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04道德经英译本85种-第110部分

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down happiness; understanding; or knowledge; as if they were external objects。 Happiness is best revealed or discovered; and so is knowledge。 Knowledge that is accumulated in the form of facts; statistics; and quotations from the 〃Masters〃 is every bit as obstructive as the accumulation of material goods with which many people seem to clutter their lives and homes。 

  Lao Tzu's alternative is 〃daily unburdening:〃 the regular and unrelenting inner deprogramming of the trappings of ego梚ntellectual clutter; degrees and diplomas; memorized formulae of theory and law; and the underlying assumption of the primacy and royalty of intellect among the various functions of the psyche。 You can deprogram these errors by denying them their false claim to truth; and in this; the process of discovering the living wisdom of Tao is already underway。 

  The benefits of this process are synergistic: as your understanding of your natural position in the cosmic order broadens; so does that of your intellectual function within your own psyche。 And once intellect is knocked off its false throne; it works far more comfortably and efficiently; because it is no longer the lonely and reluctant tyrant of the psyche。 For now the intellect is a fully functioning member of the total personality; and when a person discovers his natural wholeness; nothing is wanting: therefore; the 〃game of inner commerce〃 can be gratefully abandoned。 

  When your inner treasure is complete; there is nothing to gain; and the bubble of pursuit is burst; along with its insatiable thirst for the fulfillment that is always just beyond its reach。 Until that bubble is exploded; we cannot escape the vicious cycle of making deals on the superficial plane梔eals in which our own true nature is turned into a mere commodity。
  49

  The Sage is free of the law of fixed belief;
  It reflects the heart of every seeker。

  Where sincerity is revealed;
  The Sage responds in kind。
  Where one抯 true self is repressed;
  The Sage remains sincere。

  Loyally approach the Sage;
  And your loyalty will be returned。
  Doubtfully approach the Sage;
  And your doubt will be returned
  In truthful Modesty。

  The nature of the Sage dwells in humility;
  In humility may it be experienced。
  Humility is the breath of the Cosmos。

  Thus do people in their deepest hearts
  Call out; as children of the earth;
  To their Cosmic Mother。 
  Wherever humility exists; the Sage approaches; ready to help and to teach; for 〃humility is the breath of the Cosmos。〃 Humility is the sincere act of 〃calling out;〃 in the sense of simply asking the Sage for help in understanding; while completely suspending both belief and disbelief。 This is what makes true learning possible in the Way。 Error is never a life sentence; but is itself a part of the learning process。 The Sage returns a doubting approach with 〃truthful Modesty;〃 and in this there is the possibility of growth and a return to sincerity and humility。 When we are able to drop; or at least suspend; the attitude of fixed belief; we are then approaching the Sage with the necessary sincerity and humility for it to respond。
  50

  Into life they arise;
  Through death they return。

  A third of them seem bound up with their lives;
  A third of them seem attached to death;
  Another third appear ambivalent…
  Passively shifting their allegiance
  From each to each。

  Why is this so?
  Perhaps from an obsessive attachment
  To life抯 mere appearance?

  But I have heard of people
  Who could live long and travel far…
  Ever free of harm or mortal wound
  From wild beasts or deadly weapons。

  A rhinoceros would find no place to pierce them;
  There would be no meat for a tiger抯 claws;
  And no place where a sword could enter。

  And why is this so?
  Because they have shed the illusion
  That marks off life
  From the realm of death。

  51

  Life: the gift of Tao。
  Growth: the gift of Te。
  Form and matter merge;
  Beings are brought to maturity;
  Each in its unique nature。

  Everything within Nature
  Lives for Tao and loves Te。
  It is a love of attraction;
  And not of constraint。
  Love forever free of expectation
  Is the love that has always been。

  For life is the gift of Tao;
  And growth; the gift of Te。
  As One; they nourish and nurture;
  They bring maturity and completion;
  They protect; provide; and teach
  The numberless forms of Being;
  And then bring them back to the Source。

  To give life without claiming possession;
  To help without demanding tribute;
  To teach without power or pedantry:
  This is called the deepest Te。 
  I was guided in this verse to let the words Tao and Te speak for themselves without translation; if only to allow the music of this wonderful lyric play as freely as possible in this setting。 As one would expect; it reads far more beautifully in the original Chinese; with its plainsong style rhythm and alliteration; particularly in the iteration of the character chih throughout the poem (it appears fifteen times; and is a possessive or nominative pronoun; which could mean 〃he/she/they〃 or 〃his/hers/their〃 or 〃him/her/them〃)。 Even in English; this poem is an excellent illustration of how Lao Tzu's musical voice complements his teaching voice。
  52

