04道德经英译本85种-第111部分

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　　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　being　is　already　full？
　　Why　aggrandize　your　family　pride
　　When　the　perfection　of　family　is　complete？
　　Why　meddle　with　your　community
　　When　its　natural　form　is　imperishable？
　　Why　do　you　fight　to　enrich　your　nation
　　When　its　simple　order　is　abundance？
　　Why　divide　and　oppose　earth　and　heaven
　　When　the　purity　of　their　union　is　unalterable？

　　Therefore；　examine　yourself
　　To　become　your　Self。
　　Examine　your　home
　　To　become　a　family。
　　Examine　your　village
　　To　become　a　community。
　　Examine　the　state
　　To　become　a　nation。
　　Examine　the　world
　　To　become　one　with　Being。

　　How　do　I　know
　　That　this　is　the　way　of　Nature？
　　Because　I　asked　It；
　　From　within　my　deepest　self。

　　55

　　One　whose　inner　strength　is　full　and　clear
　　Seems　like　one　who抯　just　arrived
　　From　another　world。

　　To　him；　the　bee　has　no　sting；
　　The　serpent；　no　venom。
　　To　him；　the　wild　beasts
　　Have　no　teeth　or　claws。
　　To　him；　predatory　birds
　　Present　no　menace。

　　His　skeleton　seems　weak；
　　His　muscles　tender；
　　Yet　he抯　got　a　grip　like　a　vise。
　　He　appears　to　lack　experience
　　In　the　dance　of　sexual　relations…
　　Yet　his　genitals　are　fully　formed；
　　And　he　knows　how　to　use　them。

　　People　yell　every　day；
　　Never　seeming　to　get　hoarse。
　　But　his　peace　is　unshakeable…
　　Its　source　is　the　Enduring　Harmony。
　　Knowing　the　eternal　is　called
　　The　subtle　illumination。
　　Thus　is　his　body抯　life
　　The　only　blessing　he　needs。

　　So　how　could　we　speak
　　Of　controlling　the　mind；
　　Or　directing　chi　to　further　violence？

　　The　pursuit　of　power　soon　exhausts　itself：
　　Such　strength　is　not　from　Tao。
　　Whatever　is　not　from　Tao
　　Is　already　dead。　
　　Here　the　poet　imagines　a　being　who　has　just　arrived　from　another　world；　and　how　such　a　one　may　be　entirely　unconscious　of　the　fears　and　pretences　of　humans。　In　this　he　finds　a　metaphor　for　the　follower　of　Tao　who　has　developed；　or　rather　revealed；　his　true　inner　self。　We　are　reminded　of　the　stark　imagery　of　Chapter　20；　where　the　contrast　is　drawn　between　himself　and　the　followers　of　the　collective。　There　we　met　the　poet　himself梬eak；　naive；　strange；　dull；　and　separate梔ivorced　from　the　world　of　purchase　and　competition；　of　power　and　control；　of　pursuit　and　its　incipient　fear。　For　himself；　Lao　Tzu　can　only　explain　that　he　is　indeed　different；　for　he　〃drinks　from　the　breast　of　the　Sublime　Mother。〃　

　　Then；　here　in　Chapter　55；　the　〃alien〃　metaphor　is　even　more　vividly　raised；　so　that　it　is　almost　reified：　the　subject　of　this　poem　is　one　who　simply　has　no　inner　discourse　with　the　values　and　fears　of　the　collective；　yet　the　positive　bounty　that　comes　of　that　separation　is　made　clear。　This　person　is　strong；　sexually　able　and　（presumably）　active；　secure　in　the　consciousness　that　〃his　body's　life　is　the　only　blessing　he　needs。〃　He　has　no　need　of　new　age　gimmicks梞ind　control；　self…improvement；　or　the　nurturing　of　physical　power　through　the　manipulation　of　the　life　force　within　him。　This　person　has　all　he　needs　in　his　physical　being　and　its　freedom　from　the　constraints　and　self…conscious　fears　bred　by　ideologies　and　systems　of　religion　or　other　forms　of　group　belief。　This；　indeed；　is　his　〃subtle　illumination〃：　he　is　beyond　the　fixation　with　appearances；　his　understanding　reaches　past　collective　perception；　past　the　pursuit　of　power；　beyond　intellect　and　deep　into　the　realm　of　his　feeling　nature。

