Extensive interpretation of Tao Te Ching (66)

 

道德經演義（六十六）


How did the great rivers and seas become the Lords of the Ravines? By being good at keeping low. That was how they became the Lords of the Ravines.

 

江海所以能為百谷王者，以其善下之，故能為百谷王。

 

Therefore in order to be the chief among the people, one must speak like their inferiors.

 

是以聖人欲上民，必以言下之;

 

In order to be foremost among the people, one must walk behind them.

 

欲先民，必以身後之。

 

Thus it is that the Sage stays above, and the people do not feel his weight.

 

是以聖人處上而民不重，

 

Walk in front and the people do not wish him harm.

 

處前而民不害。

 

Then the people of the world are glad to uphold him forever.

 

是以天下樂推而不厭。

 

Because he does not contend, no one in the world can contend against him.

 

以其不爭，故天下莫能與之爭。


Xu Wugui(7) (1-13)(66。1)

 

莊子演義雜篇徐無鬼(七)(1-13)(66。1)


1 Guanzhong is dying for illness. Duke Huang of Qi went to see him. The anxiety-ridden duke asked in front of his bed, “In case you left, whom would I appoint as the ministry?”

管仲病危，齊桓公前往探視。在病床前，桓公憂心忡忡地問：「萬一先生不幸，我應將宰相一職授與誰呢？」

管仲有病，桓公問之，曰：「仲父之病病矣，可不謂，云至於大病，則寡人惡乎屬國而可？」

2 Forcing to opening his eyes, Guanzhong looked at the duke and asked, “Who do you think is the most proper one?”

管仲勉強睜開眼，看了看桓公，問道：「桓公心目中是否已經有了適當的人選呢？」

管仲曰：「公誰欲與？」

3 Duke Huang answered, “What about Baoshu Ya?”

桓公說：「你覺得鮑叔牙這人怎樣？」

公曰：「鮑叔牙。」

4 Shaking his head, Guanzhong whispered, “Baoshu Ya is discriminated in evilness and goodness. He estranges the ones whom he distain. He keeps others’ err in his mind, always mentioning, and never pardons them.

管仲搖搖頭，低聲說：「鮑叔牙這個人善惡分明，凡是他看不起的人，就不跟他們親近。別人只要犯了一點過錯，他就會牢記在心，老是重複提起，永遠也不會原諒別人

曰：「不可。其為人潔廉善士也。其於不己若者不比之。又一聞人之過，終身不忘。

5 If you appoint him as the ministry, his would carp at you all day and his verbosity would make you uneasy and annoyed.

如果你將宰相的位子交給他，那今後你的日子就難過了。他會天天挑你的毛病，嘮嘮叨叨地念個不停;

6 He would regard his ideas as the only standard and impose them on people, totally neglecting the people’s actual requirement. Under this kind of government, the people would live in a bad life. So, even if you appointed him as the ministry, you would fall out with him sooner or later.”

他會將他自己的那一套觀念視為經典，強施於民，完全不理會百姓的要求; 這樣一來，老百姓的日子肯定也不會好過。所以，就算你真的讓他做了宰相，你們兩個鬧翻，也是遲早的事。」

使之治國，上且鉤乎君，下且逆乎民。其得罪於君也，將弗久矣！」

7 Hearing Guanzhong’s analysis, Duke Huang felt it was very reasonable. Hence he asked again, “Who do you think is better?”

桓公聽了管仲這樣的分析，覺得蠻有道理，因此又問：「那你認為，應讓誰出來當宰相會比較恰當呢？」

公曰：「然，則孰可？」

8 Guanzhong said, “Xipeng is eligible. In my opinion, Xipeng is amiable and clean-handed. Once he has power, I believe, he will self-restraint and uses it carefully. He will not swollen-headed for his high position, not to mentioning exploits his underling and people in his prefecture as he likes.

管仲說：「我認為，隰朋這傢伙還可以考慮。隰朋這個人平易近人，貪念不高。他不會拿著雞毛當令箭，他不會因身居高位而得意忘形; 更不會將自己的部屬以及轄區內的百姓當成囊中之物，動輒隨意榨取。

9 He is modest to learn from the one who is more learned than him. He cares and sympathizes with one who is worse than him in aptitude and virtue, and always be ready to help them.

對於比自己高明的人，他虛心學習，承認自己不如對方。對於比自己能力低，甚至是品德較差的人，他則以同情以及呵護的心態去對待他們，並且希望能有機會幫助他們。

對曰：「勿已，則隰朋可。其為人也，上忘而下畔，愧不若黃帝，而哀不己若者。

10 We call the one who treats others by his perfect and lofty virtue a sage, and the one who helps others at any time with his wealth, aptitude and knowledge a wise man.

