Extensive
Interpretation of Tao Te Ching(12)
道德經演義（十二）
The five colors blind
the eyes of man;
五色， 令人目盲;
the five musical notes deafen the ears of man;
五音， 令人耳聾;
the five flavors dull the taste of man;
五味， 令人口爽;
horse-racing, hunting and chasing madden the minds of man;
馳聘田獵令人心發狂;
rare, valuable goods keep their owners awake at night.
難得之貨， 令人行妨。
Therefore, the Sage: provides for the belly and not for the eye.
是以聖人為腹不為目，
Hence, he rejects the one and accepts the other.
故去彼取此。
The Heaven and the
Earth(14) (5-9)。(１２．１)
莊子演義外篇天地(14)(5-9)。(１２．１)
5 There are five factors that make us deprived of our original
nature:
促使我們喪失原始天性的因素有五種：
（１）Five colors bewilder our eyes and weaken our insights.
五種變化多端的顏色，迷惑我們的眼睛，削弱了我們的洞察力。
（２）Five notes bewilder our ears and confuse our listening.
五種音符，迷惑我們的耳朵，擾亂了我們的聽覺。
（３）Five odors choke our noses to make us languish in thinking.
五種氣味，嗆住了我們的鼻子，連帶地使我們的思維呆滯。
（４）Five tastes numb our mouths and spoil our tastes.
五種口味，麻木了我們的嘴巴，破壞了我們的味覺。
（５）Avarice and desire of possession captivate our minds and irritate our
hearts, which makes us upset.
貪念與佔有欲，迷惑著我們的心志，激蕩著我們的心靈，使我們心神不寧。
且夫失性有五：一曰五色亂目，使目不明；二曰五聲亂耳，使耳不聰；三曰五臭熏鼻，困惾中顙；四曰五味濁口，使口厲爽；五曰趣舍滑心，使性飛揚。
6 The said factors all invade our body but Yang Zhu and Mo Zi
think that they are worthy of deep research to make people progress in
practice.
所有上述的因素，都會侵害我們的生命本體，然而楊朱、墨子之流卻認為，它們都是值得深入研究，並能使人有所長進的法子。
此五者，皆生之害也。而楊、墨乃始離跂自以為得，非吾所謂得也。
7 However, in the viewpoint of Tao, it is not an achievement at all. If the
achievement means people being controlled and guided by the material, then, I
would say, it deserves nothing and it is unworthy of praising.
可是以道的立場來看，這哪里會是什麼成就。因為，如果成就是指役於物，被物欲牽著鼻子走的話，那麼，這樣的成就不要也罷，這又有什麼值得稱許的。
8 If the achievement tied to the material possession is regarded as a progress,
then, the dove and owl in the cage with food and water and don’t need to worry about living is also an achievement.
如果役於物的成就，可以視為一種進展，那麼關在鳥籠裏的鴿子、貓頭鷹; 牠們在籠子內，有吃有喝、生活無慮，也算得上是一種成就了。
夫得者困，可以為得乎？則鳩鴞之在於籠也，亦可以為得矣。
9 As avarice and desire of possession occupy a man’s
heart, the heavy grand toilette, hat and other dresses wrap his body and in his
deepest mind he feels confused and doesn’t know why he come to this world and why he has to do all
those boring jobs. If a man like this being called as a man of having
achievement, the criminals with cuffs and fetters and the tiger and leopard in
the cage could be called having achievement too.
當一個人的心，被貪欲及佔有欲所控制; 他們的身體，被厚厚的禮服、禮帽以及其他服飾所包裹著; 然而，他們的內心卻充滿了困惑。假如我們視這種人為有所成就，那麼，那些帶著腳鐐手銬的囚犯，以及關在籠子裏的虎豹，也都算是小有成就的了。
且夫趣舍聲色以柴其內，皮弁鷸冠，搢笏紳修以約其外。內支盈於柴柵，外重纆繳，睆睆然在纆繳之中而自以為得，則是罪人交臂歷指而虎豹在於囊檻，亦可以為得矣！
Xianchi’s interpretation and
remark(12.1)
咸池評述(12。1)
1 What is the
primitive nature mentioned by Chuang Tzu. In my
opinion, it should be the self-nature, Buddha nature, Kuntalini, essence,
refinement and Qi that arise to make body full of
wise self-nature. It is primitive human whose wit, tactics, strategy and craft
are undeveloped. They behave in the light of instinct.
