《道德经》第五十七章
以正治国，以奇用兵，以无事取天下。
吾何以知其然哉。以此：天下多忌讳，而民弥贫﹔人多利器，国家滋昏﹔人多伎巧，奇物滋起﹔法令滋彰，盗贼多有。
故圣人云：「我无为，而民自化﹔我好静，而民自正﹔我无事，而民自富﹔我无欲，而民自朴。」
《Tao-Te Ching》Chapter 57
A state may be ruled by（measures of）correction；weapons of war may be used with crafty dexterity；（but）the kingdom is made one‘s own（only）by freedom from action and purpose.
How do I know that it is so？By these facts：——In the kingdom the multiplication of prohibitive enactments increases the poverty of the people；the more implements to add to their profit that the people have，the greater disorder is there in the state and clan；the more acts of crafty dexterity that men possess，the more do strange contrivances appear；the more display there is of legislation，the more thieves and robbers there are.
Therefore a sage has said，‘I will do nothing（of purpose），and the people will be transformed of themselves；I will be fond of keeping still，and the people will of themselves become correct. I will take no trouble about it，and the people will of themselves become rich；I will manifest no ambition，and the people will of themselves attain to the primitive simplicity.’
【易解】
以清静无为之常道治国，只针对出格的反常事态动用兵力，通常则以 无所事事而执掌天下。我怎么知道应该这样呢？根据在于：
天下越是多忌讳，人民就越是贫穷；民间的武器越多，国家就越是陷于昏乱；人们的技能越巧，反常之事物就日益纷繁；法令越森严，盗贼反倒更多。所以，圣人说：我无为，人民就自然顺化；我好静，人民就自然端正；我无事，人民就自然富足；我无欲，人民就自然淳朴。
道德经全文及译文