The self-sufficiency of the Tao

A country is small, and its people are few. Even if there are devices that could do the work of ten or a hundred people, they are not used. The people are made to value their lives and not move far away. Though there are boats and carriages, no one rides them. Though there are armor and weapons, no one displays them. The people are led back to the simple days of tying knots in cords to keep records. This is the highest kind of government. The people find their food sweet, their clothes beautiful, their homes comfortable, and their customs joyful. Neighboring countries are within sight of each other, and the crowing of roosters and barking of dogs can be heard across the border. Yet the people grow old and die without ever visiting one another.