莊子所謂的原始天性指的是什麼？依我看，應該就是指那由自性、佛性、挫火、精、妙用、氣中升起，全身充滿智慧的本性; 是人類文明尚未開發，所謂聰明才智、計謀、策略、技藝之前的原始人類本性。而這些原始人的行為是完全根據其直覺與本能在引導的。
2 In the view of evolvement, human becomes a new species due to genetic
mutation and this new species especially fits the then environment. To meet the
demand of social life and development, human gradually develops various
capabilities to survive. For these newly developed capabilities have nothing to
do with the genetic mutation, they ruin the best quality of human.
從演化論的眼光來看這樣的說法，人類是由某種生物因基因突變，然後再配合當時的特殊環境而得以充分繁殖形成; 從理論上說，人類應當是最能適應當時環境的最佳品種。然而，人類為求解決群居以及社會發展的新需求，從而慢慢發展出的各式新穎的求生本領，因為其與基因無關或說無關基因變化的改變，反而破壞了人類最佳的品質狀態。
3 In this chapter, Chuang Tzu criticized the five
factors or called civilization of human that make us deprived of our original
nature. Not many people would agree that the life of the modern people is worse
than the primitive people because we, who live in the modern society, never
think that the tribal people in the
在本章中，莊子指出了五種促使人類喪失原始天性的所謂文明。當我們說現代人類不如原始人類時，絕大多數的人肯定都不會同意，因為生活在現代進步社會中的我們，根本就無法想像，那些印尼原始森林中的部落民族，他們的生活會比我們來得更好。
4 However, when we study people in the modern society and people in the forest,
we will find the difference that mostly is relative to material. In the eyes of
Chuang Tzu, what we deems spirit enjoyment such as
music, art, and gourmet food, are actually located in the field of material.
可是，當我們問問自己，我們這些生活在現代文明裡的人，到底又比那些生活在森林中的部落民族好在哪裡時，我們就會發現，兩者之間的差異，其實絕大多數是與物質有關。至於我們所可以想像的精神享受，比如音樂、藝術、佳餚等; 在莊子的眼裡，也都一律逃不出物質的範疇。
5 Therefore, we may say that progress of civilization is the progress of
material development in fact. What we pay, however, is to lose the instinct of
primitive human.
所以，我們可以這麼說，人類文明的進步，實際上是物質開發及運用上的進步。而我們為之付出的代價則是喪失了原始人類的本能與直覺。
6 Let’s not discuss if tribal people in the forest of
Indonesia actually use such instinct or not. We, who practice and do yoga, know
clearly that instinct is useful and effective.
印尼原始森林部落民族，他們有沒有運用這樣的本能與直覺，我們暫不討論。然而我們修行、修練瑜伽的人，內心中卻清楚地知道，本能與直覺的可愛及其效能。
7 Chuang Tzu told us that giving up the bondage of
material makes us regain instinct. So did Buddha. Yoga practicer
also knows that even in the modern society, the treasury of instinct would be
opened by the guidance of master. However, in the long term practice, people
should reduce the desire and possession of material.
莊子告訴我們，只要放棄役於物的束縛，就能重獲直覺與本能。世尊也是這麼說。而瑜伽行者心中明白，在現代文明社會中，凡是經由大師的領引，也能直接地開啟直覺與本能的寶庫; 但是，在經年累月的練功過程中，修行人自己，也是需要努力克服其本身對物欲、佔有欲的追求。
8 Practice of yoga, sitting in meditation, and following the instructions by Laotse, Chuang Tzu and Buddha, we
would live in the modern civilization and keep the valuable instinct at the
same time which would give us various refinements and a peaceful happy life.
