将为胠箧、探囊、发匮之盗而为守备，则必摄缄縢、固扃鐍，此世俗之所谓知也。然而巨盗至，则负匮、揭箧、担囊而趋，唯恐缄縢、扃鐍之不固也。然则乡之所谓知者，不乃为大盗积者也？故尝试论之：世俗之所谓知者，有不为大盗积者乎？所谓圣者，有不为大盗守者乎？何以知其然邪？昔者齐国，邻邑相望，鸡狗之音相闻；罔罟之所布，耒耨之所刺，方二千余里；阖四竟之内，所以立宗庙、社稷，治邑、屋、州、闾、乡、曲者，曷尝不法圣人哉？然而田成子一旦杀齐君而盗其国。所盗者岂独其国邪？并其圣知之法而盗之。故田成子有乎盗贼之名，而身处尧舜之安，小国不敢非，大国不敢诛，世世有齐国。则是不乃窃齐国，并与其圣知之法，以守其盗贼之身乎？尝试论之，世俗之所谓至知者，有不为大盗积者乎？所谓至圣者，有不为大盗守者乎？何以知其然邪？昔者龙逢斩，比干剖，苌弘胣，子胥靡，故四子之贤，而身不免于戮。故跖之徒问于跖曰：「盗亦有道乎？」跖曰：「何适而无有道邪？夫妄意室中之藏，圣也；入先，勇也；出后，义也；知可否，知也；分均，仁也。五者不备，而能成大盗者，天下未之有也。」由是观之，善人不得圣人之道不立，跖不得圣人之道不行；天下之善人少而不善人多，则圣人之利天下也少，而害天下也多。故曰：唇竭则齿寒，鲁酒薄而邯郸围，圣人生而大盗起。掊击圣人，纵舍盗贼，而天下始治矣。夫川竭而谷虚，丘夷而渊实；圣人已死，则大盗不起，天下平而无故矣。圣人不死，大盗不止。虽重圣人而治天下，则是重利盗跖也。为之斗斛以量之，则并与斗斛而窃之；为之权衡以称之，则并与权衡而窃之；为之符玺而信之，则并与符玺而窃之；为之仁义以矫之，则并与仁义而窃之。何以知其然邪？彼窃钩者诛，窃国者为诸侯，诸侯之门而仁义存焉，则是非窃仁义圣知邪？故逐于大盗揭诸侯窃仁义并斗斛权衡符玺之利者，虽有轩冕之赏弗能劝，斧钺之威弗能禁。此重利盗跖而使不可禁者，是乃圣人之过也。故曰：「鱼不可脱于渊，国之利器不可以示人。」彼圣人者，天下之利器也，非所以明天下也。故绝圣弃知，大盗乃止；擿玉毁珠，小盗不起；焚符破玺，而民朴鄙；掊斗折衡，而民不争。殚残天下之圣法，而民始可与论议。擢乱六律，铄绝竽瑟，塞师旷之耳，而天下始人含其聪矣；灭文章，散五采，胶离朱之目，而天下始人含其明矣。毁绝钩绳，而弃规矩，攦工倕之指，而天下始人有其巧矣。削曾史之行，钳杨、墨之口，攘弃仁义，而天下之德始玄同矣。彼人含其明，则天下不铄矣；人含其聪，则天下不累矣；人含其知，则天下不惑矣；人含其德，则天下不僻矣。彼曾史、杨、墨、师旷、工倕、离朱者，皆外立其德而爚乱天下者也，法之所无用也。子独不知至德之世乎？昔者容成氏、大庭氏、伯皇氏、中央氏、栗陆氏、骊畜氏、轩辕氏、赫胥氏、尊卢氏、祝融氏、伏牺氏、神农氏，当是时也，民结绳而用之，甘其食，美其服，乐其俗，安其居，邻国相望，鸡狗之音相闻，民至老死，而不相往来。若此之时，则至治已。今遂至使民延颈举踵曰：「某所有贤者」，赢粮而趣之，则内弃其亲而外去其主之事，足迹接乎诸侯之境，车轨结乎千里之外。则是上好知之过也。上诚好知而无道，则天下大乱矣。何以知其然邪？夫弓弩、毕弋、机变之知多，则鸟乱于上矣；钩饵、罔罟、罾笱之知多，则鱼乱于水矣；削格、罗络、罝罘之知多，则兽乱于泽矣；知诈、渐毒、颉滑、坚白、解垢、同异之变多，则俗惑于辩矣。故天下每每大乱，罪在于好知。故天下皆知求其所不知，而莫知求其所已知者，皆知非其所不善，而莫知非其所已善者，是以大乱。故上悖日月之明，下烁山川之精，中堕四时之施；惴耎之虫，肖翘之物，莫不失其性。甚矣夫，好知之乱天下也！自三代以下者是已：舍夫种种之民，而悦夫役役之佞；释夫恬淡无为，而悦夫啍啍之意。啍啍已乱天下矣！

        If you guard against pickpockets, robbers, and thieves who steal from houses, then you must secure the locks and bars. This is what the world calls knowledge. However, when a major thief arrives, people will rush to open their chests, break open their trunks, and carry their sacks, for fear that the ropes and locks will not hold securely. Then, are those in the village who are called wise not actually the ones who accumulate for the major thief? Therefore, let us try to discuss this: Are those in the world who are called wise not actually the ones who accumulate for the major thief? Are those who are called saints not actually the ones who guard for the major thief? How do we know this to be the case? In the ancient state of Qi, neighboring villages could be seen from each other, the sounds of chickens and dogs could be heard; the nets and traps laid out, the ploughshares and hoes used, covered an area of more than 2,000 li; within the entire territory, the temples, altars to the gods of earth and grain, the townships, hamlets, villages, towns and neighborhoods were all established according to the laws of the sages. Yet Tian Chengzi once killed the ruler of Qi and stole his country. What was stolen was not just the country. He also stole its laws and wisdom. Therefore, Tian Chengzi had the reputation of a thief, but he lived in the security of Yao and Shun. The small countries did not dare to criticize him, and the great countries did not dare to punish him. He had the country of Qi for generations. So he did not just steal the country of Qi, but also its laws and wisdom, to protect his identity as a thief? If we try to discuss this, is there anyone in the world who is considered to be the wisest who does not become a thief? And those who