Dao De Jing Chapter 80 (public)

.

Small countries have few people

Though there are many tools

The people do not use them

They feel the weight of death

And do not leave their homeland

.

Though there are boats & wagons

Nobody rides them

Though there are armor & weapons

Nobody displays them

.

Allowing the people to repeatedly use knotted cord*

.

Sweet their food

Beautiful their clothing

Peaceful their dwellings

Joyful their customs

.

Neighboring countries see one another

Hearing the sounds of one another’s chickens & dogs

The people grow old and die

Never having come or gone

.

(*Knotted cord refers to ancient practices of observation, divination, and calibration – a form of record-keeping and communication predating written language.  Coding information (spirit) into material form as a means of managing everyday human affairs.)

Author: Wuming Chuan

http://oldoakdao.org/blog/about-me/