04道德经英译本85种-第177部分

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lusion；　it　is　not　in　the　unveiling　of　one　of　those　heartless　secrets　which　are　called　the　Laws　of　Nature。　It　is　not　less　great；　but　only　more　difficult。〃

　　In　the　same　way；　Laozi（often　spelled　as　Lao…Tzu）；　who　wrote　the　Daodejing；　tried　to　describe　the　indescribable。　The　truth　about　the　human　mind；　and　about　the　universal　mind；　cannot　be　sought　from　without。　It　must　be　sought　from　within　us。　This　understanding　is　a　gift；　and　is　not　acquired。　Indeed；　those　who　try　to　seek　that　truth　from　without　are　bound　to　fail。　Indeed；　we　need　to　unlearn　to　rediscover　the　gift。　From　this　perspective　it　is　amazing　how　much　in　common　there　is　in　Laozi　and　in　Conrad。　And　it　is　just　as　amazing　how　much　common　ground　there　is　in　the　teaching　of　the　Buddha　and　in　that　of　Laozi。

　　Laozi　used　words　sparingly；　truthful　to　his　belief　that　words　easily　become　superfluous。　People　may　be　misled　by　words　to　think　in　crooked　ways。　This　is　also　exactly　the　message　of　Zen（or　〃Chan〃）　Buddhism*。　He　would　rather　use　words　that　trigger　the　reflective　mind。　As　his　subject　is　really　indescribable；　he　would　use　symbols。　The　proliferation　of　symbolism　in　the　Daodejing　is　remarkable。　〃The　Valley　Spirit〃（##）　is　a　case　in　point。　In　Chinese；　the　valley　provides　the　image　of　having　a　capacity　to　accept　criticisms　and　alien　views。　There　is　the　expression　〃xuhai　ruo　gu〃（####）；　which　means　literally　〃humble　and　receptive　like　the　valley。〃　The　mystical　female　is　another　example　of　symbolism。　The　door　of　the　mystical　female；　which　chapter　6　called　the　〃root　of　heaven　and　earth；〃　stands　for　the　source　of　abundance。　Laozi　tells　us　that　humility　is　the　origin　of　creative　ideas　and　a　rich　life。

　　The　images　in　Laozi　are　very　effective；　but　they　require　imagination。　Unfortunately；　imagination　can　go　wild；　and　often　times；　translators　and　readers　are　bewildered　by　the　mystical　use　of　language。

　　To　understand　Laozi；　we　have　to　understand　that　he　offers　a　practical　way　of　life；　not　a　mystical　recipe　to　immortality。　Paradoxically；　however；　this　practical　way　of　life　offers　a　glimpse　to　the　eternal　world。　Watch　Conrad's　closing　remarks　in　the　Preface　to　The　Nigger　of　the　Narcissus：　〃behold—all　the　truth　of　life　is　there：　a　moment　of　vision；　a　sigh；　a　smile—and　the　return　to　an　eternal　rest。〃　Compare　this　language　〃a　sigh；　a　smile〃　with　the　famous　episode　when　the　Buddha　communicated　with　one　of　his　disciples。　He　took　up　a　flower；　smiled；　and　the　understanding　about　life　was　instantaneously　and　spontaneously　communicated　to　and　realized　by　that　disciple。　Then　of　course　there　is　that　famous　verse　from　William　Blake：　〃To　see　a　world　in　a　grain　of　sand　and　a　heaven　in　a　wild　flower；　hold　infinity　in　the　palm　of　your　hand；　and　eternity　in　an　hour。〃　Truthfulness　is　eternal。

　　Consider　Laozi's　Chapter　70；　in　which　he　says　〃What　I　say　is　easy　to　understand　and　easy　to　practice　yet　few　people　under　heaven　understand　and　practice　it。〃　Compare　this　with　the　opening　sentence　in　Chinese　Zen　（Third　Patriarch）Master　Sengcan's　（##）　Song　of　the　Truthful　Mind　（###）　which　reads　〃The　supreme　way　is　not　difficult；　so　long　as　people　refrain　from　preferences。〃　（####；####）　The　importance　of　the　undiscriminating　mind　is　clear　in　Chapter　49：　〃If　people　are　good；　I　shall　be　good　to　them。　If　people　are　not　good；　I　shall　also　be　good　to　them。　This　way　I　am　really　good。　If　people　are　truthful；　I　shall　be　truthful　to　them。　If　people　are　not　truthful；　I　shall　also　be　truthful　to　them。　This　way　I　am　really　truthful。〃　The　Sage's　mind　is　uncalculating　and　free　from　all　pretences　like　an　infant's。　Again　quoting　from　Sengcan　〃All　tendencies　to　go　to　one　extreme　or　to　the　other　arise　from　the　calculating　mind。〃（####；####。）

