Original Text
If a ruler governs the world by following the Way, the government will be clear and the people will live in peace, allowing warhorses to be returned to farmers for plowing. If governance deviates from the Way, chaos arises, and even pregnant mares must be sent to battle. The greatest crime is indulging desire, the greatest disaster is not knowing contentment, and the greatest fault is insatiable greed. Therefore, knowing the limits of desire and not being greedy ensures lasting satisfaction.
Guide
It is precisely the wars caused by the ruler's insatiability that prevent people from engaging in normal productive activities, inevitably bringing about all kinds of horrors, atrocities, and the pain of disasters. A ruler truly qualified to govern the people should prioritize the interests of the people and constantly motivate himself with love for the people.Analysis
In this chapter, Laozi teaches from the perspective of the Great Way to be content and restrain desires, to prevent things from turning into their opposites when they reach extremes.
"When the Tao prevails in the world, warhorses are retired to fertilize the fields. When the Tao does not prevail, warhorses are bred on the battlefield." "Tao prevailing" means grasping and recognizing the essence of the world and acting accordingly. "Fertilize" refers to applying manure to crops in the fields, representing agricultural activities as a whole. This saying implies that when the great Tao is followed, warhorses can be returned to plow the fields; when the great Tao is abandoned, warhorses give birth on the outskirts of battlefields. The underlying message is that rulers should follow the Tao, guiding the people toward agriculture rather than waging war. In the late Spring and Autumn period, feudal lords continuously launched wars for personal gain, while common people suffered separation, ruin, and tragic fates. Laozi, standing with the people, expressed discontent with rulers who started wars. In this chapter, he analyzes the reasons behind feudal lords' wars, arguing that wars are waged to satisfy rulers' selfish desires. Thus, to avoid war, rulers must understand that war not only fails to strengthen a state but weakens their own rule. Only by clearly recognizing this can rulers abandon selfish thoughts and practice non-action governance. Non-action governance aligns with the Tao; only by aligning with the Tao can peace prevail in the world. Without non-action governance, the Tao cannot be followed, leading to frequent wars and chaos—precisely what Laozi detests.
"There is no greater crime than indulging desire." Here, "crime" means sin, offense, or transgression. What is "indulging desire"? It means giving in to desires. The Heshang Gong Commentary states that indulging desire is "fondness for lust and sensual pleasures." In fact, the scope of desire is vast, not limited to female beauty. In the late Spring and Autumn period, on the eve of great changes, desires arose in the hearts of everyone from feudal lords to common people. Once people had various desires, they would compete with each other to satisfy them, which is why Laozi regarded "indulging desire" as a criminal act.
"There is no greater disaster than discontent." Here, "discontent" is one of the most important characteristics of the human mind, generating various sufferings while also bridging the vast gap between humans and animals. Discontent played a crucial role in human evolution, driving humanity out of the long primitive era and gradually lifting people from a state of ignorance. However, discontent also embodies human ambition; it is precisely because of it that people adopt various means to satisfy their desires, including murder, robbery, and waging war. Therefore, Laozi's assertion that discontent is the greatest disaster for humanity holds some truth and is not alarmist.
"There is no greater fault than being insatiable." Here, "fault" refers to misfortune or error; "insatiable" means the desire for satisfaction. This phrase means that the greatest fault is insatiable greed. As previously stated, both desire and discontent lead to sin and calamity, and insatiability is not only detestable but also has severe consequences. Indulgence is an unrestrained act of excess; discontent is an uncontained act of striving; and insatiable greed is the infinite expansion of an unsatisfied heart. Thus, for rulers, greed often leads the nation into endless disaster; for ordinary people, greed often drags them into a state of isolation and abandonment.
Therefore, greed is the root of all disasters. Rulers wage wars to satisfy their greedy desires, causing the people to suffer deeply; we ordinary people also pay a heavy price to satisfy our selfish greed. The outward nature of desire determines that our greedy craving for external things can only be a bottomless pit. If we are trapped in it, the price we pay will be incalculable. So we must learn from this and free ourselves from greed. How can we break free from greed? This requires relying on the virtue of the Great Way. The virtue of the Great Way is to be without desire or demand. As long as we follow the Great Way, align with its virtue, and achieve desirelessness and non-contention, we will experience the joy of life, and joy is the best reward for contentment. Therefore, Laozi concludes at the end of this chapter: "The contentment of being content is always enough." That is, people should be content and restrain their desires; only then can they maintain lasting satisfaction.