第 72 节
作者:九米      更新:2021-02-19 21:28      字数:8919
  Evil occasions honour the right。
  When the deputy general stays on the left;
  While the full general stays on the right;
  Declare that a funeral ceremony is taking place。
  Since so many people are slaughtered;
  Let us weep with deep sorrow and grief; and
  Treat a victory celebration as a funeral ceremony。
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  Tao is eternal and nameless。
  Even though its singular building block is tiny;
  None in the world can master over it。
  If kings and barons keep faith in it;
  All things spontaneously follow order。
  When Heaven and Earth joined to make sweet dew;
  It is evenly spread without the people抯 command。
  Initiating regulations produces names。
  Since names already proliferate; one must also know when to stop。
  Knowing when to stop can avoid over regulation。
  Tao to the world is like streams in valleys to the rivers and sea。
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  He who understands others is intelligent;
  He who knows himself is wise。
  He who wins over others is persuasive;
  He who conquers himself is strong。
  He who feels contented is rich;
  He who acts forcefully is determined。
  He who does not lose his center endures;
  He who dies but is not forgotten enjoys long life。
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  How the great Tao flows everywhere!
  All things depend on it for life and it never turns away from them;
  It completes the work successfully without seeking recognition;
  It protects and nurtures all things without becoming their master。
  Always devoid of desire may be an insignificant accomplishment;
  All things follow it without becoming their master has to be a great accomplishment。
  Just because it has no desire to be great;
  It can achieve greatness。
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  Whoever has a firm hold on the big form;
  The entire world will follow him。
  They will experience no harm;
  But security; peace and comfort。
  Having food and music;
  Even passers…by stop。
  Talking about Tao is tasteless and plain。
  And it is:
  Invisible by looking;
  Inaudible by listening and
  Inexhaustible by using。
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  In order to contract it; first allow it to expand。
  In order to weaken it; first allow it to strengthen;
  In order to eliminate it; first allow it to grow;
  In order to take away from it; first allow it to receive。
  These are called common sense which includes:
  The soft and weak overcome the hard and strong;
  A fish should not leave deep water;
  State抯 sharp weapons should not be shown to others。
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  Tao forever takes no action but nothing is left undone。
  If barons and kings were able to keep faith in it;
  All things will transform spontaneously on their own。
  Should selfish desires arise anew;
  I shall counter them with natural goodness yet unnamed。
  What the unnamed natural goodness brings;
  Is but the riddance of selfish desires。
  Riddance of selfish desires will bring forth tranquility;
  Then peace would naturally prevail in the world。
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  The people of high virtue show no appearance of virtue; they are thus virtuous;
  The people of low virtue lose no appearance of virtue; they are thus not virtuous。
  The people of high virtue take no action; but with no ulterior motive;
  The people of low virtue take actions and with ulterior motive。
  The people of high humanity take actions; but with no ulterior motive。
  The people of high justice take actions and with ulterior motives。
  The people of high propriety take actions; upon receiving no response; they extend their arms to fight。
  Therefore:
  When Tao is lost; one is left with virtue;
  When virtue is lost; one is left with humanity;
  When humanity is lost; one is left with justice;
  When justice is lost; one is left with propriety。
  But propriety requires only superficial loyalty and trust; and is the cause for discords and violence。
  These so…called prophecies represent the superficial Tao; and is the beginning of ignorance。
  Therefore a person of substance:
  Prefers depth to shallowness; and
  Chooses substance over appearance。
  And he takes this and discards the other。
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  Whichever has been endowed with the One:
  Heaven becomes clear;
  Earth becomes calm;
  Spiritual beings become divine;
  Valleys become full;
  All things are striving;
  Barons and kings are leaders of the world。
  All these are due to the One。 Otherwise:
  Heaven would not be clear; and may disintegrate;
  Earth would not be calm; and may quake;
  Spiritual beings would not be divine; and may disappear;
  Valleys would not be full; and may dry up;
  All things would not be thriving; and may perish;
  Barons and kings would not be noble and high; and may topple。
  Therefore:
  Humility is the basis for nobleness; and
  Lowness the foundation for highness。
  That is why barons and kings call themselves orphans; widowers and destitute beings。
  Does it not prove humility being the basis for nobleness? Is it not?
  Thus:
  Strive for too many honours ends up with no honour。
  Do not wish to be a shining jade; just be an ordinary rock。
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  Tao moves in cycles。
  Tao uses the soft and weak to reveal the truth。
  All things in the world are born from being; and
  Being (the named) is born from non…being (the unnamed)。
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  When Tao is heard by a man of high intellect;
  He practices it with diligence。
  When Tao is heard by a man of average intellect;
  He follows it half…heartedly。
  When Tao is heard by a man of no intellect;
  He will have a hearty laugh at it。
  And it would not be Tao without being laughed at。
  Thus there is the accepted saying:
  The bright way appears dark; the progressive way; regressive; and the smooth way; uneven。
  The high virtue appears hollow; the purest white; tinted; the far…reaching virtue; inadequate; the firm virtue;
  lax; and the real quality; wanting。
  The greatest square appears cornerless; the great talent; the last to be recognized; the great music; devoid of
  appealing sound; and the great image; formless。
  Tao is hidden and nameless;
  Yet only Tao is capable of helping all to succeed in life。
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  Tao created the One;
  The One produced the Two;
  The two produced the Three;
  And the Three produced all things。
  All things carry the Yin (female) and embrace the Yang (male);
  Harmony is achieved through interaction of these prime energies。
  People hate to be orphans; widowers; or being destitute;
  Yet kings and barons call themselves by these terms。
  Thus:
  One my gain by losing first; and
  One my lose by gaining first。
  What people teach I can also teach。
  揂 violent person would not die a natural death;?br》 Shall be my first lesson。
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  The softest thing in the world is galloping inside of the hardest;
  The invisible substance is entering media having no space。
  I therefore learn the benefits of taking no action。
  Lessons without words and the value of taking no action;
  There are few rivals in the world。
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  Fame or life; which is more precious?
  Life or wealth; which is more important?
  Gain or loss; which is more harmful?
  An obsession for possession is doomed to be costly;
  An excessive hoarding for profits is sure to incur heavy losses。
  He who is contented loses no honour;
  He who knows when to stop encounters no danger;
  He can thus long endure。
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  A perfect tool appears defective; but; it shows no impairment in operation。
  A great abundance appears empty; but; it is inexhaustible in consumption。
  A truly straight edge appears crooked;
  A great cleverness appears clumsy;
  A great orator appears tight tongued。
  Vigorous exercise overcomes cold;
  Calm quietude overcomes heat。
  Clear heads and calm minds can right the world。
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  When Tao prevails in the world;
  Horses walk in the field to fertilize。
  When Tao is missing in the world;
  Military horses give births in the suburbs。
  No guilt is greater than insatiable desires;
  No misfortune is greater than mindless discontent;
  No sin is greater than uncontrollable greed。
  Therefore;
  He who knows the contentment of being contented;
  Will always be contented。
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  Without stepping out of the door;
  He knows what the world is like。
  Without looking out of the window;
  He understands the way of Heaven。
  The farther he travels;
  The less he learns。
  So the Sage:
  Knows without traveling;
  Understands situations without seeing; and
  Succeeds without taking action。
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  Pursuing learning; one needs to learn more every day。
  Practicing Tao; one needs to do less every day。
  Less and even less; one reaches a state of taking no action。
  Taking no action but nothing is left undone。
  Taking over an empire must always be a nonevent。
  If eventful; it is unworthy of taking over the empire。
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  A wis