　　What　is；　then；　this　practical　way　of　life　that　Laozi　recommends？　It　is　a　life　in　unison　with　nature。　To　be　with　nature　is　to　forget　about　the　narrow　self　that　limits　our　potential　for　development。　If　something　is　done；　one　who　follows　the　Dao　would　not　say：　〃It　is　me　who　achieved　it。〃　One　would　not　take　any　credit　because；　in　the　first　place；　there　is　no　concept　of　me　or　I　as　a　separate；　independent　existence。　Moreover；　one　would　only　be　doing　things　that　one's　inner　nature　calls　upon　and　enables　one　to　do。

　　To　be　with　nature　one　will　realize　a　subtle　joy；　and　this　joy　is　not　something　to　be　reaped　in　the　next　world。　Some　people　think　that　Daoist　philosophy　is　〃out　of　the　world〃　but　it　is　really　very　much　〃of　the　world。〃　In　Chapter　80；　Laozi　saw　a　world　in　which　people　enjoy　their　foods　and　beautiful　dresses；　live　happily　in　peace；　and　take　delight　in　their　traditions。

　　Consider　Chapter　59；　in　which　Laozi　says；　〃To　rule　over　men　or　to　serve　heaven　nothing　works　as　well　as　following　the　farmer's　example。　The　farmer　does　his　preparatory　work　early。　To　be　like　him；　one　must　pay　attention　to　the　accumulation　of　virtue。　That　way　one　can　overcome　all　difficulties。　That　way　one's　ability　knows　no　limit。　That　way　one　can　sustain　a　nation。〃　Chapter　64　advises：　〃People　often　fail　in　their　tasks　when　they　are　about　to　accomplish　them。　If　only　they　take　the　same　care　in　the　end　as　they　do　in　the　beginning；　they　will　avoid　many　failures。〃　These　are　of　course　very　practical；　and　certainly　this…worldly；　words　of　advice。

　　Because　Laozi　used　his　words　so　sparingly；　and　because　the　Chinese　language　is　such　that　one　word　can　carry　multiple　meanings；　it　is　easy　to　be　misled。　But　Laozi　never　worried　about　this　problem；　because　after　all　the　insight　has　to　come　from　within。　So　he　is　sure　that　those　who　sincerely　seek　the　truth　will　see　the　truth（〃The　door　will　open　up　to　whoever　knocks；〃　as　Jesus　says）。　Still；　we　should　avoid　jumping　to　conclusions。　For　example；　the　word　#　is　often　translated　into　quietness。　But　it　also　means　##　〃still；〃　〃undisturbed；〃　or　〃rest。〃　There　is　reason　to　believe　that　Laozi　referred　to　stillness　more　than　to　quietness　here；　since　quietness　comes　from　without　and　stillness　of　the　mind　comes　from　within。　Keenly　aware　of　the　enlightenment　that　comes　from　within；　Conrad　also　talked　about　the　〃eternal　rest。〃　Both　Laozi　and　the　Buddha　talked　about　seeing　reality　as　it　is　when　the　mind　is　not　disturbed。**　Another　confused　and　confusing　word　is　#　as　used　in　Chapter　25。　#　is　commonly　translated　into　king。　But　in　the　context　Laozi　really　meant　the　man　who　follows　the　Dao。　A　king　who　does　not　follow　the　Dao　cannot　be　great。　This　should　be　very　clear　from　the　last　line　in　Chapter　25；　in　which　he　says：　〃The　（great）　man　emulates　the　（great）　Earth。　The　（great）　earth　emulates　the　（great）　Heaven；　The　（great）　heaven　emulates　the　（great）　Dao。　The　（great）　Dao　emulates　the　（great）　Nature。〃

