道德经 Tao Te Ching by Lao tzu: Part Three
The Utility of Not-Being
Thirty spokes unite around the nave;
From their not-being
Arises the utility of the wheel.
Mould clay into a vessel;
From its not-being
Arises the utility of the vessel.
Cut out doors and windows in the house,
From their not-being arises the utility of the house.
Therefore by the existence of things we profit.
And by the non-existence of things we are served.
The Senses
The five colours blind the eyes of man;
The five musical notes deafen the ears of man;
The five flavours dull the taste of man;
Horse-racing, hunting and chasing madden the minds of man;
Rare, valuable goods keep their owners awake at night.
Therefore the Sage:
Provides for the belly and not the eye.
Hence, he rejects the one and accepts the other.
Praise and Blame
"Favour and disgrace cause one dismay;
What we value and what we fear are within our Self."
What does this mean:
"Favour and disgrace cause one dismay?"
Those who receive a favour from above
Are dismayed when they receive it,
And dismayed when they lose it.
What does this mean:
"What we value and what we fear are within our Self?"
We have fears because we have a self.
When we do not regard that self as self,
What have we to fear?
Therefore he who values the world as his self
May then be entrusted with the government of the world;
And he who loves the world as his self
The world may then be entrusted to his care.
Prehistoric Origins
Looked at, but cannot be seen,
That is called the Invisible (yi).
Listened to, but cannot be heard,
That is called the Inaudible (hsi).
Grasped at, but cannot be touched,
That is called the Intangible (wei).
These three elude our inquiries
And hence blend and become One.
Not by its rising, is there light,
Nor by its sinking, is there darkness.
Unceasing, continuous,
It cannot be defined,
And reverts again to the realm of nothingness.
That is why it is called the Form of the Formless,
The Image of Nothingness.
That is why it is called the Elusive:
Meet it and you do not see its face;
Follow it and you do not see its back.
The Wise Ones of Old
The wise ones of old had subtle wisdom and depth of understanding,
So profound that they could not be understood.
And because they could not be understood,
Perforce must they be so described:
Cautious, like crossing a wintry stream,
Irresolute, like one fearing danger all around,
Grave, like one acting as guest,
Self-effacing, like ice beginning to melt,
Genuine, like a piece of undressed wood,
Open-minded, like a valley,
And mixing freely, like murky water.
Who can find repose in a muddy world?
By lying still, it becomes clear.
Who can maintain his calm for long?
By activity, it comes back to life.
He who embraces this Tao
Guards against being over-full.
Because he guards against being over-full,
He is beyond wearing out and renewal.
Translated by Lin Yutang.
∙ Knowing the Eternal Law - Rulers - The Decline of Tao - Realize the Simple Self - The World and I ∙
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