04道德经英译本85种-第139章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　imagination　to　see　that　the　poet　was　thinking　of　a　person　or　being　who　had　appeared　on　earth　from　another　world。　This　image　seems　to　better　resonate　with　the　descriptions　that　follow　it；　and　to　emphasize　the　unique　inner　separation　discussed　above。　It　also　places　an　appropriate　context　on　the　line　chung　jih　hao　erh　pu　sha；　which　is　normally　taken　to　refer　to　the　baby　that　cries　all　day　without　getting　hoarse。　Clearly；　Lao　Tzu　would　not　wish　for　us　to　draw　such　a　comparison　between　a　wailing　infant　and　one　who　is　said　（in　the　very　next　line）　to　possess　an　〃unshakeable　peace。〃　Indeed；　there　is　no　subject　specified　for　whoever　is　crying　or　yelling；　I　found　that　it　made　the　most　inner　sense　as　a　comparison　between　the　noise　of　the　collective　and　the　peace　of　the　one　in　harmony　with　himself　and　his　Origin。
　　56

　　Understanding　doesn抰　talk　a　lot；
　　A　lot　of　talk　lacks　understanding。

　　Can　you　be　guided　by　silence？
　　Can　you　shut　down　your　outer　senses？

　　Can　you　blunt　your　jagged　edges？
　　Can　you　let　the　inner　knots　unravel？
　　Can　you　let　your　brilliance　be　dimmed？
　　Can　you　merge　with　the　dust　of　the　earth？

　　This　is　called　揾armonizing　light　and　dark。？br》　In　this；　you　possess　no　one；
　　But　are　loved　by　many。
　　You　are　equally　immune
　　To　attraction　and　revulsion。
　　You　are　equally　receptive
　　To　profit　and　to　loss。

　　You　are　unmoved　by　fame；
　　And　yet　you　attract　honor。
　　Because　you　make　no　claim；
　　You　can　be　free　of　disgrace。

　　Thus　are　you　lovingly　received
　　Into　the　Heart　of　Nature；
　　Forever。　
　　One　of　the　wonders　of　this　little　book　of　poems　is　how　Lao　Tzu　was　able　to　hammer　so　lightly　at　the　same　themes；　and　with　such　delightful　variation　in　expression；　so　that　each　repetition　is　fresh　and　uniquely　nourishing。　The　themes　here　presented　should　be　quite　familiar　by　now　to　one　who　has　read　the　poems　in　order　to　this　point：　the　intrinsic　value　of　dispersing　excess　in　speech　and　action；　the　fulfillment　that　comes　of　dimming　down　the　outer　senses　and　turning　within　toward　one's　feeling　nature；　the　deep　love　that　is　drawn　to　one　who　abandons　claim　and　possession　on　others；　and　the　natural　grace　that　arises　in　one　who　is　〃unmoved　by　fame。〃　

　　In　many　traditional　renderings　of　this　verse；　it　is　presented　as　a　teaching　on　sitting　meditation：　be　quiet；　close　off　your　senses；　be　soft　and　still　as　you　settle　your　inner　dust。　This　is　a　very　good　approach；　but　perhaps　only　to　half　the　poem；　as　it　were。　I　have　been　guided　to　see　this　verse　as　Lao　Tzu's　teaching　on　living　as　meditation：　how　the　inner　values　and　practices　that　we　usually　think　of　as　meditation　（sitting　down　and　being　open；　still　and　silent）　can　become　a　way　of　life。　After　all；　meditation　that　is　not　continued　into　life　has　nothing　of　value　over　an　afternoon　nap。　

　　I　think　that　Lao　Tzu　would　like　us　to　learn　to　disperse　the　division　between　the　practice　of　meditation　and　the　activity　of　daily　living。　Meditation　is　not　properly　a　means　of　escape　or　relaxation　from　the　rat　race　beyond　the　chair　or　cushion；　it　is　meant　to　be　what　infuses　the　relationships　and　activities　of　every　waking　moment。　When　the　way　we　do　our　work；　raise　our　children；　manage　our　homes；　and　interact　socially　becomes　increasingly　indistinguishable　from　the　way　we　meditate；　then　the　lesson　of　this　poem　will　have　been　fully　integrated　into　our　lives。　For　this　is　where　meditation　takes　us　beyond　the　enrichment　of　life　in　a　bodily　form；　and　into　the　realm　of　true　immortality；　where　〃you　are　lovingly　received　into　the　Heart　of　Nature　forever。〃　As　the　division　between　inner　and　outer；　between　meditation　and　living；　is　dissolved；　so　is　that　between　form　and　non…form；　until　the　empty　falsehood　of　death…as…ending　is　finally　discarded。　What　then　remains　is　all　we　need：　life　beyond　time；　perpetuated　in　consciousness。
　　57

　　In　government；　objectives　are　clarified。
　　In　warfare；　objectives　are　concealed。
　　In　following　the　Tao；　objectives　are　discarded。

