04道德经英译本85种-第308章

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　　This　is　the　way　of　the　Tao。　Its　power　and　effectiveness　are　unmatched　in　the　world。　At　the　same　time；　it　is　also　rarely　understood　by　most　people。
　　Notes
　　Other　points　to　reinforce　this　concept：
　　1）　When　one　grows　old；　the　teeth　fall　out　but　the　tongue　remains。
　　2）　The　pliant　grass　survives　a　fierce　storm　while　the　unyielding　tree　is　uprooted。
　　44

　　Fame　or　the　self；　which　is　dearer？
　　The　self　or　wealth；　which　is　greater？
　　Gain　or　loss；　which　is　more　painful？
　　Thus　excessive　love　must　lead　to　great　spending
　　Excessive　hoarding　must　lead　to　heavy　loss
　　Knowing　contentment　avoids　disgrace
　　Knowing　when　to　stop　avoids　danger
　　Thus　one　can　endure　indefinitely　
　　Which　do　you　hold　more　dear；　fame　or　your　true　self？
　　Which　do　you　value　more；　your　true　self　or　material　possessions？
　　Which　is　more　painful；　gain　or　loss？
　　Therefore　we　always　pay　a　great　price　for　excessive　love
　　And　suffer　deep　loss　for　great　accumulation。
　　Knowing　what　is　enough；　you　will　not　be　humiliated。
　　Knowing　where　to　stop；　you　will　not　be　imperiled
　　And　can　be　long…lasting。
　　Gain　or　loss；　which　is　worse？
　　Excessive　love　implies　excessive　outlay。　Immoderate　accumulation　implies　heavy　loss。
　　Who　knows　contentment　meets　no　shame。　Who　knows　when　to　stop　incurs　no　danger。　Such　long　endure。
　　45

　　Great　perfection　seems　flawed
　　Its　function　is　without　failure
　　Great　fullness　seems　empty
　　Its　function　is　without　exhaustion
　　Great　straightness　seems　bent
　　Great　skill　seems　inept
　　Great　eloquence　seems　inarticulate
　　Movement　overcomes　cold
　　Stillness　overcomes　heat
　　Clear　quietness　is　the　standard　of　the　world　
　　That　which　is　absolutely　perfect　and　complete　seems　flawed；　just　as　the　Tao　can　seem　imperfect　or　incomplete　to　human　beings；　despite　being　the　essence　of　great　perfection。　The　utilization；　or　functioning；　of　the　great　perfection　of　Tao　is
　　That　which　is　absolutely　filled　seems　empty
　　That　which　is　perfectly　straight　seems　bent；　or　crooked。
　　Pure　silence　and　clear　stillness　should　be　the　standard；　or　model；　for　the　world　to　set　everything　right。
　　；　yet　functions　without　a　hitch。
　　Great　fullness　seems　empty；　yet　functions　without　exhaustion。
　　Great　straightness　seems　crooked；
　　Great　skill　seems　clumsy；
　　Great　eloquence　seems　stammering。
　　Excitement　overcomes　cold；　stillness　overcomes　heat。
　　Clarity　and　stillness　set　everything　right。
　　The　greatest　attainment　is　as　though　incomplete；　but　its　utility　remains　unimpaired。
　　The　greatest　fullness　is　as　a　void；　but　its　utility　is　inexhaustible。
　　The　greatest　uprightness　is　as　crookedness；　the　greatest　cleverness　as　clumsiness；　the　greatest　eloquence　as　reticence。
　　Motion　overcomes　cold；　stillness　conquers　heat。
　　Purity　and　stillness　are　the　world抯　standards。
　　46

　　When　the　world　has　the　Tao
　　Fast　horses　are　retired　to　fertilize　the　grounds
　　When　the　world　lacks　the　Tao
　　Warhorses　must　give　birth　on　the　battlefield
　　There　is　no　crime　greater　than　greed
　　No　disaster　greater　than　discontentment
　　No　fault　greater　than　avarice
　　Thus　the　satisfaction　of　contentment
　　Is　the　lasting　satisfaction　
　　When　the　world　follows　the　Tao；　harmony　prevails。　People　know　contentment　and　there　is　peace　between　nations。　Since　there　is　no　war；　fast　horses　no　longer　have　a　military　function；　so　they　are　taken　off　the　army　and　redirected　to　till　farmlands　in　order　to　fertilize　them　for　crops。
　　When　the　world　does　not　follow　the　Tao；　strife　prevails。　People　bicker　among　themselves　and　nations　clash　endlessly。　Because　of　constant　warfare；　all　the　horses　are　drafted　into　battle；　so　that　even　pregnant　mares　end　up　having　to　give　birth　on　the　battlefield。
　　The　driving　force　behind　warfare　and　conflicts　is　excessive　desire　at　the　expense　of　others。　That　is　why　there　is　no　greater　crime　than　greed；　no　greater　disaster　than　not　knowing　when　one　has　enough；　and　no　greater　fault　than　avarice；　or　covetousness。
　　From　all　this　we　can　see　that　the　satisfaction　we　can　derive　from　the　feeling　of　contentment　…　at　any　level　of　material　possession　…　is　the　true　and　lasting　source　of　bliss　and　peace　of　mind。　It　is　the　self…sufficiency　of　those　who　follow　the　Tao。
　　47