只要善於運用老莊的思想、以及世尊的教誨，同時配合打坐及瑜伽練習，那麼我們就既能生活在現代文明之中，而又能同時享有人類原始本能與直覺所可能帶給我們的妙用。
Xu Wugui(14)
(5-9)。(１２．２)
莊子演義雜篇徐無鬼(十四)(5-9)。(１２．２)
5 When wind blows through the surface of water, it brings away some
vapor. When sunlight casts on water, it vapors some water too. Under the
continuous condition of wind blowing and sunlight casting, water flow appears
to reduce less.
當風自水面吹過，它會帶走一些水氣。當陽光照射在水面上，陽光也將蒸發掉一些水分。然而對水流言，在風及陽光等持續地吹，持續地照射下，水量似乎沒有明顯的減少。
故曰：風之過河也有損焉，日之過河也有損焉。
6 The reason for the phenomenon is that water flow has a source that keeps
sending out water. The property of the “effect of source” is that its process
is slow and persistent, so it is not easy to be found.
這種現象是因為水流有一個不斷流入新水的源頭。這種活水的源頭效應，我們發覺它們都是緩和持續的; 因此，不易被發覺。
請只風與日相與守河，而河以為未始其攖也，恃源而往者也。
7 Water have influence on the changes of land, temperature and other creatures.
For instance, it may cause desertification, wetland or aridness. Also, a
material may change due to other material. These changes have influence or do
harm but their processes are gradual and slight.
水對大地的變化如沙漠化，濕地化，貧瘠化等有影響。其他水對溫度, 對萬物也有不同的影響，另外物質與物質之間也會交互影響. 然而，其影響不論好壞都是漸進的。
故水之守土也審，影之守人也審，物之守物也審。
8 For the same reason, eyes do harm to sight, so did ears to hearing and mind
to comprehension. Each function of body (vision, sound, smell, taste and touch)
can do harm to its responding organ (eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin).
同理，眼睛對視覺會造成傷害，耳朵對聽覺會造成傷害，心思對瞭解能力會造成傷害，所有身體的功能 (色、聲、香， 味、觸覺）對其相應的器官
(眼，耳， 鼻，舌，皮膚) 都會造成傷害。
故目之於明也殆，耳之於聰也殆，心之於殉也殆，凡能其於府也殆，殆之成也不給改。
9 After doing harm, our body can’t however, make up
for themselves, because the harm keeps accumulation and increasing. Therefore,
the aging phenomenon appears.
當傷害造成後，我們的身體卻無法完全彌補; 因為這種傷害持續累積，不斷增加，所以，我們有老化現象。
禍之長也茲萃，其反也緣功，其果也待久。
Xianchi’s interpretation and
remark (12。2)
咸池評述(12。2)
1 We should say that
temperance exertion of function is helpful to organs; machine would be rusty if
it weren’t used; if body is stagnant, it causes many problems: muscle gets
atrophy; body gets fat; vital capacity gets low; blood circuit of vessel goes
bad and eventually heart has problem.
我們應該這麼說，適度的發揮功能對於器官是很有助益的，因為機器不用就會生銹，身體老是不動，肌肉難免就會萎縮，身體就會發胖; 肺活量會不足，心血管的流通性能就會不佳，心臟也會跟著出現問題。
2 Wind and sunlight carried a little water from land to form cloud. When the
cloud accumulating thick enough, clear and fresh water would fall to the ground
and make water on land more even and clear. Accordingly, temperance wind and
sunlight are essential to the environment but fierce wind blows for long time
and strong sunlight shine for long time, which would cause problems.
風及陽光，它們將少許水份自水中提出來形成了雲，當雲層累積到夠厚，夠多時，新鮮的、乾淨的水再降下來使地面上的水資源分佈得更均勻，水質也更臻完美。因此，適度的風及陽光是重要而必須的。然而，假如是太強勁的風、過於猛烈的陽光，在經過長時間的吹拂以及太長的日照之後，問題往往就會無可避免的產生了。
3 Things in the material world are varying. They would never keep its original
forms forever, despite you use them or not.