　　How　do　I　know　that　this　is　so？
　　By　feeling　it　from　within。

　　With　every　commandment　thrust　upon　the　people；
　　They　become　more　impoverished　and　alienated。
　　As　the　weapons　of　the　state　grow　ever　more　destructive；
　　The　more　contagious　is　the　fear　that　desolates　the　nation。
　　The　further　science　spreads　its　hegemony　of　the　intellect；
　　The　more　demonic　are　the　products　that　roll　off　the　assembly　line。
　　As　the　precedents　of　litigation　grow；　and　the　statutory　codes　accumulate；
　　The　politicians　and　criminals　will　proliferate　and　flourish。

　　The　counsel　of　the　Sage　is　different：
　　Let　your　action　lack　force；
　　And　there　will　be　spontaneous　transformation。
　　Let　meditation　guide　you；
　　And　the　natural　order　will　arise。
　　Abandon　power…
　　Lead　only　by　example　and　consensus；
　　And　there　will　be　abundance　in　the　land。
　　Defeat　desire；　let　innocence　be　your　law；
　　And　your　nation　will　return
　　To　its　deepest；　simple　nature。　
　　Clearly；　there　are　points　in　this　book　where　Lao　Tzu　〃takes　the　gloves　off；〃　and　this　is　one　of　them。　Yet　this　verse　goes　far　beyond　a　mere　diatribe　against　laws　and　lawyers；　armies　and　weapons；　technologies　of　dull　convenience；　and　the　depredations　of　politicians　and　corporate　tyrants；　for　the　poet　again　offers　a　natural　alternative　to　the　proliferation　of　tyranny。　As　amazing　as　it　may　be　to　contemplate　how　little　humans　appear　to　have　changed　in　2；600　years；　we　must　also　read　this　poem　with　a　view　to　its　practical　purpose：　the　gifts　of　peace；　abundance；　and　true　progress　that　we　naturally　desire　as　both　individuals　and　as　nations　are　more　readily　available　to　us　than　we　have　been　led　to　believe　by　those　who　would　define　them　in　terms　of　legislation；　power；　and　the　manipulation　of　Nature。　Drop　the　struggle；　for　there　is　nothing　that　needs　to　be　fought；　let　the　meditative　life　described　in　the　previous　poem　guide　you　and　your　nation；　lead　by　example　and　consensus；　not　with　force　or　commandment。　This　is　the　way　of　return　that　is　spoken　of　throughout　this　book；　and　the　poet　would　like　us　to　understand　that　though　it　must　begin　within　each　individual；　it　can　continue　in　an　entire　nation。
　　58

　　When　the　government　lacks　power　and　brilliance；
　　Organic　simplicity　suffuses　the　people。
　　When　the　government　is　intrusive　and　vigilant；
　　Deceit　and　resentment　are　the　coin　of　the　realm。

　　Misfortune　enters　the　life
　　That　is　propped　up　on　success；
　　And　misery　lurks　beneath
　　The　lustrous　show　of　affluence。

　　Life　that　lacks　limits　lacks　duration。
　　If　it　is　elevated　today；
　　It　will　be　tomorrow　maligned。
　　When　everything　is　changing；
　　Nothing　is　transformed。

　　Insight　is　caked　with　the　ink　of　the　prophets。
　　Will　there　be　no　end　to　this　delusion？
　　Thus；　the　counsel　of　the　Sage：
　　If　you　are　sharp　within；
　　You　needn抰　cut　without。
　　You　can　be　pointed　in　your　depths；
　　But　carry　neither　slings　nor　arrows。
　　Straighten　out　your　inner　edges
　　Without　defining　outer　boundaries。

　　If　you　can　glow　like　a　lantern；
　　You　won抰　have　to　shine。　
　　Affluence　and　power　fail　to　endure　because　they　require　the　support　of　an　illusion　of　success；　which　is　inevitably　exposed。　There　is　no　such　thing　as　grandeur；　either　in　being　the　most　powerful　nation　or　the　most　famous　person；　there　is　only　an　outer　display；　which　needs　increasingly　greater　energy　to　disguise　itself　as　genuine　success。　Thus；　the　effort　of　vigilance　in　maintaining　an　image　is　never　relaxed：　though　its　presentation　may　vary；　such　change　is　superficial　and　ephemeral；　and　will　never　endure。　In　the　realm　of　image…making；　therefore；　〃deceit　and　resentment　are　the　coin；〃　because　the　shifts　in　the　landscape　are　confined　to　the　apparent；　and　leave　the　inner　plane　ignored　or　repressed；　thus；　the　deep　and　lasting　glow　of　transformation　is　completely　lacking。　

　　The　way　of　the　Sage　is　to　turn　within　and　scrape　away　the　overlaid　delusions　of　grandeur　with　which　the　prophets　and　self…styled　seers　have　obscured　the　original　insight　of　true　nature。　This　is　the　〃inner　cutting〃　which　requires　no　outer　sharpness；　the　inner　light　that　doesn抰　need　to　shine。　True　i