04道德经英译本85种-第56部分

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beyond　anyone's　knowledge；　he　is　fit　to　rule　a　kingdom。Who　has　infinite　capacity　is　fit　to　rule；　but　only　he　who　having　the　kingdomgoes　to　the　mother；　can　keep　it　long。　He　who　possesses　he　mother　（dao）of　the　state　will　last　long。　The　mother　（principle）　of　a　ruling　countrycan　long　endure。
　　This　is　called　the　art　of　making　the　rootsstrike　deep　by　fencing　the　trunk；　It　signifies　to　be　firmly　rooted；　tohave　deep　strength；　for　the　roots　are　deep　and　the　stalks　are　firm；　roadto　immortality　and　enduring　vision；　the　way　of　long　life　and　everlastingexistence　is　won　by　making　life　long　by　fixed　staring。

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　　Ruling　a　big　kingdom　is　like　frying　a　smallfish。
　　They　who　by　dao　ruled　all　that's　under　heavendid　not　let　an　evil　spirit　within　them　display　its　powers。　Such　evil　spiritsdid　not　display　their　supernatural　powers；　the　spirits　of　wise　men　werehardly　used　to　hurt　other　men。　So　when　dao　is　employed　to　rule　the　kingdom；spiritual　beings　will　lose　their　supernatural　grip　and　cease　to　harm　commonpeople。　And　their　supernatural　power　will　far　from　harm　people；　and　thewise　man　also　will　refrain　from　harming　people。　When　both　don't　do　eachother　harm；　virtue　（power）　flows　towards　them。　If　the　sage's　good　spiritis　nowhere　mobilised　to　harm　other　men；　he　himself　can　be　saved　from　＇deterioration＇harm。

　　And　so；　if　evil　spirits　and　supermen　don'tharm　each　other；　each　can　be　quite　saved　from　harm。　Furthermore；　some　oftheir　〃tall　abilities〃　could　converge。　If　so；　virtue　can　be　accumulatedin　both　for　ulterior　benefit　or　towards　some　common　＇soap　opera＇　end。

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　　A　big　kingdom　can　be　compared　to　the　lowerpart　of　a　river；　like　the　low　ground　which　all　streams　flow　down　towards。
　　Here　is　a　point　towards　which　all　thingsunder　heaven　converge。　Its　part　must　be　that　of　the　woman
　　who　overcomes　man　by　simple　quietude。　By＇such　as＇　quiescence　she　gets　underneath；　and　by　tranquillity　she　is　downunder。

　　A　big　kingdom　can　take　over　＇a　soul　of＇　asmall　one　if　it　succeeds　in　getting　itself　below　the　small　kingdom；　Ifso　it　absorbs　some　from　the　small　country；　or　wins　some　adherence　of　thesmall　kingdom　in　the　open。

　　If　a　small　country　on　the　other　hand　placesitself　below　a　big　country；　it　can　absorbs　or　take　over　some　of　the　bigcountry　＇assets＇。　Therefore　some　place　themselves　low　so　as　to　take　overor　absorb　（others）。　Some　are　（naturally）　low　and　absorb　（others）。　Becausesmall　kingdoms　are　by　nature　in　this　way　underneath　large　kingdoms；　they＇sometimes＇　win　the　adherence　of　large　kingdoms　＇or　end＇。

　　What　a　big　kingdom　is　after　is　but　to　annexand　herd　others。　So　what　large　countries　really　need　is　a　lot　of　inhabitants。What　small　countries　need　is　some　place　where　their　surplus　inhabitantscan　go　and　get　employment。　What　they　want　can　be　little　more　that　to　join；be　somewhat　sheltered　and　perhaps　serve　for　it　all。

　　Both　can　have　what　they　want；　I　say　the　largekingdom　must　〃get　underneath〃。

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　　Dao　is　thought　up　as　the　mysterious　secretof　the　universe；　it　could　be　the　storehouse　of　〃all　things〃；　like　the　pivotalworship　centre　in　the　south…west　corner　in　the　＇old　Chinese＇　house。　It'sthe　good　man's　treasure　and　the　bad　man's　support　and　resort。

　　Fine　words　can　buy　honour；　fine　sayings　canbe　sold。　Fine　deeds　can　win　respect　from　others。　The　best　conduct　is　agift。　Persons　of　noble；　grave　demeanour　are　accepted　as　gifts。
　　Even　if　a　man　is　bad；　when　has　（dao）　rejectedhim？　Why　reject　bad　people　＇the　winners　of　tomorrow　if　all　goes　fine＇？Even　the　bad　let　slip　no　opportunity　to　acquire　gifts　that　fit　them　wellenough。

