Extensive interpretation of Tao Te Ching (41)
道德經（四十一）
When the highest types of men hear Tao
truth, they try hard to live in accordance with it.
上士聞道，勤而行之；
When the mediocre type hear
Tao, they seem to be aware and yet unaware of it.
中士聞道，若存若亡；
When the lowest types hear
Tao, they break into laughter—if it were not laughed at, it would not be Tao.
下士聞道，大笑之，不笑不足以為道。
Therefore there is the
established saying:
故建言有之：
“who
understands Tao seems dull of comprehension;
明道若昧，
who is advanced in Tao seems to
slip backwards;
進道若退，
who moves on the even
夷道若纇；
Superior character appears
like a hollow valley;
上德若谷，
Sheer white appears like
tarnished;
大白若辱，
great character appears like
insufficient;
廣德若不足，
Solid character appears like
firm;
建德若偷，
pure worth appears like
contaminated.
質德若渝，
Great space has no corners;
大方無隅，
great talent takes long to mature;
大器晚成，
great music is faintly heard;
大音希聲，
great form has no contour;
大象無形，
and Tao is hidden without a name.
道隱無名。
It is this Tao that is adept
at lending its power and bringing fulfillment.
夫唯道，善貸且成。
Fable (7) (1-10)(41。1)
莊子演義雜篇寓言(七)(1-10)(41。1)
1 Yangzijie planed to travel to
陽子居要到南部一個叫沛的地方去，而此同時，老子將往北到秦去旅遊。師徒倆在梁地的郊外碰巧遇上了。
陽子居南之沛，老聃西遊於秦，邀於郊，至於梁而遇老子。
2 Since then, they went together for a while.
於是倆人結伴而行了一段路。
3 During the period of walking together, Laotse was
disappointed at Yangzijie’s manner in treating
others. Looking up to the sky, he said to Yangzijie,
“Zijie! I thought that you are eligible to be my
disciple. Now I know that you are not.”
途中，老子體察到陽子居待人接物的態度，頗感失望，他抬起頭迎著天對陽子居說：「子居呀! 我以為你可以做我的徒弟，現在我知道你是不及格的。」
老子中道仰天而嘆曰：「始以汝為可教，今不可也。」
4 Without answer, in silence, he led Laotse to a
teahouse. Having entered, Yangzijie presented towel
and water to Laotse for cleaning feet and laid his
shoe tidily outside the room. Then Yangzijie’s
attitude is fairly reverent.
陽子居沒有答腔，他只是默默地帶著老子到一家茶館，進門後陽子居遞上毛巾、洗腳水，並將鞋子整齊地放在房間外面。這時的陽子居其態度是挺恭敬的。
5 All are ready. Kneeing to Laotse on the mat, he
crawled up to him and whisper. “On the way, I can’t jump at a chance to ask
you. Additionally, I dare not ask since you are angry. Now we settle down, and
suppose you feel relaxed. I take a liberty to ask you what my error is and why
I make you angry.
一切都料理好後，陽子居雙腳跪在蓆子上，用膝蓋爬到老子的跟前，低聲的說：「路上沒空，我一直沒有機會問您。另外看您生氣的樣子我也不敢問，現在安頓下來了，心情也應該輕鬆一點了，我斗膽地請問師父，我到底犯了什麼錯，令老師不高興。」
陽子居不答。至舍，進盥漱巾櫛，脫屨戶外，膝行而前，曰：「向者弟子欲請夫子，夫子行不閒，是以不敢。今閒矣，請問其故。」
6 Laotse detected Yangzijie’s sincerity to learn. Hence, he said. “Your
countenance is fraught with arrogance. You wear a proud and scorning look. Who
would like to stay with you?
老子看出陽子居是真心地想學些東西，因此說道：「你的面容充滿著高傲的表情，你那種自以為是，傲慢不屑的樣子，有誰願意跟你在一起呢？
7 A man should not be complacent. A bottle filled with water can’t hold a drop
of water any more. Purely white thing looks flowed. A man of perfect practice
is common, amiable, humble and courteous. When Confucius entered the royal
temple, he asked everything as if he were ignorant. He actually was an expert
on convenance.”
人不可以自滿，裝滿水的瓶子是容不下任何一滴水的。所以純白的東西看上去似乎總是有些瑕疵。修行完備的人給人的感覺是平凡、和藹可親、謙卑有禮。孔子入大廟，每事問，好像什麼都不懂似的，庶不知他是禮儀專家啊！」
老子曰：「而雎雎盱盱，而誰與居？大白若辱，盛德若不足。」
8 Yangzijie immediately changed his countenance and
whispered. “Thank you my master for your instruction.”
