Extensive interpretation of Tao Te Ching (56)
道德經演義（五十六）
He who knows does not speak; he who
speaks does not know.
知者不言；言者不知。
Fill up its apertures.
塞其兌，
Close its doors.
閉其門，
Dull its edges.
挫其銳，
Untie its tangles,
解其分，
Soften its light,
和其光，
Submerge its turmoil—this is the Mystic
Unity.
同其塵，是謂玄同。
Then love and hatred cannot touch him.
故不可得而親，故不可得而疏，
Profit and loss cannot reach him.
不可得而利，不可得而害，
Honor and disgrace cannot affect him.
不可得而貴，不可得而賤。
Therefore is he always the
honored one of the world.
故為天下貴。
The Natural Course of Events (7) (1-8)(56。1)A
莊子演義外篇天道(七)(1-8)(56。1)A
1 Opening eyes and stretching four limbs, people
discover the varicolored world and feel curious inside.
世人睜開眼睛，伸出四肢，發現了眼前這個五彩繽紛的花花世界，他們的內心是充滿著好奇的。
2 The curiosity pushes them to find out the reasons of things in all ways. The
simplest and most direct and acceptable way is to read.
這股好奇的念頭，促使他們想盡各種方法去瞭解事物的原委，而最簡單、最直接、最被一般人所接受及應用的方法就是: 讀書。
世之所貴道者，書也。書不過語，語有貴也。
3 They try to seek the real image through description in word, whereas word
just is a tool and its value is the expressed meaning behind it. The so-called
expression is that author conveys the meaning all out to readers through word.
他們嘗試從文字的描述中去尋找真相。然而文字只是工具，文字的價值在於文字背後所試圖表達的意思。而所謂表達就是盡作者之力，透過文字，轉達給讀者一個固定及穩妥的意思與含義。
4 However, there are limitations in such indirect transfer since it is difficult
to describe a thing wholly.
不過這樣間接的傳遞資訊還是具有其局限性的，因此，它很難完整而清晰地表達事物的全貌。
語之所貴者，意也，意有所隨。
5 Most of people in this world don’t think so. They attach importance to books
and lay their recognition on indirect description of word.
可是，絕大部分的世人卻不是這麼認為。他們重視書籍，遠勝於重視自然界的規律，他們對世界的認知，可以說是完全仰賴於文字的轉述。
意之所隨者，不可以言傳也，而世因貴言傳書。世雖貴之哉，猶不足貴也，為其貴非其貴也
6 The man of perfect practice knows that word is clumsy in conveying the truth.
He understands that eyes just see the shape and color in appearance of a thing
and ears just hear the name and sound of a thing.
修行完備的人瞭解到，文字做為傳達真理的笨拙特性。他知道人們眼睛看見的只是事物外表的形狀及顏色，耳朵聽到的只是事物的名稱及聲音;
7 Miserable people deem that they are deeply aware of the real image of thing
by shape, color, name and sound. They are too shallow to know that those are
tokens of things.
然而，這些可憐的人們，他們卻認為，只要透過對形狀、顏色、名稱、聲音等就能深入地瞭解事物的真相; 他們實在是太膚淺了，不瞭解那些實際上都不過是事物的一種外在表徵而已。
故視而可見者，形與色也；聽而可聞者，名與聲也。
8 Therefore, a man of perfect practice doesn’t use language and word to convey
the truth. Only those who are lack of all trades spout the truth by language
all days. What can we do as common people don’t understand the reasons?
所以，修行完備而且胸有成竹的人，他們從不會試圖透過語言文字來傳達真理。只有半瓶子醋，一知半解之流才整天喋喋不休的長篇大論。可悲的是，世人非但不明白這樣的道理，反而經常的自以為是，對此，我們還能有什麼辦法呢？
悲夫！世人以形色名聲為足以得彼之情。夫形色名聲，果不足以得彼之情，則知者不言，言者不知，而世豈識之哉！
The Natural Course of
Events (8) (1-12)(56。1)B
莊子演義外篇天道(八)(1-12)(56。1)B
1 In a quiet afternoon, the hotness made all people
looked wan. Duke Huan of Qi
was reading in his studying room. To keep awake, he read aloud on purpose. A
craftsman who sat repairing wheel stopped his work to listen to Duke Huan’s reading. To a craftsman, the ancient article with
recondite and scholastic words was too abstruse to understand.
