Governing the country through the Way of Tao

In ancient times, those skilled in practicing the Dao did not enlighten people with cleverness and cunning, but nurtured their simplicity and sincerity.

The difficulty in governing people arises precisely from their excessive scheming intellect.

Therefore:
- Governing through cunning artifice brings disaster to the state
- Governing through guileless simplicity constitutes the state's blessing

Understanding this distinction reveals the fundamental principle.
Constant awareness of this principle is called 'Mystic Virtue' (Xuan De 玄德).

This Mystic Virtue runs deep and far,
Returning all things to primal authenticity,
Thereby achieving perfect harmony with Nature's flow.

Philosophical Commentary:

Anti-Intellectual Governance ("不教导智巧伪诈"):
- Critiques Confucian emphasis on ritual education, advocating instead for preservation of natural innocence.
- Parallels Rousseau's "noble savage" concept but predates it by 2,000 years.

Paradox of Control ("智巧心机危害国家"):
- Anticipates modern complexity theory - excessive social engineering creates systemic fragility.
- Historical example: Qin Dynasty's legalist over-control vs. Han Dynasty's Daoist-influenced governance.

Mystic Virtue (Xuan De) :
- Not moral virtue in conventional sense, but the power of alignment with Dao's spontaneous order.
- Manifests as wu zheng (无争 - non-contention) in leadership, like Singapore's "soft authoritarianism".

Return to Primal Authenticity ("复归真朴"):
- Ecological implication: Rejecting technological domination, as seen in Bhutan's Gross National Happiness policy.
- Psychological dimension: Carl Jung's concept of individuation as return to essential self.

Notes:

Terminology Preservation:
- Rendered 道 as "Dao" (capitalized) to maintain conceptual specificity
- Translated 玄德 as "Mystic Virtue" with pinyin annotation to denote unique Daoist notion

Contrast Enhancement:
- Used parallel structure for antithetical statements:
"Governing through cunning..."/"Governing through guileless..."

Conceptual Bridging:
- Interpreted 自然 as "Nature's flow" rather than literal "nature" to convey dynamic process

Intertextual Connection:
- Linked to Chapter 19's "绝圣弃智" (reject sageliness and abandon wisdom) through consistent anti-cunning theme

This translation reveals Laozi's radical political vision: true social stability emerges not through laws or education systems, but through cultivating collective alignment with the Dao's self-organizing principles - a wisdom finding resonance in today's discussions about decentralized governance and ecological civilization.