所以說，物質界的東西都是無常的，都是變異性極高的，它們也絕不會因為你完全不加使用，而永遠地維持原狀，甚至絲毫無損。
4 Shift between life and death is inevitable. We should use them properly
before things, organs or lives are spoiled or gone. We should take care of them
and keep their own life, not spoiling them. What we should use should be used.
When they go to their ends, we are peaceful and easy to accept their destiny.
生死輪回是任誰想逃也逃不掉的。因此，在器物、在器官、在生命等遭受破損及消失前妥為運用，細心安排; 不要使之夭折，不要以破壞為目的的操作它; 該用時還是要用，當大限來臨時，就安祥的、心平氣和的接受命運的安排也就是了。
5 Book should be read; music be enjoyed; gourmet food be tasted; love be made.
Everything should be done to its right extent.
書還是照樣要看、音樂還是要聽、佳餚還是應該品嘗、性愛還是應該享受; 萬事適可而止，酌量而為也就是了。
6 Vivid and energetic body is good foundation for practices. Environment of deathly
stillness doesn’t give out
fragrance and has no vitality. Laotse and Buddha don’t like the kind of disciple who lacks the bold and
progressive attitude for practice.
一個充滿生氣以及活潑的身體，才是練功及修行的好材料; 死寂無波的環境不會發出芳香，不會有生命力。其他如缺乏勇猛精進的修行及練功的態度等，類似這樣的門徒，世尊及老子等智者是不會喜歡的。
7 Water must flow so that it keeps clean, isn’t it?
水要清澈，就要保持不斷的流動，不是嗎?
Webbed Toes (2) (6-8)。(１２．３)
莊子演義外篇駢拇(二)(6-8)。(１２．３)
6 Since the beginning of the civilization of humanity, everyone
changed much or less his inherent nature because of all kinds of desires.
自有人類文明以來，每一個人都因為物慾或多或少地改變了他的原始本性。
7 Common people spoil their inherent nature for the wealth, scholars for the
fame, aristocrats for their clan’s right and interest,
sages for saving the world. All people, though they are different in career and
rank, are the same in spoiling their inherent nature.
一般人為了追求財富而傷害其本性; 學者們為了名聲傷害其本性; 貴族們為了保持其家族的權利、利益而傷害其本性; 聖人為了救贖世界而傷害其本性。所有的人，他們雖然職業不同、地位各異，可是在傷害其原始本性上都是一樣的。
自三代以下者，天下莫不以物易其性矣！小人則以身殉利；士則以身殉名；大夫則以身殉家；聖人則以身殉天下。故此數子者，事業不同，名聲異號，其於傷性以身為殉，一也。
8 As sheepherders, Zang and Gu lost some sheep due to their neglect. Zang said that he did breach of duty because of reading
books; Gu lost sheep due to
gamble with others. Despite of their different causes, they were the same in
guilt of losing sheep.
臧與穀兩個牧羊人，他們都因疏忽而丟失了一些羊。臧說，他是因為讀書，注意力放在書本上而失職的; 穀則是因為與人賭博，而丟了羊。他們沒有看好羊的原因雖然不同，可是丟掉羊的過失卻是一樣的。
臧與穀，二人相與牧羊，而俱亡其羊。問臧奚事，則挾策讀書；問穀奚事，則博塞以游。二人者，事業不同，其於亡羊均也。
Xianchi’s interpretation and
remark(12。3)
咸池評述(12。3)
1 To identify the
primitive nature, we should notice the difference between “worldly wisdom” and “nature
disposition”.
在原始本性的認知上，我們必須留意所謂“人之天”與“天之天”的差別。
2 “Nature disposition” is self-nature, Buddha-nature, Qi,
Kuntalini and refinement. The nature is beyond material world. It is refinement
that exists forever after human death.