一個寂靜的下午，天氣悶熱的讓所有的人都意興闌珊。齊桓公待在書房裏看書，他怕自己睡著了，所以刻意地將書的內容念出來。坐在書房外修理車輪的師傅，不經意的停下手上的活，注意聆聽著恒公念書的內容。可是對一個車輪師傅而言，這些之乎者也的文言文卻是深奧而難懂的。
2 Listening for a while, the craftsman couldn’t understand it yet. So he stood
up and asked through the window, “Sir, May I know what the article is? Could
you explain it for me?”
這位師傅聽了好一會兒，結果還是聽不懂，於是他便站起身，走到窗前隔著窗子問恒公道：「敢問大人，您讀的是什麼文章啊？煩請您解釋給我聽聽。」
桓公讀書於堂上，輪扁斲輪於堂下，釋椎鑿而上，問桓公曰：「敢問：「公之所讀者，何言邪？」
3 Taking a glance of the craftsman, Duke Huan said to
himself that as a craftsman, you certainly understand nothing about it. So he
answered absently and randomly, “They are words of sages.”
恒公看了這位車輪師傅一眼，心想你一個修車輪工人當然聽不懂書中的涵意了。因此心不在焉地隨便應付道：「這些都是聖人之言。」
公曰：「聖人之言也。」
4 Instead the craftsman took it seriously. He asked, “Is the sage still alive?”
車輪師傅倒是很認真。他問道：「這位聖人可還健在？」
曰：「聖人在乎？」
5 Looking at him, Duke Huan said to himself that why
this idiot asked such a question? The men became sages mostly because they were
dead. Knowing nothing about it, you even want to know the words of sage. So he
replied, “They are already dead.”
恒公又看了看他，心想此人何以會問這麼可笑的問題。聖人之所以成為聖人，其主要原因，還不都是基於他們皆是作古之人; 連這樣膚淺的問題都搞不清楚，還想瞭解聖人之言。於是，恒公說道：「早就死了。」
公曰：「已死矣。」
6 Feeling disappointed, the craftsman signed,“Alas!
What you read must be something unworthy.”
車輪師傅聽了，頗像是煞有介事的微微嘆了口氣，他說：「唉！這麼說，大人剛剛您讀的一定不是什麼有價值的道理了。」
曰：「然則君之所讀者，古人之糟魄已夫！」
7 The craftsman turned and prepared to leave. Duke Huan
felt surprised and curious instead. He shouted, “Back. Back. You, an
understrapper, stop me and tell me what I read is nonsense and unworthy while I
am reading carefully here. Hay! Come and explain it or you are punished.”
車輪師傅掉頭就想離開，這回輪到恒公好奇了。恒公高聲地叫：「回來！回來！我在這兒認真的讀書，你一個下人卻跑來告訴我，我讀的都是些廢物、都是沒有價值的東西。嘿！你倒是給我解釋清楚，要不然叫你吃不完兜著走。」
桓公曰：「寡人讀書，輪人安得議乎！有說則可，無說則死！」
8 The even-tempered craftsman was not frightened by his shout. He said, “I read
few book but I am fairly aware of the knowledge conveying in the field of wheel
repairing.”
這位師傅倒是夠穩重的，他並沒有被恒公的咆哮聲嚇住。他沉著地及時回應：「書我確是沒讀過幾本，可是在我自己修車輪的範圍之內，我卻對知識的傳授頗有些小小的領悟。
9 I know that if I make the spoke too small, it can’t fit the wheel; if make it
too big, the wheel would slide off from it. So I have to make it to the point.
我深深瞭解，如果我將輪輻做的太緊，那麼輪子就裝不進去；如果我將輪輻做的太鬆，那麼輪子又很容易滑開。所以，我必須將輪輻做的恰到好處才行。
10 How to make it to the point? I can’t tell. I gauge it by my hand and heart.
The feeling of gauging I know myself but can’t tell the reasons. So I can’t
impart it to my son. My son can’t learn it from me. This is why I, as an old
man of seventy, toil here.”
