04道德经英译本85种-第197章
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The whole day he babbles and he does not get hoarse。
This is the balance having arrived。
Knowing to balance; call it 'constant'
Knowing how to stay constant; call it 'discernment。'
Benefiting life; call it 'auspicious。'
The heart…mind's deploying life…force; call it 'coercion。'
When natural kinds are mature then old age sets in。
Call this not guided。
That which is not guided is early already。
56
Abstruse Virtuosity
Those who know to act do not speak。
Those who speak; do not know to act。
Shut up its exchanges;
close its gates。
Dull its sharpness;
undo its divisions。
Balance its brightness;
treat its particles as identical。
This is called the abstruse identity。
Hence we cannot obtain and be close。
Cannot obtain and be distant。
Cannot obtain and benefit。
Cannot obtain and harm。
Cannot obtain and value。
Cannot obtain and debase。
Hence we deem the social world as valuable。
57
Laissez Faire Politics
Use correcting to order the state。
Use shock in deploying military force。
Use absence of social matters to take charge of the social world。
How do I know these are so?
With this。
The more the social world has to elude;
the more the people are impoverished。
The more the people have beneficial artifacts;
the more the state and society are befuddled。
The more humans are skilled and clever
the more strange natural kinds crop up。
The more standards of behavior and commands are promulgated;
the more thieves and robbers there are。
Hence sages say:
I lack deeming…action and the people self…transform。
I remain calm and the people self…correct。
I avoid social matters and the people self…enrich。
I lack desires and the people self…simplify (become like uncarved wood)。
58
Political Reversal
Its regime is torpid
its people are guileless。
Its government is critically discriminating
its people are deficient。
Calamity! The ground of fortuity。
Fortuity! The obverse of calamity。
Who knows its pivot?
It lacks a 'correct'
The 'correct' returns to be deemed unorthodox。
Worthiness returns to be deemed an apparition。
Human superstition
a truly old story。
Using this: Sages
square things without carving
Are fair without punishing。
Are straight without being arbitrary。
Are bright without dazzling us。
59
A Sensible Guide
In governing people and serving nature; nothing is better than conserving。
In general; only conserving
deserves to be called early readiness。
Early readiness: call it emphasizing accumulating virtuosity。
If one emphasizes accumulating virtuosity then there is nothing onecannot conquer。
If there is nothing one cannot conquer; no one knows one's limit。
Those of whom no one knows their limits
may take states。
The mother of taking states
is able to endure。
This is called the deep root and inherent base
Of the guide to long…life and enduring vision。
60
Skill at Ruling
Ruling a large state
Is like grilling a small bit of fresh food。
Using a guide to manage the social world
Its ghost does not energize。
If it is not that its ghost does not energize;
Its energy does not harm humans。
If it is not that its energy does not harm humanity;
Sages also do not harm humans。
In general; when both of these do not mutually harm;
Then virtuosity exchanges and returns in it。
61
Virtuosity at Using 'Beneath'
Those which are great states flow downward。
The interchanges in the social world!
The female of the social world!
The female constants using stillness。 She conquer the male
using stillness to act out 'beneath'。
Hence if great states use 'beneath' on small states;
then they take small states。
If small states use 'beneath' on great states;
then they take great states。
Hence some 'beneath' in order to take;
some 'beneath' and then take。
Great states simply desire universally domesticating people。
Small states simply desire serving people。
So of the two; each gets what it wants。
The great fittingly deems 'beneath'。
62
Construing a Guide
A guide is a mystery among the ten…thousand natural kinds。
A treasure to worthy people。
That which non…worthy people sustain。
Beautiful language can be marketed。
Respectful behavior can augment humanness。
Those who are not worthy; what abandonment is there?
Hence; set up the master of nature and establish the three dukes。
Although one presents jade followed by a team of horses
It is not as good as sitting and promoting this guide。
That which ancient times treated as valuable was guidance。
How can we not say 〃with seeking you get to have it; with wrongdoingavoid unorthodoxy。〃
Hence construe the social world's value。
63
Origins in Reversal
Treat lacking deem…action as 'deem…acting'。
Treat having no social affair as 'social affair'。
Treat the absence of flavor as 'flavor'。
'Great' the small; 'many' the few;
Use virtuosity in dealing with moral anger。
Plan the difficult in its easy phases。
Deem…act on the great in its small phases。
The difficult affairs of the social world start with something easy。
The great affairs of the social world start with something small。
Using this: Sages; to the end; do not deem…act on it as 'great' andso are able to accomplish its greatness。
In general; light assent necessarily diminishes trust。
Much ease then necessarily much difficulty。
Using this: Sages make it even more difficult。
So in the end they have no difficulty。
64
Dealing with the Small。
It is easy to sustain a situation when it is pacified。
It is easy to plan when it doesn't yet show signs of danger。
It is easy to dissolve what is crisp; easy to disperse what is minute。
Deem…act on it in its not…yet…exist phase; order it in its not…yet…disorderedphase。
An armful of wood arises from small sprouts; nine story towers startfrom a pile of earth。
A thousand league walk starts with putting the foot down。
Those who deem…act wreck it; those who grasp lose it。
Using this: Sages lack deeming action; hence they lack wrecking; lackgrasping hence lack losing。
The people in pursuing social affairs take the phase of nearly completedas constant and then wreck it。
If you are as careful at the end as in the beginning then you willlack wrecking things。
Using this: Sages treat not…desiring as a desire and don't value goodsdifficult to obtain。
Study not…studying and restore what the crowd of humanity has passedby。
Use restoring the self…so nature of the ten…thousand natural kindsand don't recklessly deem…act。
65
Unlearned Virtuosity
Those in ancient times who were good at deem…acting on a guide
Did not to use it to make the people discerning but to make them stupid。
People's being hard to govern comes from their knowing how to do toomuch。
Hence to use know…how to govern a state is the thief of the state。
Not to use know…how to govern a state is the blessing of the state。
Those who know to do these two things are also evaluated models。
To treat knowing to follow evaluated models as constant;
This is called obscure virtuosity。
Obscure virtuosity becomes deep! Becomes distant!
Becomes the reversal of natural kinds。
After it is so; then it achieves great flow。
66
Strategic Reversal
The reason rivers and oceans can deem…act as kings of a hundred valleys:
Is that they are good…at lowering them。
Hence they are able to deem…act as king of a hundred valleys。
Using this: if you desire to elevate the people; you must use languageto diminish them。
If you desire to place the people first; you must treat them as lessthan your body。
Using this: Sages occupy the upper positio