Extensive Interpretation of Tao Te Ching(1)
A
道德經演義 (一)A
Tao that can be told is not the Absolute Tao.
道可道，非常道；
The names that can be given are not
Absolute Names.
名可名，非常名。
Zhi Travels North (7) (9-24)(1。1)
莊子演義外篇知北遊(七)(9-24)(1。1)
9 There was a fable in the past. Taiqing asked Wuqiong, “Do you know Tao?”
從前有一段寓言是這樣說的。泰清問無窮：「你知道“道”嗎？」
於是泰清問乎無窮，曰：「子知道乎？」
10 Wuqiong answered, “I don’t know.”
無窮回答說：「我不知道。」
無窮曰：「吾不知。」
11 He asked Wuwei, “Do you know Tao?”
泰清又轉問無為：「你知道“道”嗎？」
12 Wuwei answered, “I know it.”
無為回答說：「我知道。」
又問乎無為，無為曰：「吾知道。」
13 Taiqing asked again, “Could you explain Tao as you
know?”
泰清追問說：「就你所知道的“道”，你是否能進一步的解釋，與說明白呢？」
曰：「子之知道，亦有數乎？」
14 Wuwei said, “Surely.” He gave a detailed
explanation to Taiqing.
無為說：「當然可以。」泰清聽了，就請無為詳細地解釋。
曰：「有。」曰：「其數若何？」
15 Wuwei said, “I know that Tao can become high, low,
concentrated and dispersed. This is Tao that I know.”
無為說：「據我所知，道可以高、可以低、可以濃縮、也可以分散; 這就是我所瞭解的道。」
無為曰：「吾知道之可以貴、可以賤、可以約、可以散，此吾所以知道之數也。」
16 Taiqing asked Wushi
about the two’s answers. “Wuqiong
doesn’t know and Wuwei
knows. Who is better?”
泰清將無為的回答轉問無始：「無窮的不知與無為的知，到底是誰的表現比較優秀呢？」
泰清以之言也問乎無始，曰：「若是，則無窮之弗知與無為之知，孰是而孰非乎？」
17 Wushi remarked, “He who replied ‘don’t know’ is
deeply aware of Tao; he who replied ‘know’ is shallow. It is because that he
who doesn’t know has gone
deep into Tao and he who knows just knows the surface.”
無始評論說：「答不知的，對道的瞭解比較淵博而深刻。答知道的，聽起來則比較膚淺。因為說不知道的，他實際上已經深入道裏; 而答知道的，他卻還是只知些皮毛而已。」
無始曰：「不知深矣，知之淺矣﹔弗知內矣，知之外矣。」
18 Raising his head, Taiqing signed, “He who said ‘don’t
know’ actually knows Tao. He who said ‘know’ actually knows the surface. How to
know who know it indeed?”
泰清仰起頭，歎息道：「說不知者，實際上知道；說知者，實際上還不夠深入，那麼，又怎麼辨識，誰才是真正的知道“道”呢？」
於是泰清仰而嘆曰：「弗知乃知乎，知乃不知乎！孰知不知之知？」
19 Wushi explained, “Tao is soundless so what audible
is not Tao. Tao is invisible so what visible is not Tao. Tao is unspeakable, so
what speakable is not Tao.
無始解釋說：「道是悄無聲息的，是聽不到的，所以聽得到的都不是道；道也是模糊不清的，是看不到的，所以凡是看得到的也都不是道。道是無法告知的，所以別人所告知你的，也都不會是道；
無始曰：「道不可聞，而非也﹔道不可見，見而非也﹔道不可言，言而非也！
20 Tao conceals in the things visible; Tao should not be named. Any name will
restrict its authenticity.”
道是隱藏在肉眼看得見的東西裏邊；道是不應該給予祂任何名稱的;
任何的名稱，都會局限祂的真實性。」
知形形之不形乎！道不當名。」
21 Wushi said again, “Anyone who answers the
questions about Tao has no idea of Tao. Anyone, who asks the questions about
Tao, shows that he never touches Tao.
無始又說：「當任何人回答有關道的問題時，都充分的說明，他其實並不明白道。至於會詢問有關道的問題的這個發問者，也同樣的顯示，他從未接觸到道的事實。
無始曰：「有問道而應之者，不知道也﹔雖問道者，亦未聞道。
22 Tao can not be asked and there is no answer about Tao.
道是不能追根究底，也是找不到任何答案的。
道無問，問無應。
23 Asking the question that should not be asked is ‘futile asking’, his
questioning is in dire extremity; answering the question that should not be
answered is ‘pointless answering’, he has no internal knowledge of the subject.
問這種不該問的問題是“問窮”，回答這種不該回答的問題是“無內”。
無問問之，是問窮也﹔無應應之，是無內也。
24 The ‘Pointless answering’ answers the question of ‘futile asking’, from
which we know that they are laymen. They don’t know
the exquisite operation of universe and the common source of all things.
Therefore, they cannot cross over the Kunlun, nor
roam in the Grand Void.”
“無內”回答“問窮”的問題，那我們就可以完全確定，這兩個人都是外行。他們不瞭解宇宙運行之妙，也不清楚萬物共同的源頭，他們是無法越過昆侖山，在太虛中遨遊的。」
以無內待問窮，若是者，外不觀乎宇宙，內不知乎大初。是以不過乎昆侖，不游乎太虛。」
Xianchi’s interpretation and remark
(1.1)
咸池評述(1。1)
1 Tao that is interpreted here is the
most foundational rule of all ages that creates whole universe and consists of
all things. It is the truth that is properly applied in all ages and locations.
這裡所謂道，是指創造整個宇宙，統合一切萬物，古往今來的最高指導法則。祂是適用於無限時空裡所有現象的真理。
2 We can’t detect the whole Tao because
our mindset, view and touch are confined; for this reason, what we can know is
a strand of Tao only, just as the blind touch an elephant. What we know is
limited, so we can’t make a complete statement. In other words, any
explanations about Tao in words or language are doomed incomplete; Tao simply
can’t be explained by words or language.
我們的思維、視野、感覺是有所局限的。所以，我們無法見得道的全貌，只能如瞎子摸象般知道一點片鱗末角。因為知之有限，所以不但說不清楚，也說不完整。換句話說，凡是用語言文字去描述解釋的道，都不是完整的道。道是不能運用語言文字去描述或加以解釋的。
3 Jordan, the
player of NBA in
美國NBA球員喬丹在籃球場上投籃、帶球、切入、傳球有如神助。每個動作都恰到好處; 多一分、少一點都不行。全球的籃球運動愛好者都將之奉為神明，崇拜得不得了。可是，如果喬丹夠誠實，他能講出一個清楚的方程式來指導大家去學習他的技巧嗎？顯然他不能，也講不出來。