♦Ensure that the citizens return to knotting ropes and using themE, [make,cause] ♦Find deliciousness in their food, Beauty in their clothes, Contentment in their dwellings, Happiness in their customs. ♦[Although] neighboring nations overlook one another, [look at] [each other] ♦And sounds of roosters and dogs can be heard in one another – [chickens] [each other] ♦The citizens reach old age and die, ♦And do not come and go between one another. [each other] Notes A : the symbol literally refers only to tools, but has been associated with weapons in #31, #36, and #57 : “sharp tools”, “weapons are not the tools of a noble man” B : the symbol specifically refers to a Count (see #32), but in keeping with other chapters, this is interpreted more generally as “nobles”; the entire phrase probably means “as many weapons as the armies of ten Counts would have” C : have no need to use them; in other words, they do not want to leave, as supported by the last paragraph D : compare to #36, where the sharp tools of the nation cannot be shown to the people E : according to Ames&Hall, knotted ropes used to be used for record-keeping Cross-references nobles (in general) : #32, #37, #39, #42, #62 die/death : #6, #33, #42, #50, #67, #74, #75, #76 citizens do not fear death, take death seriously/lightly : #74, #75 returning : #14, #16, #19, #20, #22, #25, #28, #34, #40, #52, #58, #60, #64, #65 Chapter Eighty One 信 言 不 美 美 言 不 信 善 者 不 辯 辯 者 不 善 知 者 不 博 博 者 不 知 • 聖 人 不 積 既 以 為 人 己 愈 有 既 以 與 人 己 愈 多 天 之 道 利 而 不 害 聖 人 之 道 為 而 不 爭 True words are not beautiful; Beautiful words are not true. He who has virtue does not argue; He who argues does not have virtue. He who knows is not learned; He who is learned does not know. The sage does not accumulate things – Since through serving people, the more one has; Since through giving to people, one has even more. The Way of heaven benefits and does not cause harm. The Way of the sage acts yet does not strive. ♦True* words are not beautiful; ♦Beautiful words are not true*. He who has virtue does not argue; He who argues does not have virtue. He who knows is not learned; He who is learned does not know. ♦The sage2 does not accumulate [things] – ♦Since through serving people, the more one[self] has; [by means of]