Extensive interpretation of Tao Te Ching (30)
道德經演義(卅)
He who by Tao proposes to help
the ruler of men, will oppose all conquest by force of arms.
以道佐人主者，不以兵強天下。
For such things are gone to
rebound.
其事好還。
Where armies are, thorns and
brambles grow.
師之所處，荊棘生焉，
The raising of a great host is
followed by a year of dearth.
大軍之後，必有兇年。
Therefore a good general effects his purpose and stops.
善有果而已，
He dares not rely upon the
strength of arms;
不敢以取強。
effects his purpose and does not
glory in it;
果而勿矜，
effects his purpose and does not
boast of it;
果而勿伐，
effects his purpose and does not take
pride in it;
果而勿驕，
effects his purpose as a regrettable
necessity;
果而不得已，
effects his purpose but does not love
violence.
果而勿強。
For things
age after reaching their prime.
物狀則老，
That violence would be against
Tao.
是謂不道。
And he who is against Tao
perishes young.
不道早已。
Lietse (3) (4-7)(30。1)
莊子演義雜篇列禦寇(三)(4-7)(30。1)
4 A man of perfect practice
never arbitrarily holds that a thing is sure to develop in a certain way.
修行完備的人從來不會武斷地認為，什麼事一定會怎樣發展。
5 So, when the development of a thing diverges from his original expectation,
he won’t get angry and correct it by force.
所以，當事情的發展違背其初衷時，他不會生氣，不會想用武力強制糾正，勉強而為。
聖人以必不必，故無兵；眾人以不必必之，故多兵。
6 Only he, whose self-cultivation is not enough, will doggedly make things to
develop in his expected way. Such development is artificial and is done by
force so conflicts become more and inevitable.
只有修養不夠的人，才會固執地限制事情往其理想的方向去進行。因為其蘊釀發展的方向是人為的，是勉強促成的，所以中間摩擦頻傳，糾紛不斷，武力抗爭自然不免了。
順於兵，故行有求。
7 He uses an arbitrarily force to change the natural development of things at
his own will. There will be a resistance accumulated due to the change of
development. Misfortune will befall him when the accumulation reaches a level.
如果讓一股專斷的武力存在在那兒，利用武力去順遂私意，扭曲事情自然的發展; 這種因扭曲自然發展方向而累積的抗拒力，積存到一定程度而爆發出來時，主其事的人就要倒楣了。
兵，恃之則亡。
Xianchi’s interpretation and remark (30。1)
咸池評述(30。1)
1 The banks of
長江、黃河兩岸的堤防一直逐年加高，以防止汛期時，河水會氾濫成災。
2 Building high bank to confine water flow is the best
sample to explain the sentence “doggedly make things to develop in his expected
way”.
這種將堤岸高築，以限制水的流向的方式，應該是最標準的
“以不必必之”
的範例了。
3 The nature of
water is to flow to lower place but mankind takes up the low place to build
city and exploit field and fish pool. Water and mankind scramble for the low
place. Mankind builds high banks to force water to flow at a certain direction;
therefore, flood happens every now and then.
水往低處流原本就是水的天性，可是人類卻將低窪處強行佔領，使之發展成為城市，良田，魚塭等。人類與水爭路，刻意將河堤築高，強制河流在一定的方向範圍裡流動; 而這樣做的結果，導致水災不時發生。
4 So, we deem
that Chuang Tzu’s theory is right, but can we remove
the bank so as to let the two rivers flow everywhere? Obviously, it is not
feasible; because the actual situation does not allow us to do so.
所以我們說莊子的道理是正確的，可是我們能將河堤拔掉，讓長江、黃河的水隨便亂躥嗎？答案顯然是不行的，那是因為，現實環境不允許我們這樣做。
5 Also, in the
way of life, it is difficult to execute if there is no contrived force at all
to guide the development of things.
同樣地，在人生的道路上，完全不運用人力去導引事情的發展，也是很難執行的。
6 By the end of a
month, managers must do some promotions when finding deficient performance.
They manage to reach the goal by conducting man-made promotions, even they
clearly know that it is anticipation of income, they have to do it.
在這方面，我們只要看看私人企業的營運方式就好。一旦月底發現業績不足，這些公司中的經理們必定會推出一些促銷活動，以人為的努力勉強業績達成目標，即便他們知道，這是在寅食卯糧也是非做不可。
7 Diligent students prepare all day and
night. In the throat-cut environment, he should make strong determination to
pass the entrance test for university. If the determination is insufficient,
his effort is made less.
莘莘學子為了參加考試，日以繼夜讀書; 在競爭激烈的環境裡，對考大學這檔事，肯定是抱著必勝的決心;
決心不夠，努力就會不足。
8 Between the truth
and reality how could we decide? Between “the must be” and “must not be” how
could we do?
那麼，在真理與現實之間，我們應該如何抉擇呢?
在“必不必” 與“不必必” 之間又應如何自處呢?
9 Chuang Tzu deemed if we separate the time into small
pieces. It could be a month, a week, a day or the moment of being now. During
this considerable short time, the objective situation is stable and can be
grasped. We master this moment and devote ourselves to do the thing well. As
for the objective condition, it may leave as it wants; it may come as it wants;
it may become warm as it wants; it may become cool as it wants; it may become
strong as it wants; it may become weak as it wants; it may break as it wants;
it may fall as it wants. All those change cannot influence our decision—to
devote ourselves to do it well. If we using this attitude to face our life,
than “the must be” and “must not be” can not bother us anymore.
