老子道德經(核心三十三篇)

Laozi’s Dao De Jing (core 33 chapters)

Translated by LI Siming, 2011

 

 

11. Dualistic nature of beingness vs. nothingness

 

三十輻，共一轂，當其無，有車之用。

Thirty spokes, forms a wheel, together with the empty space within,

yields the functionality of a car.

 

埏埴以為器，當其無，有器之用。

Clay when fashioned into vessels, together with the empty space within,

yields the functionality of a vessel.

 

鑿戶牖以為室，當其無，有室之用。

Doors and windows when cut to form a room, together with the empty space within,

yields the functionality of a room.

 

故有之以為利，無之以為用。

Therefore, beingness offers convenience, nothingness offers functionality.

 

 

14. Formless and timeless nature of the Dao

 

視之不見，名曰夷；聽之不聞，名曰希；搏之不得，名曰微。

此三者不可致詰，故混而為一。

Look but could not see, is called ‘Yi’;

Listen but could not hear, is called ‘Xi’;

Grasp but could not get, is called ‘Wei’.

These three qualities alone could provide an accurate description (of the Dao),

therefore we blend them together as one.

 

其上不皦，其下不昧。

繩繩不可名，復歸於無物。

Its upper part is not bright, its lower part is not obscure.

Ceaseless and cannot be named, it goes back to nothingness.

 

是謂無狀之狀，無物之象，是謂惚恍。

迎之不見其首，隨之不見其後。

This is the formless form, non-thing phenomenon, this is between seems and seem-not.

We meet it and do not see its front, we follow it and do not see its back.

 

執古之道，以御今之有。

能知古始，是謂道紀。

Align with this ancient way, to master today’s things.

Able to know this ancient origin, is the nature of the Dao.

 

 

16. Going back to emptiness and stillness

 

致虛極，守靜篤。萬物並作，吾以觀復。

Reach the end of emptiness, abide in the end of stillness.

Things manifest, i see coming and going.

 

夫物芸芸，各復歸其根。歸根曰靜，是謂復命。

Despite of diversity, things all eventually return to their root.

Returning to the root is stillness, is called answering to destiny.

 

復命曰常，知常曰明。不知常，妄作凶。

Answering to destiny is normal, knowing this normalness is wisdom.

Not knowing this normalness, is recklessly doing dangerous deeds.

 

知常容，容乃公，公乃王，王乃天，天乃道，道乃久，沒身不殆。

Knowing brings compassion, compassion brings impartiality, impartiality brings nobility,

nobility becomes heavenly, heavenly is a quality of Dao,

Dao is timeless, beyond physicality and cannot be endangered.

 

 

23. Welcoming the wind and rain

 

希言自然，故飄風不終朝，驟雨不終日。

孰為此者？天地。

天地尚不能久，而況於人乎？

If one would make few speech and stay natural, wind will not blown for whole morning, and rain will not last for whole day.

What is like this? The sky and earth.

If even the sky and earth could not last (stay in a state) forever, what would be the case for man?

 

故從事於道者，

道者同於道；德者同於德；失者同於失。

同於道者，道亦樂得之；同於德者，德亦樂得之；同於失者，失亦樂得之。

Therefore for those who pursue the Dao,

Stay in the Dao when the Dao approaches;

Stay in virtue when virtue appears;

Stay in lost when lost occurs.

Those who stay in the Dao, can welcome the Dao;

Those who stay in virtue, can welcome virtue;

Those who stay in lost, can welcome lost.

 

信不足，焉有不信焉。

Only when credibility is lacking, will it be disbelieved.

 

 

25. The big fours

 

有物混成，先天地生。

寂兮寥兮，獨立不改，周行而不殆，可以為天下母。

吾不知其名，字之曰道，強為之名曰大。

There is existence prior to heaven and earth being born.

Quiet and still, independent and unchanging, rotating without end, it is the mother of the world.

I don’t know its name, name it as Dao, and remotely name it as Big.

 

大曰逝，逝曰遠，遠曰反。

故道大，天大，地大，王亦大。

域中有四大，而王居其一焉。

人法地，地法天，天法道，道法自然。

Big and therefore everlasting, everlasting and therefore far-reaching, far-reaching and therefore returning (to its source).

Therefore Dao is Big, Heaven is Big, Earth is Big, and King (Man) is also Big.

