第 8 节
作者:九米      更新:2021-02-19 21:28      字数:8788
  and yet its usefulness is everywhere。
  Great directedness may seem wayward。
  Great mastery may seem haphazard。
  Great eloquence may seem awkward。
  Movement stirs the cold。
  Stillness calms the heat。
  When purity and stillness reign;
  all things under heaven gain。
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  When the world follows the Way;
  metals form plows and horses draw them。
  When the world fails the Way;
  metals form swords and horses bear them。
  No chancre's more vile than craving;
  no curse more viscious than discontent;
  no crime more grievous than coveting。
  How men suffer from want!:
  want of knowing what suffices。
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  Never venturing abroad;
  one may know the world entire。
  Never casting forth one's gaze;
  one may see the Way of heaven。
  The farther one goes;
  the less one knows。
  Know; without stirring。
  See; without looking。
  Work; without doing。
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  To pursue what's known; learn ever more each day。
  To pursue the Way; do ever less each day。
  Release。 Renounce。 Let go。 Divest。
  Fill every moment with less and less。
  And when at last nothing is done;
  then nothing also is left undone。
  The world will not be ruled by intervening。
  Follow nature's course to seek its meaning。
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  Who keeps his own mind to follow
  with mind enough among his fellows?
  Respect the good。
  Respect the evil; too。
  Such is respect。
  Trust the faithful。
  Trust the untrue; as well。
  Such is trust。
  A wise man disappears himself;
  and appears to all confounded and wild。
  With every eye and ear upon him;
  he exudes the innocence of a child。
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  Of every ten who journey;
  three are living; blind to death;
  three are dying and find no life;
  and those cascading unto death
  while clinging still to life
  are three as well。
  They all engage in life…and…death。
  Now one among the ten; they say;
  is sure of life along the way。
  He never hides from tigers
  when walking in the mountains。
  He never puts on armor
  when walking into battle。
  The tiger's claw; the enemy's blade;
  they cannot penetrate or harm him;
  for this one has no place for death to enter。
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  The Way conceives them。
  Integrity receives them。
  Matter allows them。
  Nature endows them。
  All creatures thus respect the Way
  and honor its Integrity。
  No one demands that this be so。
  Their respect by nature ever flows。
  The Way gives birth to them and nurtures them。
  It shapes them; develops them;
  shelters them; strengthens them;
  sustains them; preserves them。
  Creating; not claiming as one's own;
  working; not waiting for return;
  guiding; not seeking to control:
  such is the wonder of integrity。
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  All things began as One; the mother of the world。
  Knowing the mother; you may know the offspring。
  Hence you may return to the Source
  and dwell beyond the fear of death。
  Close your heart
  and shutter all entries:
  your life will ever be filled。
  Open your heart;
  let concerns run wild:
  your life will never be stilled。
  Finding significance in the small is insight。
  Yielding against pressure is strength。
  Use the light without to be enlightened within;
  lest you invite catastrophe。
  Such is cultivating the perpetual。
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  With little wisdom; still I set upon the Way;
  my only fear to go astray。
  The path is low and fit to follow;
  yet how men love to wander!
  While fields are filled with weeds;
  while granaries are bare;
  some revel in fine clothes;
  fine wine; fine food;
  and altogether more than they can use。
  Such is robbery; not the Way。
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  What is well rooted will not topple。
  What is well embraced will not escape。
  What is well remembered will not fade
  as generations pass。
  Cultivated in the self; integrity affirms。
  Cultivated in the family; integrity enriches。
  Cultivated in the village; integrity endures。
  Cultivated in the nation; integrity abounds。
  Cultivated in the world; integrity pervades。
  Understand another as yourself。
  Understand a family as a family;
  a village as a village;
  a nation as a nation。
  Understand the world as the world。
  How does one understand things so vast?
  By what is deep within。
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  One filled with integrity?br》 how like a hardy newborn!
  No venomed bug will sting him。
  No bird or beast will seize him。
  His bones are soft; his muscles weak;
  and yet how tight his grasp!
  He knows not union; male and female;
  and yet how much aroused!
  Vitality is at its peak。
  He cries full vent the whole day through;
  and yet is never hoarse。
  His harmony is at its peak。
  Harmony means constancy。
  Constancy means insight。
  Living fully bodes well。
  Thus; regulate the vital breath。
  To live robustly; then decline:
  such is not the Way。
  What follows not the Way; soon ends。
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  Who knows does not use words。
  Who uses words does not know。
  Close the heart;
  shut all entries;
  soften glare;
  settle the dust;
  blunt sharp edges;
  unravel knots;
  and know the wonder deep within。
  Who offers neither intimacy nor distance;
  benefit nor harm; honor nor disgrace;
  all under heaven value。
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  Govern a country with ordinary acts。
  Wage a war with extraordinary acts。
  But win a world with absence of acts。
  How does one know this?
  By what is deep within。
  The more the proscriptions;
  the poorer the people。
  The craftier the tools;
  the greater the confusion。
  The smarter the skillful;
  the sooner the strangeness。
  The harsher the laws;
  the more men will break them。
  Wise men say:
  I do not intervene
  and the people tend themselves。
  I cherish stillness
  and the people settle their differences。
  I do not engage in exchange
  and the people prosper。
  I seek to be free from want
  and the people on their own become
  authentic unhewn blocks。
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  With anarchy; people are ever so honest。
  With bureaucracy; people are ever so cunning。
  Good fortune on misfortune rides。
  Misfortune in good fortune hides。
  Who can guide himself without a compass?
  Standards become extraneous。
  Virtue becomes vicious。
  How long have men been deluded
  while integrity eludes them!
  Be square but not pointed;
  sharp but not cutting;
  straight but not intrusive;
  bright but not glaring。
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  In governing men and serving heaven;
  nothing exceeds economy。
  Through economy;
  one pursues the Way anew。
  Following from the start
  means ever more integrity。
  With a reservoir of integrity;
  no challenge is too great。
  When nothing blocks the way;
  one knows no limits。
  A man without limit
  is fit to lead all。
  As a font for all;
  he long endures。
  Such is rooting deeply and growing firm;
  the Way of long life and lasting vision。
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  The people; like crystal:
  handle with care。
  When leaders express integrity;
  dark forces find no potency。
  Not that darkness has no power;
  but it will do no harm。
  Not that it can do no harm;
  but no one's left in harm's way。
  Neither harms the other:
  integrity on both accounts。
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  A great land is a basin
  towards which all rivers flow;
  a receiver of all here below;
  the female spirit of the world。
  The receiver ever claims dominion through her stillness。
  Still; she has reached the lowest place。
  Lying low before a smaller land;
  a greater land may win it over。
  Lying low before a greater land;
  a smaller land may win it over。
  Each wins the other by being lower。
  A great land is greater still when serving ever more。
  A small land is better served when serving what is great。
  Each benefits the other;
  by which the greater land may see its lowly role。
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  The Way holds sanctuary for all creatures;
  a treasure for the true; a refuge for the erring。
  Deft words earn favor;
  fine works reward。
  Let inept works and inapt words earn no less。
  When leaders are installed or ministers appointed;
  in pomp are reins of power bestowed。
  Wiser to withdraw and without ceremony
  bestow the Way upon the land。
  The ancients said:
  〃Seek and you shall find。〃
  〃Err and be free from fault。〃
  Thus all may value the Way。
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  Work without doing。
  Manage without interfering。
  Relish the mundane。
  Respect the small as great。
  Regard the few as many。
  Repair insult with integrity。
  With difficult tasks; attend to the easy。
  With daunting feats; attend to the small。
  All big problems were once easy to solve。
  All great deeds were once small to begin