04道德经英译本85种-第337章

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　　It　rises；　like　the　sun；　but　does　not　illuminate；　it　sets；　like　the　sun；　but　does　not　darken。　Without　beginning；　without　end；　infinite；　indefinable。　It　is　the　form　of　the　formless；　it　is　existence　in　non…existence；　it　is　the　greatest　mystery。　Meet　it　and　it　has　no　face；　follow　it　and　it　has　no　back。

　　Hold　close　to　the　ancient　Tao　and　be　master　of　your　present　existence。　Knowing　the　present　you　mirror　the　past。　This　is　the　clue　to　Tao。

　　15

　　The　Tao　of　the　Ancients

　　The　ancient　followers　of　Tao：　so　wise；　so　subtle；　so　profound；　so　deeply　understanding　that　they　were　themselves　misunderstood。　They　must　therefore　be　described：

　　Cautious；　like　crossing　a　stream　in　mid…winter；　observant；　like　moving　in　fear　through　hostile　land；　modest；　retiring　like　ice　beginning　to　melt；　dignified；　like　an　honored　guest；　genuine；　like　natural；　untouched　wood；　receptive；　like　an　inviting；　open　valley；　friendly；　like　muddied　water；　freely　mixing。

　　Who　can　make　sense　of　a　world　like　cloudy　water？　Left　alone　and　still；　it　becomes　clear。　Should　this　stillness　be　maintained？　Moving　hastily　will　surely　cloud　it　again。　How　then　can　one　move　and　not　become　clouded？　Accept　Tao　and　achieve　without　being　selfish；　being　unselfish　one　endures　the　world抯　wear；　and　needs　no　change　of　pace。

　　16

　　Achieve　the　highest　goal　by　being　passive；　hold　close　to　a　state　of　perfect　serenity。

　　Everything　comes　into　existence；　but　observe；　returns　to　its　source。　Thus；　vegetation　flourishes　and　grows；　but　returns　to　the　soil　whence　it　came。

　　Returning　to　the　source　is　serenity；　it　is　to　realize　one抯　destiny。　To　realize　one抯　destiny　is　to　know　the　Eternal　Constant。　To　know　the　Eternal　Constant　is　to　be　enlightened。　To　be　ignorant　of　this　is　blindness　that　begets　evil。

　　Whoever　knows　the　Eternal　Constant　is　open？minded。　Being　open？minded　is　to　be　impartial；　being　impartial　is　to　be　above　nations　and　laws；　being　above　nations　and　laws　is　to　be　in　accord　with　nature；　being　in　accord　with　nature　is　to　be　in　accord　with　Tao；　being　in　accord　with　Tao　is　to　be　eternal。　Although　your　body　dies　and　decays　you　live　forever。

　　17

　　The　Best　Leader

　　As　for　the　best　leaders；　the　people　do　not　notice　their　existence。　The　next　best；　the　people　honor　and　praise。　The　next；　the　people　fear；　and　the　next；　the　people　hate。

　　If　you　have　no　faith　people　will　have　no　faith　in　you；　and　you　must　resort　to　oaths。

　　When　the　best　leader抯　work　is　done　the　people　say：　擶e　did　it　ourselves！？br》
　　18

　　When　Tao　is　lost；　words　like　攈umanity？and　攋ustice？become　official　doctrines。　Then　攌nowledge？and　攚isdom？become　official　goals。　With　all　this　great　hypocrisy　comes。

　　When　family　life　is　no　longer　harmonious；　obedient　children　and　devoted　parents　are　praised；　when　a　nation　has　corruption　and　inefficiency；　there　is　official　praise　for　攍oyal　citizens？

　　Wherever　there　is　Tao　there　is　peace　and　balance。　When　Tao　is　lost；　divisiveness　and　differences　emerge　and　grow。

　　19

　　On　Real　Education

　　Do　away　with　learning；　the　same　with　wisdom；　the　people　will　gain　a　hundredfold。　Do　away　with　攈umanity？and　the　same　with攋ustice？　the　people　will　rediscover　love　and　duty。　Do　away　with　expensive　arts；　the　same　with　profits；　there　will　be　no　thieves；　no　robbers。　These　three　things　involve　the　external　world；　they　are　therefore　of　no　real　value。

　　*

　　The　people　need　what　is　more　dependable。　Reveal；　then；　your　natural；　inner　self。　Realize　your　original　nature；　control　selfishness；　subdue　desires。　
　　*　The　first　paragraph　of　chapter　20　was　put　here　by　the　author。
　　20

　　Do　away　with　formal　learning　and　you　will　not　be　annoyed　by　its　multitude　of　details。　How　much　difference　between　yea　and　nay？　How　much　difference　between　good　and　evil？　It　is　true　that　what　man　fear　you　must　also　fear；　but　how　very　remote　the　actual　occurence。*

　　The　great　mass　of　people　are　content　as　if　at　the　sacrificial　feast　or　at　the　spring　carnival。　I　alone　am　serene；　quiet；　passive；　like　a　newborn　babe　unable　yet　to　smile。