以自己崇高完善的品德待人的人，我們說他是聖人。而以自己的財力，能力及學識等隨時準備幫助別人的，我們則稱他為賢人。

以德分人謂之聖，以財分人謂之賢。

11 Nobody likes the one who thinks that he is wiser, richer and more incorruptible than others and looks down on others. This kind of man, he has no support from the masses.

自以為比別人高明、廉潔、優秀、富有，並且看不起比自己差的人; 這種人在社會上是不受歡迎的，是沒有群眾基礎的；

12 To the contrary, the one, who is called wise man, always helps others at any time with his wealth, aptitude and knowledge; he will soon drum up support for his management.

相反的，那些以自己的財力及能力，以及學識等; 真誠地、謙虛地、熱心地幫助別人的人，這種人的群眾基礎及支持度就明顯的高出許多了。

以賢臨人，未有得人者也；以賢下人，未有不得人者也。

13 Therefore, if Xipeng is appointed as the ministry, the country would be prosperous, peaceful and people would live in safety.”

所以，選用隰朋這樣的人為相，則齊國就肯定會昇平和樂，國泰而民安了！」

其於國有不聞也，其於家有不見也。勿已，則隰朋可。」

 

Xianchi’s interpretation and remark (66。1)

咸池評述(66。1)

 
1 As a self-aloof intellect, we disgust some local vulgar leaders who make a spectacle of themselves and are neither rhyme nor reason. They drink, gamble and marry concubine. We often have no other alternative and sign, “There is such people; there is such government and its officials. What can we do?”

站在一個自命清高的知識份子的立場，我們實在對某些地方首長感到看不順眼，而對於這些粗俗的政治家們的喝酒、賭搏、娶小老婆、在公眾場合醜態百出，幾乎一無是處的種種表現，我們也時常會感到無奈地說：「有什麼樣的人民就會出現什麼樣的政府、就會有什麼樣的政府官員。既然如此，我們就認命吧!。」

2 In the other view, they seem not the worst politicians because they have rounded off their sharp edges, and submerged their turmoil. Therefore they become peer of common people, make same habit of common people as theirs and agree on people’s ideas.

可是換另一個角度，從這些人挫其銳，同其塵、與百姓之間相處水乳相容，甚至以百姓的生活習慣為依歸、以百姓的觀念為觀念的各種情況看來，似乎他們也不算是最爛的政治人物。 
 
3 People in the countryside like drinking, playing mahjong, and having concubine, so do they. When their deed and concepts are in accordance with local people’s, are the policies made by them closer to people’s requirements?

鄉下老百姓喜歡喝酒，他也喝; 百姓喜歡打麻將，他也打; 百姓喜歡拈花惹草，喜歡包二奶，他也跟著娶一門小老婆; 當他的生活行為、觀念舉止完全貼近百姓，與百姓之間達成一致之後，他所製訂出來的政策、所推行出來的制度，是否也更能貼近百姓的需求呢？

4 Guanzhong reminded Huang Duke of Qi that a man, who considers himself aloof, ideal and ambitious, should not be consigned to rule, because such person will publicize ideology so as to make people in chaos of revolution.

管仲提醒齊桓公不要去找那些自命清高，富有理想，懷有遠大抱負的人來掌權，就是為了避免這種人會搞意識型態，甚至於將百姓帶進巨大變革的紛亂之中。

5 To the contrary, those politicians who seem vulgar stay with people everyday so that they can understand people’s requirements more clearly and help them. Though they are not the best politician, they are not the warlords who people feel awful. They never become Wang Anshi.

相反的，這些看起來粗俗不堪的政治家，他們每天與百姓混在一起，反而更能清楚地瞭解百姓的需求，更能為他們解決問題。他們雖然不是最佳的政治人物，然而有一點可以肯定的是，他們絕對不會是令百姓望而生畏的納粹軍閥，也絕對不會成為王安石。

6 After knowing Guangzhong’s advice, should we adjust the qualifications on politician?

讀了管仲的忠告之後，我們之對於政治人物的要求，是否也應該適度的調整一番呢？

 

Xianchi’s interpretation of Tao Te Ching (66) a。66

 咸池評述道德經演義（六十六）a。66

1 If we do anything by following a certain purpose, our behavior will be unnatural and inferior. To be king of the ravines, the place must be low; to be leader of people, you have to speak humbly to the people and follow them in person. All these are schemed application and something done for a purpose.

