“The more laws and order are made prominent, the more thieves and robbers there will be.”

“If we could renounce our artful contrivances and discard our (scheming for) gain, there would be no thieves nor robbers.”

“not to prize articles which are difficult to procure is the way to keep them from becoming thieves;”

“They shall wear elegant and ornamented robes, carry a sharp sword at their girdle, pamper themselves in eating and drinking, and have a superabundance of property and wealth;—such (princes) may be called robbers and boasters.”

“Man takes his law from the Earth; the Earth takes its law from Heaven; Heaven takes it law from the Tao. The law of the Tao is its being what it is.”

“The wise man does not lay up his own treasures.The more he gives to others,the more he has for his own.”

“Loss is not as bad as wanting more.”