Line by Line - Verse 80, Line 6

I would make the people return to the use of knotted cords (instead of the written characters).
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

Men return to the knotting of rope in place of writing.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Let the people return to tying knots and using them
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

They had so few responsibilities,
they never had to make a To-Do list to remember what had to be done.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

As Derek Lin explains it, this line is about the virtues of simplicity.

"Tying knots" was a way for people to record events. It is a general metaphor for simple solutions, which are often the most effective and reliable solutions.

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