Extensive Interpretation of Tao Te Ching (74)

 道德經演義（七十四）

The people are not afraid of death; why threaten them with death?

 民不畏死，奈何以死懼之？

 Supposing that the people are afraid of death, and we can seize and kill the unruly, who would dare to do so?

 若使民常畏死，而為奇者，吾得執而殺之，孰敢？

 Often it happens that the executioner is killed.

 常有司殺者殺。

 And to take the place of the executioner is like handling the hatchet for the master carpenter.

 夫代司殺者殺，是謂代大匠斲。

 He who handles the hatchet for the master carpenter, seldom escapes injury to his hands.

 夫代大匠斲者，希有不傷其手矣。


Xianchi’s Interpretation of Tao Te Ching (74) a。74

咸池評述道德經演義（七十四）a。74

1 The fifth chapter in category of Marvelous activity for Dhyana concentration in the  Platform Sutra of Sixth Patriarch, has it that Sixth Patriarch ever said, “Learned Audience, those who train themselves for 'imperturbability' should, in their contact with all types of men, ignore the faults of others. They should be indifferent to others' merit or demerit, good or evil, for such an attitude accords with the 'imperturbability of the Essence of Mind'. Learned Audience, a man unenlightened may be unperturbed physically, but as soon as he opens his mouth he criticizes others and talks about their merits or demerits, ability or weakness, good or evil; thus he deviates from the right course.”

在六祖壇經，妙行禪定品第五，六祖曾說：「善知識，若修不動者，但見一切人時，不見人之是非、善惡、過患，即是自性不動。善知識，迷人身雖不動，開口便說他人是非、長短、好惡，與道違背。」

2 When we read this paragraph, inevitably we would doubt whether it is right or not. Since childhood, we often educated to follow these good virtues: seeing injustice on the road and drawing sword to help the victim; being ready to help others for a just cause; fight bravely against enemy. Now, we are told suddenly not to remark other’s right or wrong. We should not intervene in the robbery on street; we should neglect thief stealing on bus, not shouting for help.

當我們讀到這段文字時，心裡難免會這麼想: 路見不平，拔刀相助，見義勇為，奮勇殺敵等等不都是我們從小就被教育的優良品行嗎?可是現在卻突然有人告訴我們，不要去理會別人的是非對錯，在街上看見強盜在搶劫行人時，我們最好不要插手，在車上看見扒手幹案，我們也不要強行出頭，大聲嚷嚷，以為這樣就可以為人解圍。

3 In eight years of Anti-Japanese War, Japanese occupied our land, killed our people and bullied our women. According to Sixth Patriarch’s principle, at that time, we should hide ourselves in the remote mountains. It is silly for us to devote ourselves to saving our nation.

八年抗日戰爭期間，日本人蠶食了我們許多疆土，殺害了我們無數同胞，欺侮我們的婦女; 按照六祖的說法，在這個非常時刻，我們都應該躲藏起來，將自己藏匿在深山峻谷之中，絕對不要想挺身而出，去做那種為國捐驅的傻事。

4 Mundane affairs have nothing to do with us. Good or bad, just or evil, we don’t care. We don’t want to be somebody’s ware heeler. We don’t strive for his vote to help him win the election. When we see rascal beating other on the street, we don’t stand out to help the victim.

世間的事就好像完全與我們無關，好也好，壞也罷，正義也好，邪惡也罷；我們都不用擔心，我們都不應過問。我們不會為了想讓某人當選議員、委員而熱心的為之爭取選票，並為此去當他的樁腳 (ware heeler) 。走在街上，看見流氓打人，我們也不要勇敢的挺身而出，去幫助弱小。

5 As man of practice, do we have to become a hypocrite who neglects the kind and the evil for the purpose to protect us in a right condition of practice and Dhyana concentration?
It is difficult to be indifferent to worldly affairs for learning Tao.

做為一個出家修行者，為了自身的禪定，為了自身的修為，就必須要如此自私地保護自己; 以便做一個標準的鄉愿，置是非善惡於不顧嗎？想要看破紅塵，出家學道真的不容易啊！

6 In this view, a man should have mental adaptation before making up his mind to be a monk. Without making mind to be a selfish man, it will be difficult for him to be an appropriate monk.

從這個角度看，出家修行的人，在出家之前，一定要有個心理準備。因為如果不事先將心理建設好，告訴自己今後一定要做一個絕對自私自利的人，那麼，想要做一名恰如其分的出家人將會是很困難的。

7 Let’s check the preconditions to be a monk.

現在就讓我們來檢視一下出家人的先決條件。

8 Above all, you have to cast off the relation with your relative. You leave your parents alone when they are old and sick.

首先，你得拋棄所有的親情。父母親年事漸高需要人照顧，侍候湯藥，你不管了。

9 Wife and husband are couple in youth and is companion when old. When you are young, you enjoy the happiness of couple; however, when you decide to be a monk, you forget the obligation to a companion and don’t care the other.

妻子和丈夫，正所謂少年夫妻，老來伴。夫妻做完了，伴的事你就自己料理吧，我不管了。

10 Rising and falling, order and disorder of the nation have nothing to do with you. You don’t care.

至於國家社會的興衰、治亂，那更不是你份內的事，你當然不會去管。

11 Sixth Patriarch said that mark of outer revulsion was Zen. Only if you do complete revulsion from all marks, it is possible to practice Zen. In your consciousness, Can you desert the deep-root traditional concepts to put your heart into Dhyana concentration?

六祖說外離相為禪，只有在你對所有的相都徹底的斷離了以後，你才有修禪的可能。然而在你的意識型態中，你能夠拋下這一切根深蒂固的傳統觀念，專心一致的去修禪定嗎？

12 If you can’t, please give up the idea to practice early. When you become an indifferent and apathy man who can cast off all moral regulations, relations of family and kin, you thus can consider being a monk. 

 如果答案是不能的話，那麼你還是趁早打消了修行的念頭。只有有能力做到成為一個無情無義、拋棄所有道德陳規、人情包袱者，才具備出家修行的條件。

13 Being loyal to serve nation is unwanted thing that will beget kill and trouble, in the eyes of Laotse and Sixth Patriarch. Laotse said, “Often it happens that the executioner is killed. And to take the place of the executioner is like handling the hatchet for the master carpenter. He, who handles the hatchet for the master carpenter, seldom escapes injury to his hands.”

精忠報國在老子、六祖的眼中是閒事，是會惹事生非，引火上身的事。老子說的好: 「常有司殺者殺，夫代司殺者殺，是謂代大匠斲。夫代大匠斲者，稀有不傷其手矣。」

14 The heaven course is done by heaven. It is borrowing trouble to replace heaven to do it. It is important to mind your business and not to meddle in other’s business. Is it right or wrong? Difficult indeed is it to throw off these traditional concepts.

既謂天道，自然是在天的管轄範圍之內，代天行道無疑是自討苦吃。所以，還是管好自己比較重要，別人的閒事就少理了。是耶? 非耶? 要想擺脫如此根深蒂固的 傳統觀念, 難呀!