04道德经英译本85种-第313章

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　　Why　did　the　ancients　cherish　the　Tao　so　much？　It　was　not　because　the　Tao　brought　them　riches　or　material　comfort。　Rather；　it　was　because　the　Tao　helped　those　who　searched　for　meaning　in　finding　the　answer　to　the　ultimate　question　of　life。　For　those　who　did　not　know　enough　to　search；　the　Tao　would　not　find　fault　with　them。　Instead；　it　allowed　them　all　the　time　they　needed　to　work　through　their　issues。　With　infinite　patience；　the　Tao　knew　that　one　day；　they　too　would　embark　on　a　search　of　their　own。　This　is　why　we　say　the　Tao　is　the　greatest　treasure　of　all。　The　coronation　of　any　ruler　from　any　time　in　history　would　pale　by　comparison。
　　63

　　Act　without　action
　　Manage　without　meddling
　　Taste　without　tasting
　　Great；　small；　many；　few
　　Respond　to　hatred　with　virtue
　　Plan　difficult　tasks　through　the　simplest　tasks
　　Achieve　large　tasks　through　the　smallest　tasks
　　The　difficult　tasks　of　the　world
　　Must　be　handled　through　the　simple　tasks
　　The　large　tasks　of　the　world
　　Must　be　handled　through　the　small　tasks
　　Therefore；　sages　never　attempt　great　deeds　all　through　life
　　Thus　they　can　achieve　greatness
　　One　who　makes　promises　lightly　must　deserve　little　trust
　　One　who　sees　many　easy　tasks　must　encounter　much　difficulty
　　Therefore；　sages　regard　things　as　difficult
　　So　they　never　encounter　difficulties　all　through　life　
　　The　sages　take　proactive　actions　without　any　attachments　or　expectations　of　specific　outcomes。　They　manage　processes　and　affairs　around　them　without　trying　to　manipulate　them。　They　get　a　sense　（a　taste）　of　the　situation　without　becoming　so　involved　and　engrossed　that　they　lose　their　objectivity；　and　thus　impair　their　judgment　and　ability　to　act。
　　Whether　tasks　are　great；　small；　many　or　few；　the　sages　approach　them　the　same　way。　They　also　treat　everyone　with　the　same　degree　of　gentle　kindness；　so　that　even　if　someone　attacks　them　out　of　anger　or　hatred；　they　would　not　fight　fire　with　fire。　Instead；　they　would　respond　with　compassion；　against　which　there　is　no　defense。
　　The　sages　are　masters　at　achieving　large　and　difficult　tasks。　They　make　it　look　so　easy。　How　do　they　do　it？　What　is　their　secret？
　　The　sages　break　tasks　down　to　their　constituent　parts。　If　a　task　is　difficult；　they　start　with　its　easiest　part。　If　a　task　is　large；　they　start　with　its　smallest　component。　These　small　and　simple　tasks　require　little　time　and　effort；　and　when　they　are　complete；　the　success　inherent　in　their　completion　generates　positive　energy。　Sages　would　then　use　this　energy　and　leverage　the　success　to　catapult　them　toward　the　next　smallest　or　easiest　task。　Each　greater　success　generates　greater　energy；　greater　feeling　of　satisfaction；　and　greater　ability　to　handle　the　next　challenge。
　　This　is　how　sages　achieve　great　and　difficult　tasks　with　seeming　ease。　Their　secret　is　simply　that　they　never　tackle　such　tasks　head…on。　To　do　so　would　be　foolhardy　and　counterproductive。
　　Someone　who　makes　promises　quickly　is；　in　all　likelihood；　someone　who　breaks　the　same　promises　regularly。　Therefore；　sages　would　be　very　reluctant　to　make　overly　optimistic　projections　in　regards　to　a　task　at　hand。　Someone　who　thinks　everything　is　easy　is　naive　and　inexperienced。　Therefore　sages　regard　all　tasks　as　either　challenging　or　potentially　challenging。　Their　attitude　in　approach　a　task　is　always　cautious　and　conservative。　Whereas　many　people　promise　too　much　and　deliver　too　little；　sages　promise　little　but　deliver　beyond　expectations。
　　64