可是怎樣才算是恰到好處呢？我自己也說不上來。我只能用我的手、我的心去感覺; 而這種感覺，也只有我自己最清楚，怎麼講也講不出個所以然來。所以我不能將這種感覺傳授給我的兒子; 我的兒子也無法從我這兒學到這門功夫。這也就是為什麼我已經七十歲了，還這麼辛苦地在這兒工作;
輪扁曰：「臣也以臣之事觀之。斲輪，徐則甘而不固，疾則苦而不入，不徐不疾，得之於手而應於心，口不能言，有數存焉於其間。臣不能以喻臣之子，臣之子亦不能受之於臣，是以行年七十而老斲輪。
11 I think that the sage who wrote the book had been dead so the tour de force
in his heart, which he could not impart to other, must have vanished.
我認為寫你那本書的人，如果他是早已仙逝，那麼他心目中的那些絕技、那些不能傳授的絕竅，肯定也隨著他的離世而消失無蹤矣！
12 That’s why I said the book you read is something unworthy.”
所以，我才說大人您讀的書一定不具備什麼有價值的真理。」
古之人與其不可傳也死矣，然則君之所讀者，古人之糟魄已夫！」
Xianchi’s interpretation and remark(56。1)A。B
咸池評述(56。1)A。B
1 When I was the
assistance general manager of a company, Mr. Zhang, the president of the group,
always mentioned me that a leader should keep a principle in mind which he
called “The three-seven principle”.
當年，在我擔任某公司副總經理一職時，集團總裁張先生就經常提醒我，做為領導者必須謹記的一個他稱為三七原則的理論。
2 Mr. Zhang deemed that a plan contrived by a manager can be spoken of seventy
percent only and the rest thirty percent in his mind is not transferred to his
underling properly. When an underling listens to his manager, all he can absorb
from the manager’s instruction is about seventy percent. So, a plan that is
expressed to underlings is forty-nine percent of the original one.
張先生認為，一個在經理腦中醞釀的計劃，他最多只能成功地表達出70%，另外尚有30%遺留在他的心中，沒能準確的傳達給他的部下。另一方面，當下屬在聽取上級經理交待任務的時候，又往往只能吸收上級所傳達意見之中的70%。所以，當一個命令下達到下屬心中時，它所包含的真實性大概就只剩下經理原始腹案中的49%而已。
3 Mr. Zhang deemed that manager should shorten the gap that language and words
caused and remedy it anytime.
這種因為文字語言所引起的認知上的差距與問題，張先生認為，我們應該隨時檢討，以便及時補救。
4 In fact, many
misunderstandings in our daily life are made in that way. So we must be careful
in using language and words for conveying information with others.
其實，在我們日常生活中的許多誤解，也往往是在這樣的情況下造成的。所以，我們在使用語言文字以傳達訊息時實在應該小心為之。
Lietse (2) (18-23)(56。2)
莊子演義雜篇列禦寇(二)(18-23)(56。2)
18 Young students of practice who just finish their
study spout all the day. They show their unripe skill of no-learning to
everyone, especially in medical treatment. I am afraid that they would delay
patients’ treatment. Meanwhile, they might be infected themselves. It is worse
to do harm to both.
學道初成的年輕弟子們，整天高談闊論，見人就展示那些尚不成熟的無學之術，特別是醫術方面。我怕他們延誤了別人的病情，同時將病氣引到自己身上來，害人害己是很不妥當的。
19 “You, my dear student”, Chunag Tzu said: “should
know that it is easy to know Tao but is difficult to practice it. Now that
you’ve already started to practice Yoga, the skill of no-learning emerges on
you in succession. What I want to say is that the way of practice is very long.
Having hit the way, you should apply yourself to practice. Never be attracted
by some supernatural functions, and instead forget the more important goal.
Remember that these functions are used to help you practice further, instead of
flaunting.