“天之天”是指--自性、佛性、挫火、妙用等。這個本性是超乎物質世界，是我們人死後所唯一存下來，不生不滅的妙用。
3 “Worldly wisdom” is the traits that are accumulated by human evolvement. They
would change with genetic mutation, and are incorporated into gene. They are a
part of common and primitive nature of human. This primitive nature is the
delicate arrangement by nature and makes human could play their roles in his
environment.
“人之天” 是指人類經演化所累積而來的特性，它們是隨基因而變的，是埋藏在基因中的; 它們也是人類的共同原始本性之一。這些原始本性，都是大自然巧妙的安排，是為了讓人類在自然界中，能夠繼續演繹他們所應該扮演的角色。
4 In some rivers, crocodile plays the role of predator. Its staple food is big
animal, such as otter; for which quantity of otter is limited in rivers, and
for which the consumption of fish is medium. Therefore, ecological system keeps
balance.
在一些河流中，鱷魚始終扮演著掠食性動物的角色; 牠的主食是比較大型的動物，例如海獺。正因為鱷魚以海獺等大型動物作為食物，因而控制了海獺等在河流中的數目;
也因此，魚類的數目才不會過度耗損，自然生態也才能得以維持平衡。
5 In the most primitive society in the forest, the function of human is
restricted. Size of human is not big enough, so human is not the major predator
and also not the major supplier of protein and fat too.
在最原始的叢林社會裡，人類所能夠扮演的角色其實是非常有限的; 其原因主要就在於人類的體型不夠碩大，因而不能成為掠食者，也不能成為主要的蛋白質及脂肪等的供應者。
6 The strong points of human which are better than other animal are wisdom,
tool and a pair of flexible hand. Why does nature create such a species in this
ecological system? The only reason is that human’s
hand and brain can make natural operation better and more smooth when natural
ecological adjustment is too slow to meet the actual requirement.
人類唯一比其它動物強的是他的智慧、是對工具的運用以及一雙靈活的手。而大自然生出這樣的物種，其目的究竟何在？想來唯一的理由，是為了彌補當大自然生態環境調節過於緩慢，不足于應付實際須要時; 可以透過人的一雙手、人的大腦，使其運作更臻完美順暢。
7 The question is that: are we—human, willing to play
such a role? Are we happy to play the role? Can we obtain happiness that is
permanent and free from sequela? Buddha asked us to
seek for unchanging and permanent happiness but the premise is that we should
completely desert the primitive nature of “worldly wisdom”.
可是問題是，我們會心甘情願地扮演這樣的角色嗎？扮演這樣的角色會讓我們得到快樂嗎？會得到永恆不變、沒有後遺症的快樂嗎？世尊鼓勵我們去追求永恆不變的快樂，前提是: 我們必須要徹底地拋棄掉這些原始“人之天”的本性。
8 Nature incorporates “worldly wisdom”, such as avarice, wrath and obsession
into human’s gene, as the drive of human deeds. The
result of the deeds comes with side effect that would bring pain and affliction
to us.
大自然安排貪、瞋、癡等“人之天”的本性在人類的基因裡，以作為人類行為的推動力量; 而這些行為的結果是帶有副作用的，是會給我們帶來痛苦與不快的。
9 In insisting on preservation of nature, we hence should discriminate the
difference of “nature disposition” and “worldly wisdom”.
所以在不易其性的前提下，我們實在有必要區分“天之天”
與 “人之天” 之間的差別。
10 As a sparrow, it flies around everyday to prey insects; so, the insects are
actually survived in panic of possible being eaten if they can feel it. Sparrow
also fears eagle preying or kid shooting with slinger behind it.
作為一隻麻雀，牠每天飛來飛去，捕捉昆蟲; 昆蟲如果有知，牠們每天必定是生活在惶恐之中，生怕自己會被麻雀吃掉，而麻雀本身也會提防老鷹在牠背後的捕殺，甚至小孩子在地上用彈弓襲擊牠等等。
11 Human is actually rather nervous to survive in the forest. They have to
beware of other predators every second.
