most simple: live a peaceful agricultural life, bearing the acts of violence which may be perpetrated upon us without struggling against them and without participating in them. The same thing, I presume, and with yet stronger reasons, should you Chinese do in order not only to free yourselves from the seizures of your land and the plunder which the European nations subject you to, but also from the unreasonable demands of your Government which exacts from you actions contrary to your moral teaching and consciousness.
Only adhere to that liberty which consists in following the rational way of life, i.e., Tao, and of themselves will be abolished all the calamities which your officials cause you, and your oppression and plunder by Europeans will become impossible. You will free yourselves from your officials by not fulfilling their demands, and, above all, by not obeying, you will cease to contribute to the oppression and plunder of each other. You will free yourselves from plunder on the part of Europeans by keeping the Tao, and not recognising yourselves as belonging to any State, or as being responsible for the deeds committed by your Government.
All the seizures and plunder you are subject to from European nations take place only because there exists a Government of which you recognise yourselves as subjects. If there were no Chinese Government, foreign nations would have no pretext, under guise of international relations, to commit their atrocities. And if, by refusing to obey your Government, you will cease to encourage foreign Powers in their acts of violence against you: if you do not serve the Government, either in private, or State, or military service—then there will not exist all those calamities from which you suffer.
VIII.
In order to free oneself from the evil one should not fight with its consequences: the abuses of Governments, the seizures and plunders of neighbouring nations,—but with the root of the evil;
