Tao Te Ching - 3

If a country over esteems its leader,
People will fight for leadership.
If a country over values what is scarce,
People begin to steal it.
If a country does not show off what is desirable,
People will not lose their conscience.

The Master leads
by emptying people's ambitions
and full-filling their inner-core,
by reducing their desires
and increasing their true strength.

When there is no need for deceit or greed,
The cunning ones shall restrain themselves.

Practice non-doing,
and everything will be accomplished.

Revised and translated by Chiyan Wang;
Editing credit to Robert H. Smitheram Ph.D.