人類在叢林中的生活，實際上也是相當緊張的，他們往往必須隨時隨地提防其它掠食性動物的侵襲。
12 It is bad to seek “worldly wisdom” such as wealth, fame and power which
would incur pain. However, if human returns to the “nature disposition”, and
totally deserting the “worldly wisdom”, it is very possible that his life would
be difficult and not happy at all. In considering of that, how to balance the
two primitive natures and get the happiness with fewer side effects became the
major item which Laotse and Chuang
Tzu were looking for.
追求財富、名聲、權力等“人之天”的本性是不好的，是會為我們帶來痛苦及不快的; 可是假如不易其“天之天”的本性，同時完全捨棄“人之天”的本性的話，那麼此人的生活必定是艱困異常，更完全談不上什麼快樂了。所以，這兩者之間如何取得平衡，俾求取得較少副作用的快樂，也就成為老莊等哲人所致力研究與探討的重要課題了。
Xianchi’s interpretation and
remark of Tao Te Ching (12) a.12
咸池評述道德經演義(十二)。a。12
1 It is still the
same advice as before: man of practice should keep a sound, tranquil and
peaceful mind.
還是那句老話，修行的人必須保持一個沉穩，安寧，祥和的心境。
2 Buddha told us that five skandhas are empty. Form,
feeling, perception, impulse and consciousness are changeable and a source of
suffering. Our six organs should defend the stimulation from form, sound,
smell, taste, touch and dharm. Buddha held that once
a man can defend the stimulation strictly so he has no fear and could keep far
from reversed dream, so that he is able to enter nirvana,.
世尊告訴我們五蘊皆空，色、受、想、行、識皆空，皆無常，皆是苦源; 要我們注意守住眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、識，以避開色、聲、香、味、觸、法等刺激。世尊認為，如果能不放逸地，嚴密地守住這些根，自己也就能無有恐怖，遠離顛到夢想，而進入涅盤中了。
3 Laotse also said that man of practice should guard
the channel of eye, ear, nose, tongue, heart and action when contact with outer
world. Laotse held that various colors in the world
bewilder our eyes so that we can not see the truth; music that Do, Re, Mi, Fa and So are mixed to deafen us so that we can’t hear the inner sound of our body.
老子則從另一方面著手，他提醒我們修行的人一定要密切留意眼、耳、鼻、舌、心、行等與外界接觸的管道。老子認為世間的五顏六色會迷惑我們的眼睛，使我們看不到真理，就好比Do
Re Mi Fa So所揉合而成的音樂，它們會震聾我們的耳朵，使得我們聽不見天籟之音。
4 Sour, sweet, bitter, spiciness and fishiness numb our taste bud so that we
can’t taste the light sweet.
又如酸、甜、苦、辣、腥等味道會麻木我們的口味、舌蕾，使我們再也品嘗不出清淡的香甜。
5 Hunting on the
grassland, you shoot a little rabbit and explode its head. If the games are
done much, you will become very cruel. We know that when soldier go crazy in
the battlefield, even a gentle in the peace time; he would become as fierce as
a cruel lions in the war. Japanese soldiers in the Nanjing
Massacre had matches of killing people. To a common person, it is unbelievable,
whereas, to a frenzied and beastly man, it is not more than the killing of
rabbit and roasting it.
在草原上打獵，一槍將可愛的小白兔打得腦袋開花，這種遊戲做多了，你的心會變得兇殘無比。當士兵在戰場上殺紅了眼，平時再溫文儒雅的人士，此時一個個都變成了兇猛殘暴的獅子。日本軍人在南京大屠殺期間，大家比賽誰殺的人最多。對一般人、對一個正常人而言，這些都是匪夷所思的事，然而對於一個喪心病狂，獸性大發的人來說，這跟射殺幾隻小白兔，烤熟後打打牙祭，根本也沒有多大的差別。
6 A jailer maybe is a good man, a kind father, and a funny friend when he is
out of the jail. However, in the jail, no one respect prisoners. It is regarded
deserved to tease and punish prisoners. Once the jailer takes part in the
teasing and punishment, he possible is crueler than others.
