第 142 节
作者:九米      更新:2021-02-19 21:29      字数:8852
  'When' the world lacks the Tao
  War horses are bred in the suburbs。
  Of misfortunes; there is none greater than not knowing sufficiency。
  Of faults; there is none greater than desiring gain。
  This is the reason that to know the sufficiency of sufficiency
  Is a lasting sufficiency indeed。
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  Without going out the door; know the world。
  Without peaking out the windows; see the Celestial Tao。
  The more distant one抯 going…out
  The less one抯 knowledge is。
  Therefore; the sages
  Do not travel; and yet know
  Do not see; and yet clearly understand
  Do not 揹o;?and yet complete 'their work'。
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  Take learning to be daily increase。
  Take Tao to be daily decrease。
  Decrease upon decrease?br》 Thereby arrive at non…action。
  Non…action and not 揹oing?
  Take the world always by non…administration。
  Until this 'happens'; there exists administration。
  'This is' not sufficient to take the world。
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  The sages are without fixed minds。
  Therefore; the hundred clans?mind
  Do 'the sages' take to be 'their own' mind。
  Those who are good; I am good to them。
  Those who are not good; I am also good to them。
  'This is' virtue 'as' goodness。
  Those who are sincere; I am sincere to them。
  Those who are not sincere; I am also sincere to them。
  'This is' virtue 'as' sincerity。
  The sages living in the world thereupon take everything in
  Acting in the world; merging their minds。
  The hundred clans梕ach one梡ays attention with its ears and eyes。
  The sages all treat them as children。
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  Produced by birth; entering into death:
  The disciples of life are three out of ten。
  The disciples of death are three out of ten。
  The lives of people
  That move them toward a death on the earth:
  'Of these' are there also three out of ten。
  Why?
  Because of their living the thickness of life。
  But hear of those 'one in ten' who are good at negotiating life:
  Traveling by land; they do not encounter the cruel or the fierce。
  Entering into an army; they are not covered with armor or weapons。
  The cruel have no place to thrust their spear…tips
  The fierce have no place to use their claws
  Soldiers find no place to receive their blades。
  Why?
  Because of their having no death on the earth。
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  The Tao gives birth to them
  Virtue rears them
  Nature forms them
  Conditions complete them。
  Therefore; of the ten…thousand things
  There are none that do not honor the Tao
  And value Virtue。
  The honoring of the Tao
  The valuing of Virtue:
  Man does not command them 'to do so'
  And they are always genuinely themselves
  Because the Tao gives birth to them
  And Virtue raises them
  Leads them; nourishes them
  Erects them; poisons them
  Supports them; destroys them。
  Giving birth but not possessing
  Acting but not presuming
  Leading but not oppressively ruling?br》
  This is called 揗ystic Virtue。?br》
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  The world had a beginning。
  It抯 regarded as being a mother to the world。
  Having attained its mother
  Thereby know its offspring。
  Having known its offspring
  Return; hold to its mother。
  Not having a body; there is no danger。
  Stop the exchange
  Close the openings
  Throughout; the body does not strive。
  Open the exchange
  Abet the affairs
  Throughout; the body is not helped。
  Seeing the lowly is called illumination。
  Maintaining flexibility is called strength。
  Use the light。
  Return; go back to the illumination。
  Not losing the body is a disaster。
  Indeed; be practicing always。
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  Making myself pure; having understanding
  I travel on the great Tao。
  It gives only this fear:
  The great Tao is exceedingly level
  But people are pleased with byways。
  The imperial court taxes to the extreme。
  The fields are altogether overgrown with weeds。
  The granaries are completely empty。
  Clothed in elegant silk
  Girded with sharp swords
  Glutted with food and drink
  Having a surplus of property and money?br》
  This is called robbing and boasting 'about it'。
  Besides; it抯 not the Tao!
