Extensive interpretation of Tao Te Ching (54)
道德經演義（五十四）
Who is firmly
established is not easily shaken. Who has a firm grasp does not easily let go.
From generation to generation his ancestral sacrifices shall be continued
without fail.
善建者不拔，善抱者不脫，子孫以祭祀不輟。
Cultivated in the individual,
character will become genuine.
修之於身，其德乃真；
Cultivated in the family,
character will become abundant.
修之於家，其德乃餘；
Cultivated in the village,
character will multiply.
修之於鄉，其德乃長；
Cultivated in the state,
character will prosper.
修之於邦，其德乃豐；
Cultivated in the world,
character will become universal.
修之於天下，其德乃普。
Therefore: According
to the character of the individual, judge the individual.
故：以身觀身；
According to the character of
the family, judge the family.
以家觀家；
According to the character of
the village, judge the village.
以鄉觀鄉；
According to the character of
the state, judge the state.
以邦觀邦；
According to the character of
the world, judge the world.
以天下觀天下。
How do I know the world is so?
By this.
吾何以知天下然哉？以此。
Lietse (8) (1-14)(54。1)
莊子演義雜篇列禦寇(八)(1-14)(54。1)
1 In
traveling around the countries, Confucius received various cynicisms and
confronted plenty of crisis, from that, he had a throughout apprehension of
human mind.
孔子在周遊列國飽受各種冷潮熱諷，危機險阻後，對人心之莫測有了更透徹的體驗。
2 Someday, in the class he said to his students, “The operation of trick and
conspiracy in association with human fully shows that human mind is as
dangerous as climbing steep cliff and wading through swift rivers.
有一天，他在課堂上對學生說：「與人交往，其中陰謀權術的運作，充份說明人心之險; 有如登高山，涉惡水。
3 You don’t know what your companion’s mind is even in a joyful feast.
就在與你把酒言歡之際，你也不知道對方的心思己經想到那兒去了。
4 High as the sky is, we however, can forecast the weather.
天雖高，我們可以觀察天的陰晴。
5 Thick clouds, dark sky and dusk in the morning mean rain; cool wind and less
cloud surely predict a sunny day.
朝暮，烏雲，天空陰暗，表示快要下雨了; 秋高氣爽，保証是一個大晴天。
6 When sun is on the east sky, it is morning; when sun is on the west sky, it
is fall of darkness.
太陽在東方表示是早上。太陽西下，黑夜即將來臨。
孔子曰：「凡人心險於山川，難於知天。天猶有春秋冬夏旦暮之期，人者厚貌深情。
7 However, the mind of human is unpredictable. A man who smiles at you doesn’t
always express friendliness. Who knows whether there a knife hiding behind the
smile?
可是人心就不同了，它是難測的。一個人，他對你微笑，不一定是友善; 他的殷勤，背後有沒有一把刀，誰也不知道。
8 An idiot who looks silly may be a genius of math. He, who is outwardly gentle
but inwardly stern, can disguise himself by gentle appearance but he is never
shakable and doubtable to his goal.
那個看起來呆呆傻傻的白痴，他可能就是一位數學天才。外圓內方的人，你不要被他謙讓的態度欺騙;
他對其目標的堅持，絕對是不容動搖與懷疑的。
9 Those rough fellows look strong and mindless, but when you approach to them
and become their close friend, you will find their loveliness and tenderness.
反而是那些身強體壯，看似粗線條的莽夫，當你接近他，成為他的莫逆之交時，你就會發現，他溫柔可愛的一面。
10 Some gentlemen look gentle and elegant but they are cold-hearted. Their
loves just hang on their faces under which there might be cruel and stone-like
hearts.
有些看起來溫文儒雅的紳士，其實他的心牆高築; 他的愛心就只擺在那薄薄的臉上。他那臉皮的下面，可能是一顆冷酷險惡，極無耐性的殘暴之心。
故有貌愿而益，有長若不肖，有順懁而達，有堅而縵，有緩而釬。
11 So, sometimes you may meet some people who are very keen to you and do their
best to help you without any hesitation, but they will leave you if there are
some new opportunities or the situation is changed.
