Chapter 65

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，玄德深遠；
與物反矣，然後乃至大順。

The good practitioners of the Way of old did not use it to make the people bright, but to make them foolish.
The people are hard to govern because they have too much cleverness.
So to govern a state by cleverness is to rob the state;
not to govern a state by cleverness is the state’s blessing.
To know these two is also to know the pattern.
Always to know the pattern: this is called dark virtue. Dark virtue is deep and far-reaching;
it turns back with things, and only then comes the great accord.