Extensive
Interpretation of Tao Te Ching (5) A
道德經演義（五）A
Nature is unkind: It treats the creation like sacrificial straw-dogs.
天地不仁，以萬物為芻狗；
The
sage is unkind: He treats the people like sacrificial straw-dogs.
聖人不仁，以百姓為芻狗。
The Great Supreme (6) (13-16)。(5A。1)
莊子演義內篇大宗師(六)(13-16)。(5A。1)
13
Under this situation, Xu You would be unkind if he still refused this young
man. So he said, “Well, what you said is reasonable. Then I tell you what Tao
is.
許由這時再也難以拒人於千里之外了。他說：「嗯！你說的也有道理，那我就跟你說說什麼是道吧！
14 Tao plays its role in adjusting the food chain of all creatures to make them
live but it does not take credit to itself, thinking that it does something
conforming to the righteousness. Tao makes everything prosper but it doesn’t
think that it does something conforming to the benevolence.
道，調節萬物在其食物鏈上的角色，使每種生物皆有生存的空間。可是道卻不居功，認為祂做了什麼合乎義的事。道，輔助萬物欣欣向榮，但是祂也不認為自己做了什麼合乎仁的事。
15 Though Tao have existed since the beginning of time but it doesn’t think
that it is old. It supports the heaven and covers the earth to create all
things of the universe but it doesn’t think it has high skill.
雖然，祂自古以來就存活於世，可是祂並不覺得自己很老。雖然，祂上支天，下覆地，創造了宇宙萬物；可是祂一點也不認為自己技藝超群。
16 Tao is such a master who we want to search for.”
而這樣的大師就是我們要尋找的。」
許由曰：「噫！未可知也。我為汝言其大略：吾師乎！吾師乎齏萬物而不為義，澤及萬世而不為仁，長於上古而不為老，覆載天地刻雕眾形而不為巧。此所游已！」
The Great Supreme (1) (22-26)。(5A。2)
莊子演義內篇大宗師(一)(22-26)。(5A。2)
22 A
man of perfect practice, in some cases also resorts to arms for conflict
solution, but he is different from the politician. He may defeat a country’s
army and occupy its territory; however, he will gain the local people’s morale.
The people of the occupied country will support him instead of against him.
修行完備的人也用兵打仗。可是他與一般謀略家、野心家不同。他可以打敗一個國家的軍隊，佔領他們的國土。但是，他不會失去當地的民心。被征服國家的百姓仍然擁戴他。
23 He exerts bliss to benefit people widely, which he thinks as his natural
personality. Therefore, he doesn’t think it is the lofty and indiscriminately
loving.
他廣施祝福，澤被大眾。他認為這就是他的人格屬性，本當如此; 因此他也不認為這是什麼博愛或高尚的情操。
故聖人之用兵也，亡國而不失人心。利澤施乎萬世，不為愛人。
24 The man of perfect practice persists in the principle of mirror. He would
not do as others who carefully observe the situation and give themselves a full
play when an opportunity comes. Despite of opportunity and time, he is always
calm. He never does as pulling up the seedlings in order to help them grow
faster and never complain anyone. Whatever the objective condition is, it never
threats him.
修行完備的人堅守鏡子理論，他不會細心地觀察時機，機會來了大幹一票。他不論時機的好壞，都以平常心對之; 不揠苗助長，不怨天尤人。客觀條件的優劣對他都不構成威脅。
25 Those who take the risk of losing selfness and chase fame and wealth are bad
officials.
冒著迷失自己的風險，去追求名利。這種人不是好官。
26 Those who easily commit suicide and fudge their responsibility are the one
of defective practice.
為了一件小事就鬧著要自殺，逃避責任，這種人也不算修行完備的人。
故樂通物，非聖人也﹔有親，非仁也﹔天時，非賢也﹔利害不通，非君子也﹔行名失己，非士也﹔亡身不真，非役人也。
The
Natural Course of Events (2) (1-7)。(5A。3)
莊子演義外篇天運(二)(1-7)。(5A。3)
1 Dang,
the minister of the State of
商國的宰相蕩詢問莊子怎樣做才算是仁。莊子答曰：「虎、狼等都是屬於仁的動物。」
商大宰蕩問仁於莊子。莊子曰：「虎狼，仁也。」
2 Dang asked, “What do you mean?”
蕩說：「這是什麼意思？」
曰：「何謂也？」
3 Chuang Tzu replied, “Doesn’t mother tiger love her children? So tiger is the
animal of benevolence.”
