When people lose connection with the natural way of life, they try to replace it with rules.
Morality, laws, and systems are created to maintain order. But these are often signs that something deeper has been forgotten.
When there is true harmony, there is no need to enforce goodness—it arises naturally.
But when harmony is lost, people begin to act out of self-interest. Trust fades. Simplicity disappears. And complexity takes its place.
This is not to say that rules are useless.
But they are not the root.
The root is alignment.
When people are aligned with the Tao, their actions are naturally balanced. They do not need constant guidance or correction.
They simply act with awareness.