Chapter 46 contrasts societal harmony with chaos, rooted in the principle of contentment as the foundation of peace. It warns against greed and excessive desire, emphasizing that true fulfillment arises from recognizing sufficiency.
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.
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. Therefore the sufficiency of contentment is an enduring and unchanging sufficiency.
Warhorses retire to fertilize farmland, symbolizing peace and productive resource allocation;Even pregnant horses are forced into battle, with foals born on war-torn frontiers, reflecting societal collapse and resource exploitation.
Philosophical Implications
- Prioritize nurturing life over expansionist ambitions.
- Desire is the root of suffering; contentment aligns with natural simplicity.
- Human acquisition should align with one’s virtue, wisdom, and capacity. In other words, your inner cultivation determines outer attainment—inner cultivation is the root, outer attainment the fruit. Do not reverse cause and effect.
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