陽子居立刻調整了自己容貌，低聲地說: 「謝謝老師的教誨。」
陽子居蹴然變容曰：「敬聞命矣！」
9 Since then, Yangzijie’s
attitude changed totally. In the past, when Yangzijie
was ready to go, his family members lined up at the gate to see him off, an old
housekeeper paved mat on the ground to send him to the carriage, his wife
tidied him up with comb and towel at last moment. All members went out to see
him off without exception, including the chef in kitchen.
自此刻起，陽子居的態度完全改變了。他出門時，家人還得在門口列隊歡送，一個老管家在地上舖著蓆子送他上車，妻子則拿著梳子、毛巾為他做最後的整容工作。家裡所有的人都要跑出來送行，連廚房裡的廚子也不例外。
其往也，舍者迎將，其家公執席，妻執巾櫛，舍者避席，煬者避灶。
10 But after he learnt the amiableness from Laotse,
not only his family member no longer line up to see him off, but also they
scrambled with him for space on the mat to have a rest.
但是當陽子居自老子那學到平易近人的道理後，家裡的人非旦不用列隊接送，還在蓆子上跟他搶空位休息呢！
其反也，舍者與之爭席矣！
Xianchi’s interpretation and
remark(41。1)
咸池評述(41。1)
1 Solemn
appearance is one regulation that Buddhism asks man of practice to abide by.
儀容莊嚴是佛教要求修行者特別注意的戒律之一。
2 Laotse and Chuang Tzu
however, asked man of practice to be congenial to people and to get well alone
with people. I like this more.
老莊思想卻完全相反，它要求修行者平易近人，態度和藹，與人相處，水乳交容。這兩者相比，我還是比較喜歡後者。
3 If man of
practice is asked to be of modesty, of no-self and of no ego, how do we show
solemn and awful appearance?
如果我們要求修行者謙虛而不自滿，無相無我，不執著的話，那麼我們又如何表現出法相莊嚴，令人望而生畏的容貌呢？
4 Under the
requirement of no-self, we integrate with the mass and melt into them. Thus it
is rational that we are congenial to people, contesting with nobody and our
family members they scrambled with us for space on the mat to have a rest.
在無相的要求下，我們與眾生是合為一體的，是與眾生水乳相容的，更與眾生打成一片。在這樣的原則之下，我們就應該維持平易近人，態度和藹，並且做到如陽子那樣，其家人與之爭蓆而不背，這樣才算合理。
5 Sheer white
appears like tarnished; great character appears like insufficient; we notice
the words “appears”, it means seems but it is not real.
大白若辱，盛德若不足，這兩句話，我們應該注意當中的 “若”這個字。若是似乎、好像，但不一定是真實的。
6 The sheer white
is pure white.
大白就是純白。
7 When white is a part of ours, it is very natural, nothing special. So, we
have no special intention to sheer white. We don’t feel disgusted and lordly
when we stay with other people and color.
當白是我們的一部份時，白在我們身上展現是再自然不過的事，因此，我們不但不覺得它有什麼特別之處，對於潔白之身，我們也不會特別的在意。基本上，我們仍是願意與其他色，與其他人共處一室而不會有絲毫厭惡及高傲的感覺。
8 We have been a man of perfect practice.
Great character is a part of mine. Nobody can affect us and change our most
purity. We hence have it but we never think it different. We still like to live
among common people, regaling our life. We want to be an amiable and lovely
guy.
我們己經是一個修行完備的人，盛德己經是我身體一部份，沒有人能夠影響我們，改變我們的盛德，因此我們雖擁有盛德之身，但我們並不覺得自己有什麼特別異於常人之處;
我們仍然願意與市井小民、販夫走卒們共同生活，一起享受生活，終而成為一個平易近人，人人都喜歡親近的人。
9 So, we are never loose in seeking perfect Tao and Character. Any intention to
leave some flaws in practice, it is wrong. Practice should be intact.
但是，可別因此而以為，在追求道德完美上我們會自己打折扣，只求做到九十分就夠了，留一點瑕疵，保有缺陷美;
不，那樣做是不對的，因為修行上從來是不打折扣的。
10 It is true we
always discontented and not complacent to the result of practice, so we would
go further in practice. But we deem the result of practice is like something we
can breathe and secrete to make vitamins and our heart can beat, they are so
nature and they seems are granted to us. Nobody would think them great or
lordly because of they could breathe, so does the man of practice.
