In this particular day I shall
interpret a verse from the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, namely verse 57. In A
Source Book In Chinese Philosophy,
Wing Tsit Chan presents the verse:
“57. Govern the state with
correctness.
Operate the army with surprise tactics.
Administer the empire by engaging in no activity.
How do I know that this should be so?
Through this:
The more taboos
and prohibitions there are in the world,
The
poorer the people will be.
The more sharp
the weapons the people have,
The
more troubled the state will be.
The more cunning
and skill man possesses,
The
more vicious things will appear.
The more laws and
orders are made prominent,
The
more thieves and robbers there will be.
Therefore the sage says:
I take no action and the
people of themselves are
transformed.
I love tranquility and the
people of themselves become
correct.
I engage in no activity and
the people of themselves
become
prosperous.
I have no desires and the
people of themselves become
simple.” 1
Firstly, let us discuss the theme of the verse. The theme of the verse revolves around the
concept of governing correctly with non-interference. For Lao Tzu, the state is not something which
is to be possessed or conquered, but rather it is must be nurtured. In other words, the state correctly governed
by a ruler is reflective of the essence of Nature. It must not be given any artificial solution,
rather it must be left as the way it is.
Rulers, in this case, must learn from the natural flow of the
state. This does not imply that the
rulers will become lazy ones. Rather,
this implies rulers to be responsible in their actions. This responsibility is seen when rulers
lessen their tendency to interfere even the smallest matters in the state. For Lao Tzu, the state is for the nourishment
of its people, its government, and its ruler.
It is something which can bring out one’s natural capabilities. It is a place where a person can mold himself
into a Sage Emperor.
Let us go over the first thirteen lines in the verse.
“Govern the state with correctness.
Operate the army with surprise tactics.
Administer the empire by engaging in no activity.
How do I know that this should be so?
Through this:
The more taboos
and prohibitions there are in the world,
The
poorer the people will be.
The more sharp
the weapons the people have,
The
more troubled the state will be.
The more cunning
and skill man possesses,
The
more vicious things will appear.
The more laws and
orders are made prominent,
The
more thieves and robbers there will be.”
In these lines, it can be seen that when a ruler becomes excessively
anxious to keep his power and his influence, the more his people and even his
colleagues will bring him down. The more
a ruler gives prohibitions, the more reasons the people will come to hate him
and rebel against his government. This
in turn will stir chaos in the state, bringing countless deaths and
destruction. In this troublesome
setting, every man in the state begins to think about ways in how to survive,
even if it means killing or stealing from each other. Even in such a modern setting, the same
situation happens. Today, there are many
laws passed by the current government, and yet the crime rates never seem to decrease. Instead, more complicated crimes
happened. What is worse is that the main
suspects are the ones with the intellectual prowess and strong influence. Too much law restricts movement. It makes people feel being contained in a box.
This develops in them the tendency to break free. This also cause people to resort to cunning and
self-centered plans and actions.
To solve this problem, a ruler must deeply reflect and take a step
back from interfering too much. Doing so
can make him see that he is suffocating the people with his anxious acts. In this
way, he can save the state from a possible uprising.
Now let us continue to the last lines present in the verse.
“Therefore the sage says:
I take no action and the
people of themselves are
transformed.
I love tranquility and the
people of themselves become
correct.
I engage in no activity and
the people of themselves
become
prosperous.
I have no desires and the
people of themselves become
simple.”
A wise ruler, therefore, is the one who knows when to step back and
stop to understand what is just necessary.
This just implies that the ruler is a responsible leader. It also implies more activity and
responsibility by only doing what is needed at the moment. In
promoting values, one only needs to show these values in his way of living. In this way, even in not doing anything to
make the people follow, they will be compelled to follow because of such
example. This will lead the people into
changing their way of life, which can make their lives prosperous and
content. It is because of the right
living of the ruler that the people learned to become simple and content. And because of this, the state can prosper
all the more.
Being a ruler does not necessarily imply showing one’s intimidating
influence or wealthy status. It does not
imply sitting on a high chair and acting superior over other men. Rather, being a ruler means to be a caretaker
and a nurturer of the integrity of a state.
Governing a state implies caring and preserving people and their
opportunities for happiness.
This is the reason why Lao Tzu
presents the concept of governing with non-interference by following the
principles of Nature. By not being too
interfering in things, a ruler can govern properly his state. Not interfering too much only implies that
the ruler treats the state as a free flowing reality founded on Nature. What is of Nature nurtures, nourishes and
preserves.
A true ruler preserves values and governs with values. These values are those which Nature has. He only pays attention more to the necessary
things and nurture the state by implementing only necessary laws. Then, people become more responsible and
happier citizens. The state becomes a peaceful place for both
the ruler and the people because everything of Nature is preserved in it.
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