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  That which is well established is not rooted up。
  That which is well embraced does not slip away。
  Children and grandchildren; using honorary rites
  Offer sacrifices unceasingly。
  Cultivate it in the body梚t抯 virtue shall be Genuineness。
  Cultivate it in the family梚t抯 virtue shall be 'Having' Surplus。
  Cultivate it in the village梚t抯 virtue shall be Endurance。
  Cultivate it in the nation梚t抯 virtue shall be Abundance。
  Cultivate it in the world梚t抯 virtue shall be Universality。
  Therefore:
  By means of the body; watch the body。
  By means of the family; watch the family。
  By means of the village; watch the village。
  By means of the nation; watch the nation。
  By means of the world; watch the world。
  By what means do I know the world aright?
  By this。
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  Containing the substantiality of virtue
  Is comparable to 'being like' a bare child:
  Poisonous insects do not sting 'you'。
  Savage beasts do not seize 'you'。
  Snatching birds do not take 'you'。
  'The child抯' bones are tender
  Its muscles are soft。
  But its grip is firm。
  It does not yet know the union of female and male
  And yet it抯 completely made:
  The utmost of vitality indeed!
  Throughout the day crying and not becoming hoarse:
  The utmost of harmony indeed!
  Knowing harmony is called the Constant。
  Knowing the Constant is called clarity。
  Promoting life is said to be auspicious。
  The mind ordering ch抜 is said to be violent。
  A strong thing ruling over what is Old?br》 This is called 搉on…Tao。?br》
  The non…Tao soon ends。
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  Those who know do not speak。
  Those who speak do not know。
  Blunt the sharpness
  Untie the knots
  Harmonize the lights
  Equate the dust?br》 This is called 揗ystic Similitude。?br》
  Therefore:
  It is not able to be obtained; yet it is near。
  It is not able to be obtained; and it is distant。
  It is not able to be obtained; yet it benefits。
  It is not able to be obtained; yet it harms。
  It is not able to be obtained; yet it is valuable。
  It is not able to be obtained; yet it is worthless。
  Therefore; 'it' become's' for the world what is precious。
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  By uprightness; govern the kingdom。
  By rarely using soldiers
  'And' by means of non…administration
  Take the world。
  By what means do I know this to be so?
  By this:
  The world greatly shuns and avoids 'the poor'
  And the people 'remain' completely impoverished。
  The people greatly sharpen weapons
  'And' the kingdom and households grow dark。
  The people 'become' excessively crafty and clever
  'And' strange things start 'to happen'。
  Laws and directives are increasingly promulgated
  'And thus' more robbers and thieves exist。
  Therefore do the sages say:
  揑 do not administer; and the people change themselves。
  I am pleased with stillness; and the people correct themselves。
  I do not 'meddle in their' affairs; and the people grow rich by themselves。
  I do not desire; and the people simplify themselves。?br》
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  'When' the government is toned down and uninterested
  The people are honest and unsophisticated。
  'When' the government is scrutinizing and clinical:
  The people lack and run short。
  Misfortune still depends on that which is of good fortune。
  Good fortune still conceals that which is of misfortune。
  Who knows the final end 'of this'?
  'Even' this is not correct。
  Correctness reverts to being strange。
  Goodness reverts to being evil。
  Peoples?bewilderment?br》 Its days certainly have lasted a long time。
  Therefore; the sages
  Square but do not cut。
  Inspect but do not stab。
  Are straightforward but not unrestrained。
  Luminous but not dazzling。
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  'In' governing the people and serving Heaven
  There is nothing like thriftiness。
  Only thriftiness is rightly called 搚ielding beforehand。?br》 Yielding beforehand
  Entails 'one抯' arrival at a hard…won accumulation of virtue。
  'With this' hard…won accumulation of virtue
  'There is' necessarily nothing not overcome。
  'When' nothing is not overcome
  'There is' necessarily no one who knows your limits。
  'When' there are none who know your limits
  'You' can therefore have a kingdom。
  'When you' have the mother of the kingdom
  'You' can thereby endure for a long time。
  This is called 揹eeply rooted?br》 揂 solid foundation。?br》
  The way of long life and lasting vision。
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  Governing a great kingdom is like quick…frying small delicacies。
  'When' using the Tao to manage the world
  Its demons are powerless。
  'It抯' not 'exactly' th