　　The　Daodejing　is　difficult　to　read　because　the　language　sometimes　breaks　grammatical　rules　in　order　to　read　smoothly。　For　example；　in　Chapter　13；　the　phrase　####　should　be　understood　as　####。　In　Chapter　4；　####　should　be　read　as　####。　Sometimes；　in　favor　of　brevity；　Laozi　deliberately　left　out　some　words。　But　in　the　context　what　he　really　means　should　be　clear。　Disappointingly；　some　translators　took　it　literally　and　often　missed　the　context。　This　is　the　case　with　Chapter　52；　in　which　he　advises　that　as　long　as　we　understand　that　we　are　the　sons　and　daughters　of　nature　and　do　our　role　to　respect　nature　and　the　good　earth　as　we　would　respect　our　mother；　we　will　not　run　into　disaster。　He　then　says　that　blocking　the　passages　and　shutting　the　doors　we　would　be　fine　while　clearing　the　passages　and　opening　the　doors　we　would　be　doomed。　What　he　really　means　from　the　context　is　that　if　we　respect　nature　we　will　not　run　into　disaster；　even　if　the　passages　are　blocked；　but　if　we　forget　our　role　as　sons　and　daughters　of　nature　we　would　run　into　trouble。

　　Laozi　wants　to　address　the　common　human　weaknesses。　He　says　things　that　seem　extreme；　with　the　attention　of　shocking　readers　into　self…reflection。　Chapter　12　and　Chapter　65　are　cases　in　point。　In　Chapter　12；　he　tells　us　that　〃Just　as　the　five　colors　that　we　see　can　blind　us；　so　the　five　sounds　that　we　hear　can　deafen　us；　and　the　five　tastes　can　dull　our　sense　of　taste。〃　In　my　translation　I　added　the　word　〃can〃　to　make　it　sound　less　extreme。　It　is　likely　that　the　original　language　sounds　extreme　because　Laozi　wanted　brevity　and/or　a　shocking　effect　to　make　people　think。

　　In　Chapter　65　Laozi　says；　〃The　ruler　who　rules　with　his　acquired　knowledge　is　likely　to　hurt　the　nation。　The　ruler　who　rules　not　with　his　acquired　knowledge　is　likely　to　benefit　the　nation。〃　Certainly　we　cannot　agree　that　all　acquired　knowledge　is　bad　for　a　nation。　But　the　fact　is　that　many　people　think　that　they　are　very　clever；　and　that　they　can　use　their　knowledge　to　make　great　strides。　Laozi　warns　against　that　kind　of　arrogance。　The　word　〃likely〃　is　not　in　the　text　of　Daodejing。　But　it　is　clear　that　he　does　not　really　condemn　education　and　knowledge　acquisition　（See　Chapter　71；　for　example）。　After　all　he　wrote　using　words　that　he　had　learnt　as　a　child。　So　putting　in　the　word　〃likely〃　should　preserve　his　real　meaning　and　help　avoid　misunderstanding。　It　is　in　this　spirit　that　I　conducted　my　translation。　Whenever　I　added　words　that　are　not　in　the　original　text；　however；　I　would　put　in　a　footnote　and　explain。

　　For　the　convenience　of　the　reader　I　have　taken　the　liberty　to　add　a　small　title　to　each　of　the　〃chapters〃　to　capture　the　essence　of　message。　It　is　my　fervent　hope　that　Laozi's　message　be　put　across　to　as　many　people　as　possible。　I　can　say　that　Laozi　did　not　write　the　Daodejing　as　a　Chinese；　but　as　a　member　of　the　human　race。　I　hope　that　readers　will　see　the　Daodejing　not　as　a　sample　of　Chinese　philosophy；　but　as　an　exploration　to　the　meaning　and　value　of　life　itself　from　someone　whose　inner　reflections　are　unusually　sharp　and　downright　honest。

　　November13；　2001；　Lingnan　University；　Hong　Kong

　　*　Zen　is　the　Japanese　pronunciation　of　the　Chinese　word　〃chan；〃（#）　which　is　itself　the　transliteration　of　the　Sanskrit　term　dhyana。

　　**　There　is　a　famous　episode　wherein　the　sixth　patriarch　of　Zen　Buddhism；　Hui…neng；　upon　hearing　two　observers　debate　over　whether　it　was　the　wind　that　was　moving　or　the　flag　flying　in　the　wind　that　was　moving；　pointed　out　that　the　observers　were　themselves　confused；　their　minds　having　been　moved　by　what　was　observed。　

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