04道德经英译本85种-第14章

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　　They　bring　nothing　but　trouble
　　One　who　is　wise　will　never　ever　use　a　weapon
　　Because　peace　and　quietness　are　more　precious　to　him
　　He　doesn抰　enjoy　victory
　　Because　one　who　enjoys　victory
　　Enjoys　his　fellow　men　getting　killed
　　And　one　who　enjoys　their　fellow　men　getting　killed
　　Will　never　find　peace　in　oneself
　　Prosperity　is　considered　as　a　personal　merit
　　Misfortune　on　the　other　hand　is　considered　as　an　ironic　freak
　　Victory　is　the　merit　of　men
　　And　defeat　the　blame　of　the　commander
　　But　victory　and　defeat　only　brings　losers

　　32

　　The　Unspeakable　is　eternal　and　is　not　to　be　spoken　of　in　words
　　Just　like　a　rough　piece　of　wood；　it抯　not　useful　to　anyone
　　If　leaders　were　an　example　of　true　living
　　Everyone　would　join　his　true　nature　at　the　same　time
　　The　heavens　would　dew　and　the　clouds　rain　justice
　　And　without　human　intervening
　　That　altogether　would　benefit　every　single　thing　that　lives　beneath　the　firmament
　　But　when　discord　is　born
　　Everything　must　have　a　name
　　Keep　in　mind　that　when　everything　has　a　name；
　　You抣l　have　to　stop　all　that
　　Because　one　who　stops　will　bounce　off　danger
　　Compared　to　the　twisted　tributaries　of　mistake
　　The　straight　and　simple　road　is　like　a　powerful　stream

　　33

　　One　who　sees　trough　the　other　is　clever
　　One　knowing　oneself　is　wise
　　One　who　conquers　the　other　is　powerful
　　One　conquering　oneself　is　inviolable
　　One　who　is　satisfied　is　rich
　　One　that　wants　a　lot　is　busy　all　the　time
　　One　who　stays　oneself；　is　a　four…square　fellow　

　　One　who　dies　before　dying；　lives　in　the　present　forever

　　34

　　That　which　makes　everything　exist；　is　present　everywhere
　　It　spreads　itself　throughout　the　entire　Creation
　　Everything　owes　its　existence　to　It；　everything　to　its　own　nature
　　It　gives　everything　for　nothing
　　It　cherishes　and　guards　everything　and　everyone；　but　expects　nothing　in　return
　　Because　It　does　not　wish　for　anything；　It　seems　to　be　important
　　It　makes　everything　appear　and　disappear　again
　　But　Itself　is　eternal
　　Therefore　the　one　who　is　wise　is　modest
　　And　because　he　is　modest；
　　His　actions　are　grand

　　35

　　For　one　who　beholds　the　perfect　arrangement　of　things
　　Everything　falls　in　its　rightful　place
　　Nothing　can　harm　him；　and　rest　and　peace　will　fall　to　him
　　Along　the　way　there　are　travellers　who　yield　music　and　feasts
　　Because　the　road　to　self…knowledge　is　acrid　and　unpleasant
　　Not　pleasant　to　face
　　Painful　to　hear
　　But　giving　an　inexhaustible　strength

　　36

　　Only　what抯　stretched　out　can　be　pulled　together
　　Only　what抯　fortified　can　be　weakened
　　Only　what抯　increased　can　be　decreased
　　Only　one　who　has；　can　lose
　　That　must　be　clear
　　Soft　overcomes　hard
　　Weak　overcomes　strong
　　Fishes　belong　in　water
　　Weapons　have　to　be　destroyed

　　37

　　The　Eternal　Creating　does　nothing
　　And　yet　it　does　everything
　　If　leaders　would　give　in　to　it
　　The　aspect　of　the　world　would　change　of　itself
　　But　since　people　have　so　much　to　wish　for
　　Only　I　can　be　an　example
　　The　example　of　true　simplicity
　　And　when　the　people　decide　to　follow　me
　　The　whole　world　will　be　in　peace

　　38

　　True　virtues　are　not　from　this　world；
　　Therefore　they　are　true　virtues
　　The　so…called　搗irtues？in　this　world
　　Serve　only　self…interest
　　Therefore　those　are　not　true　virtues
　　One　who　only　serves　the　general　interest；　is　truthfully　adequate
　　One　who　is　called　charitable　in　this　world；
　　Expects　thankfulness　in　return
　　One　who　is　called　honest　in　this　world；
　　Has　a　hidden　agenda
　　Those　who　have　been　adapted　to　this　world
　　Demand　that　others　do　the　same
　　And　if　not　they　threaten　you　and　get　angry
　　Therefore；　when　people　stray　from　the　straight　and　simple　road
　　Then　they　start　to　act　virtuously；　but　they　are　not　virtuous
　　They　pretend　to　be　honest；　but　they　are　not　fair
　　They　act　decently；　but　they　are　not　decent
　　Civilization　is　just　a　thin　crust　across　unfaithfulness　and　dishonesty
　　It　is　also　the　source　of　disorder　and　chaos
　　A　wise　man　never　hides　behind　a　mask
　　He　trusts　what抯　inside　of　him；　not　in　appearances
　　Therefore　he　rejects　appearance　and　embraces　the　essence

