46𝌳儉欲

道德經 Dao De Jing [Tao Te Ching]

Chapter 46: The Moderating of Desire or Ambition

	繁體 Trad ↔ 简体 Simp	Legge's Translation	Susuki's Translation	Goddard's Translation
	儉欲	The Moderating of Desire or Ambition	Moderation of Desire	Limitation of Desire
1	天下有道，卻走馬以糞。天下無道，戎馬生于郊。禍莫大于不知足；	When the Dao prevails in the world, they send back their swift horses to (draw) the dung-carts. When the Dao is disregarded in the world, the war-horses breed in the border lands.	When the world possesses Reason, race horses are reserved for hauling dung. When the world is without Reason, war horses are bred in the common.	When the world yields to Dao, race horses will be used to haul manure. When the world ignores Dao war horses are pastured on the public common.
2	咎莫大于欲得。	There is no guilt greater than to sanction ambition; no calamity greater than to be discontented with one's lot; no fault greater than the wish to be getting.	No greater sin than yielding to desire. No greater misery than discontent. No greater calamity than greed.	There is no sin greater than desire. There is no misfortune greater than discontent. There is no calamity greater than acquisitiveness.
3	故知足之足，常足矣。	Therefore the sufficiency of contentment is an enduring and unchanging sufficiency.	Therefore, he who knows content's content is always content.	Therefore to know extreme contentment is simply to be content.

繁體 Trad ↔ 简体 Simp

Legge's Translation

Susuki's Translation

Goddard's Translation

儉欲

The Moderating of Desire or Ambition

Moderation of Desire

Limitation of Desire

天下有道，卻走馬以糞。天下無道，戎馬生于郊。禍莫大于不知足；

When the Dao prevails in the world, they send back their swift horses to (draw) the dung-carts. When the Dao is disregarded in the world, the war-horses breed in the border lands.

When the world possesses Reason, race horses are reserved for hauling dung. When the world is without Reason, war horses are bred in the common.

When the world yields to Dao, race horses will be used to haul manure. When the world ignores Dao war horses are pastured on the public common.

咎莫大于欲得。

There is no guilt greater than to sanction ambition; no calamity
greater than to be discontented with one's lot; no fault greater than the wish to be getting.

No greater sin than yielding to desire. No greater misery than discontent. No greater calamity than greed.

There is no sin greater than desire. There is no misfortune greater than discontent. There is no calamity greater than acquisitiveness.

故知足之足，常足矣。

Therefore the sufficiency of contentment is an enduring and unchanging sufficiency.

Therefore, he who knows content's content is always content.

Therefore to know extreme contentment is simply to be content.