所以，有時候你會碰到一些人，他們對你非常熱心，對你的計劃好像是全心投入，義無反顧的樣子。可是一有新的機會或看情勢稍有變更，他們就會背你而去。
故其就義若渴者，其去義若熱。
12 Therefore, when you cooperate with others, you must do some works to learn
about your companions and cooperators so as to avoid from being cheated.
所以與人合作或有任何事需要與人交往時，我們都必須下些功夫，去徹底地的了解這人的品性再做決定，如此，才不會有遇人不淑的懊惱。
13 There are nine ways to know people as follows.
知人的方法大概有九種，它們分別是，
(1) Sent him to a far cry for errand, watch his conducts and test his loyalty
under no supervision.
派人到遠方出差，在完全不受監督的情況下，觀察其舉止，以測其忠誠度。
(2) Keep him stay nearby to watch his each action and word to test his nature,
because co-work everyday will make him take off mask and show his nature at
some moment.
將此人留在身邊一段時間，仔細的觀察他的一言一行。每天見面，他總會有脫下面具，露出真性的時刻。
(3) Ask him to accomplish a lot of tasks in a short time to test his ability in
work.
在短期間交給他一大堆任務，以觀察他應付工作的能力。
(4) Raise a question suddenly to test his response and his real knowledge.
突然提出一個問題，看他的反應。以測試他肚子裡到底有沒有貨。
(5) Ask him to accomplish a task in a short time under difficult situation to
test his response and decision to finish the task.
在困難的情況下，要求他承諾在短期內完成一件事。看他對此事承諾的反應方式以及承諾後是否盡力完成的決心。
(6) Entrust him to keep or run a business with a sum of money to test his
ability to resist the temptation and personal integrity under the condition of
occupying the money.
將一筆錢委託他保管或經營。在有據為己有的誘惑下，觀察他抗拒這種誘惑的能力及操守。
(7) Put him in a designed crisis to see if he will escape or change his mind.
設計一個危機的狀況，看他會不會臨陣脫逃，見異思遷。
(8) Make him drunk to watch his attitude, since a man can tell the truth
without disguising when being drunk.
利用機會將他灌醉，以觀察他醉後的態度。酒後吐真言，在不設防的情況下，你能看出此人的真相。
(9) Let him contact persons of opposite sex in social occasion, you can find if
he respects people in such place of entertainment.
在交際應酬之時，讓他接觸異性。在這種聲色場合之中，你可以看出這人對人尊重與否的本性。
故君子遠使之而觀其忠，近使之而觀其敬，煩使之而觀其能，卒然問焉而觀其知，急與之期而觀其信，委之以財而觀其仁，告之以危而觀其節，醉之以酒而觀其側，雜之以處而觀其色。
14 A man who can pass those examinations, you may set your heart at rest to
cooperate with him and to consign important works to him.”
能夠通過這樣考驗的人，我們才能放心大膽與之共謀任何事，也才能放心將什麼重要的工作交給他去完成。」
九徵至，不肖人得矣。」
Xianchi’s interpretation and
remark (54。1)
咸池評述(54。1)
1 It is difficult
to understand a man. You know a man but don’t understand his mind; it is easy
to paint a tiger but isn’t that easy to paint its bones.
所謂知人知面不知心，畫虎畫皮難畫骨，可見，想要瞭解一個人是非常困難的。
2 In my opinion,
it is overriding importance that a man to pay attention to himself. Cooperation
with others in doing anything will induce too much problem to be
handled.
因之，我始終認為，把生活重心及注意力集中在自己個人身上最為重要。那些彼此之間由於相互依賴、互相合作所引發增生的問題實在是太多、太繁雜了。
3 Nevertheless,
it is inevitable to cooperate with others. Therefore, it is necessary and
inevitable to know how to choose the suitable partners.
然而，無論如何，與人共事仍然是無可避免的; 因此，如何選擇適當的夥伴便成為了至關重要而不可逃避的事了。
4 He who does
“shepherd plan” could avoid the problems but not all people have the conditions
to do the long investment plan. They who don’t do are pitiful.