莊子說：「雌虎不是愛其子嗎？所以說老虎是屬於仁的動物。」
莊子曰：「父子相親，何為不仁！」
4 Dang asked again, “What is the supreme benevolence?”
蕩又問：「那麼什麼是至高無上的仁呢？」
曰：「請問至仁。」
5 Chuang Tzu said, “The supreme benevolence is of non-self, being flexibility
and no fixed object.”
莊子說：「至高無上的仁是無相、無住、沒有固定的對象的。」
莊子曰：「至仁無親。」
6 Dang doubted it. “I heard that without object there is no love. A man without
love is not a dutiful son. According to this deduction, how can you say that a
man of supreme benevolence has no filial piety in his heart?”
「可是我聽得人家說，」 蕩表示：「沒有具體的對象就不會有愛心，沒有愛心的人就不會是一名孝子。依照這樣的推論，你怎麼可以說有至高無上仁的人，心裡沒有孝順這樣的成分呢?」
大宰曰：「蕩聞之，無親則不愛，不愛則不孝。謂至仁不孝，可乎？」
7 Chuang Tzu said, “For sure, the supreme benevolence is of non-self and being
flexibility. It is far from filial piety. The filial piety is not enough. It is
not the real supreme benevolence.
莊子說：「不是這樣的。至高無上的仁確實是無相、無住的。祂比孝順父母的情要高出太多了。你所說的孝順是不夠的，祂不是真正至高無上的仁。
莊子曰：「不然，夫至仁尚矣，孝固不足以言之。此非過孝之言也，不及孝之言也。
Zeyang (2) (8-9)。(5A。4)
莊子演義雜篇則陽(二)(8-9)。(5A。4)
8 A
lady is born beautiful. Someday, a man gives her a mirror. If other people
don’t told her that she is beautiful, she would have no concept and sense that
the image in the mirror is more beautiful than other ladies. She is
muddle-headed to know her beauty, only by which she could keep her beauty and
loveliness for good.
一位天生麗質者，有一天別人送她一面鏡子，如果別人不告訴她，鏡子中的她長得很美。那麼她就不會有比別人美的感覺與認知。她只是懵懵懂懂地知道，又好像不知道自己長得美。只有這樣，她才能永遠保持她的美，才能永遠保持純真。
生而美者，人與之鑑，不告則不知其美於人也。若知之，若不知之，若聞之，若不聞之，其可喜也終無已，人之好之亦無已，性也。
9 A man, he exerts widely his blessing and benefits upon the mass, for which he
is entitled as a well-doer. However, if other doesn’t tell him his deeds are
kind, which he doesn’t know that it is so-called kindness and he just takes it
as granted because of the human’s nature. Indistinctively, he knows that it is
a good deed. If he can maintain the mind like this, then, his kindness will
last forever. People around him will enjoy his love and benevolence forever.
一個人，他廣施祝福，澤被大眾，大家給他取了一個善人的雅號。可是如果別人不告訴他，他的行為就是仁的表現，他自己也不知道這就是所謂善; 他只當這些是應為之事，是人性中本當如此的事。他只是模模糊糊地知道，這是件好事;
如果他能一直維持著這樣的心態，那麼他的仁心，也必將永遠的保持下去。在他周圍的人，也將永遠感受到他的關愛，以及他慈悲心的關照。
聖人之愛人也，人與之名，不告則不知其愛人也。若知之，若不知之，若聞之，若不聞之，其愛人也終無已，人之安之亦無已，性也。
Xianchi’s interpretation and remark (5A。1-4)
咸池評述(5A。1-4)
1 Innocence is from the deep place of your
heart. It shows itself under unconsciousness, which is not the play by
politician and actors. It is not the tool of benevolence, righteousness,
loyalty and credit that careerist uses it to seek fame and interest.
純真而不虛偽的個性，都是發自於內心深處的。這種自然而不矯飾的個性，往往就在人自己毫無自覺的狀態下自然地表露出來，它絕對不是政治家、戲劇家在舞臺上根據劇本所表演出來的戲碼，也不是野心家利用仁、義、忠、信等以求取名利的工具。
2 The individuality from the intrinsic and Tao is reliable and permanent.
發自內心、發自道的個性才是持久不變，也是最值得信賴的。
3 Mr. Amorous chatted with his wife someday. Their marriage lasted for thirty
more years and his children had been independent. His family was happy.
多情有一天跟他老婆聊天。多情的婚姻已經維持卅餘年，孩子們也都成家立業，可以說是一個相當美滿的家庭。
4 Mrs. Amorous said, “I know that you are good to me, children and this family.
You are good husband and father. However, the problem is that you, as a kind
man, are good to others also.”