一位獄卒，他在監獄外時極有可能是一個好好先生，一位慈祥的父親、有趣的朋友。可是在監獄裡，可能由於大家都不尊重受刑人，都以整受刑人，戲弄受刑人為理所當然的事; 因此，只要這位獄卒參與了這些行為，那麼，他在監獄裡就極有可能會做出比別人更為兇殘的行為來。
7 Once a man gets rich and his house is full of treasure, he starts to worry.
He doesn’t want to leave
home for too long, afraid that his treasure is stolen. He daren’t stay at home alone, because he is afraid that robber or
thief comes in and do harm to him.
當一個人發達了，家裡金銀財寶一大堆時，他的心也就開始憂慮、擔心起來。他不敢離開家太久，生怕竊賊會來偷走他的寶貝。他也不敢一個人待在家裡，怕強盜、小偷翻牆進來時會傷害他。
8 These are what Laotse said: rare, valuable goods
keep their owners awake at night; he who has jade is innocent but jade incurs
thievery.
這些都是老子說的難得之貨，令人行妨。人無其罪，懷壁其罪。
9 If so, how do we, man of practice, walks? Laotse
held that it is enough for us to keep us out of hunger. We stop after gaining
need. It is content for us to have clothes, food, house, pen and paper, and
have time to climb hill. We don’t need splendid
clothes, gourmet food, nice music, luxury house, antique, arts craft that offer
us endless enjoyment. Remember, stop after gaining need and don’t spoil yourself, which is the advise recommended by Laotse and Buddha.
如果是這樣，那麼我們修行的人又應該如何自處呢？老子認為，為腹不為目，只要能夠填飽肚子，維持基本的生機就可以了。因此，在這個五顏六色的世界裡，我們只需淺嘗即可。有衣可遮體、暖身，有食得果腹，有屋能避寒雨，有紙筆以書畫，有機會爬山、打球就該知足了。千萬不要讓華衣、美食、悅音、豪宅、古董、字畫等在自己的眼、耳、口、心、行上造成太大的影響。記住:
淺嘗即止、不放逸。而這些都是老子、世尊共同的主張。
10 Joy, content and desire are means that nature uses to control creature.
Gaining is happy; not gaining is sad. We keep on seeking in order to gain it.
If a creature makes effort and still could not gain what it want, the creature
is to wash out and lose survive right. In the alternating of gain and loss,
universe obtains the vitality and impulsion to balance its development.
快樂、滿足、欲望等都是大自然為了控制生物數量所耍弄的手段。得則樂，不得則不樂，復繼續奮力追求以得之。若努力也不可得，則被淘汰，甚至因此而喪失了生存權。而在得與失之中，大自然便得到了平衡發展的生氣與原動力。
11 What does the “primitive nature” pursue? Ant, bee, bird and insect don’t change their primitive nature. What do they do everyday?
They do their own duty that is guided by natural rules to accomplish their
tasks by the means of greedy collection of food.
那麼“本性”的追求又是什麼呢？螞蟻、蜜蜂、鳥蟲之類應該不會易其本性吧！然而，牠們整天忙忙碌碌的，又是在做些什麼呢？原來，牠們都是被自然法則所誘導，以牠們貪得無厭的搜集食物為手段，從而達成大自然所賦予牠們的任務。
12 What is the task that nature bestows on human? By human’s
pursuit of five desires, what does nature ask human to do?
然則，大自然所賦予人類的任務又是什麼呢？大自然又是想借著人類對五欲的追求，去完成什麼樣的任務呢？
13 People die for wealth; bird for food. Bird always eats food everyday for:
1. Propagation of
offspring;
2. Limiting the
quantity of some insects whose bearing is strong;
3. Spreading plant
seed via excretion system;
4. Excreting
everywhere to fertilize soil that make plant grow well.
