nature does without asking when to start; It breeds without owning, does without being arrogant, and succeeds without claiming the credit.

天tiān 下xià 皆jiē 知zhī 美měi 之zhī 为wéi 美měi ，斯sī 恶è 矣yǐ 。皆jiē 知zhī 善shàn 之zhī 为wéi 善shàn ，斯sī 不bú 善shàn 矣yǐ 。

It is known that we all prefer beauty, so there must be ugliness. So when goodness is preferred, badness must exit.

丘qiū 老lăo 师shī 说shuō ：The behavior of wanting beautiful things in itself is not so pretty, is it ? Even behaving kindly is not in our nature. Therefore, it is phony. If we only want good things in our life, then the things that are not so good become unbearable which is neither good nor pretty. Preference is based on comparison which is the origin of dissatisfaction.

道dào 可kě 道dào ，非fēi 常cháng 道dào ；名míng 可kě 名míng ，非fēi 常cháng 名míng 。

If Dao can be articulated then it is not the eternal Dao; if it can be named then it is not the eternal name.

丘qiū 老lăo 师shī 说shuō ：Dao is the law of how living beings and non-living   entities exist in a cycle. It is definitely difficult to explain it clearly with language. Again if you think you can pinpoint it by naming it, then this name can be easily replaced  by another name because no name is actually good enough to represent the way Dao works.

You can see the irony here. The thing we cannot name, we call ‘Dao’. Yet, by its definition we cannot name it. Confused? People have been confused for around 2,500 years: Join the club!

Dao is something you come to understand but however well you understand it, you still cannot articulate it.

为wéi 无wú 为wéi   事shì 无wú 事shì   味wèi 无wú 味wèi

The most influential behavior is no manipulation, the greatest deed is no action and the best flavor is plainness.

丘qiū 老lăo 师shī 说shuō ：This is the spirit of Taoism: No manipulation! Our eagerness to fix something doesn’t make it better. He might have said: The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Simplicity is the key to a enjoyable life.