多情的老婆說：「我知道你對我、對子女、對家庭都好。你是一個好先生、好父親、好家長、更是一個好人。可是問題也就出在這裡。像你這樣的好人，在外面對別人也會持有著相同的態度。
5 So, if you had a girlfriend outside, it would be possible for you to treat
her so. You are not an unfaithful dude who is fed up with outside girl and then
return to his wife.
所以，如果有一天你在外面交了女朋友，你極有可能對她也是這樣。因為，你不會像始亂終棄的登徒子; 他們在外面玩膩了就會回家，重回老婆的懷抱。
6 As faithful man, you love her and never leave her. Your advantage is your shortcoming.
What can I do?
而像你這樣的一個人，一旦黏上，你是不會隨便拋棄別人，置別人於不顧的，你的好處也正是你的缺點。你說，我應該怎麼辦呢？」
7 Mr. Amorous had nothing to refute her.
多情聽了，只能無言以對。
8 Chuang Tzu said that the real Tao and perfect love and benevolence are
no-self and being flexibility. Once he has a fixed lover or the lover is
selective, the virtue is imperfect, unreliable and temporary.
莊子說，真正的道、完美無缺的仁愛及慈悲應是無相、無住的。一旦有了固定的對象，一旦對像是選擇性的，那麼，這種情操就無法達至完美、就不能持久、甚至於不可靠了。
9 The unfaithful love is right instead, and the faithful love is not. Isn’t it
ironic?
多情成為正確，專情反而有了問題。這不是很諷刺嗎？
The Movements of the Heaven (4) (5A。1-5)
莊子演義外篇天運（四）(1-7) (5A。1-5)
1 Traveling around many countries, Confucius looked for a country to exert his
concept of governance. This time he arrived in the State of
孔子跑遍天下，以求施展其治國的理念。這一趟到了衛國，結果還是一樣的有志難伸。師金是當地一名政界的老前輩，顏淵想問他，為什麼孔子老是到處碰壁，其真正的原因究竟是什麼?
2 Yan Yuan asked, “My teacher, Confucius, went around many countries to exert
his concept of governance. What do you think of it?”
顏淵說：「依您看，我的老師孔丘先生這樣的遊走天下，以求施展抱負的做法怎樣？」
孔子西遊於衛，顏淵問師金曰：「以夫子之行為奚如？」
3 Shi Jin replied, “I know you are sincerely in doing it, but your way does not
work.”
師金回答：「你們是用心良苦的，可惜就是行不通啊！」
4 Yan Yuan asked, “Why?”
顏淵問：「為什麼？」
師金曰：「惜乎！而夫子其窮哉！」顏淵曰：「何也？」
5 Shi Jin explained, “Before sacrifice, the straw dog is protected carefully.
We conserve it in the bamboo basket and cover it with cloth. The sacrificial
staffs contribute it to god in a very reverent rite after they have done fast.
However, when the sacrifice is finished, the straw dog is of no value itself;
it is deserted and treaded on the roadside. Only those kids who looking for
firewood alongside the road will treat it as a treasure. They will happily pick
it up and bring it back home as firewood.
師金說：「祭祀用的芻狗，在尚未祭拜之前，我們細心地保護它，用竹籃子盛它，用布覆蓋著它，祭司還必須先行齋戒之禮，才能在極恭敬的儀式下將之奉獻給神。可是當祭祀完成後，芻狗本身就不再具有價值; 它被拋棄在路旁任人踐踏; 撿柴的孩子會將它拾起，拿回家當柴燒。
師金曰：「夫芻狗之未陳也，盛以篋衍，巾以文繡，尸祝齋戒以將之。及其已陳也，行者踐其首脊，蘇者取而爨之而已；
6 If somebody thought that these items for sacrifice should be treasured up by
putting them in the basket, covering them with cloth, taking them back home,
and conserving them under the bed, his trouble would come. He wouldn’t sleep
well with nightmare, because these items that were touched by god and ghost
will disturb him.
