Volume II — Te

The Ancients Who Were Skilled in the Tao

Chapter 65 of the Tao Te Ching

古之善為道者，非以明民，將以愚之。民之難治，以其智多。故以智治國，國之賊；不以智治國，國之福。知此兩者亦稽式。常知稽式，是謂玄德。玄德深矣，遠矣，與物反矣，然後乃至大順。

The ancients who were skilled in the Tao did not enlighten the people but kept them simple. The people are difficult to govern because they have too much cleverness. Therefore, to govern a state with cleverness is to rob the state. Not to govern with cleverness is the state's blessing. To know these two principles is to know the eternal pattern. Always knowing the eternal pattern is called mysterious virtue. Mysterious virtue is deep, far-reaching, and returns with all things to the source. Only then is there great accordance.

Commentary

This verse describes the relationship between simplicity and genuine governance, revealing the nature of mysterious virtue. "The ancients who were skilled in the Tao did not enlighten the people but kept them simple"—gu zhi shan wei dao zhe, fei yi ming min, jiang yi yu zhi (古之善為道者，非以明民，將以愚之). Ming (明) is to enlighten, to make bright and clever. Yu (愚) is simple, unadorned, sometimes translated as "foolish" but meaning something closer to "unaffected" or "uncomplicated." The ancient sages did not make the people clever but kept them in their original simplicity. "The people are difficult to govern because they have too much cleverness"—min zhi nan zhi, yi qi zhi duo (民之難治，以其智多). Zhi (智) is cleverness, strategic intelligence, the calculating mind. When people have much of this, they become difficult to govern because they constantly seek advantage, manipulate systems, and resist authority through cunning. The more clever the population, the more elaborate the governance must become—and the further from the Tao. "To govern a state with cleverness is to rob the state"—gu yi zhi zhi guo, guo zhi zei (故以智治國，國之賊). Zei (賊) is thief, robber, one who damages. Using cleverness to govern is actually theft—it robs the state of its natural harmony. "Not to govern with cleverness is the state's blessing"—bu yi zhi zhi guo, guo zhi fu (不以智治國，國之福). Fu (福) is blessing, good fortune. Governance without cleverness allows natural order to prevail. "To know these two principles is to know the eternal pattern"—zhi ci liang zhe yi ji shi (知此兩者亦稽式). Ji shi (稽式) is the standard, the pattern, the model against which things are measured. "Always knowing the eternal pattern is called mysterious virtue"—chang zhi ji shi, shi wei xuan de (常知稽式，是謂玄德). Xuan de (玄德) is mysterious virtue, profound power—the deep virtue that operates beneath the surface of things.

The full commentary continues with deeper analysis of internal cultivation, classical perspectives, and cross-references. Read the complete chapter →

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