04道德经英译本85种-第168部分

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the　leader's　silence　and　manner　of　being　are　disturbing。　Because　the　leader's　motives　are　obscure；　the　leader　is　hard　to　figure　out。
　　The　problem　comes　back　to　the　fact　that　the　principle　is　not　a　thing　and　cannot　be　defined。　That　does　not　make　sense　to　some　people。
　　It　is　not　easy　to　understand　a　person　whose　foundation　is　invisible。

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　　The　principle　is　not　a　thing。　Call　it　zero。
　　The　principle　in　action　is　the　unity　of　creation。　This　unity　is　a　single　whole。　Call　it　one。
　　Creation　consists　of　pairs　of　opposites　or　polarities。　Call　these　polarities　two。
　　These　polarities　become　creative　when　they　interact。　Their　interaction　is　the　third　element。　Call　it　three。
　　For　example；　a　man　and　a　woman　are　two。　Their　interaction；　or　intercourse；　the　third　element　makes　babies。　That　is　creative。　That　is　how　all　creativity　occurs。
　　The　wise　leader　knows　about　pairs　of　opposites　and　their　interactions。　The　leader　knows　how　to　be　creative。
　　In　order　to　lead；　the　leader　learns　to　follow。　In　order　to　prosper；　the　leader　learns　to　live　simply。　In　both　cases；　it　is　the　interaction　that　is　creative。
　　Leading　without　following　is　sterile。　Trying　to　become　rich　by　accumulating　more　and　more　is　a　full…time　career　and　not　free　at　all。
　　Being　one…sided　always　produces　unexpected　and　paradoxical　results。　Being　well…defended　will　not　protect　you；　it　will　diminish　your　life　and　eventually　kill　you。
　　Exceptions　to　these　examples　of　traditional　wisdom　are　very　hard　to　find。

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　　Gentle　interventions；　if　they　are　clear；　overcome　rigid　resistances。
　　If　gentleness　fails；　try　yielding　or　stepping　back　altogether。　When　the　leader　yields；　resistances　relax。
　　Generally　speaking；　the　leader's　consciousness　sheds　more　light　on　what　is　happening　than　any　number　of　interventions　or　explanations。
　　Few　leaders　realize　how　much　how　little　will　do。

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　　Are　you　doing　this　work　to　facilitate　growth　or　to　become　famous？　Which　is　more　important：　acquiring　more　possessions　or　becoming　more　conscious？　Which　works　better：　getting　or　letting　go？
　　There　is　a　problem　with　owning　a　lot。　There　is　a　problem　with　getting　more　and　more。
　　The　more　you　have　and　the　more　you　get；　the　more　you　have　to　look　after。　The　more　you　might　lose。　Is　that　owning　or　being　owned？
　　But　if　you　give　up　things；　you　can　give　up　spending　your　life　looking　after　things。
　　Try　being　still　in　order　to　discover　your　inner　security。　If　you　have　inner　security；　you　will　have　what　you　want　anyway。　Also　you　will　be　less　harried；　and　you　will　last　longer。

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　　The　best　work　often　seems　idiotically　simple　to　group　members　who　are　unaccustomed　to　this　sort　of　leadership。　Yet　a　great　deal　happens。
　　Perhaps　it　looks　as　if　the　leader　is　only　sitting　there　and　has　no　idea　of　what　to　do。　But　it　is　just　this　lack　of　needless　intervention　that　permits　the　group　to　grow　and　be　fertile。
　　Perhaps　some　disappointed　group　members　expected　an　expert　who　would　expound　freely。　But　what　this　leader　says　is　so　obvious；　it　often　sounds　simple…minded。　Even　this　leader's　honesty　seems　strangely　perplexing。
　　Appearing　foolish　does　not　matter。　When　you　are　cold；　flap　your　arms　about　to　get　warm。　But　when　you　are　overheated；　you　keep　still。　That　is　common　sense。
　　The　leader's　stillness　overcomes　the　group's　agitation。　The　leader's　consciousness　is　the　primary　tool　of　this　work。

