Good Food, Simple Clothes: Why Less Was More in Ancient Taoism
甘其食，美其服 |Eat well and take well(Chapter 80 of the Tao Te Ching):
- Literal Translation:
- “甘其食” → “sweeten their food” / “consider their food sweet”
- “美其服” → “beautify their clothing” / “regard their clothing as beautiful”
- Core Meaning:
A philosophical ideal where people find contentment and satisfaction in simplicity, valuing what they have rather than craving excess. - Key Concepts:
- Simplicity (俭, jiǎn): Living with basic needs fulfilled, free from materialism.
- Contentment (足, zú): Inner peace derived from appreciating the present.
- Non-Desire (无欲, wú yù): Avoiding greed to align with the Tao (自然, zìrán, “natural way”).
- Context in Chapter 80:
Part of Lao Tzu’s description of an ideal society where people:- Live self-sufficiently (“邻国相望，鸡犬之声相闻”).
- Reject competition and excess (“使民复结绳而用之”).
- Modern Interpretation:
A call to:- Simplify lifestyles.
- Cultivate gratitude for ordinary things.
- Reduce artificial desires that disrupt harmony.
Example:
A person eating humble meals with joy (“甘其食”) and wearing plain clothes with pride (“美其服”) embodies this teaching.
Contrast:
Unlike consumerist cultures that chase “more,” Lao Tzu advocates finding “enough” in the present.(Isn’t this another manifestation of “having enough”?)
(Note: This phrase reflects Taoist values of 无为 wúwéi [“non-action”] and 朴素 pǔsù [“plainness”].)