　　Therefore　on　the　crowning　of　an　emperor　andappointing　his　three　ministers　of　the　state；　rather　than　send　ta　disc　ofjade　and　teams　of　four　horses；　sit　down　and　deliver　this　dao。　It　can　bedone　without　moving　from　one's　seat。
　　What　did　the　old　ones　say　of　this　dao；　howdid　they　prize　it？　Why　did　they　treasure　such　dao？

　　Did　they　not　say　of　those　that　have　it　〃Pursuing；they　shall　catch；　pursued；　they　shall　escape？〃　Or；　〃Search　for　the　guiltyones　and　pardon　them？〃　Or；　〃Those　who　seek　shall　have　it；　those　who　sinshall　be　freed〃？
　　They　thought　＇common＇　dao　to　be　the　mostprecious；　the　treasure　of　the　world。

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　　Succeed　in　the　magician's　wu…wei：　Accomplishseemingly　do…nothing。
　　Attend　seemingly　to　no…affairs。　And　do　completelywithout　ado。　What　runs；　acts　without　action；　does　without　doing；

　　So　let's　taste　without　tasting。　Taste　theflavourless。　Taste　the　flavourless　without　tasting。　Find　flavourless　flavour。

　　Whether　it's　big　or　small；　many　or　few；　requitehatred　with　virtue。
　　Dao　can　make　the　small　great　and　the　fewmany；　can　requite　injuries　with　some　decent　deeds。　But　prepare　for　thehard　while　it's　still　easy。　Deal　with　it　while　it's　still　easy。　Deal　withthe　great　or　big　while　it's　still　small。
　　In　governing　your　kingdom　everything　hardmust　be　dealt　with　while　it's　still　easy。　The　hard　has　to　be　dealt　withwhile　still　very　easy。　All　the　great　（ones　and　great　problems）　of　the　worldare　to　be　dealt　with　while　they're　yet　small。　Everything　great　must　bedealt　with　while　it's　still　small。

　　Therefore　the　wise　man　never　has　to　deal　withthe　great；　and　so　gets　greatness。　He　never　strives　for　the　great；　by　thisthe　great　is　had。
　　So　great　undertakings　shall　start　with　what'ssmall。

　　But　again　〃Who　makes　rash　promises　surelylacks。　Who　lightly　makes　a　promise；　can　find　it　too　hard　to　keep　his　faith。And　light　assent　inspires　little　confidence。　Who　takes　things　very　easilyis　surely　in　for　dealing　with　more　difficulty　in　the　end。　So　〃many　easies〃means　many　a　hard。　In　other　words；　who　makes　light　of　many　things　shouldfind　many　difficulties。

　　From　all　this　even　the　wise　man　regards　thingsas　hard；　but　he　also　knows　how　to　make　the　easy　difficult。　For　that　reasonhe　very　seldom　meets　with　difficulties。＇Uha。＇

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　　What　remains　placid　is　quite　easy　to　hold。
　　Not　determined　happenings　can　be　preparedfor　well　in　advance。　Before　there　has　been　an　omen　it's　easy　to　lay　plans。It's　easy　to　forestall　some　things　that　don't　are　or　not　yet　occur。　It'squite　easy　to　plan　for　and　prepare　well　in　advance。

