This Chapter is an excerpt from Chapter 46 of the Tao Te Ching, focusing on the contrast between a world governed by the Tao and one that is not. When the Tao prevails, there is peace, prosperity, and contentment; in its absence, chaos and war erupt. The chapter emphasizes that excessive desire is the root of suffering, both on a societal and individual level. Contentment, therefore, is presented as the key to both personal fulfillment and societal harmony. The text illustrates this through analogies comparing societal order to an individual's internal state.