同學們，你們應該知道：「道是知易而行難的。諸位已經走上瑜伽修行之路，無學之術會陸續地在你們身上顯現。我要告訴你們的是，修行之路是極其長遠的。已經入了門就應該專心一致地修煉，不要被一些特異功能吸引住，反而忘了更重要的目的。要知道這些功能是用來幫助你進一步修行的，不是用來展示炫耀的。
莊子曰：「知道易，勿言難。
20 The work of aiding the world and saving the people is the duty of Buddha and
Bodhisattva. You just start to learn Tao. At this immature stage, you had
better learn from nature—no action.
濟世救人，普渡眾生是菩薩，是佛的工作。你們初學道，自己尚未成熟，還是學學自然吧。
21 As you see, how wonderful are creatures created by heaven and earth. Heaven
and earth, however, never say something to us and never disturb our each
action.
你看天地創造萬物，他們是多麼的神奇，可是天地從來不對我們講什麼，他們也不太干擾我們的一舉一動。
22 Our daily life is free and easy, because heaven doesn’t do harm to a thing
by being over-enthusiastic about it. Only human would open classes to teach
others by their poor little knowledge. All days they chatter to correct this
and instruct that.
我們日常生活在自由自在之中，天從不做揠苗助長的事。只有人才會以他自己那一點貧乏的知識開班授徒，一天到晚嘮嘮叨叨地糾正這個，指示那個。
23 Kids! Bend to your study! What you know is far from what professor and tutor
knows.”
同學們! 專心做自己的功課吧！你知道的那點兒東西離當教授，當導師還遠呢！別浪費時間吧！」
知而不言，所以之天也；知而言之，所以之人也；古之人，天而不人。」
Xianchi’s interpretation and
remark(56。2)
咸池評述(56。2)
1 Sixth Patriarch stressed the right
way of Zen practice should be “heart imparting heart without words”. This way
of practice is different in approach from but equal in result with Chuang Tzu’s view—easy to know but difficult for the man of
practice not talking about it.
六祖一直強調以心傳心，不著文字的禪宗修煉方式，其與莊子的知道易，勿言難，實際上是有著異曲同工之妙的。
2 Their sayings are different but people are persuaded not to discuss about Tao
via language and words, which are the same.
雖然他們的說法不同，可是勸人不要試圖以語言、文字來討論、傳授道義的這一點卻是相同的。
3 I have a coherent
concept that the five skandhas are empty and namely,
empty are form, feeling, perception, impulse and consciousness. So, we never
learn about Tao and contact self-nature, Buddha-nature, Qi,
kundalini and refinement through the five experiential consciousnesses, eye,
ear, nose, tongue, sound and sense.
我一貫的看法是五蘊皆空，色受想行識都是空虛的，所以我們千萬不要嘗試透過五受陰、眼耳鼻舌聲識等途徑去瞭解道，甚至以此來接觸自性、佛性、氣、挫火、靈、妙用等。
4 The way to Tao is to jump over consciousness to impart directly. We should
not try to describe Tao, even we try to explain it via language and words we
can’t explain it clearly.
得道的途徑是跳過意識直接授與的，詳細的方法是既說不清楚，也不應該試圖用語言、文字去描述的。
5 It is said that he who drinks water knows the coolness or hotness himself. I
don’t discuss about it anymore. In a word, yoga doer knows it after he does; he
doesn’t do it, would never know it. That’s all.
一切就如常人所形容的：「如人飲水，冷暖自知」。因此，我也不方便再說些什麼。總之，瑜伽行者做了自然就會知道，而不練瑜伽的人則永遠搞不清楚，那是怎麼回事。
Xianchi’s interpretation of Tao Te Ching (56) a。56
咸池評述道德經演義（五十六）a。56
1 He who knows
does not speak; he who speaks does not know which I, who like bragging, feel
difficult to follow. I think that when a man studies a subject, it is not
enough to write the study down; if it is only considered all the respects in
mind, it is definitely not enough.
知者不言，言者不知。這句話對我這個喜歡吹牛的人而言是比較困難的。我總認為，一個人在研究一些問題的時候，光是寫出來是不足夠的，光想的話那就更不周嚴了。
2 If an idea can be stated in an order and coherent way, the idea can become a
thought and the thought can becomes concept or a theory. The formation of
theory is composed of idea, thinking, works and speech. If you can’t speak out
your idea in rational way, it means that your theory still stays in an idea or
thinking stage, or your theory is of problem because it is vulnerable.
