04道德经英译本85种-第309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！


se　the　sages　do　not　prejudge　them。　They　also　have　enduring　faith　in　the　basic　decency　of　humanity。　They　trust　everyone；　whether　or　not　a　person　is　trustworthy。　In　short；　the　sages　expect　goodness　from　people　and　get　it；　because　people　cannot　help　but　raise　their　own　standards　to　live　up　to　the　goodness　that　the　sages　see　in　them。
　　50

　　Coming　into　life；　entering　death
　　The　followers　of　life；　three　in　ten
　　The　followers　of　death；　three　in　ten
　　Those　whose　lives　are　moved　toward　death
　　Also　three　in　ten
　　Why？　Because　they　live　lives　of　excess
　　I've　heard　of　those　who　are　good　at　cultivating　life
　　Traveling　on　the　road；　they　do　not　encounter　rhinos　or　tigers
　　Entering　into　an　army；　they　are　not　harmed　by　weapons
　　Rhinos　have　nowhere　to　thrust　their　horns
　　Tigers　have　nowhere　to　clasp　their　claws
　　Soldiers　have　nowhere　to　lodge　their　blades
　　Why？　Because　they　have　no　place　for　death　
　　In　the　process　of　living　…　from　birth；　when　we　come　into　this　world；　to　death；　when　we　depart　…　we　observe　that　most　people　can　be　grouped　into　several　categories。
　　Three　persons　out　of　ten　can　be　described　as　followers　of　life。　They　seek　to　live　a　life　of　longevity　and　safety；　so　they　have　their　focus　on　getting　by　from　day　to　day。　They　lead　cautious　lives　with　little　risk　or　challenge。　Their　existence　tends　to　be　uneventful；　mundane　and　colorless。
　　The　complete　opposite　to　the　above　would　be　what　we　call　the　followers　of　death。　These　are　the　people　with　self…destructive　tendencies。　They　rush　headlong　into　any　situation　recklessly；　throwing　caution　to　the　winds。　They　put　their　own　health　and　safety　at　risk　unnecessarily。　We　observe　that　there　are　also　three　persons　out　of　ten　who　fit　this　description。
　　The　third　category　consists　of　people　who　start　out　pursuing　life；　but　end　up　pursuing　death。　Like　the　above　two　categories；　there　are　roughly　three　persons　in　ten　who　belong　to　this　group。
　　How　can　such　people　start　with　life　but　end　with　death？　Usually；　they　start　out　wishing　to　live　life　to　the　fullest；　so　they　sample　all　the　pleasures　of　the　material　world。　But　it　is　easy　to　overindulge　when　they　do　so；　and　soon　their　excessive　lifestyles　begin　to　take　a　heavy　toll　on　their　health　and　peace　of　mind。　Thus；　overindulgence　leads　them　toward　death。
　　Nine　persons　out　of　ten　fit　in　one　of　the　three　categories　above：　fearful　living；　dangerous　living；　or　excessive　living。　The　rare　exception；　the　one…in…ten　minority；　is　the　type　of　person　who　can　transcend　the　predictable　patterns　that　most　people　fall　into。
　　We've　heard　of　people　like　this；　who　are　good　at　cultivating　life。　They　enjoy　living　in　moderation；　they　do　not　shrink　from　the　unfamiliar；　at　the　same　time；　they　are　also　not　foolhardy。　They　are　the　skillful　players　…　not　spectators　…　in　the　game　of　life。　They　are　fully　engaged　and　fully　committed　in　their　interactions　with　others　and　the　world。
　　Because　of　the　way　they　live；　they　do　not　encounter　dangerous　beasts　representing　the　hazards　of　daily　existence　as　they　travel　the　road　of　life。　When　they　wade　into　the　battlefield　of　social　competition；　they　are　not　harmed　by　the　many　weapons　wielded　by　soldiers；　representing　personal　attacks。
　　Their　impeccable　conduct　leaves　no　room　for　others　to　hurt　them　with　vicious　rumors；　innuendoes　or　insinuations。　It　is　as　if　the　wild　rhinocerous　of　underhanded；　back…stabbing　tactics　cannot　find　a　place　to　thrust　its　deadly　horn。
　　They　feel　no　need　to　defend　their　point　of　view；　nor　to　convince　or　persuade　others　of　the　correctness　of　their　perspective。　Thus；　the　tigers　of　blame；　criticism　and　petty　bickering　have　no　target　upon　which　to　use　their　lethal　claws。
　　When　destructive　force　comes　their　way；　they　do　not　attempt　to　counter　it　head…on　with　equal　or　greater　force。　Instead；　they　expend　minimal　energy　and　redirect　it　away　from　themselves。　Thus；　the　swords　of　negativity　are　deflected　and　cannot　touch　them。
　　How　can　they　deal　with　life　with　such　ease？　It　isn't　so　much　that　they　possess　toughness；　so　that　slings　and　arrows　bounce　off　them　and　outrageous　fortune　cannot　hurt　them。　Rather；　theirs　is　the　ability　to　transcend　fear；　risk；　and　excess　in　their　approach　to　life。　Their　mastery　of　living　simply　leaves　no　room　for　anything　that　is　negative　or　destructive。
　　Notes
　　Quite　a　few　translations　render　〃three　in　ten〃　as　one…third。　This　is　not　correct。　If　that　is　what　Lao　Tzu　wanted　to　express；　he　would　simply　say　〃one　in　three；〃　which　would　rule　out　any　possibility　of　confusion。
　　The　fourth　category；　the　rare　one　person　out　of　ten；　is　not　specifically　stated；　only　implied。　As　a　result；　many　interpretations　miss　it　completely。　Now　that　you　have　seen　this　translation　and　know　what　you're　looking　for；　try　comparing　it　with　other　translations　and　you　should　be　able　to　see　it　more　clearly　than　before。
　　51

