The Three Principle Texts of Daoism translated by ... - Bad Request

practice of enlightened virtue will not succeed inestablishing good government, but only disorganize thespiritual faculties!“My fault is want of moderation. The misery I suffercomes from over-attention to my own self, and thetroubles of the Empire from over-regulation ineverything."On this, he threw up all his schemes, abandoned hisancestral palace, dismissed his attendants, removed allthe hanging bells, cut down the delicacies of his cuisine,and retired to live at leisure in private apartmentsattached to the Court. There he fasted in heart, andbrought his body under control. [1]For three months he abstained from personalintervention in government. Then he fell asleep in thedaytime, and dreamed that he made a journey to thekingdom of Hua-hsü, situated I know not how many tensof thousands of miles distant from the Ch'i State. It wasbeyond the reach of ship or vehicle or any mortal foot.Only the soul could travel so far. [2]This kingdom was without head or ruler; it simply wenton of itself. Its people were without desires or cravings;they simply followed their natural instincts. They feltneither joy in life nor abhorrence of death; thus theycame to no untimely ends. They felt neither attachmentto self nor indifference to others; thus they were exemptfrom love and hatred alike. They knew neither aversionfrom one course nor inclination to another; hence profit