念頭之所以能夠成為思想，而思想之能成為想法，甚至一種理論，都在於它是否能有系統、有條理，並且前後一貫的說明一件事理; 而這種理論的形成，完全是集念頭、思維、著作、言論等各方面逐漸累積組合而成的。之所以將它講出來，寫出來，不但是為了更廣泛的傳播，更是為了將思想系統化的一個必要過程。一套不能在人前將自己的想法合情合理的講述出來的言論或思想，我們認定它的理論基礎必定尚停留在念頭或思維的階段，或者說其理論是存有問題的，是經不起考驗的; 只要一說就會露出馬腳。
3 It is necessary
condition for establishing a theory to speak out things in a right way.
Speaking out not only means tell others your idea but means check and organize
your own thinking.
能夠將自己認為合情合理的道理說出來，非但是建立理論的必要條件之一; 更是通過這樣的表達方式來檢驗、組織及鍛煉自己思維的必要方法。
4
Of course, though Laotse said that “he who knows does
not speak; he who speaks does not know”, he doesn’t mean what the petty things
we speak of. He means the grand principle on overall universe. This principle
is so all-inclusive and vast that our language can’t be used to express it
right and intact. For example, the beauty of sunset can’t be told to a blind
man who never sees it. Buddhists mention Nirvana every day, we; however, can’t
speak of the reason why it is better than this wonderful world, and which part
is better.
當然，老子的知者不言，言者不知，在這裡指的或許不是我們所理解的小道、小理; 他所指的應該是宇宙全方面的大道理，然而這個道理包羅萬象，如此廣泛，根本就不是我們人類現有的語言文字中所能夠正確、完美無缺地表達出來的。比如落日餘暉的美，我們就不能用語言準確的告訴一個從來沒有見過落日的瞎子。佛門弟子整天掛在嘴邊的涅槃，我們也始終無法解釋清楚，那個地方為什麼就一定比這個娑婆世界來得好，好在哪兒，又為了什麼。
5
Therefore, sometime I have to say that we should not flatter ourselves wise in
the religious field. Sometime we must be silly and dull. We bend ourselves to
follow self-nature, Buddha-nature, Qi, kundalini and
refinement and Tao, throwing off consciousness and mind. We just follow them
without doubt. It is no use to ask more.
所以，我常說在宗教的領域裡，我們千萬不能自作聰明; 有時就應當帶點傻、有些呆，將意識、理智拋在一旁，讓氣、挫火、精、道自己去運作，讓自己陶醉於其中，而我們只是傻傻呆呆地跟著走就行了。一切多問無益。
6 When you become fool and feel torpid and
dull to contact the objective condition, the stimulations of this wonderful
world, such as intimateness and strangeness, benefit and harm, humbleness and
nobleness, have no influence on you. Then your subjective condition thrives and
becomes strong. The refinement of practice starts.
只有當你成為傻子、呆子，漸漸地與客觀條件的接觸變得麻痺、呆癡; 那些所謂親疏、利害、貴賤、名利等所有娑婆世界的誘惑，所有娑婆世界中的刺激都不能在你身上發生太大的影響時; 你的主觀條件就會變得特別旺盛、堅強，修行的妙用也就於焉而開始顯現了。
7 When
fluctuation of stock market has no influence on him, the executor of shepherd
plan hold tightly the reliable stock that is promising and developable. It
starts to work that the plan offers stable worry-free, simple and plain life.
一個養羊計劃的執行者，當他不受股市漲跌的影響，始終堅守住他所認為有前景、有擴充性、同時也值得信賴的公司股票時; 養羊計劃所提供的平穩、無慮、簡單樸素的生活就開始發生作用了。
8 Chinese often believe choosing the good and adhering to it. It should be what
Laotse said: Fill up its apertures. Close its doors.
Dull its edges. Untie its tangles, Soften its light, Submerge its turmoil.
Also, Buddha encourages people to march forward without return.
中國人說的擇善固執，其所指的應該就是老子的塞其兌，閉其門，挫其銳，解其紛，和其光，同其塵的功夫吧！世尊說的永不退轉、勇猛精進等也都具有同樣的意思。