　　When　it　is　peaceful；　it　is　easy　to　maintain
　　When　it　shows　no　signs；　it　is　easy　to　plan
　　When　it　is　fragile；　it　is　easy　to　break
　　When　it　is　small；　it　is　easy　to　scatter
　　Act　on　it　when　it　has　not　yet　begun
　　Treat　it　when　it　is　not　yet　chaotic
　　A　tree　thick　enough　to　embrace
　　Grows　from　the　tiny　sapling
　　A　tower　of　nine　levels
　　Starts　from　the　dirt　heap
　　A　journey　of　a　thousand　miles
　　Begins　beneath　the　feet
　　The　one　who　meddles　will　fail
　　The　one　who　grasps　will　lose
　　Therefore；　sages　do　not　meddle　and　thus　do　not　fail
　　They　do　not　grasp　and　thus　do　not　lose
　　People；　in　handling　affairs
　　Often　come　close　to　completion　and　fail
　　If　they　are　as　careful　in　the　end　as　the　beginning
　　Then　they　would　have　no　failure
　　Therefore；　sages　desire　not　to　desire
　　They　do　not　value　goods　that　are　hard　to　acquire
　　They　learn　to　unlearn
　　To　redeem　the　fault　of　the　people
　　To　assist　the　nature　of　all　things
　　Without　daring　to　meddle　
　　It　is　relatively　easy　to　maintain　the　situation　when　everything　is　peaceful　and　quiet。　When　the　possibility　for　chaos　is　small　or　nearly　non…existent；　it　is　a　simple　task　to　keep　it　in　check。
　　Generally　speaking；　it　is　always　easier　to　act　on　something　effectively　when　it　is　small。　Take　care　of　an　issue　as　early　as　possible；　before　it　really　becomes　an　issue。　Nip　a　potential　problem　in　the　bud　so　it　doesn't　get　the　chance　to　grow　into　something　serious。
　　This　same　principle　extends　to　many　aspects　of　life。　The　mightiest　trees　started　as　a　small　and　delicate　shoot；　barely　noticeable　in　the　ground。　The　tallest　building　we　have　had　to　be　built　from　the　ground　up。　There　was　a　time　when　it　was　nothing　more　than　a　pile　of　dirt　brought　to　the　site　in　preparation　for　construction　to　begin。
　　The　greatest；　most　epic　journey　one　can　undertake　still　must　begin　where　you　stand。　Similarly；　great　deeds　can　have　a　small；　indeed　humble；　beginning。　A　vast　accumulation　of　knowledge　starts　somewhere；　with　the　turning　of　one　page　in　a　particular　book。　When　we　keep　this　great　wisdom　in　mind；　it　becomes　easier　for　us　to　overcome　inertia　and　take　that　first　step。
　　Notes
　　The　ancient　Chinese　measurement　of　distance；　li；　is　loosely　translated　as　〃mile。〃　One　li　is　about　half　a　kilometer；　and　roughly　a　third　of　a　mile。
　　Many　people　know　the　expression；　〃A　journey　of　a　thousand　miles　begins　with　one　step。〃　However；　most　of　them　probably　have　no　idea　that　it　originally　came　from　this　chapter　of　the　Tao　Te　Ching。　Some　are　aware　that　it's　Chinese　in　origin；　but　mistaken　it　attribute　it　to　Confucius。　So　now　you　know　something　they　do　not。
　　Another　interesting　thing　to　note　is　that　the　popular　expression　is　in　fact　a　mistranslation。　The　original　contains　no　character　for　〃one〃　or　〃step。〃　Nor　does　it　imply　the　taking　of　that　first　step。　What　it　says　is　that　the　little　piece　of　ground　beneath　your　feet　is　the　starting　point　of　even　the　longest　journeys。　That's　all　it　says。　The　taking　of　that　first　step　is　certainly　a　legitimate　interpretation　and　amplification　of　this　passage；　but　it　definitely　does　not　qualify　as　a　translation。
　　65

　　Those　of　ancient　times　who　were　adept　at　the　Tao
　　Used　it　not　to　make　people　brighter
　　But　to　keep　them　simple
　　The　difficulty　in　governing　people
　　Is　due　their　excessive　cleverness
　　Therefore；　using　cleverness　to　govern　the　state
　　Is　being　a　thief　of　the　state
　　Not　using　cleverness　to　govern　the　state
　　Is　being　a　blessing　of　the　state
　　Know　that　these　two　are　both　standards
　　Always　knowing　these　standards
　　Is　called　Mystic　Virtue
　　Mystic　Virtue　is　so　profound；　so　far…reaching
　　It　goes　opposite　to　material　things
　　Then　it　reaches　great　congruence　
　　The　sage　kings　of　ancient　China　were　masterful　in　applying　the　Tao。　They　did　not　use　it　to　make　people　more　clever　and　more　knowledgeable。　Instead；　they　used　it　to　guide　people　toward　simplicity。
　　These　sages　understood　very　well　that　cleverness　and　knowledge　would　bring　with　them　greater　desires；　deceit；　and　devious　tricks。　This　would　lead　to　complexities　and　chaos；　thus　making　things　difficult　not　only　for　them；　but　also　for　the　people。
　　They　came　to　the　conclusion　long　ago　that　using　guile；　manipulation；　and　contrivance　to　govern　would　do　great　harm　to　the　country　…　really　not　so　different　than　stealing　from　it　like　a　thief。　On　the　other　hand；　not　using　these　tricks　and　guiding　the　people　toward　simplicity　would　lead　to　benefits　for　all；　and　would　therefore　be　a　great　blessing　to　the　country　as　a　whole。
　　Both　of　these　approaches　…　shrewd　cunning　versus　straightforward