04道德经英译本85种-第293章

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　'the　Mysterious　Agreement。'

　　（Such　an　one）　cannot　be　treated　familiarly　or　distantly；　he　is　beyond　all　consideration　of　profit　or　injury；　of　nobility　or　meanness：he　is　the　noblest　man　under　heaven。

　　57

　　A　state　may　be　ruled　by　（measures　of）　correction；　weapons　of　war　may　be　used　with　crafty　dexterity；　（but）　the　kingdom　is　made　one's　own　（only）　by　freedom　from　action　and　purpose。

　　How　do　I　know　that　it　is　so？　By　these　facts：In　the　kingdom　the　multiplication　of　prohibitive　enactments　increases　the　poverty　of　the　people；　the　more　implements　to　add　to　their　profit　that　the　people　have；　the　greater　disorder　is　there　in　the　state　and　clan；　the　more　acts　of　crafty　dexterity　that　men　possess；　the　more　do　strange　contrivances　appear；　the　more　display　there　is　of　legislation；　the　more　thieves　and　robbers　there　are。

　　Therefore　a　sage　has　said；　'I　will　do　nothing　（of　purpose）；　and　the　people　will　be　transformed　of　themselves；　I　will　be　fond　of　keeping　still；　and　the　people　will　of　themselves　become　correct。　I　will　take　no　trouble　about　it；　and　the　people　will　of　themselves　become　rich；　I　will　manifest　no　ambition；　and　the　people　will　of　themselves　attain　to　the　primitive　simplicity。'

　　58

　　The　government　that　seems　the　most　unwise；
　　Oft　goodness　to　the　people　best　supplies；
　　That　which　is　meddling；　touching　everything；
　　Will　work　but　ill；　and　disappointment　bring。

　　Misery！happiness　is　to　be　found　by　its　side！　Happiness！misery　lurks　beneath　it！　Who　knows　what　either　will　come　to　in　the　end？

　　Shall　we　then　dispense　with　correction？　The　（method　of）　correction　shall　by　a　turn　become　distortion；　and　the　good　in　it　shall　by　a　turn　become　evil。　The　delusion　of　the　people　（on　this　point）　has　indeed　subsisted　for　a　long　time。

　　Therefore　the　sage　is　（like）　a　square　which　cuts　no　one　（with　its　angles）；　（like）　a　corner　which　injures　no　one　（with　its　sharpness）。　He　is　straightforward；　but　allows　himself　no　license；　he　is　bright；　but　does　not　dazzle。

　　59

　　For　regulating　the　human　（in　our　constitution）　and　rendering　the　（proper）　service　to　the　heavenly；　there　is　nothing　like　moderation。

　　It　is　only　by　this　moderation　that　there　is　effected　an　early　return　（to　man's　normal　state）。　That　early　return　is　what　I　call　the　repeated　accumulation　of　the　attributes　（of　the　Tao）。　With　that　repeated　accumulation　of　those　attributes；　there　comes　the　subjugation　（of　every　obstacle　to　such　return）。　Of　this　subjugation　we　know　not　what　shall　be　the　limit；　and　when　one　knows　not　what　the　limit　shall　be；　he　may　be　the　ruler　of　a　state。

　　He　who　possesses　the　mother　of　the　state　may　continue　long。　His　case　is　like　that　（of　the　plant）　of　which　we　say　that　its　roots　are　deep　and　its　flower　stalks　firm：this　is　the　way　to　secure　that　its　enduring　life　shall　long　be　seen。

　　60

　　Governing　a　great　state　is　like　cooking　small　fish。　

　　Let　the　kingdom　be　governed　according　to　the　Tao；　and　the　manes　of　the　departed　will　not　manifest　their　spiritual　energy。　It　is　not　that　those　manes　have　not　that　spiritual　energy；　but　it　will　not　be　employed　to　hurt　men。　It　is　not　that　it　could　not　hurt　men；　but　neither　does　the　ruling　sage　hurt　them。

　　When　these　two　do　not　injuriously　affect　each　other；　their　good　influences　converge　in　the　virtue　（of　the　Tao）。

　　61

　　What　makes　a　great　state　is　its　being　（like）　a　low…lying；　down…　flowing　（stream）；it　becomes　the　centre　to　which　tend　（all　the　small　states）　under　heaven。

　　（To　illustrate　from）　the　case　of　all　females：the　female　always　overcomes　the　male　by　her　stillness。　Stillness　may　be　considered　（a　sort　of）　abasement。

　　Thus　it　is　that　a　great　state；　by　condescending　to　small　states；　gains　them　for　itself；　and　that　small　states；　by　abasing　themselves　to　a　great　state；　win　it　over　to　them。　In　the　one　case　the　abasement　leads　to　gaining　adherents；　in　the　other　case　to　procuring　favour。

　　The　great　state　only　wishes　to　unite　men　together　and　nourish　them；　a　small　state　only　wishes　to　be　received　by；　and　to　serve；　the　other。　Each　gets　what　it　desires；　but　the　great　state　must　learn　to　abase　itself。

