Tao te Ching: 75

The people starve because the ruler eats too much tax-grain.
Therefore they starve.
They are difficult to rule because their ruler does too many things.
Therefore they are difficult to rule.
The people take death lightly because their ruler strives for life too vigorously.
Therefore they take death lightly.
It is only those who do not seek after life that excel in making life valuable.

The lines alternate A/B. The phrase beginning the A line, "the people starve" should be interpreted as as an action in progress. The B line should be interpreted as the state. They starve because they have no food. They are difficult to rule because the ruler does to many things.

What does it mean to strive for life too vigorously? To indulge in things. To live as a hedonist, always doing the things one wants and consuming the things one wants to consume. Because the ruler focuses on all of these things, there is no meaning or gravity to death. It is simply the "end of fun" instead of a part of life.

Remember Chapter 11:

Therefore turn being into advantage, and turn non-being into utility.

This means that the value added comes from not having things. Consider having things to be a benefit, though ultimately they are not as useful as not having things.