  The world as we know it has an origin;
  Which may be called Mother Formless。
  Hold the Mother to your deepest heart;
  And you will understand the Cosmic Family。
  Hold her children to your intuition;
  And the Mother will embrace you; too。
  Thus will your life flow freely
  Through all of your days。

  Guard the openings of speech and outer sensation;
  And your life will be serene。
  But if your life is spent
  In expansive oration
  And the compulsion to intervene;
  Your heart will be in torment
  Unto your very last breath。

  Microscopic discernment within
  Is the path of clarity。
  The tenderest embrace is the strongest。

  Let your own true radiance guide you;
  For inner clarity is return to the Origin;
  Where one抯 true self finds protection。

  This is called; entering the eternal。 
  It is very hard to hear the voice of the Formless presence within when you spend your life in constant talk and impulsive intervention into others' affairs。 The poet's message in this verse is especially appropriate to family relationships; where the machinations of power and control operate both openly and insidiously; often through cultural rules of loyalty; fidelity; and hierarchy。 Thus; Lao Tzu offers a teaching on opening the heart to the family of the universe; a reference to the feeling presences of the invisible world。 He again chooses a feminine symbol; 〃Mother Formless。〃 This evokes the message of Hexagram 37 of the I Ching; called 〃The Family;〃 which also draws upon feminine metaphor in its Judgment text; 〃the perseverance of the woman furthers。〃 When we connect with the feeling presence of the Cosmic Mother; we open ourselves in turn to the community of beings within Nature that are her children: this is the 〃microscopic discernment within〃 that fulfills and reveals the natural life of the human family。 When this discernment; this clarity; is present; the feudal structures of fealty and hierarchy can be discarded; and we discover that truly; 〃the tenderest embrace is the strongest。〃 In Nature; the home is not a castle; the family is not a hierarchical ordering of roles according to such things as age or gender; there is no 〃breadwinner〃 or 〃provider〃; no false duties of honor and obedience; and no titles or rules of ownership among the family members。 These; indeed; are actually the bitter constraints that create division and breakdown within the family; and which lead the heart into torment; as the poet says。
  53

  If ego had a scrap of wisdom;
  It would seek to walk the path of Tao。
  But the problem is that ego tends to wander。

  The Cosmic Way is straight and easy;
  But people seem compelled
  By distraction and complexity。

  The palace in the capital
  Is bathed in opulence;
  While the fields without lie barren;
  And the granary is left untended。

  They array themselves in lustrous gowns
  And gleaming weapons at their sides。
  They eat; but are not nourished;
  They drink; yet thirst consumes them。
  Their lives are bloated with the stuff of wealth。

  Extravagance is a thief;
  The true self is its victim:
  Is this the way of Tao?
  I doubt it。 
  One who follows the Tao is ready to explore his entire being; in all its depth and variety。 But one who treads the stark road of ego becomes trapped in side…paths and dead…ends that close off understanding in a cycle of want; frustration; and unceasing effort。 The more you grasp for; the more you obtain; the more you obtain; the more you feel you need; and the more your true self is taken from you: thus; 〃extravagance is a thief。〃

  Lao Tzu uses the final stanza to create a play on words; which cannot be exactly reproduced in English。 He uses the word 〃tao;〃 which means 〃thief; robber〃 to say that extravagance is a 〃tao〃 which robs one of Tao。 For this version; I decided to simply insert a slightly different word…play in the closing couplet; again on the word Tao (pronounced 〃dow〃); so that the answer to Lao Tzu's rhetorical question; 〃is this the way of Tao?〃 is; 〃I dow…ed it。〃 The point of this is not merely to copy Lao Tzu's pun; nor to make the reader laugh (after all; any joke that has to be explained never was a joke); but rather to show that Lao Tzu was not a self…conscious or moralistic thinker。 Even when he has a serious point to make; as he does here; he does it without bombast or moral assault。
  54

  With a firm inner foundation;
  You cannot be toppled。
  An embrace is all the grasp you need
  To be safe within。

  An offering of simple honor;
  From the children of the past
  To the children of the present
  Supports the children of the future。

  Why do you cultivate your image
  When your natural bei
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