　　62

　　Tao　has　of　all　things　the　most　honoured　place。　No　treasures　give　good　men　so　rich　a　grace；　Bad　men　it　guards；　and　doth　their　ill　efface。

　　（Its）　admirable　words　can　purchase　honour；　（its）　admirable　deeds　can　raise　their　performer　above　others。　Even　men　who　are　not　good　are　not　abandoned　by　it。

　　Therefore　when　the　sovereign　occupies　his　place　as　the　Son　of　Heaven；　and　he　has　appointed　his　three　ducal　ministers；　though　（a　prince）　were　to　send　in　a　round　symbol…of…rank　large　enough　to　fill　both　the　hands；　and　that　as　the　precursor　of　the　team　of　horses　（inthe　court…yard）；　such　an　offering　would　not　be　equal　to　（a　lesson　of）　this　Tao；　which　one　might　present　on　his　knees。

　　Why　was　it　that　the　ancients　prized　this　Tao　so　much？　Was　it　not　because　it　could　be　got　by　seeking　for　it；　and　the　guilty　could　escape　（from　the　stain　of　their　guilt）　by　it？　This　is　the　reason　why　all　under　heaven　consider　it　the　most　valuable　thing。

　　63

　　（It　is　the　way　of　the　Tao）　to　act　without　（thinking　of）　acting；　to　conduct　affairs　without　（feeling　the）　trouble　of　them；　to　taste　without　discerning　any　flavour；　to　consider　what　is　small　as　great；　and　a　few　as　many；　and　to　recompense　injury　with　kindness。

　　（The　master　of　it）　anticipates　things　that　are　difficult　while　they　are　easy；　and　does　things　that　would　become　great　while　they　are　small。　All　difficult　things　in　the　world　are　sure　to　arise　from　a　previous　state　in　which　they　were　easy；　and　all　great　things　from　one　in　which　they　were　small。　Therefore　the　sage；　while　he　never　does　what　is　great；　is　able　on　that　account　to　accomplish　the　greatest　things。

　　He　who　lightly　promises　is　sure　to　keep　but　little　faith；　he　who　is　continually　thinking　things　easy　is　sure　to　find　them　difficult。　Therefore　the　sage　sees　difficulty　even　in　what　seems　easy；　and　so　never　has　any　difficulties。

　　64

　　That　which　is　at　rest　is　easily　kept　hold　of；　before　a　thing　has　given　indications　of　its　presence；　it　is　easy　to　take　measures　against　it；　that　which　is　brittle　is　easily　broken；　that　which　is　very　small　is　easily　dispersed。　Action　should　be　taken　before　a　thing　has　made　its　appearance；　order　should　be　secured　before　disorder　has　begun。

　　The　tree　which　fills　the　arms　grew　from　the　tiniest　sprout；　the　tower　of　nine　storeys　rose　from　a　（small）　heap　of　earth；　the　journey　of　a　thousand　li　commenced　with　a　single　step。

　　He　who　acts　（with　an　ulterior　purpose）　does　harm；　he　who　takes　hold　of　a　thing　（in　the　same　way）　loses　his　hold。　The　sage　does　not　act　（so）；　and　therefore　does　no　harm；　he　does　not　lay　hold　（so）；　and　therefore　does　not　lose　his　bold。　（But）　people　in　their　conduct　of　affairs　are　constantly　ruining　them　when　they　are　on　the　eve　of　success。　If　they　were　careful　at　the　end；　as　（they　should　be）　at　the　beginning；　they　would　not　so　ruin　them。

　　Therefore　the　sage　desires　what　（other　men）　do　not　desire；　and　does　not　prize　things　difficult　to　get；　he　learns　what　（other　men）　do　not　learn；　and　turns　back　to　what　the　multitude　of　men　have　passed　by。　Thus　he　helps　the　natural　development　of　all　things；　and　does　not　dare　to　act　（with　an　ulterior　purpose　of　his　own）。

　　65

　　The　ancients　who　showed　their　skill　in　practising　the　Tao　did　so；　not　to　enlighten　the　people；　but　rather　to　make　them　simple　and　ignorant。

　　The　difficulty　in　governing　the　people　arises　from　their　having　much　knowledge。　He　who　（tries　to）　govern　a　state　by　his　wisdom　is　a　scourge　to　it；　while　he　who　does　not　（try　to）　do　so　is　a　blessing。

　　He　who　knows　these　two　things　finds　in　them　also　his　model　and　rule。　Ability　to　know　this　model　and　rule　constitutes　what　we　call　the　mysterious　excellence　（of　a　governor）。　Deep　and　far…reaching　is　such　mysterious　excellence；　showing　indeed　its　possessor　as　opposite　to　others；　but　leading　them　to　a　great　conformity　to　him。

　　66

　　That　whereby　the　rivers　and　seas　are　able　to　receive　the　homage　and　tribute　of　all　the　valley　streams；　is　their　skill　in　being　lower　than　they；it　is　thus　that　they　are　the　kings　o