Chapter 65: Simple Virtue (第65章：淳德)

古之善為道者，非以明民，將以愚之。
民之難治，以其智多。
故以智治國，國之賊；不以智治國，國之福。
知此兩者亦稽式。常知稽式，是謂玄德。
玄德深矣，遠矣，與物反矣，然後乃至大順。
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Translation

The ancients who were skillful in the Dao did not try to enlighten the people, but to keep them simple (Yu - "foolish").
The people are difficult to govern because they have too much "cleverness."

Therefore, to govern a state with cleverness is to rob the state.
Not to govern with cleverness is a blessing to the state.

To understand these two patterns is to follow the ancient standard.
Always knowing this standard is called Mysterious Virtue (Xuande).
Mysterious Virtue is deep and far-reaching.
It returns all things to their source, until they reach the Great Harmony (Dashun).

✦ ◆ ✦

📜 Liuren Perspective

In Liuren Fajiao, "Cleverness" (智) refers to the complex, intellectual, and often ego-driven approach to magic. A practitioner who tries to be "clever" with spirits or rituals is "robbing" the lineage of its true power. We aim for "Simplicity" (愚)—a mind that is unified and not fragmented by many thoughts.

"Mysterious Virtue" (玄德) is our standard (稽式). It is "deep and far-reaching" because it does not rely on worldly knowledge. When we perform magic from this state of Xuande, we are not "inventing" something new; we are "returning things to their source" (與物反).

This "returning" is what restores the "Great Harmony" (大順). Whether healing a sick person or resolving a spiritual conflict, the goal is to return the energy to its natural, simple state. This is the highest expression of our skill.

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