 如果是抱著某一個目的去做事，那麼我們的行為就會顯得不自然而成為下品了。為了想成為百谷之王，所以才表現得那麼低下，為了想成為百姓的領袖，因此才以言下之，以身後之; 所有這些，都是心機的運用，是為了達到某一種目的而做的事。

2 According to Laotse’s moral standard, this is not the best one. He, who determines to be a king by any means, will show his true face soon, regardless of his good disguise, when he becomes king.

 在老子自己的道德標準上說，這也不算是最好的一面。一個懷有機心、不擇手段，想要坐上國家大位的人，不論他掩飾得多麼好，只要他一坐上了那個位子，他的廬山真面目難免就會暴露無遺。

3 Humbleness, reverence and respect must be from the inner heart. The feeling that is coherent in inside and outside is reliable and unwavering. We affirm that it is good characters that he speaks humbly to people and follows them in person. But the utilitarian goal that you want to be sage and king should be avoided in the beginning of cultivation of the virtues.

謙卑、恭敬、尊重他人的素養必須是發自內心深處的，內外一致的真情才算可靠，才不會變質。我們肯定老子說的以言下之、以身後之以及不爭的個性是好的，是優質的。但是在培養這種德性之初、以及在整個醞釀的過程當中，我們都應該避免抱有為聖、為王的功利目標。
 
4 As a yoga doer, we spend a lot of time in sitting and practice every day. Why do so? If we are made to speak of a goal, it mostly is ambiguous and illegible. If say we want to be sage or Buddha, it is too far. Speaking frankly, we have no idea about what will be of being sage or Buddha. Most common people who doing rite is for worldly fame and interest; however, it is our yoga doer bans it severely. Nothing is the real purpose. The last conclusion is that we just do the thing regularly that we don’t know why. In silliness, we think that we should practice and sit on time every day. After practice, we feel relaxed and easy, and sleep well. Long-term practice makes us supple, eyes-bright, body-light and energetic. All these phenomena emerge due to long-term practice. In the beginning and process of practice, we never think and expect about these results.

作為一個瑜伽行者，我們每天都必須花費許多時間在打坐、練功之上。我們這樣做的原因又是為了什麼？如果一定要講出一個目的來，我們的答案也大都是含糊不清的。如果說我們的目的是為了成佛、成聖，那樣未免太遙遠了，而且老實說，我們自己也不太清楚什麼是成佛、成聖。一般人在寺廟之中，在佛、菩薩面前老是不停的膜拜是為了求得一些世俗上的名利，可是那又絕對是我們瑜伽行者所嚴格禁止的。作為一名瑜伽行者，我們只是時間一到就自動去做一件自己也搞不清楚的事情而已，我們只是糊裡糊塗地覺得自己應該每天定時練功、打坐; 當自己做完這些事情之後，人也就明顯覺得輕鬆自在，練完功之後覺也睡得安穩。如此長期不輟，一路修煉下來的結果，是身體柔軟，體輕目明，活潑而有力。而所有這些現象都是長期練功之後所自然流露出的現象，然而，在練功之初或練功的過程中，我們是絕對不會妄想要達致這些成果的。

5 As for humbleness and reverence, yoga doer does reverence to stiff degree. When meeting people, he does a very low bow. When departing, he does it too. It is like judo players greeting before and after match. Such salutation is from heart to show reverence to people’s Buddha nature. There is no other idea for fame and interest in our mind. After bow, we even tell him that our salutation is done to show reverence to his Buddha nature, instead of his form, shadow and flesh body. He may not do it in return.  

 說到謙卑、恭敬這方面，我們瑜伽行者之對於他人的恭敬及禮數確是到了有些近於迂腐的地步，在與人交往之前必先行９０度鞠躬，完事後也得行同樣的大禮。這一點還真有些像柔道選手在比賽前後的禮貌規矩。可是我們這樣的禮是出於自然的，是發自內心對眾生佛性的恭敬，在我們心裡完全沒有其他功利的想法，事後我們甚至還會告訴對方，這是對你佛性的恭敬，你可以不必答禮; 因為，這個禮並不是針對著你的這個形、影、肉身而發的。

6 A yoga doer is polite and humble before people, never offending them, because he daren’t offend god and should show reverence to Buddha. He never considers being the master, which strays from the point very much. He daren’t consider it.

一位瑜伽行者對眾生要謙卑有禮，不能有絲毫的輕慢; 主要是因為我們不敢得罪佛、侵犯神，因此，我們在佛的面前必須表現出必恭必敬的態度; 至於我們是不是想成為他的主子，那就離題太遠了，因為對此，我們根本就是連想也不敢想像的。