對修行的成果，我們既不自滿，也不自傲，這樣的態度對我們來說是很有助益的，因為我們會因此而努力的修煉，以期登上另一層樓。我們將修行的成果當成自然的事，當然的事; 就像我會呼吸，我會心跳，我會分泌各種內分泌，製造各種維生素是同樣的道理一樣。但是絕對沒有人會因此而自以為了不起，因此而將自己擺得高高的不可一世，修行有成的人更應當如此。
11 Laotse and Chuang Tzu’ true meaning of
sheer white appears like tarnished; great character appears like insufficient
is to make the result of practice not distinguished and common, so the man of
practice would be congenial to people and to get well alone with people.
將修行的果實平凡化，正常化，要求修行者保持平易近人的態度，與人相處時水乳交容。惟有這樣才算是符合老莊大白若辱，盛德若不足的真意。
Xianchi’s interpretation of Tao Te Ching (41) a。41
咸池評述道德經演義（四十一）a。41
1 When the lowest types of men hear Tao, they break into laughter. Why to
laugh? Speaking baldly, the lowest types men mostly are the common intellect.
Restrained in their knowledge, when they saw a man of opening Qi rolling on the ground, laughing and crying, they
directly think that he is ridiculous, childish and the whole thing is nothing
but the wizard’s trick.
下士聞道，大笑之。為什麼下士聞道會大笑呢？不客氣的說，所謂下士者絕大部分是指一般的知識份子。他們以其既有的知識，只要一看見一位剛開氣的人，在地上打滾，在那裡又哭又笑，他們便主觀的認為，這種動作是既好笑又幼稚，都是江湖術士騙人的玩意。
2 Additionally, when yogi is in the process of opening their Qi, they firmly defend for their body’s domination to
prevent Qi, and Kuntalini from guiding, controlling
and leading them into Samadhi or yoga.
另外當上師為其開氣時，他們的意識也總是極為頑固地固守住其本身的主控權，不肯放手讓氣、挫火來指揮、操作，引導其進入三昧及瑜伽的功課。
3 It is their knowledge and lordliness
that stop them to accept Qi and Kuntalini. It is very
pitiful.
這全是他們既有的知識及倨傲的態度，導致他們無法接受氣、挫火來提升他們身心俱足的機會; 這樣的結果，殊為可惜。
4 When the mediocre types of men hear
Tao, they are curious but they lack confidence. They subjectively want to
analyze Qi by their consciousness and ability, but no
result left. Additionally, some bad cases hamper them to step further into
yoga. Hence they practice in doubt. When they practice sometimes, they find the
result not obvious. So they come to leave and estrange them. At last they stop.
至於中士聞道，則充滿著好奇，可是他們信心不足，總想主觀的去分析氣，想通過他們的意識及能力去瞭解氣，然而卻終無所得。另一方面是，一些不好的個案也促使他們心生疑慮，因此不敢貿然地深入瑜伽的領域。
一般上他們會半信半疑的練，等到練過了一段時間之後，最後發覺效果不彰，進步也不明顯，這時他們就會逐漸地放棄、疏遠，終而停止了修煉。
5 A few people seem silly to keep
practicing without doubt and question. They have no utilitarian expectation on
Tao. They don’t try to interpret all kinds of yoga pose. They just boldly
consign themselves to Qi’s free operation. Strictly
abiding by “empty, no your own actions”, they tell Qi
that he is a tiny, childish and ignorant kid. They therefore expect them to
neglect the idea from consciousness. If any ideas arise from consciousness, he
expects Qi, Kuntalini to look it as child’s babble.
Neglecting it, they look it as consciousness—a naughty kid babbling.
只有極少部分的人，他們一開始便傻呼呼地，不問究理的不斷練習。他們對道始終不抱有任何功利的想法，他們也不試著去解釋那各式各樣的瑜伽動作;
他們只是放心大膽地將自己的身體在練功時，完全的交托給氣去自由操作。他們謹守〝空，不要有自己動作〞的口訣，他們告訴氣，自己是一個渺小、幼稚、不懂事的孩子，並且期望氣、挫火等不要理會自己所發自於意識的任何念頭。而當意識裡升起任何意念時，他們就希望氣、挫火等將之視為“童言無忌”的囈語，不要理睬、不要理會，就當那是個不懂事的孩子在胡言亂語。
6 Highest types of men are absolutely confident of Qi,
and Kuntalini. Though no name can cover all functions, they know that Qi, and Kuntalini are absolutely wise, knowing things of
all ages, including the future. It can guide them to step into Nirvana.
上士者對氣、挫火懷有絕對的信心。雖然，並沒有一個固定的名詞可以完全涵蓋祂的功能，然而，上士者卻心裡有數，知道氣、挫火是絕頂聰明、充滿智慧，不但通古知今，也熟知未來的。祂也一定會引導他們徐步漸進地走到修行的涅槃聖地。