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　　The　well…run　group　is　not　a　battlefield　of　egos。　Of　course　there　will　be　conflict；　but　these　energies　become　creative　forces。
　　If　the　leader　loses　sight　of　how　thing　happen；　quarrels　and　fear　devastate　the　group　field。
　　This　is　a　matter　of　attitude。　There　is　nothing　to　win　or　lose　in　group　work。　Making　a　point　does　not　shed　light　on　what　is　happening。　Wanting　to　be　right　blinds　people。
　　The　wise　leader　knows　that　it　is　far　more　important　to　be　content　with　what　is　actually　happening　than　to　get　upset　over　what　might　be　happening　but　isn't。

　　47

　　The　wise　leader　knows　what　is　happening　in　a　group　by　being　aware　of　what　is　happening　here　and　now。　This　is　more　potent　than　wandering　off　into　various　theories　or　making　complex　interpretations　of　the　situation　at　hand。
　　Stillness；　clarity；　and　consciousness　are　more　immediate　than　any　number　of　expeditions　into　the　distant　lands　of　one's　mind。
　　Such　expeditions；　however　stimulating；　distract　both　the　leader　and　the　group　members　from　what　is　actually　happening。
　　By　staying　present　and　aware　of　what　is　happening；　the　leader　can　do　less　yet　achieve　more。

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　　Beginners　acquire　new　theories　and　techniques　until　their　minds　are　cluttered　with　options。
　　Advanced　students　forget　their　many　options。　They　allow　the　theories　and　techniques　that　they　have　learned　to　recede　into　the　background。
　　Learn　to　unclutter　your　mind。　Learn　to　simplify　your　work。
　　As　you　rely　less　and　less　on　knowing　just　what　to　do；　your　work　will　become　more　direct　and　more　powerful。　You　will　discover　that　the　quality　of　your　consciousness　is　more　potent　than　any　technique　or　theory　or　interpretation。
　　Learn　how　to　be　fruitful　the　blocked　group　or　individual　suddenly　becomes　when　you　give　up　trying　to　do　just　the　right　thing。

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　　The　wise　leader　does　not　impose　a　personal　agenda　or　value　system　on　the　group。
　　The　leader　follows　the　group's　lead　and　is　open　to　whatever　emerges。　The　leader　judges　no　one　and　is　attentive　to　both　'good'　and　'bad'　people。　It　does　not　even　matter　whether　a　person　is　telling　the　truth　or　lying。
　　Being　open　and　attentive　is　more　effective　than　being　judgmental。　This　is　because　people　naturally　tend　to　be　good　and　truthful　when　they　are　being　received　in　a　good　and　truthful　manner。
　　Perhaps　the　leader　seems　na飗e　and　childlike　in　this　uncritical　openness　to　whatever　emerges。　But　openness　is　simply　more　potent　than　any　system　of　judgements　ever　devised。

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　　Existence　consists　of　both　life　and　death。　Favouring　either　life　or　death　denies　existence　and　creates　tension。　Tension　causes　people　to　make　mistakes　in　critical　situations。　Mistakes　are　far　more　deadly　than　existence　itself。
　　Thirty　percent　of　the　people　love　life　and　fear　death。
　　Another　thirty　percent　prefer　death　and　avoid　life。
　　Another　thirty　percent　fear　both　life　and　death。
　　Ninety　percent　of　the　people　suffer　the　tension　that　comes　from　the　tension　that　comes　from　ignorance　of　how　polarities　work。　Even　though　life　and　death　are　opposites；　they　are　inseparable。　Preferences　are　futile。
　　Only　ten　percent　have　the　wisdom　to　accept　both　life　and　death　as　facts　and　simply　enjoy　the　dance　of　existence。　After　all；　growth　and　decay　are　everywhere；　all　the　time。
　　The　wise　leader　knows　that　everything　comes　and　goes。　So　why　grasp　or　cling？　Why　worry　or　cringe？　Why　live　in　a　fantasy　of　what　might　happen？
　　The　ferocious　dog　bites　the　excited　person。　The　conscious　and　centered　person　walks　by　unharmed。
　　The　wise　leader　exists　without　either　loving　death　or　fearing　death。　This　freedom　keeps　the　leader　safe　from　harm。

