Extensive interpretation of Tao Te Ching (58)
道德經演義（五十八）
When the government is lazy and dull, its
people are unspoiled.
其政悶悶，其民淳淳；
When the government is
efficient and smart, its people are discontented.
其政察察，其民缺缺。
Disaster is the avenue of
fortune, and fortune is the concealment for disaster.
禍兮，福之所倚；福兮，禍之所伏。
Who would be able to know its
ultimate results?
熟知其極？
As it is, there would never be
the normal, but the normal would immediately revert to the deceitful, and the
good revert to the sinister.
其無正。正復為奇，善復為妖。
Thus long has mankind gone
astray!
人之迷，其日固久！
Therefore the Sage is square
(has firm principles), but not cutting (sharp-cornered), has integrity but does
not hurt others, is straight, but not high-handed, bright, but not dazzling.
是以聖人方而不割，廉而不劌，直而不肆，光而不耀。
Xianchi’s
interpretation of Tao Te Ching (58) a。58
咸池評述道德經演義（五十八）a。58
1 Stock market
fluctuation seems is the best interpretation of what Laotse
said: Disaster is the avenue of fortune, and fortune is the concealment for
disaster.
股票市場高高低低、漲漲跌跌似乎最能傳達老子在這裡說的禍兮，福之所倚；福兮，禍之所伏了。
2 Price of stock
falls after it rises to the top; it would bottom- up in most cases, after it
falls too long and too deep. When rising, you don’t feel happy and spend the
fortune extravagantly. When falling, you don’t feel depressive and think it as
doomsday. As long as you live austerely and stand it, the price will back
again.
股票漲多了就會跌，跌深了大部分都會再漲。因此，漲時你別高興得被沖昏了頭，大肆揮霍；低潮時你也別太沮喪，認為是世界末日到了。你只要勒緊腰帶，將開支縮減些，忍得夠久，股價大都會再回頭的。
3 Su Dongpo, an ancient famous poet in
將這種現象運用在官場上，蘇東坡做得最好。他說“有筆頭千字，胸中萬卷，致君堯舜此事何難”。運氣好，時機對，有人提拔，我就好好的幹一番事業；時機不對，走霉運，由在朝變成在野時，那就 “袖手何妨閒處看”，去過那種 “昨日輕風眠北牖，今朝氣爽在西山”
的清閒日子。
4 He, who can
deal with misfortune and happiness to the point, is a perfect one, worth being
learned. The foundational point is his culture. Laotse
therefore announce that the perfect characters are these: He is square (has firm principles), but not cutting (sharp-cornered), has
integrity but does not hurt others, is straight, but not high-handed, bright,
but not dazzling.
福、禍都能處理得恰到好處，才是一個真正值得學習欽佩的完人。所以最根本的要點還是在於個人修養的工夫如何。為此，老子說了一套完整的人格模式: 方而不割，廉而不劌，直而不肆，光而不耀。
5 When you stay
with him, you feel comfortable and warm, and enjoy the auspicious atmosphere he
gives out. When associating with friends, he doesn’t preach and blame other. He
just set himself an example to others in silence. He is strict at his
subjective condition; he doesn’t issue direct orders to others. He lives a
simple life. Though his money is less, it is enough for him. For this reason,
there apparently is no frustration and obstacle on his way of life.
與具有這種完整人格的人生活在一起，你只會感覺到一股舒服、溫暖的氣氛，從而讓你產生如沐春風的感覺。這種人，當他與朋友交往時，不但沒有說教，也沒有指責，他只是默默地以身作則，嚴格的要求自己在主觀條件方面的提升; 對於客觀環境，他並沒有直接命令式的規範。他堅持過著簡樸的日子; 錢財不多但也永遠不缺。也因此，他的人生道路上才能沒有坎坷，也不會出現障礙。
6 He doesn’t ask
his child to enter a certain school or to learn a certain major. He respects
other’s interest, habit and life style.
他不會要求他的孩子一定要考上什麼名校，一定要讀什麼科系; 他尊重他人的興趣與選擇、習慣及生活方式。
7 He knows that
the good and the bad, the kind and the evil, the royalty and the wicked are
relative in evaluation. The moral criteria are tools with a certain function.
So, he never judges anyone strictly according to the criteria. However, his
subtle influence on his friends and his children makes them follow with Tao one
after another.
他知道世人的好壞、善惡、忠奸等等都是相對的，道德標準都是具有其一定功能的工具而已。所以他不會太認真地據以來評斷任何人。但是在潛移默化下，他的孩子，乃至於他的朋友，也都相繼的走上了“道”的坦途。
8 So, personal culture is very important. He, who is self-restraint and
broad-minded, is eligible to enjoy the bliss, and he doesn’t feel dizzy for the
bliss. Wealth doesn’t do harm to him as poison to intestines. Also, misfortune
and unluckiness can’t defeat him. He lies less on the objective environment
that is petty to him and the impact from it is naturally diminished on him.
所以個人修養對一個人來說是非常重要的。也只有有涵養、有肚量的人才擁有接受福氣的資格，也只有這樣的人，他的福氣才不至於令他智昏，錢財也才不會像穿腸毒藥那樣反過來傷害他。同樣地，禍事、霉運也不能將他擊垮。他對客觀環境的依賴甚少、甚微，簡直到了可有可無的地步。因之，由客觀環境所引發開來的衝擊，對他來說也就相對的減少了。