Sublime

sages accumulate nothing but the more they do for others the greater their existence the more they give to others the greater their abundance

Le sage chinois Lao Tseu conseillait aux gens de faire leur propre choix, et non de courir après ce que tout le monde recherche: Courir et chasser exaspère l’esprit. Les choses précieuses nous égarent. Le sage est guidé par ce qu’il ressent, non par ce qu’il voit. Il ne se laisse pas influencer et choisit sa voie207.

LI HSI-CHAI says, “The ancient masters of the Way had no ambition. Hence, they dulled their edges and did not insist on anything. They had no fear. Hence, they untied every tangle and avoided nothing. They did not care about beauty. Hence, they softened their light and forgot about themselves. They did not hate ugliness. Hence, they merged with the

Ne rien désirer, ne rien envier, vieille leçon des sagesses stoïciennes et épicuriennes. En ne possédant rien et en aspirant à ne rien posséder, le sage se possède, autrement dit il possède tout.

Who says the Tao doesn’t speak? This verse is not present in the Kuotien texts, and the Mawangtui texts omit lines three and four. Following line six, the standard editions have two additional lines: “it cares for all things / yet it wields no control.

thus does the sage declare I make no effort and the people transform themselves I stay still and the people correct themselves I do no work and the people enrich themselves I want nothing and the people simplify themselves

73