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　　Everything；　every　behaviour；　is　a　vibratory　pattern　or　process。　Such　process　emerges；　develops；　and　decays；　according　to　the　single　principle。
　　People　have　a　natural　reverence　for　the　principle；　and　they　naturally　love　the　vibratory　energy　which　obeys　the　principle。
　　The　vibratory　energy　and　the　principle　make　a　partnership；　which　produces　an　infinite　variety　of　forms。　But　the　partnership　takes　no　profit　from　its　productivity。　Neither　does　it　get　its　power　by　making　things　happen　in　a　coercive　manner。　There　are　simply　no　alternatives；　there　is　no　other　way。
　　This　partnership　between　principle　and　process　is　the　first　fact　of　life　and　of　our　work。

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　　All　creation　consists　of　polarities。　The　fundamental　polarity　of　creation　is　called　Plus/Minus。　Yin/Yang；　or　Feminine/Masculine。
　　This　fundamental　polarity　is　self…impregnating。　It　is　an　androgynous　womb　which　produces　everything。
　　Everything　includes　me。　I　am　a　process　consisting　of　polarities；　which　develop　according　to　the　single　principle。　I　am　a　child　of　God。　I　come　from　the　womb　of　creation。
　　This　knowledge　gives　me　stability。
　　If　I　were　to　put　my　faith　in　some　thing　or　person　or　creed；　I　would　have　no　stability。　People　and　things　and　creeds　come　and　go　and　change　all　the　time。　I　would　live　in　fear　that　the　thing　I　adore　would　be　lost；　or　the　person　I　obeyed　would　die；　or　the　creed　I　followed　would　be　altered。
　　So　my　only　allegiance　is　to　the　single　principle。
　　I　can　look　at　a　person　and　see　both　principle　and　process　in　them。　I　can　see　how　they　work。　I　can　see　them　actually　working。　That　is　the　basis　of　my　ability　as　a　group　leader。
　　From　knowing　how　things　work；　I　also　know　the　importance　of　staying　flexible。　Everything　that　grows　is　flexible。　All　enduring　strength　is　flexible。
　　I　know　too　that　my　allegiance　to　principle　and　process　means　that　I　am　not　afraid　of　dying。　I　have　nothing　to　lose。　I　know　that　I　am　an　aspect　of　the　Eternal。　My　home　is　the　womb　of　creation。　Dying　is　going　home。

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　　The　wise　leader　leads　a　quiet　and　meditative　life。　But　most　people　are　busy　getting　as　many　possessions　as　they　can。
　　The　quiet　path　leads　toward　a　more　conscious　existence。　The　busy　path　creates　an　exaggerated　materialism。
　　Becoming　more　conscious　leads　toward　God　and　a　sense　of　the　unity　of　all　creation。　But　excessive　consumption　is　only　possible　by　exploiting　someone。
　　The　world's　goods　are　unevenly　distributed。　Some　have　a　great　deal。　Most　have　very　little。　We　are　running　out　of　enough　resources　to　go　around。　Everyone　knows　that。
　　Yet　those　who　are　already　encumbered　by　possessions　get　more　and　more。　They　even　brag　about　how　much　they　have。　Don't　they　know　what　stealing　is？
　　Owning　lots　of　possessions　does　not　come　from　God。　People　get　it　by　manipulating　other　people。

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　　Do　you　want　to　be　a　positive　influence　in　the　world？　First；　get　your　own　life　in　order。　Ground　yourself　in　the　single　principle　so　that　your　behaviour　is　wholesome　and　effective。　If　you　do　that；　you　will　earn　respect　and　be　a　powerful　influence。
　　Your　behaviour　influences