Daodejing Chapter 58: fortune and misfortune
When the ruler is dull and vague,
The people are honest and simple.
When the ruler is repressive and intrusive,
The people are crafty and cunning.
Fortune is rooted in misfortune.
Misfortune lurks beneath fortune.
Who knows the boundary?
There is no fixed standard.
Right can turn into wrong.
Good can turn into evil.
Man has been puzzled
For a very long time.
The sage is:
Pointed but does not pierce,
Sharp but does not hurt,
Direct but does not offend,
Brilliant but does not dazzle.
「其政悶悶，其民淳淳；其政察察，其民缺缺；禍兮福之所倚，福兮禍之所伏；孰知其極，其無正。正復為奇，善復為妖。人之迷，其日固久，是以聖人方而不割，廉而不劌，直而不肆，光而不耀。」
Actions trigger reactions: often ones that lead to unintended consequences. The more strictly a government tries to control its people, the more likely they are to resist it.
Life also has a habit of not turning out as you expect it to. One moment everything is going perfectly, only for disaster to strike the next. That is why the wise always remain alert and understand that a blessing can be a misfortune in disguise.
Notes
1.) The opening section of this chapter is connected to the middle section of Chapter 57. A good ruler remains in the background and refrains from introducing unnecessary laws and restrictions. By not meddling in the daily lives of the people, he creates an environment in which everyone can thrive of their own accord and naturally find their way back to a simpler and more authentic state of being.
2.) There is a popular legend from the Han Dynasty included in the Huainanzi that perfectly encapsulates the vagaries of fate:
When an old man living on the northern border lost his beloved horse, all his neighbours came to express their sympathy. The old man said, “You never know if this is real misfortune.” When the horse returned from across the border with an even more beautiful horse a couple of days later, his neighbours came to congratulate him. All he replied was, “You never know if this is real good fortune.” His son saw the new horse and took it out for a ride, only to fall from it and break his leg. When the neighbours came to express their sympathy, the old man said once again, “You never know if this is real misfortune.” A few days later, army recruiters came to summon the son to serve in a war. When they saw he had a broken leg, they left without requiring him to join up. No prizes for guessing how the old man responded.
3.) I took this image at Longhu (Dragon Tiger) Mountain, a famous Daoist site about ten miles south of Yingtan in Jiangxi Province. A great place to visit!