“養羊計劃” 能使人避開這些麻煩事，可是並不是每一個人都有能力養羊，這些人，他們真是可憐。
Xianchi’ interpretation of Tao Te Ching (54) a。54
咸池評述道德經演義（五十四）a。54
1 We often said
that you know a man but don’t understand his mind; you can paint a tiger but
can’t paint its bones. We always think that people are skillful in covering
their meaning. They hide ideas; others can’t guess and know them.
我們常說知人知面不知心，畫虎畫皮難畫骨。我們總是認為，每個人都有很好的遮掩技巧，他們總是將其真正的意圖埋藏在心中，令人猜不透、摸不著。
2 Laotse didn’t think so. He held that the whole is known
from the detail. If only we watch carefully for a long time, nobody can hide
his secrete in mind.
老子卻不這麼想。他認為，見微知著，只要我們看得夠仔細，觀察得夠細心，觀察得夠久的話，絕對沒有任何人能夠真正的隱藏他內心的秘密的。
3 Also, the right
way of practice is the improvement and purification of deep inner heart, from
inside to outside, from detail to whole, from shallow to deep. High tower of
practice should be built step by step. In this way, the practice is steady and
firm.
同樣的道理，我們修行的人都應該自內心深處徹底的淨化及提昇自己，才是正途。從內心開始，由裡而外，由小而大，由淺至深;
一點一滴的舖設修行的高塔，如此一來，修身工夫才是不拔不脫、穩固而自在。
4 Above all, Buddhist should know that all things have Buddha nature; each
creature has it and can become Buddha or sage someday. Therefore we should
respect all creatures and things.
佛門弟子首先應該瞭解萬物皆具佛性，每一位眾生都有佛性，也都有機會能成佛、成聖。所以我們對眾生都應該要懷有恭敬的心，都應該尊重每一位眾生。
5 Respect and
reverence for life are the start and foundation, from which you will succeed
everywhere in practice and living. As long as you don’t abide by the rule, you
are free and easy in society.
恭敬、尊重生命是做人的基本要求，是最起碼的工夫; 以這個原則為出發點去修行、去處世，你就會無往而不利了。只要不違背尊重生命的這個原則，你在社會上行走就會更加的自由自在。
6 Modern people
have plenty of associations. It is very normal to have dinner with friends in a
certain place. Nevertheless in restaurant there is difference found between man
with culture and without culture. Someone shout at waiters without any respect
to them. To tread on other shows that he lacks culture. A Buddhist in this
occasion shows the same respect to waiter as he treats others. He is amiable
and polite in talking with them. He never behaves rude as upstarts who think
themselves as lord or rich man. The difference is derived from their natures.
現代人應酬多，幾個朋友聚在一起，找個地方吃飯是件很平常的事; 然而有修養與沒有修養的人到了飯店，其所表現出來的行為就會有明顯的差別。有些人動輒對服務生頤指氣使，大聲吆喝，完全不尊重侍者的尊嚴。像這種胡亂糟蹋人的舉動，無異揭示了這個人本身修養的不足。而當一位佛門子弟到了這種場合，他的態度就會表現得不一樣了，他會對服務生展現出對其他人一樣的尊重。他會與他們親切的交談，禮貌的接觸，絕不會做出有錢是大爺，花錢就是為了購買服務的粗暴動作。像上述這樣的區別，也就是自人性根本出發上的差異了。
7 Man of practice
doesn’t care for the speed of progress, fast or slow. The transmigration of
human is rather long. We have time to practice. The basic course however,
should be cared for, from easy to difficult, from bottom to top.
修行進度的快慢並不是那麼的重要，因為輪迴是相當漫長的，我們有的是時間，可以慢慢修煉。可是這由淺到深，由基礎到高樓的基本工夫，卻是絲毫馬虎不得。
8 Kundalini yoga
is broad way of practice but if the basic courses, such as respecting life,
eliminating avarice, wrath, obsession and doing eightfold paths, are not done
well, the man’s practice will be limited.
無上瑜伽是修行的康莊大道，可是尊重生命，消除貪、瞋、癡，行八正道等基本工夫卻是必須的配套條件; 一旦根基不穩，無上瑜伽的修煉也是走不深，走不遠的。