　　Without　going　out　the　door；　know　the　world
　　Without　peering　out　the　window；　see　the　Heavenly　Tao
　　The　further　one　goes
　　The　less　one　knows
　　Therefore　the　sage
　　Knows　without　going
　　Names　without　seeing
　　Achieves　without　striving　
　　True　Tao　practitioners　do　not　search　frantically　in　the　material　plane　for　spiritual　enlightenment　that　will　allow　them　to　understand　and　be　at　peace　with　the　world。　They　find　this　enlightenment　by　looking　within。
　　True　Tao　practitioners　do　not　try　to　comprehend　the　limitless　Tao　of　the　cosmos　by　the　limited　view　of　a　window。　Instead；　they　see　the　Heavenly　Tao　through　the　infinite　perception　of　their　inner　vision。
　　The　more　one　attempts　to　know　the　Tao　by　searching　in　the　material　world；　the　less　one　will　know　it。　The　Tao　is　not　confined　to　any　particular　place。
　　In　the　same　way；　the　sages　are　the　masters　of　wisdom　no　matter　where　they　happen　to　be。　They　do　not　need　to　travel　to　a　particular　place　to　gain　this　mastery。　The　clarity　they　possess　is　not　dependent　on　what　they　can　or　cannot　see。
　　Thus；　the　sages　are　able　to　achieve　whatever　they　wish　easily；　smoothly；　gracefully　and　efficiently；　without　any　strife　or　effort　that　can　only　get　in　the　way。
　　48

　　Pursue　knowledge；　daily　gain
　　Pursue　Tao；　daily　loss
　　Loss　and　more　loss
　　Until　one　reaches　non…action
　　With　non…action；　there　is　nothing　one　cannot　do
　　Take　the　world　by　constantly　applying　non…interference
　　The　one　who　interferes　is　not　qualified　to　take　the　world　
　　When　we　pursue　academic　study；　each　day　we　gain　book　knowledge；　which　leads　to　more　complexity　and　ever…increasing　desires。　The　more　we　know；　the　more　things　we　want。
　　When　we　pursue　the　Tao；　each　day　we　reduce；　detach；　discard　and　simplify。　We　lose　more　and　more　complexity　every　day。　As　a　result；　our　desires　will　also　decrease。　A　simple　and　uncluttered　life　leads　to　peace　and　contentment。
　　This　process　of　reduction　and　simplication　continues；　until　we　reach　wu　wei　…　the　state　that　is　free　of　striving　and　without　any　unnecessary　effort。
　　With　the　principle　of　wu　wei　…　achievement　without　strife　and　with　effortless　grace　…　there　is　nothing　we　cannot　accomplish。　The　impossible　becomes　possible；　the　difficult　becomes　easy。　We　do　less　and　accomplish　more。
　　Using　this　principle；　we　allow　all　things　to　progress　naturally　and　minimize　our　meddling　interference。　This　is　the　most　effective　way　for　us　to　achieve　our　goals　and　objectives　in　the　world。
　　Those　who　do　not　understand　this　aspect　of　the　Tao　cannot　let　things　be。　They　insist　upon　asserting　their　manipulative　influence。　Their　lack　of　understand　will　lead　to　the　expenditure　of　excessive　resources；　time　and　energy；　but　not　the　results　proportional　to　their　effort。
　　49

　　The　sages　have　no　constant　mind
　　They　take　the　mind　of　the　people　as　their　mind
　　Those　who　are　good；　I　am　good　to　them
　　Those　who　are　not　good；　I　am　also　good　to　them
　　Thus　the　virtue　of　goodness
　　Those　who　believe；　I　believe　them
　　Those　who　do　not　believe；　I　also　believe　them
　　Thus　the　virtue　of　belief
　　The　sages　live　in　the　world
　　They　cautiously　merge　their　mind　for　the　world
　　The　people　all　pay　attention　with　their　ears　and　eyes
　　The　sages　care　for　them　as　children　
　　Tao　sages　are　not　closed　minded　or　dogmatic。　They　do　not　have　inflexible；　fixed　ideas　that　can　never　change。　They　do　not　assume　that　they　are　always　right；　so　when　their　opinions　differ　from　those　of　the　people；　they　will　examine　alternative　perspectives　carefully。　If　the　people's　ideas　have　merit；　the　sages　are　happy　to　adopt　them　as　their　own。
　　The　compassion　of　the　sages　is　truly　universal。　They　treat　people　well；　whether　or　not　they　are　deserving　of　kindness；　because　the　sages　do　not　prejudge　them。　They　also　have　enduring　faith　in　the　basic　decency　o