　　One　note　on　translation　must　be　added；　since　this　rendering　departs　significantly　from　traditional　texts；　where　the　phrase　chih　tzu　is　taken　to　symbolize　the　follower　of　Tao　as　an　infant　or　baby。　I　was　guided　to　see　that　phrase　as　a　compound　that　actually　entails　a　play　on　words　with　Lao　Tzu's　own　name　（the　same　character　can　mean　both　〃baby〃　and　〃philosopher〃）；　the　meaning　of　the　whole　being　〃one　who　is　newly　arrived。〃　From　there；　it　was　no　great　stretch　of　imagination　to　see　that　the　poet　was　thinking　of　a　person　or　being　who　had　appeared　on　earth　from　another　world。　This　image　seems　to　better　resonate　with　the　descriptions　that　follow　it；　and　to　emphasize　the　unique　inner　separation　discussed　above。　It　also　places　an　appropriate　context　on　the　line　chung　jih　hao　erh　pu　sha；　which　is　normally　taken　to　refer　to　the　baby　that　cries　all　day　without　getting　hoarse。　Clearly；　Lao　Tzu　would　not　wish　for　us　to　draw　such　a　comparison　between　a　wailing　infant　and　one　who　is　said　（in　the　very　next　line）　to　possess　an　〃unshakeable　peace。〃　Indeed；　there　is　no　subject　specified　for　whoever　is　crying　or　yelling；　I　found　that　it　made　the　most　inner　sense　as　a　comparison　between　the　noise　of　the　collective　and　the　peace　of　the　one　in　harmony　with　himself　and　his　Origin。
　　56

　　Understanding　doesn抰　talk　a　lot；
　　A　lot　of　talk　lacks　understanding。

　　Can　you　be　guided　by　silence？
　　Can　you　shut　down　your　outer　senses？

　　Can　you　blunt　your　jagged　edges？
　　Can　you　let　the　inner　knots　unravel？
　　Can　you　let　your　brilliance　be　dimmed？
　　Can　you　merge　with　the　dust　of　the　earth？

　　This　is　called　揾armonizing　light　and　dark。？br》　In　this；　you　possess　no　one；
　　But　are　loved　by　many。
　　You　are　equally　immune
　　To　attraction　and　revulsion。
　　You　are　equally　receptive
　　To　profit　and　to　loss。

　　You　are　unmoved　by　fame；
　　And　yet　you　attract　honor。
　　Because　you　make　no　claim；
　　You　can　be　free　of　disgrace。

　　Thus　are　you　lovingly　received
　　Into　the　Heart　of　Nature；
　　Forever。　
　　One　of　the　wonders　of　this　little　book　of　poems　is　how　Lao　Tzu　was　able　to　hammer　so　lightly　at　the　same　themes；　and　with　such　delightful　variation　in　expression；　so　that　each　repetition　is　fresh　and　uniquely　nourishing。　The　themes　here　presented　should　be　quite　familiar　by　now　to　one　who　has　read　the　poems　in　order　to　this　point：　the　intrinsic　value　of　dispersing　excess　in　speech　and　action；　the　fulfillment　that　comes　of　dimming　down　the　outer　senses　and　turning　within　toward　one's　feeling　nature；　the　deep　love　that　is　drawn　to　one　who　abandons　claim　and　possession　on　others；　and　the　natural　grace　that　arises　in　one　who　is　〃unmoved　by　fame。〃　

　　In　many　traditional　renderings　of　this　verse；　it　is　presented　as　a　teaching　on　sitting　meditation：　be　quiet；　close　off　your　senses；　be　soft　and　still　as　you　settle　your　inner　dust。　This　is　a　very　good　approach；　but　perhaps　only　to　half　the　poem；　as　it　were。　I　have　been　guided　to　see　this　verse　as　Lao　Tzu's　teaching　on　living　as　meditation：　how　the　inner　values　and　practices　that　we　usually　think　of　as　meditation　（sitting　down　and　being　open；　still　and　silent）　can　become　a　way　of　life。　After　all；　meditation　that　is　not　continued　into　life　has　nothing　of　value　over　an　afternoon　nap。　