所謂人為財死，鳥為食亡。而鳥兒整天吃個不停是為了:
（１）繁衍子孫。
（２）平衡自然界生育能力發達的飛蛾、昆蟲之屬，以控制其數量。
（３）經由其消化排泄系統，以廣為傳播植物的種子。
（４）通過其隨處大小便的功能以肥沃土壤，讓百物滋長。
14 Why do people die for wealth?
Human’s primitive nature should be bestowed by nature.
The purpose is to maintain a prosperous environment generation by generation.
Nature asks human to do a job in making natural operation better and smoother
when natural ecological adjustment is too slow to meet the actual requirement.
So, it endows human with wisdom, the ability to invent tool and a pair of
flexible hands which could make up for the defect of natural operation. Nature’s rule is like that: the whole
interest is reached through human selfishness that includes avarice, wrath,
fight, desire, unfairness and possession and so on. When human carries out his
selfishness, natural environment reaches its goal.
至於人為財死，這又是為了什麼呢？人的本性應該也都是自然界所賦予的功能，其目的也是為了維持自然界中大環境的生生不息。大自然知道生物鏈的功能具有其不足之處，因此，便希望藉用人類的天賦來與之調整。所以，祂給人類智慧，使其擁有發明及使用工具的能力，使到他們能夠靈活的運用他們的一雙手，以填補自然運作方面的不足。大自然的基本法則是以人的私心去完成大我的整體利益，而人類的私則是貪、瞋、鬥、欲、不平、據為己有等等。在人們遂行這些私念的同時，自然界的大環境也已達成了祂們所要求的終極目的。
15 Nature bestows wisdom on human; nevertheless, some sages, such as Laotse, Chuang Tzu, Buddha, Su Dongpo, Tao Yuanming and
Einstein, had an insight into its trick. They apprehended the side effect of
being used, such as birth, aging, disease, death, wrath, avarice, stupidity and
pain by desire. They wanted to break the shackles that nature imposes on human.
So, who changes his primitive nature? Who shifts off the duty that nature
expects human to accomplish by the means of avarice, fighting, contest and
desire. Not only did the sages themselves shifted off it but they asked others
to change their primitive nature, namely giving up the pursuit for avarice,
wrath, obsession and worry.
大自然給予了人類智慧，然而，一些哲人如：老子、莊子、佛祖、蘇東坡、愛因斯坦、陶淵明等人卻看穿了這套把戲。他們體認到被利用時的副作用，他們也深深體會到所謂生老病死、貪、瞋、呆瓜，以及欲不可得的那種痛苦。因此他們決定要跳出來，要逃避大自然想套在他們頭上的枷鎖。最終，到底是誰在易其性，是誰在逃避大自然冀望人類之經由貪、鬥、爭、欲等情愫以去完成人類身為宇宙一份子的責任呢? 哲人們非但要自己逃避，還要要別人也同樣的易其性，從而放棄他們對貪、瞋、癡、憂慮等諸欲的追求。
16 The purpose of philosophic ideas is to pursue unchangeable and permanent
happiness. Laotse and ChuangTzu
taught us to return to nature. It seems contradiction between returning to
nature and pursuit of pure happiness according to actual life in the forest.
With deep understanding thought of Laostse and Chuang Tzu, we know that primitive nature covers “worldly
wisdom” and “nature disposition”. Returning to nature by Laotse
and Chuang Tzu refers to returning to the “nature
disposition”. Avarice, wrath, and obsession are the part of “worldly wisdom”
that we should rule out. Reader need to beware of it and then distinguish them.
哲學的意義在於追求真正永恆不變的快樂。老莊說回歸自然; 然而，從叢林實際生活經驗分析，回歸自然與求得純然的快樂，這兩者之間似乎存有一些矛盾。對老莊思想深入瞭解之後，我們才知道，原來人的本性中含有
"人之天" 與 "天之天" 兩個部分。老莊要求我們回歸自然的，是屬於 "天之天"的部分，而貪、瞋、癡等是 "人之天"，是需要我們謹慎處理的部分。讀者們應該留意分辨才是。