are called the most virtuous, are they not the ones who guard the great thieves? How do you know this to be true? In the past, Long Feng was beheaded, Bi Gan was cut open, Zhang Hong was dismembered, and Zi Xu was enslaved. Therefore, the four were wise men, but they were not able to avoid being killed. Therefore, Zi's disciple asked Zi, “Is there a way for thieves?” Zi said, “Where is there no way?” To imagine that there is treasure in the house is wisdom; to enter first is courage; to come out last is justice; to know whether it is possible or not is knowledge; to share equally is benevolence. No one who is not equipped with all five of these can be a great thief, and there has never been such a person in the world. From this it can be seen that good people cannot stand without the way of the sage, and Zi cannot act without the way of the sage. If there are few good people in the world and many evil people, then the sage will do less good and more harm. Therefore it is said: “When lips are parched, teeth are cold; when the wine of Lu is weak, the city of Handan is besieged. The sage is born, and the great thief rises. If the sage is attacked and thieves are let go, the world will begin to be governed. If the river dries up and the valley empties, the mound is leveled and the abyss fills up; if the sage dies, the great thief will not rise, and the world will be peaceful for no reason. If the sage does not die, the great thief will not stop. If you value the sage but not the world, you value the interests of the thief more than those of the sage. If you measure with a bucket and measure it, you will steal it together with the bucket; if you weigh with a scale and weigh it, you will steal it together with the scale; if you trust with a seal and trust it, you will steal it together with the seal; if you correct with benevolence and righteousness, you will steal it together with benevolence and righteousness. How do you know this is the case? He who steals a hook is executed, but he who steals a country becomes a feudal lord. If benevolence and righteousness are found at the door of a feudal lord, is he not stealing benevolence and righteousness? Therefore, if one chases after the great thief who steals benevolence and righteousness and exploits the advantages of the steelyard and the seal, no amount of rewards or punishments will be able to persuade or deter him. It is the fault of the sage to value profit over justice and make it impossible to stop the thief. Therefore it is said, “A fish cannot be taken out of the deep, and a country's sharp weapon cannot be shown to others.” The sage is the world's sharp weapon, not for illuminating the world. Therefore, abandoning the sage and knowledge, the great thief will stop; picking up jade and breaking pearls, the petty thief will not rise; burning the talisman and breaking the seal, and the people are simple and ignorant; overturning the scales and breaking the balance, and the people will not fight. When all the world's sacred laws have been destroyed, then the people can discuss them. When the six musical instruments are out of tune, the yu and se instruments are no longer played, and Si Kuang's ears are blocked, then the people of the world begin to hide their intelligence. When writing is