04道德经英译本85种-第181节
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By This
There are more taboos & restrictions in the world
But the people grow more impoverished
The people have more productive implements
(But) countries & clans grow more disturbed
(As) others get more clever & artful
Bizarre things happen more often
The more that matters of law are proclaimed
The more robbers & looters there will be
And so the wise ones will claim:
We do nothing
And humanity evolves on its own
We favor stillness
And humanity governs itself
We do not make an effort
And humanity enriches itself
We have no ambition
And humanity simplifies itself
58
(Where) their government is muted & dull
Its people are honest & sincere
(Where) their government is efficient & exacting
Its people are partial & wanting
Ah; suffering! That happiness has such things to rely on!
Ah; happiness! That suffering has such places to lurk!
Who comprehends their outcomes?
Are there no rules?
The rules go back to behaving strangely
The good return to acting ominously
Humankind has held its delusions
For such an entrenched length of days
This is why wise ones
Are direct but not divisive
Exacting but not hurtful
To the point but not tactless
Bright but not dazzling
59
(In) governing people (or) serving heaven
There is nothing quite like economy
Only one who is thrifty
May be deemed ahead of the task
To be ahead of the task suggests there is
a great reserve of character
Given a great reserve of character
then nothing is impossible
When nothing is impossible
then nobody knows things to be limited
Nobody knowing things to be limited
is fit to claim the realm
(Now) claiming the realm抯 mother
is fitness to endure a long time
This describes deep roots & solid foundations
The path of long life & enduring vision
60
Ruling a great country is like cooking a little fish
This is how the way manages (all) under heaven
(Whether) the ghosts lack spirit
Or the ghosts do not lack spirit
(Whether) the spirits avoid harming people
Or the spirits do not avoid harming people
Wise ones still avoid harming people
Now as neither of these haunts the other
So virtue interacts & comes back home to them
61
The great realm is the one which flows beneath
A confluence to (all) under heaven
A woman to (all) under heaven
The feminine; ever through stillness; overcomes the male
Through stillness & playing submissive
And so a great realm; by submitting to a small realm;
Will then appropriate the small realm
A small realm; by submitting to a great realm;
Will then appropriate the great realm
And so the one submits; intending to appropriate
The other submits and gets taken in
(Where) the great realm has no greater ambition
than uniting & caring for others
(And) the small realm has no greater ambition
than joining & serving others
Then both of these each gets what it wants
(And) the great one should act to submit
62
The way is a sanctum to the myriad beings
A good person抯 treasure
A less than good person抯 place of refuge
Elegant speeches may be useful at market
Noble deeds may be useful for promoting someone
(But if) another has less ability
Why waste what they are?
So (when) enthroning the heir to heaven
(Or) installing the three high nobles
Though there be big jade platters in tribute
Drawn by teams of four horses
This is not as good as sitting still (and) offering this path
What purpose had the ancient ones in honoring this way?
Was it not claimed:
揟o seek is to find
To claim error is to be forgiven?
So (this) becomes precious to (all) under heaven
63
Act without acting
Work without working
Savor without tasting
Greatness is ordinary; much is little
Repay ill will with virtue
Plan for the complicated while it is simple
Develop the great while it is small
The difficult tasks under heaven
Always begin in simplicity
The greatest tasks under heaven
Always begin as minutiae
This is why wise ones never assume greatness
And so can achieve such greatness
Those who lightly promise will surely be less trusted
Much ease is surely much difficulty
This is why wise ones look for things to get complicated
And so in the end have no complications at all
64
What is secure is easy to hold
What has yet to begin is easy to plan for
What is thin is easy to break up
What is minute is easy to scatter
Attend to things before they come to be
Arrange things before they entangle
A tree which fills the joined embrace
Has grown from a slender shoot
A tower which reaches nine stories
Begins as a basket of earth
A journey of a thousand li
Begins from beneath the feet
Those who interfere spoil things
Those who grab lose things
This is why wise ones do not interfere and so do not spoil
Do not grab and so do not lose
People in their pursuits & affairs
(are) ever on the verge of achieving and still ruin things
Take care at the end as well as at the beginning
And then there will be no ruined affairs
This is why wise ones desire to have no desires
Do not prize goods which are hard to obtain
Learn to unlearn
And return to what everyone else has passed by
Thus helping the myriad beings to realize themselves
While not presuming to interfere
65
Those ancients skilled at practicing the way
Did not try to enlighten the people
(But) would have tried to simplify them
The difficulties of governing the people
Are due to their great cleverness
And so to use cleverness in governing a realm
Is an injury to the realm
To avoid using cleverness in governing a realm
Is a favor to the realm
Those who comprehend both of these
Also examine for patterns
Always to know to look for patterns
May be called a mystic power
A mystic power so deep & so far reaching
(As) to help creation to turn itself around
Natural succession then reaches perfect harmony
66
What is the reason why the rivers and ocean
can serve as sovereign to the hundred valleys?
Because they are so well below them
In this way (they) can act as sovereign
to the hundred valleys
Applying this; in desiring to rise above the people;
Always in expression be subordinate to them
In desiring to go ahead of the people
Always regard yourself as behind them
This is how wise ones remain above
And yet the people are not burdened
Remain ahead
And yet the people are not obstructed
So it is that (all) under heaven readily come forward
and never weary
Because such as these will never contend
So none under heaven can contend against them
67
Everyone in the world admits our way is great
(And) resembles no likeness
It is insofar as it is great
That it resembles no likeness
Had it a likeness
Surely after so long
It might have diminished a little
Here I have three treasures
Take and keep them safe:
The first; call compassion
The second; call economy
The third; call never presuming to act as the world抯 leader
Compassion confers a capacity for courage
Economy confers a capacity for breadth
Never presuming to act as the world抯 leader
confers a capacity to develop enduring talents
To right away set aside compassion
in order to be more courageous
To set aside economy in order to be more expansive
To set aside following in order to be more advanced
Is truly deadly
Now compassion used in combat means triumph
Used in defense means security
Those whom heaven would redeem
With compassion it protects them
68
The student skilled at action is not aggressive
The one skilled at combat is not angry
The one at besting opponents does not participate
The one skilled at employing others behaves as their subordinate
This may be styled the 搗irtue of not contending?br》 It may be styled 揳pplying another抯 power?br》 It may be styled 搒iding with heaven;?br》 The consummation of antiquity
69
Military strategists have a saying:
揑 will not dare to act as host;
But rather; act as guest;
Will not presume to advance an inch;
But rather; retreat a foot?br》 This may be called 搕o move without movement;
To roll up sleeves without baring arms;
To depose without a fight
To capture without force?br》 There is no danger greater than underestimating a foe
Underestimate a foe will risk losing what we value
And so when opposing forces meet each other
The one sympathetic will truly succeed
70
My words are very easy to understand
Very easy to practice
(But) nobody in the world can