Tuesday 23 April 2013

老子 公乃王;王乃天;天乃道;道乃久;歿身不殆。Impartiality draws the Masses to you -- Being a Just Leader is therefore Natural; Being Natural is the "Tao" or the "Way" --

老子 【道德經】 

第十六章  (致虛極  守靜篤)

致虛極,守靜篤。萬物並作,吾以觀復:
夫物芸芸,各復歸其根。
歸根曰靜,是曰復命,復命曰常。
知常曰明,不知常,妄作,凶。
知常容;容乃公;公乃王(全);王(全)乃天;天乃道;

道乃久;歿身不殆。
 


DAO DE JING: "The Classic on The Way and Virtues"   
Chapter 16 (To the Utmost, you yourself Empty)
-- by LAO ZI (circa 600 BC - 500 BC ?)

 -- Translated by Frank C Yue

To the Utmost, you yourself Empty;
Remain in Silence and Clarity.
All Things are evolving together, thus --
I see the Life Cycles continuous.

All Things are different and changes churning;
Then, each to its Root will be returning.
"Retrun-to-the-Root" is "Stillness", called so;
It is called "Returning to Life" also.
"Return-to-Life" is the "Norm", that's e'er existing;
Knowing the "Norm" is called "True Understanding".
Not knowing the "Norm" but still forge forward blindly --
This will just put one in Harm's way needlessly.
Knowing the "Norm" makes one Accommodating, too --
Being all Accommodating makes one Impartial;
Impartiality draws the Masses to you --
Being a Just Leader is therefore Natural;
Being Natural is the "Dao" or the "Way" --
Acting according to Natural Laws is Eternal,
And throughout your Life you'd with Security stay.




Note:
The Way -- "Dao": The Way of Nature.     


A useful interpretation in Chinese (for the above ancient text) copied from the net :

<《白話解》

老子 道德經 第五章說:「天地之間,其猶橐龠乎﹖"虛"而不屈,"動"而愈出。」就是在描述「致虛極」的部分。而本章提到,道除了「虛、動」之外,它還會「靜、篤」。如果「虛、動」代表生、在幕前(由道而出),那麼「靜、篤」就代表死、回幕後(回歸道)了。

致虛極,
常道總是一方面極力地保持空虛好讓萬物變化萬千多彩多姿。

守靜篤,
但另一方面常道又堅守原則讓萬物歸根 (歸根曰靜) 回到篤實的本來面目──回歸並與常道合而為一。

萬物並作,
萬物就在這兩個作用下自然成長興盛而達到平衡,

吾以觀復:
而我觀察到的是萬物總是在天地間周而復始的循環著:

夫物芸芸,各復歸其根。
芸芸眾生,都因常道而生,由始而終,落葉歸根,又回復到常道之中。

歸根曰靜,是曰復命,復命曰常。
落葉歸根,叫做靜,也就是去回覆老天爺的差遣,要去回覆老天爺的差遣是萬物的常態。

知常曰明;
能認知「回歸常道而合為一體」是萬物的常態,就是明白道理;

不知常,妄作凶。
不明白萬物本是一體而胡搞妄作,就凶了。

知常容;
能了解萬物是一體就能包容萬物;

容乃公;
能包容萬物才能公平對待萬物;

公乃全;
能公平對待萬物才能將萬物照顧周全;

全乃天;
能夠將萬物照顧周全才能天下太平;

天乃道;
天下太平後才能達到常道的境界;

道乃久。
達到常道的境界後大同世界才能維持久遠;

'沒'(歿)身不殆。
久遠到即使我們死後再投胎也不會遭到危難。>

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