莊子的辦法是: 將時間切割成許多小段，它可以是一個月，也可以是一星期; 甚至於是一天，或者眼前的這一剎那。莊子認為在這樣相對短暫的時間裡，客觀環境是比較穩定的;
而我們只要把握好這每一小段的“當下”，全力以赴、盡心盡力的做好手邊的事情就可以了。至於客觀環境要走就讓它們走，要來就讓它們來，要暖就讓它們暖，要涼就讓它們涼，要強就讓它們強，要弱就讓它們弱，要碎就讓它們碎。要落就讓它們落。所有這一切都不足以影響我們做好“當下”之事的決心。能夠這樣，無論是“必不必”或“不必必” 也就一點都困擾不了我們了。
Xianchi’s
interpretation and remark of Tao Te Ching (30) a。30
咸池評述道德經演義(卅)a。30
1
What is the attitude of a yogi in reading this chapter by Laotse?
作為一個瑜伽行者，我們應該以何種態度來細讀老子的這一篇文章呢？
2
As a matter of fact, the way of practice is vague. Every day the man of
practice spends hours in sitting there but doesn’t know the progress and goal,
letting alone the achievement. Like a fool, he just does the thing that is
ambiguous to him.
修行的道路其實是茫無頭緒的。修行者每天花幾個小時，枯坐在那裡，既不知自己的進度，也不清楚未來的目標，更不知道修了半天的成果將會是什麼。由始至終，他所能做的，就只是傻傻地、呆呆地，每天按一定的時間，作一件自己也不十分瞭解的事情而已。
3 Sutra has it
that, to know what his result is in the future, a man, who practices extinctive
Samadhi, had been served Ananda for six years. The
way of practice is tough, we believe, one of the major reasons is that its
progress and result are unclear.
佛經上有一段記載，說是有一位修滅絕正受的修行人，為了想知道自己將來會得到什麼果，刻意在阿難身邊伺候長達六年之久。修行者的路之所以難走，進度不清，成果不明，大概也是原因之一吧！
4 Nevertheless,
the right way of practice surely requires a yogi should have this kind of
mental preparation. Eagerness for quick success and instant benefit is not a
yogi’s style.
然而對於修行人而言，修行的路上就是必須要具有這樣的心理準備。急功好利、過於執著，皆非修行者應有的品性。
5 Buddha ever told us that a good horse never keeps thinking its reward—the
food when it drags cart and grinds wheat. It is not a good horse that keeps
reward in mind when working.
世尊曾經告訴我們，一匹好馬， 當牠在拉車、磨麥時，牠是不會一直牽掛著主人會給牠吃什麼、喝什麼的。相反的，牠應該專注在眼前的工作上。一匹工作時時常分心，心裡一直記掛著報酬的馬，絕對不會是一匹好馬。
6 Also, a man of
practice should focus on the current course of practice when he sits, meditates
and stays in Samadhi or prays before Buddha every day. He should not keep in
mind on what magic powers and what no- learning skills he would have in the future.
修行的人也是一樣。每天在禪思、打坐、恒入三昧，在佛堂前參拜禮佛時，就應該只專注在現階段的功課之中，千萬不要去妄想什麼神通，更不要去想，自己會得到什麼無學之術的果。
7 A seed
germinates in the field and then sprouts out to grow up. At last it becomes a
big flourishing tree. It needs necessary courses and time. It is no use to urge
it.
就像是一顆埋在地裡的種子，它從破土而出時的嫩芽，再逐漸地由小樹成長到枝葉茂盛的大樹; 這期間自有其必須經歷的過程，也有它必經的時間。所以植樹者一定要有極大的耐心，急是沒有用的。
8 “Anxious” is
the “force of arms” described in this chapter. Laotse
held that we should not break the rule of nature and manages to do it
manipulatively. On the contrary, we should let everything be done when
conditions are ripe.
“急”也就是老子在本章中所說的“兵強”。老子認為，無論作什麼事都不應該違背自然之道，勉強而為;
應該讓一切水到渠成的自然發展會比較好。
9 I make a long-term investment of stock. Ten years ago (1992), I bought in 110
XX stocks. In the following years, my portfolio grows with the accumulated
dividend stocks; today it has become the major revenue of life for my family.
我長期投資股票，1992年我買進了大約１１０張XX股，經過這些年的配股成長，如今它已成為我家生活的主要支撐財源。
10 My investment
principle is: not to manage my portfolio by force. I have been advised by many
investors to buy at low price and sell at high price so as to make the value of
my portfolio increase fast. I always shrug that advice off. I never impose my
personal guess and judgment on my investment. I watch my seedling of stock
growing slowly with years. I don’t admire others reaping by arbitrage. I never
regret not selling it at high price. I only know when I need; it can offer
stable and reliable service.
我的經營原則，就是不敢以取強。許多人勸我應該高賣低買，來回操作，以求羊群 (股數) 的快速成長; 我都一笑置之。我絲毫不將個人的臆測、判斷等施加在投資組合上。我只是一天天，一年年的看著這個幼苗緩慢而穩定的成長。我既不羡慕別人的套利收穫，也不後悔自己沒有趁勢高賣。我只是清楚的知道，當我有需要時，它保證能穩定而可靠地為我提供服務。
11 I have
practiced Kuntalini yoga silently for eleven years (2007). I don’t expect it to
offer me immediate results. But the results appear gradually and invisibly. The
results are inevitable and unavoidable to me. I believe that my Tao will not
vanish prematurely as long as I keep conserved this unforced rule to my
investment and practice.
在修煉無上瑜伽方面，我天天默默地練習，迄今己十一年了(2007)。我從來不企求它會為我帶來什麼立竿見影的效果，可是效果卻在無形、無意之中逐漸地顯現。這些果對我而言是不得已的，是不請自來的。我始終相信，只要我繼續保持這種不祈不求的態度在投資、在練功上，那麼，我的道，肯定是不會「早已」的。