　　＇But　such　forestalling　is　had　by　thoughts；and　thoughts　are　airy　and　can　be　tender　and　brittle；　to　say　the　least。＇And　what's　brittle　is　easy　to　crack。　What's　tender　is　easily　torn。　What'sbrittle　like　ice　is　easy　to　melt。　And　what's　tiny　is　easy　to　scatter。
　　＇All　the　same；　reach　up　to＇　deal　with　thingsin　their　state　of　not…yet…being；　deal　with　things　well　before　they　appear。Just　put　things　well　in　shape　before　disorder　and　confusion。　Put　all　verywell　in　order　before　disorder；　and　next　go　on　to　check　loss　or　disorderwell。　A　tree　as　big　as　a　man's　hug　grows　from　a　tiny　sprout。　A　tower　ninestoreys　high　begins　with　a　clod　of　earth。　Further；　the　journey　of　threehundred　miles　began　with　。。。　the　feet。　A　journey　of　a　thousand　li　beginsright　where　one　stands；　even　with　the　very　first　step。
　　Still；　he　who　takes　a　＇visible　forestalling＇action　fails。　Who　acts；　harms；　he　who　grabs；　lets　slip。　And　therefore　thewise　man　doesn't　act　in　the　open；　and　so　doesn't　spoil　or　harm；　yes；　hetakes　seemingly　no　action　and　therefore　hardly　fails。
　　And　why　is　this？　It's　due　to：　He　who　graspsthings　＇often＇　loses　them。　He　doesn't　grasp　a　lot；　he　doesn't　let　slipa　lot。　Does　hardly　grab　in　the　open；　and　so　doesn't　let　slip　a　lot。　Hegrasps　nothing　visibly　to　others；　and　therefore　he　doesn't　lose　much。　Whereaspeople　in　their　handling　of　affairs　often　fail　when　they're　about　to　succeedat　their　tasks。　Such　people　constantly　spoil　things　when　within　an　aceof　completing　them。

　　Be　as　careful　at　the　end　as　at　the　start　toavert　failures　at　hand。　Then　there　will　be　no　such　failures。　Heed　the　endno　less　than　the　start；　so　that　your　valuable　work　will　not　be　spoiledand　ruined。
　　Therefore　the　wise　man　learns　to　seem　unlearned；wants　only　things　that　are　unwanted。　Yes；　the　wise　man　publicly　desiresto　have　no　desire。　Therefore　the　wise　man　desires　no　desire　…　and　desiresall　the　same。
　　He　doesn't　often　value　rare　treasures　publicly。He　hardly　values　objects　hard　to　get　or　find　…　in　public。　He　says　he　learnsthat　which　is　unlearned。　He　claims　he　sets　no　store　by　products　difficultto　get；　and　so　teaches　things　untaught。＇It's　a　trap。＇
　　But　he　also　turns　all　beings　back　to　thevery　thing　they　have　left　behind；　so　that　he　can　assist　in　the　course　ofnature　somehow。　And　if　so；　〃the　ten　thousand　creatures〃　can　be　restoredto　their　self…sameness；　the　self…so　which　is　of　＇some＇　dao。　Yes；　he　supportsall　things　in　some　of　their　natural　states。
　　This　he　does；　but　hardly　presume　to　interfereall　right。　He　hardly　dares　to　act　in　the　open。　So　he　denies　to　take　anyvisible　action。

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　　In　old　times　those　who　practised　a　dao　well；did　hardly　aim　to　enlighten　people；　but　to　make　them　ignorant　and　holdthem　that　way。　It　seems　that　the　more　knowledge　people　have；　the　harderthey　are　to　rule。　Maybe　it's　hard　for　people　to　live　in　peace　due　to　verymuch　knowledge。
　　So　he　who　rules　the　state　through　knowledgeis　robber　of　the　state；　and　who　seek　to　rule　by　giving　knowledge　couldbe　like　＇coming＇　bandits　preying　on　the　land。　Maybe　all　who　seek　to　ruleby　knowledge　form　the　nation's　curse；　eventually。
　　He　who　rules　a　state　not　through　knowledgeis　a　blessing。　Those　who　seek　not　to　rule　by　knowledge；　are　the　nation'sblessing。　To　rule　without　giving　knowledge　could　bring　a　stock　of　goodfortune　to　the　land。＇And　maybe　not。＇
　　One　who　knows　these　two　things　also　（sets）the　standard。
　　Always　to　know　such　an　old　standard　is　calledto　of　the　deep；　secret　calibre。
　　When　such　secret　virtue　becomes　clear；　outgoing；far…reaching；　and　lets　things　revert　back　to　some　guessed　at　source；　allrelated　things　could　return　to　some　natural　state。　It　could　go　all　theway　back　to　＇brutal＇　concord　and　harmony。

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　　How　did　the　great　rivers　and　seas　becomethe　kings　of　the　ravines？　By　being　experts　at　keeping　low。
　　Therefore　to　be　above　the　people　you　haveto　speak　as　though　you're　lower　than　the　people　in　some　ways。
　　So　to　be　ahead　of　the　people；　you　have　tofollow　them　in　your　own　person。　To　be　foremost　or　guide　well；　walk　behind。

　　The　wise　man　keeps　himself　on　top；　and　th