　　Tao　produces　them
　　Virtue　raises　them
　　Things　shape　them
　　Forces　perfect　them
　　Therefore　all　things　respect　the　Tao　and　value　virtue
　　The　respect　for　Tao；　the　value　of　virtue
　　Not　due　to　command　but　to　constant　nature
　　Thus　Tao　produces　them
　　Virtue　raises　them
　　Grows　them；　educates　them
　　Perfects　them；　matures　them
　　Nurtures　them；　protects　them
　　Produces　but　does　not　possess
　　Acts　but　does　not　flaunt
　　Nurtures　but　does　not　dominate
　　This　is　called　mystic　virtue　
　　The　Tao　is　the　source　of　creation。　The　Tao　gives　birth　to　all　living　things。
　　Virtue　raises　all　living　things。　In　other　words；　all　living　things　grow　and　develop　by　virtue　of　the　life　force　within　them。　Their　virtue　is　their　inherent　power　of　life；　which　is　an　essential　part　of　the　Tao。
　　The　tangible　aspects　of　the　environment　shape　all　living　things。　The　physical　environment
　　Therefore；　there　are　none　of　the　myriad　things　who　do　not　venerate　the　Tao
　　or　esteem　itsvirtue。
　　This　veneration　of　the　Tao　and　esteeming　of　its　virtue　is　something　they　do　naturally；　withoutbeing　forced。
　　Therefore；　Tao　gives　birth。
　　Its　virtue　rears；　develops；　raises；　adjusts　and　disciplines；
　　Nourishes；　covers　and　protects；
　　Produces　but　does　not　possess；
　　Acts　without　expectation；
　　Leads　without　forcing。
　　This　is　called　〃Mysterious　Virtue。〃
　　When　the　Tao　produces　and　its　energy　nourishes；
　　nature　forms　and　natural　forces　establish。　On　this　account　there　is　nothing　that　does　not　honor　the　Tao　and　reverence　its　energy。　This　honor　and　reverence　are　spontaneous；　not　the　result　of　a　mandate。
　　So　the　Tao　produces。　Its　energy　nourishes；　increases；　feeds；　establishes；　matures；　controls；　broods　over。
　　It　produces；　but　keeps　nothing　for　itself；　acts；　but　does　not　depend　on　its　action；　increases；　but　does　not　insist　on　having　its　own　way。　This　indeed　is　the　mystery　of　energy。
　　52

　　The　world　has　a　beginning
　　We　regard　it　as　the　mother　of　the　world
　　Having　its　mother
　　We　can　know　her　children
　　Knowing　her　children
　　Still　holding　on　to　the　mother
　　Live　without　danger　all　through　life
　　Close　the　mouth
　　Shut　the　doors
　　Live　without　toil　all　through　life
　　Open　the　mouth
　　Meddle　in　the　affairs
　　Live　without　salvation　all　through　life
　　Seeing　details　is　called　clarity
　　Holding　on　to　the　soft　is　called　strength
　　Utilize　the　light
　　Return　to　the　clarity
　　Leaving　no　disasters　for　the　self
　　This　is　called　following　constancy

　　53

　　If　I　have　a　little　knowledge
　　Walking　on　the　great　Tao
　　I　fear　only　to　deviate　from　it
　　The　great　Tao　is　broad　and　plain
　　But　people　like　the　side　paths
　　The　courts　are　corrupt
　　The　fields　are　barren
　　The　warehouses　are　empty
　　Officials　wear　fineries
　　Carry　sharp　swords
　　Fill　up　on　drinks　and　food
　　Acquire　excessive　wealth
　　This　is　called　robbery
　　It　is　not　the　Tao！

　　54

　　That　which　is　well　established　cannot　be　uprooted
　　That　which　is　strongly　held　cannot　be　taken
　　The　descendants　will　commemorate　it　forever

　　Cultivate　it　in　yourself；　its　virtue　shall　be　true
　　Cultivate　it　in　the　family；　its　virtue　shall　be　abundant
　　Cultivate　it　in　the　community；　its　virtue　s