孔子見老子，引水於井，汲而不輟，方且升之，貌甚勞苦。孔子曰：「有機以汲者，數倍其功而不勞，先生何為不為也？」
老子曰：「有機則必有機事，有機事則必有機心。有機心則純白不備；純白不備，神生不定；神生不定，道止於是。」

Confucius saw an old man
drawing water from a well by hand,
without stopping.
He was hauling it up with great effort,
his appearance full of weariness.

Confucius said:
“There are mechanical devices now
that allow people to raise water with much less effort.
Why don’t you use one?”

The old man replied:
“Where machines are used,
mechanical actions arise.
Where mechanical actions arise,
a mechanical mind is born.

A mechanical mind
destroys the pure simplicity of the heart.

When pure simplicity is lost,
the spirit becomes restless.

And when the spirit is restless,
the Way (Dao) is no longer present.”