　　I　am　alone；　like　one　who　is　homeless。

　　Others　seem　to　have　abundance　while　I　seem　to　live　in　contemplation。　Perhaps　I　am　the　fool；　so　obscure；　so　vague。　The　masses　seem　bright　and　informed；　I　alone　seem　dull　and　uninformed。　The　masses　are　clever　and　smug；　I　alone　am　simple　and　unassuming。　Alone；　as　if　adrift　on　the　lonely　sea。

　　And　others　seem　to　have　useful　purpose；　I　alone　seem　impractical　and　awkward。　I　am　alone；　different。　I　choose　to　be　sustained　by　nature。　
　　*　The　first　paragraph　of　this　chapter　was　put　to　the　with　*　marked　place　in　chapter　19。
　　21

　　The　Teh　follows　Tao。

　　Tao　is　like　a　dream：　invisible；　intangible；　obscure。　It　is　invisible　yet　there　is　form　to　it。　It　is　intangible　yet　there　is　a　feel　to　it。　It　is　obscure　yet　there　is　method　to　it。　The　method　is　true　and　so　there　are　signs　of　it。

　　From　ancient　times　until　now　the　signs　have　never　ceased　by　which　we　can　see　the　beginning。　How　can　I　know　the　nature　of　the　beginning？　By　these　signs！

　　22

　　Be　humble；　you　will　remain　yourself。　Be　flexible；　bend；　and　you　will　be　straight。　Be　ever　receptiveand　you　will　be　satisfied。　Become　tired　and　weary　and　you　will　be　renewed。　Have　little；　you　will　have　enough；　to　have　abundance　is　to　be　troubled。

　　Thus；　the　truly　wise　seek　Unity；　they　embrace　oneness；　and　become　examples　for　all　the　world。　Not　revealing　themselves；　they　shine；　not　self…righteous；　they　are　distinguished；　not　self…centered；　they　are　famous；　not　seeking　glory；　they　are　leaders。

　　Because　they　are　not　quarrelsome　no　one　quarrels　with　them。

　　Thus　it　is　as　the　ancients　said：　擳o　yield　is　to　retain　Unity。？The　truly　wise　have　Unity；　and　the　world　respects　them。

　　23

　　Nature　is　sparing　in　its　talk。　Unusually　high　winds　seldom　last　the　whole　morning；　unusually　heavy　rains　seldom　last　the　whole　day。　And　where　do　these　things　originate？　Within　nature。　And　if　nature　so　spares　its　talk；　how　much　more；　then；　should　you？

　　Whoever　follows　Tao　becomes　as　Tao。　Whoever　follows　Teh　becomes　as　Teh。　Whoever　abandons　Tao　or　Teh　will　be　abandoned　by　Tao　and　Teh。

　　Whoever　seeks　Tao　is　welcomed　to　Tao。　Whoever　seeks　Teh　is　welcomed　to　Teh。　Whoever　seeks　abandonment　is　welcomed　by　abandonment。

　　24

　　Whoever　stands　on　tiptoe　is　unsteady；　whoever　walks　with　long　strides　cannot　long　keep　up　the　pace；　whoever　makes　a　show　of　himself　cannot　shine；　whoever　is　self？righteous　cannot　gain　the　respect　of　the　people；　whoever　is　self？centered　cannot　become　loved　by　others；　whoever　seeks　glory　cannot　become　a　true　leader。

　　According　to　the　Tao　these　attitudes　are　exessive；　unnecessary。　Even　in　earthly　matters　they　are　to　be　avoided。　Therefore　the　follower　of　Tao　avoids　them。

　　25

　　There　is　something　mysterious；　without　beginning；　without　end；　that　existed　before　the　heavens　and　earth。　Unmoving；　infinite；　standing　alone；　never　changing。　It　is　everywhere　and　it　is　inexhaustible。　It　is　the　mother　of　all。

　　I　do　not　know　its　name。　If　I　must　name　it　I　call　it　Tao　and　I　hail　it　as　supreme。

　　Supreme　means　never？ending；　never？ending　means　far…reaching；　and　far…reaching　means　returning。　Thus　Tao　is　supreme；　the　heavens　are　supreme；　earth　is　supreme；　and　man　is　supreme。　There　are　four　supremes　in　the　universe；　man　is　one　of　them。

　　Man　is　subject　to　the　laws　of　the　earth；　the　earth　is　subject　to　the　laws　of　the　universe；　the　universe　is　subject　to　the　laws　of　Tao；　and　Tao　is　subject　to　the　laws　of　its　own　Nature。

　　26

　　Heaviness　（sincerity）　is　the　root　of　lightness　（frivolity）。　And　serenity　far　surpasses　hastiness。

　　The　truly　wise　can　travel　all　day　yet　never　put　down　their　baggage。　Though　there　be　appealing　distractions　they　remain　serene；　passive；　undisturbed。

　　How　can　a　leader　of　ten　thousand　chariots　make　his　role　obscure；　insignificant？

　　To　be　light　is　to　lose　the　root　of　lightness；　to　be　hasty　is　to　lose　self…mastery。

　　27

　　A　good　traveler　has　no　need　to　leave　tracks；　a　good　speaker　leaves　no　grounds　for　rebuttal；　a　good　trader　needs　no　scales；　no　computer；　a　good　door　needs　no　latc