# Burden created by desire: summary

Contrasts social conditions with and without the Way and examines harm from insatiable desire.

https://sakimyto.com/en/classics/laozi/chapter-46-burden-created-by-desire

## Source and summary

[Laozi · Dao De Jing · Burden created by desire](https://zh.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%81%93%E5%BE%B7%E7%B6%93%20%28%E7%8E%8B%E5%BC%BC%E6%9C%AC%29&oldid=2354026#%E5%9B%9B%E5%8D%81%E5%85%AD%E7%AB%A0)

> 天下有道，卻走馬以糞。

Contrasts social conditions with and without the Way and examines harm from insatiable desire.

## Editorial interpretation

The example below adapts this chapter’s questions to modern work. Evaluate it against the actual purpose and conditions; ancient politics, warfare or ethics do not establish business results.

## Business application

Before continuously adding initiatives, review existing purposes and results and choose some to end.

1. Choose one relevant case and record its objective, available resources, verified facts and unknowns.
2. Compare options using this chapter’s perspective; choose a limited trial, owner, deadline and a measure to assess the result.

Deliverable: A comparison using burden created by desire, with conditions for acting or declining.

## Limits

The summary selects main points rather than translating every sentence. The example is not a demonstrated business method; check it against stakeholders’ conditions and actual evidence.

## Validation question

How does this chapter’s perspective change the selected option or priority, and what further evidence could change the decision?

[Laozi: a guide to the Dao De Jing](https://sakimyto.com/en/classics/laozi)

[This material](https://sakimyto.com/classics-data/entries/laozi/chapter-46-burden-created-by-desire.en.md)

Updated: 2026-10-13 · v1.0.0