Tao Te Ching · Ch. 75

民之飢,以其上食稅之多,是以飢。民之難治,以其上之有為,是以難治。民之輕死,以其上求生之厚,是以輕死。夫唯無以生為者,是賢於貴生。

Mín zhī jī, yǐ qí shàng shí shuì zhī duō, shì yǐ jī. Mín zhī nán zhì, yǐ qí shàng zhī yǒu wéi, shì yǐ nán zhì. Mín zhī qīng sǐ, yǐ qí shàng qiú shēng zhī hòu, shì yǐ qīng sǐ. Fú wéi wú yǐ shēng wéi zhě, shì xián yú guì shēng.

The people are hungry because those above them consume too much in taxes — that is why they are hungry. The people are difficult to govern because those above them act with too much interference — that is why they are hard to govern. The people take death lightly because those above them are too eager to enrich their own lives — that is why death is taken lightly. Truly, those who do not place excessive value on their own lives are wiser than those who overvalue life.

— Tao Te Ching 75

Source: Wang Bi edition (Chinese) + Hanyu Pinyin transliteration