Extensive Interpretation of Tao Te Ching (4)
道德經演義（四）
Tao is a hollow
vessel, and its use is inexhaustible!
道沖而用之或不盈，
Fathomless! Like the fountain
head of all things.
淵兮似萬物之宗;
Its sharp edges rounded off,
its tangles untied, its light tempered, its turmoil submerged.
(挫其銳，解其紛，和其光，同其塵)，
Yet dark like deep water it
seems to remain.
湛兮似或存。
I do not know whose Son it is,
an image of what existed before God.
吾不知誰之子? 象帝之先。
Zhi Travels North (5) (1-12)。(4。1)
莊子演義外篇知北遊(五)(1-12)。(4。1)
1
Confucius asked Laotse, “Today you are free. Could I
consult you about what the great Tao is?”
孔子對老子說：「今天您有空，我是否可以請教您，什麼是偉大的道呀？」
孔子問於老聃曰：「今日晏閒，敢問至道。」
2 Laotse replied, “At first, you fasted for days to
clean your body and heart. And then you throw completely off your thought of
sage. Then we discuss it.”
老子答稱：「你先齋戒數日，淨一下身，淨一下心。將你那滿腦子的聖賢思想徹底地丟掉之後，我們再來討論吧！」
老聃曰：「汝齋戒，疏瀹而心，澡雪而精神，掊擊而知。
3 After Confucius did what Laotse asked, Laotse said, “Tao is very profound and elusory. It is very
difficult to describe Tao. I will give you an outline of its simplest
attributes.”
孔子照辦後。老子說：「道是極其深奧而難以捉摸的。道也很難準確的用語言來描述，話雖然此，我還是就我所知，勉強的與你說一個大概吧！
夫道，窅然難言哉！將為汝言其崖略。
4 Light projects out of darkness. The tangible substance is from the
intangible. The vigor of life is from Tao. All creatures come into being due to
the combination of Tao and their bodies.
光是由黑暗中投射出來的；有形的實體是于無形之中產生的；生命的活力來自於道，軀體配合道的活力而形成了萬物。
夫昭昭生於冥冥，有倫生於無形，精神生於道，形本生於精，而萬物以形相生。
5 All things evolved to produce various forms. The one whose appearance has
nine apertures is viviparous; the one whose appearance has eight apertures is
oviparous. Sources of the creatures are unknown and their futures are unfound.
They live in the middle phase whose foregoing phase and successive phase are
unknown.
萬物經由演化，逐漸形成各式各樣不同的形象與外觀，外表有九孔的是經由胎生，外表有八孔的則是卵生。萬物來源不明，歸路無蹤，它們是存在於一個前不見去路，後不知來處的中間地帶。
故九竅者胎生，八竅者卵生。其來無跡，其往無崖，無門無房，四達之皇皇也。
6 Tao is dim however we can feel its existence clearly in other way. Since the
men following Tao, they are strong, agile and sane and can’t be influenced by
worry; they can handle affairs around them at ease.
道是那麼的灰暗不明，可是從另一方面，我們又能清楚地感覺到祂的存在。因為追隨道的人，他們身強體壯、耳聰目明、心智清晰; 憂慮不能困惑住他們，在與周遭環境，人、事、物等接觸時，他們也一樣的應付裕如、輕鬆而自在。
邀於此者，四肢強，思慮恂達，耳目聰明。
7 Since Tao exists, the heaven is high and earth is broad; the sun and the moon
run without mistake; all creatures can grow. We comprehend the existence of Tao
by the said phenomenon.
因為有道，所以天高地廣，日月也運行無誤，萬物均得以生長。從這些規律性的變化之中，我們漸漸的體會到了，道的存在。
其用心不勞，其應物無方，天不得不高，地不得不廣，日月不得不行，萬物不得不昌，此其道與！
8 I think that not all learned scholars are wise and not all people who are
eloquent have intelligence.
我認為飽學之士，不一定就聰明。而能言善道者，也不一定就很有智慧。
且夫博之不必知，辯之不必慧，聖人以斷之矣！
9 The sages who indeed obtain Tao desert the worldly knowledge and the
intelligence for argument. They only keep Tao that neither can be reduced nor
can be increased.
真正得道的聖者，他們都是將這些世俗的知識，以及辯論無礙的智慧都捨棄掉; 他們只保留心中的那一份，再加也不會增多，再減也絲毫減少不了的道。
若夫益之而不加益，損之而不加損者，聖人之所保也。
10 Tao is as deep as sea. There always is another start in its end.
道有如大海，深不見底。眼看到了盡頭，然而柳暗花明，轉個彎，又是另一個起點。
淵淵乎其若海，魏魏乎其若山，終則復始也。運量萬物而不匱。
11Tao nourishes all things but it is not in shortage. Comparing to the men who
obtain Tao, common gentlemen is much worse because they just discuss and study
the surface of things.