　　I　think　that　Lao　Tzu　would　like　us　to　learn　to　disperse　the　division　between　the　practice　of　meditation　and　the　activity　of　daily　living。　Meditation　is　not　properly　a　means　of　escape　or　relaxation　from　the　rat　race　beyond　the　chair　or　cushion；　it　is　meant　to　be　what　infuses　the　relationships　and　activities　of　every　waking　moment。　When　the　way　we　do　our　work；　raise　our　children；　manage　our　homes；　and　interact　socially　becomes　increasingly　indistinguishable　from　the　way　we　meditate；　then　the　lesson　of　this　poem　will　have　been　fully　integrated　into　our　lives。　For　this　is　where　meditation　takes　us　beyond　the　enrichment　of　life　in　a　bodily　form；　and　into　the　realm　of　true　immortality；　where　〃you　are　lovingly　received　into　the　Heart　of　Nature　forever。〃　As　the　division　between　inner　and　outer；　between　meditation　and　living；　is　dissolved；　so　is　that　between　form　and　non…form；　until　the　empty　falsehood　of　death…as…ending　is　finally　discarded。　What　then　remains　is　all　we　need：　life　beyond　time；　perpetuated　in　consciousness。
　　57

　　In　government；　objectives　are　clarified。
　　In　warfare；　objectives　are　concealed。
　　In　following　the　Tao；　objectives　are　discarded。

　　How　do　I　know　that　this　is　so？
　　By　feeling　it　from　within。

　　With　every　commandment　thrust　upon　the　people；
　　They　become　more　impoverished　and　alienated。
　　As　the　weapons　of　the　state　grow　ever　more　destructive；
　　The　more　contagious　is　the　fear　that　desolates　the　nation。
　　The　further　science　spreads　its　hegemony　of　the　intellect；
　　The　more　demonic　are　the　products　that　roll　off　the　assembly　line。
　　As　the　precedents　of　litigation　grow；　and　the　statutory　codes　accumulate；
　　The　politicians　and　criminals　will　proliferate　and　flourish。

　　The　counsel　of　the　Sage　is　different：
　　Let　your　action　lack　force；
　　And　there　will　be　spontaneous　transformation。
　　Let　meditation　guide　you；
　　And　the　natural　order　will　arise。
　　Abandon　power…
　　Lead　only　by　example　and　consensus；
　　And　there　will　be　abundance　in　the　land。
　　Defeat　desire；　let　innocence　be　your　law；
　　And　your　nation　will　return
　　To　its　deepest；　simple　nature。　
　　Clearly；　there　are　points　in　this　book　where　Lao　Tzu　〃takes　the　gloves　off；〃　and　this　is　one　of　them。　Yet　this　verse　goes　far　beyond　a　mere　diatribe　against　laws　and　lawyers；　armies　and　weapons；　technologies　of　dull　convenience；　and　the　depredations　of　politicians　and　corporate　tyrants；　for　the　poet　again　offers　a　natural　alternative　to　the　proliferation　of　tyranny。　As　amazing　as　it　may　be　to　contemplate　how　little　humans　appear　to　have　changed　in　2；600　years；　we　must　also　read　this　poem　with　a　view　to　its　practical　purpose：　the　gifts　of　peace；　abundance；　and　true　progress　that　we　naturally　desire　as　both　individuals　and　as　nations　are　more　readily　available　to　us　than　we　have　been　led　to　believe　by　those　who　would　define　them　in　terms　of　legislation；　power；　and　the　manipulation　of　Nature。　Drop　the　struggle；　for　there　is　nothing　that　needs　to　be　fought；　let　the　meditative　life　described　in　the　previous　poem　guide　you　and　your　nation；　lead　by　example　and　consensus；　not　with　force　or　commandment。　This　is　the　way　of　return　that　is　spoken　of　throughout　this　book；　and　the　poet　would　like　us　to　understan