abolished, colors are dispersed, and Jiao Lizhu's eyes are glued shut, then the people of the world begin to hide their wisdom. When the measuring ropes are destroyed, the rules are abandoned, and Gong Zhui's fingers are cut off, then the people of the world begin to have their own ingenuity. They cut down the actions of Zeng and Shi, gagged Yang and Mo, and rejected benevolence and righteousness, so that the virtues of the world became the same. If people possessed wisdom, the world would not be in chaos; if people possessed intelligence, the world would not be tired; if people possessed knowledge, the world would not be confused; if people possessed virtue, the world would not be perverse. Those who stand outside their virtue and cause chaos in the world, such as Zengzi, Shi Hui, Yang Hui, Mo Zi, Gong Zhui and Li Zhu, are useless. Don't you know the world of supreme virtue? In the past, there were the Rongcheng, Datang, Bohuang, Zhongyang, Lulu, Lixu, Xuanyuan, Hexu, Zunlu, Zhurong, Fuxi and Shennong clans. At that time, the people used knotted ropes, enjoyed their food, valued their clothing, loved their customs, were content with their homes, and looked after their neighbors. They could hear the sounds of chickens and dogs from neighboring countries. The people lived to an old age without ever interacting with each other. If this is the case, then it is already a time of great governance. Now if the ruler goes so far as to make the people crane their necks and lift their heels, saying, “My country has sages,” and rush to them with provisions, then they will forsake their parents at home and run away from their master abroad, their footprints reaching the borders of the other states and their cart tracks extending a thousand li. Then the ruler's love of knowledge is excessive. If the ruler really loves knowledge but has no way of applying it, then there will be great disorder in the world. How do I know this to be so? If there is a lot of knowledge about crossbows, hunting with dogs and traps, then the birds will be confused; if there is a lot of knowledge about hooks, nets and traps, then the fish will be confused; if there is a lot of knowledge about knots, nets, and traps, then the beasts will be confused in the marsh; if there is much knowledge of deceit, gradual poison, cunning, white-washing, dissembling, and the changing of the same and the different, then the common people will be confused in arguments. Therefore, whenever there is great chaos in the world, the fault lies in the love of knowledge. Therefore, the world knows how to seek what it does not know, but no one knows how to seek what it already knows. Everyone knows what they are not good at, but no one knows what they are already good at. This is why there is great chaos. Therefore, the superior goes against the brightness of the sun and moon, the inferior extinguishes the essence of mountains and rivers, and the middle falls into the practice of the four seasons. The timid insects and the timid things all lose their natures. How terrible it is that the love of knowledge has disturbed the world! This has been the case since the Three Dynasties: people are pleased with busybodies, and indifferent people are pleased with chatterboxes. Chatterboxes have already disturbed the world!