道供養萬物，可是祂從來不會匱竭。相較於得道者，一般的所謂君子，他們只曉得討論，以及研究事物的表面，那一點的所謂心得，比起真正的得道者來可就差得多了！
12 The source of lives is Tao that is enough forever.
道是萬物生命的源頭，就像山中湍流不息的泉水一樣，祂是永遠也不會乾涸的。
則君子之道，彼其外與！萬物皆往資焉而不匱。此其道與！
Xianchi’s interpretation and
remark(4。1)
咸池評述(4。1)
1 If these men of Tao are robust in body,
sharp in eyes and ears, and intelligent; then, these men of practice of
Kuntalini Yoga are similar to these men of Tao. Because a yogi who industrially
practice yoga, sitting in meditation and Zen, and finally bear the similar
fruit.
如果說，得道者身強體壯、耳聰目明、心智清晰的話; 那麼，練無上瑜伽的人就與得道者差不多了。因為，在他們勤練瑜伽、打坐、禪修以後，往往就會產生類似的效應。
2 It is inferred further that Tao is the mixture of Qi,
Kuntalini, essence, self-nature, Buddha-nature, and refinement.
既是如此，那我們應可以此推論並得出，道就是氣、挫火、精、自性、佛性、妙用等的總稱。
3 The basic
course of Tao is to practice yoga and Zen, and to sit in meditation.
而求道的門徑，也應就是瑜伽練習，打坐及禪修了。
4 Tao Te Ching has been the foundational classic of Taoism. Taoism
makes much of practice because probably, they know that practice is the only
course to get Tao.
“道德經”之所以成為道教的重要經典，而道教對練功異常熱衷，大概也是看出了這是求道的惟一的門徑吧。
Xianchi’s
interpretation and remark of Tao Te Ching (4) a4
咸池評述道德經演義(四)a4
1 Laotse said that the Tao he mentioned permeates in
this world was inexhaustible in supply and always available for use.
老子說，我這裡所謂的道，是充滿世間，取之不盡，用之不竭的。
2 It seems visionary, invisible and senseless but to the bottom it is the
source of all things.
祂似乎是虛無飄渺，看不到，摸不著。可是追根究底，祂似乎又是萬物的起源。
3 A man is consummative and flexible so as to be amiable when he apprehends the
deep meaning of the Tao and knows how to use it.
一位懂得道，知道道的深意，會應用道的人，他是圓融通達的。其鋒銳的錂角均被磨平，變得滑潤圓滿，易於親近。
4 His mind is sound, tranquil and peaceful.
他的心境是沉穩，安寧，祥和的; 恰像一潭清澈寧靜的湖水一樣，絲毫不起波瀾。
5
Though he is so shining, his light is not glaring.
雖然，他的形象是那麼的明耀照人，可是他的光芒，卻不會令人產生絲毫不安或刺眼的感覺。
6 He gets well
along with people, never becoming unique and aloft.
他生活在人群之中，與人們水乳交融，絕無任何標新立異，或自命清高之意。
7 He is healthy;
his mind is clear and his ears and eyes are well. Out of worry and care, he
keeps his mind sound and peaceful, without being disturbed. He deals with all
affairs freely and easily.
他的身體健康，思慮清楚，耳聰目明，不憂不慮。其心境永遠保持在平靜及沉穩的狀態之中，絲毫不受外界影響。對外界事務均能應付裕如，從容而不迫。
8 Laotse said that Tao was the source of all things.
Thus it is obvious that Tao exist in all things that are ramification
of Tao, not discriminating directions and location.
老子說，道是萬物之宗。那麼，顯然的，祂是存在於萬事萬物之中，存在於人不分中西，地不分南北; 每個人都會擁有，都是道的衍生物。
9 Tao
illuminated by Laotse is intrinsic and innate,
different from outer education.
老子這裡說的道是內在的，是天生的。祂不同於教育是外來的及後天釀造的。
10 To a man of
good education, his sharpness is blunted; his tangle
is untied; his glare is tempered; his turmoil is smoothed too. It is built in
mind of each one that is like self-nature and Buddha nature. When we rid
avarice, wrath, obsession, regret and slumber, Tao emerge naturally
without being educated, but only practice can make it emerge.
一位受過良好教育的人，教育的薰陶也可以使他達至挫其銳，解其紛，和其光，同其塵的修為，可是老子這裡說的道卻不同，祂是內建於每個人身心之內的，等同於世尊說的自性、佛性之本真。當我們將貪、瞋、癡、掉悔、睡眠等諸蓋去除了之後，這些道的天性就會慢慢流露出來。祂不需通過教育，可是卻必須經由修行才能獲得彰顯。