　　39

　　About　the　men　of　old　that　had　reached　perfection
　　We　know　that　they　felt　one　with　the　whole　creation
　　That　they　saw　the　earth　not　as　chaos　but　as　a　unity
　　That　they　felt　like　gods　and　spiritual　beings
　　That　emptiness　was　no　longer　empty；　but　filled
　　And　they　saw　that　the　whole　creation　was　inspired
　　Thanks　to　their　wholeness　the　world　returned　to　its　original　order
　　For　one　who　doesn抰　see　clearly；　the　creation　is　splintered
　　For　one　who　places　oneself　outside　nature；　the　earth　is　chaos
　　One　who　doesn抰　experience　oneself　as　divine　anymore；　feels　powerless
　　One　who　does　not　experience　one's　perfection　anymore；　feels　empty
　　People　who　deny　their　true　nature；　go　to　rack　and　ruin
　　Therefore　they　say：
　　Humility　is　the　source　of　truthfulness
　　Smallness　the　source　of　grandeur
　　One　who　feels　elevated　over　ones　fellow　men
　　Isn抰　right；　is　unworthy　and　small
　　After　all；　they　climbed　up　high　over　other　people抯　backs
　　Therefore　their　richness　is　poverty
　　And　their　gold　just　tinsel

　　40

　　One　who　deviates　from　the　right　and　simple　road
　　Will　be　pulled　towards　it　again
　　This　occurs　with　a　mild　touch
　　The　whole　creation　comes　into　existence
　　The　existing　out　of　the　unnameable　unexisting

　　41

　　When　the　most　sincere　hear　about　the　road　to　self…knowledge；
　　They　will　devote　themselves　to　bringing　it　into　practice
　　When　the　fairly　sincere　hear　about　the　road　to　self…knowledge
　　They　will　only　get　out　of　it　what　suits　their　purposes
　　When　the　hardened　hear　about　the　road　to　self…knowledge
　　They　will　roar　with　laughter
　　If　they　didn抰　roar；　it　would　not　be　true
　　Therefore　there　are　some　aphorisms　to　it：
　　The　road　to　light　appears　to　be　dark
　　Going　forward　sometimes　feels　like　going　back
　　The　way　to　the　simple　road　is　a　hard　way　to　take
　　But　also：
　　The　greatest　personality　turns　out　to　be　vain
　　The　purest　white　turns　out　to　be　grey
　　The　most　righteous　proves　to　be　unfair
　　Kindness　seems　but　a　thin　layer
　　With　the　truth　one　can　go　in　all　directions
　　Like　a　square　circle
　　Like　an　inexhaustible　barrel
　　Like　singing　without　words
　　Like　a　sculpture　with　no　shadow
　　In　that　way　the　road　is　hidden　and　not　captured　in　words
　　Only　the　road　to　self…knowledge　has　a　beginning　and　an　end

　　42

　　The　unspeakable　gives　birth　to　one
　　One　to　a　second
　　And　out　of　the　second　arises　the　third
　　The　third　brings　the　whole　creation　to　life
　　Everything　is　carried　by　the　dark　and　comes　to　light
　　The　breath　of　Emptiness　creates　order
　　People　hate　to　be　alone；　unimportant　and　useless
　　And　yet　that　is　what　a　true　man　takes　pleasure　in
　　One　who　becomes　smaller；　becomes　bigger
　　One　who　becomes　bigger；　becomes　smaller
　　I　only　tell　what　everybody　already　knows：
　　One　who　lives　in　a　complicated　way；　dies　in　a　complicated　way
　　That　is　what　it抯　all　about

　　43

　　The　softest　is　stronger　than　the　very　hardest
　　That　which　makes　everything　be　what　it　is；　penetrates　everything
　　Therefore　I　know　that　it抯　wise　to　leave　and　not　do　anything
　　That　one　doesn抰　need　lessons　for　it
　　That　of　all　doings；　leaving　is　where　true　happiness　lies
　　In　this　world　only　a　few　understand　this

　　44

　　What　comes　first；　life　or　status？
　　What抯　more　important　to　you；　yourself　or　your　possessions？
　　What抯　worse；　having　or　losing？
　　One　who　wants　a　lot　pays　a　high　price
　　One　who　has　a　lot；　has　a　lot　to　lose
　　But　one　who　is　satisfied　knows　neither　fear　nor　disgrace
　　And　one　who　has　stopped　playing　a　part　in　the　game　will　never　be　afraid　again　and　will　live　happily　ever　after

　　45

　　Perfection　seems　unfinished　to　this　world
　　But　i