These are the four Big in this universe, and King (Man) is one of them.

Man follows the Earth, Earth follows the Heaven, Heaven follows the Dao, and Dao follows its own.

 

 

26. Fallacy of lightness

 

重為輕根，靜為躁君。

是以聖人終日行不離輜重。

雖有榮觀，燕處超然。

Weight is the root of lightness, stillness is the ruler of recklessness.

Therefore the Sage at all times stay centered at the weighted wagon.

Although in luxury and glamour, (he) remain transcended and nonattached.

 

奈何萬乘之主，而以身輕天下？

輕則失本，躁則失君。

How could the lord of the world rule with a light attitude?

Lightness will cost one’s foundation, recklessness will cost one’s lordship.

 

 

27. Interdependency of Sage vs. Layman

 

善行無轍迹，善言無瑕讁；善數不用籌策；善閉無關楗而不可開，善結無繩約而不可解。

是以聖人常善救人，故無棄人；常善救物，故無棄物。是謂襲明。

Those who master travelling leave no trace,

those who master talking speaks no fault;

those who master counting need no tool;

those who master locking need no extra shuts;

those who master tieing needs no rope.

Sages master saving people, and therefore no one is unsaved;

(Sages) master saving thing, and therefore nothing is unsaved.

This is called inner-wisdom.

 

故善人者，不善人之師；不善人者，善人之資。

不貴其師，不愛其資，雖智大迷，是謂要妙。

Therefore Sage is the teacher of the layman; layman is the asset of the Sage.

When teacher is not respected, or asset not treasured, one falls into great confusion despite of being intelligent. This is key.

 

 

28. Qualities of the Dao: infant, unmanifest, simple, whole

 

知其雄，守其雌，為天下谿。為天下谿，常德不離，復歸於嬰兒。

Know the masculine, but abide in the feminine, be the most humble of the world.

The most humble always remains with virtue, and eventually return to infant.

 

知其白，守其黑，為天下式。為天下式，常德不忒，復歸於無極。

Know white, but abide in black, be the model of the world.

The model of the world always aligns with virtue, and eventually returns to the unmanifest.

 

知其榮，守其辱，為天下谷。為天下谷，常德乃足，復歸於樸。

Know honour, but abide in insult, be the valley (vassel) of the world.

The valley of the world always fills with virtue, and eventually returns to simpleness.

 

樸散則為器，聖人用之，則為官長，故大制不割。

When simpleness is dispersed it manifests as forms,

When sage use it (simpleness) and he becomes the lord of the officers,

therefore great system does not segregate.

 

 

29. Proper way/attitude to face the world

 

將欲取天下而為之，吾見其不得已。

天下神器，不可為也，為者敗之，執者失之。

故物或行或隨；或歔或吹；或強或羸；或挫或隳。

是以聖人去甚，去奢，去泰。

When one attempts to manipulate the world, I see him fails.

The world is holy, it cannot be manipulated, whose attempt to manipulate it, fail; whose attempt to rule it, lost it.

Since things may lead or follow; be warm or cold; be strong or weak; be upright or fall.

Therefore sages let go of (man-made) extreme, luxury, and excess.

 

 

32. Dao and the world: unnamed vs. the named

 

道常無名。天下莫能臣也。

侯王若能守之，萬物將自賓。

Dao does not have a name. It can not be owned or controlled.

When one abides in it, all things will follow.ap

 

天地相合，以降甘露，民莫之令而自均。

Dew falls under the combined effect of heaven and earth,

people cannot control it and it has its own balance.

 

始制有名，名亦既有，夫亦將知止，知止所以不殆。

In the beginning name arise, when names arise, people know their limits,

knowing the limits and therefore can last.

 

譬道之在天下，猶川谷之於江海。

Dao when manifest as the world, is like valley carrying the rivers and seas.

 

33. Transcending oneself as the pathway towards wisdom and longevity

 

知人者智，自知者明。

勝人者有力，自勝者強。

Those who understand others is wise, those who understand oneself is enlightened.

Those who conquer others has force, whose who conquer oneself is strong.

 

知足者富。

強行者有志。

不失其所者久。

死而不亡者壽。

Those who content is rich.

Those who preserve in advancing has will.

Those who stay with their root can last.

Life beyond death is real longevity.