Translation

Of ancients adept in the way, none ever use it to enlighten people,
They will use it in order to fool them.
People are difficult to govern because they are too intelligent.
Therefore, using intelligence to govern the country injures the country.
Not using intelligence to govern the country blesses the country.
Knowing these both and investigate their patterns.
Always investigate the patterns.
That is called profound moral character,
Profound moral character deeply penetrating.
After wards, and only then, does it reach great conformity..

ancient (age-old) of good (satisfactory; be adept in ) do (act; act as; serve as; be; mean; support) road (way, principle; speak; think) ?, wrong (not conform to <infrml> must) use (take; so as to_and; as well as) bright (light; clear; open; honest; understand) the people (civilian),

support (bring; handle, will>lead, command) use (take; so as to_and; as well as) foolish (stupid; make a fool of; fool) of.

the people (civilian) of difficult (hard; troublesome) rule (govern; order; peace; > government; control), use (take; so as to_and; as well as) his (its; their; they; that) wisdom (intelligence, resourcefulness; wit) much (more; too many; excessive).

reason (cause; on purpose; hence) use (take; so as to_and; as well as) wisdom ( intelligence, resourcefulness; wit) rule (govern; order; peace; > government; control) country, country of injure (harm; murder> thief; sly; deceitful).

no (not) use (take; so as to_and; as well as) wisdom (intelligence, resourcefulness; wit) rule (govern; order; peace; > government; control) country, country of good fortune (happiness).

know (realize; tell) this two (both; either; some) ?, also (too) check (examine; investigate; procrastinate) type (style, pattern).

ordinary (normal; constant; often) know (realize; tell) check (examine; investigate; procrastinate). type (style, pattern),

(shì_<grm> is <formal> this; that) say (call; name; meaning; sense) black (dark; profound) virtue (moral character; heart).

black (dark; profound) virtue (moral character; heart) deep (difficult; profound; intimate; dark) already (indeed; really; how), far (distant; remote) already (indeed; really; how)! give (get along with <conj.> and) matter (affair; thing; responsibility) turn over (in an opposite direction; in reverse; inside out) already (indeed; really; how).

<adv.> then (after that; afterwards) be (therefore, only then, your) to (until; > extremely; most) big (large; great; major) in the same direction as (with; along; arrange; suitable; in sequence).

Original

古之善为道者，
非以明民，
将以愚之。
民之难治，
以其智多。
故以智治国，
国之贼。
不以智治国，
国之福。
知此两者，
亦稽式。
常知稽式，
是谓玄德。
玄德深矣、
远矣！与物反矣。
然后乃至大顺。

Commentary, March 2011

Nothing is more ‘of old and excels in pursuit of the way‘ than nature. That nature hoodwinks living creatures to bring about instinctive interaction has become utterly obvious to me now. I first realized nature was tricking me when I began examining my irrational, lustful, attraction to women. Or course, I knew about this intellectually ever since biology class in high school. But this went deeper.

The difference here was the dawning of a visceral intuitive sense of these natural forces acting on me. It was quite liberating to see the puppeteer pulling the strings! Curiously it took another few decades to truly appreciate how extensive this hoodwink really is. Truth be told, I am still in awe. Why did it take so long?

Wishful thinking blinded me for decades. I cherished the illusion that I could be the masters of my fate. Civilization and education shielded me from the harsh wild side of Mother Nature, which still further convinced me that I could outwit her. Simply put, my story was what I wanted to hear.

We’ve all heard the brain-wash talking point: “Animals merely respond through blind instinct; we can intelligently rise above instinct”. Alas, we are intoxicated by our own cleverness, believing we can get away with “murder” without consequences. Our excessive intelligence makes us a difficult species for nature to govern. We are like spoiled children, and like them, are not happier for it either.

And like children, circumstances bring us to maturity. Maturity affords us enough self honesty to begin to see underlying patterns. The issues of life: battles, arguments, attraction and aversion, gain and loss, worries, etc., all have their individual ‘color’. Knowing the model that underpins these seemingly disparate events offers us a way to deal with a thing while it is still nothing by downplaying the ‘color’.

Noticing underlying patterns — the common denominator — is another way of describing mysterious sameness. Knowing and investigate the pattern, the constant, that connects life’s disparate issues is called profound moral character given that it becomes less possible to deceive one’s self through self-rationalization / justification. How do we know mysterious sameness when we see it? That’s simple: impartiality increases and hypocrisy drops off.

Alas, nature hoodwinks us into seeing sameness as boring and differences as interesting and exciting. It is easier and more fun to know one side of the coin (or the other). Knowing these both and investigate their patterns as a whole is not. Indeed, history is replete with folks passionately aligning themselves to one side or the another. Nothing ever changes; it just goes round and round. On the other hand, the more one sees the whole, the more complete conformity becomes the only way.

Reaching great conformity is also another way of saying to follow the way and the way only. Conformity to each moment as it happens is difficult for we tend to project (think) our fears and needs ahead to the next moment. We struggle to control and lead life, rather than follow life. Imagined fear drives us to over protect ourselves from that which will not happen, and ironically, distract us from dangers ever present.