Sunday 25 May 2008

Daodejing Poem 74

Singapore time 9.02 am 25th May 2008

People do not fear death, how are you using death to threaten them? if you can always threaten the people to fear death and for the odd fellow, I have to maintain or hold the order to kill him, who dares? Always having an executioner, there is killing. Oh, those who substitutes the executioner in killing are called substitutes for master carpenters. Oh, those who substitutes for master carpenters, will rarely not to get their hands mangled.

This poem is talking about government and the people. The main point is death. The message is to tell people, death sentence is of no use to rule the people. It will only make the people fear no death.

The advice is to reform the people, not to punish them. Reform can be done in simple ways. In prisons, all prisoners have to eat vegetarian food. Teach them meditation to pass their time and encourage them to do well by cutting their time in prison, if they excell in the meditation. Get experts to verify their meditation.

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