如果有人認為這些祭拜過的東西應該珍藏，將之用竹籃子裝起來，以毛巾覆蓋，並將它帶回家，將之放置於床底下，那麼他就有麻煩了。非但晚上睡得不好，而且會做惡夢。 因為，這些鬼神碰過的東西，會干擾到他的清夢。
將復取而盛以篋衍，巾以文繡，遊居寢臥其下，彼不得夢，必且數瞇焉。
7 Your teacher, Confucius, did the same mistake. He held tightly the old
regulations and decrees that were used by the past kings. He asked you to
study, remember and look it as sutra. Therefore, he was pursued by Shima Heng
in the State of
你的老師孔丘先生，他也是犯了同樣的錯誤。他將先王用過的一些陳規舊矩，法令規章等緊握不放; 又要你們這些弟子學習、熟背，奉若經典。所以在宋國才會受到司馬桓的追殺; 上次來衛，本地賢達人士也不認同你們的看法;同樣的，在周也毫無施展才學的機會。這不就像是那拾回芻狗，置於床下，因而不得安眠者是同樣的道理嗎？
今而夫子亦取先王已陳芻狗，聚弟子遊居寢臥其下。
Xianchi’s
interpretation and remark of Tao te Ching (5)A. a5A
咸池評述道德經演義(五)A。
a5A
1 Benevolence, love, loyalty, faith, and
righteousness are the criteria that are used in a society to distinguish the good,
the evil, culture and no culture. In our education since childhood, we are told
to love people and to treasure things. We should scrupulously abide by them or
we are blamed and repelled for infringing them.
仁、愛、忠、信、義等都是人類社會為了區分好人、壞人; 有修養、沒修養而設定的行為標準。在我們的傳統教育中，從小就被灌輸所謂仁民愛物，對人仁、愛、忠、信、義等刻板的信念。因而導致不遵守這些規矩，標準者;
最終落得被社會排擠，責罵，並且視為壞人的命運。
2 A man who is not loyal, not righteous and not credible is no more than a dog.
It is held that a dog, just for a little of food, contributes its life in the
works of watching door, hunting, and being a plaything to its master without
complaint. This is loyalty. The dog is called loyal dog.
不忠，不義，不信者，他們大概連狗都不如。在我們的觀念中，一向認為，狗是全心全意地將自己奉獻給牠的主人的。為了一點點的狗食，狗兒們無怨無悔地為主人看門、狩獵; 有時還得充當玩偶以娛主人。狗兒們這樣的表現，在一般人看來是忠; 這樣的狗，我們也稱其為忠狗。
3 The criteria of virtue, benevolence, love, loyalty, faith, and righteousness,
root deep into our mind. Nevertheless, Laotse knew it clear that the criteria
are tools that were created by clever rulers for social stability, solidarity
and implementation of policy. If people in society go along with them, society
gets unwavering, less riots. The more docile people are; the easier leader’s
ruling is. Thus leader is worry-free.
仁、愛、忠、信、義等根深蒂固地埋入我們的心中。可是，老子卻非常清楚，這些道德標準，都是少數幾個聰明的統治者，為求社稷安定、人民團結、以及順利推行政務等而創造出來的工具。在社會團體中的人們，如果個個都照著這些軌道去走，這個社會就會平穩，少是非; 順民多了，掌政的就容易管理，就可以高枕無憂。
4 Laotse
never held that benevolence, love, loyalty, faith, and righteousness are
certain to be bad. He just pointed out their essence that they are tools for
ruling the people of society. He mentioned that the universe seems to be
without mercy, quite ruthless; in that wider perspective all things are but as
ritual straw dogs. “Do you think benevolence is set as criterion of deed? I
tell you; however, that universe never abides by it. It makes such
arrangements: big fish eating small fish; small fish eating shrimp. All
creatures are involved into a food chain, eating each other. To survive, each
creature employs various means to prey other creature as food. Do they have any
benevolence?”
老子並沒有說仁、愛、忠、信、義等一定不好，他只是點出了這一切都是社會管理工具的本質。他說天地不仁，以萬物為芻狗; 你們不是說仁是行為的標準嗎？那我就告訴你們，天地並無守“仁”的規矩。老天爺安排大魚吃小魚，小魚吃小蝦; 所有的生物形成一個食物鏈，大家吃成一團。生物彼此間為求生存，拼命使出各種可能的手段來殺死對方，以求得到一己的溫飽。如此看來，祂們又何嘗懷有一絲一毫“仁”的念頭呢？
5 Taking the instances that neither sage nor universe are benevolent, Laotse
revealed the true meaning of these golden rules -- benevolence, love, loyalty,
faith, and righteousness.
老子通過“天地不仁、聖人不仁”來告訴大家，應該清楚認知仁、愛、忠、信、義這些金科玉律背後的真實意義。
6 Universe and sage have different requirement compared with ours when they deal
with the intricate creature system. The viewpoint of universe and sage is out
of our realm, their requirements are: this is a drama that should be kept
playing; it doesn’t matter who is the leading role; the key is that there is a creature performing dance of life
on the stage of universe.
天地及聖人在處理這些錯綜複雜的問題上，他們的要求與我們的是截然不同的。這是因為，天地是站在我們的時空以外的立場看生命。天地要求的是，這場戲必須綿綿不絕地演下去。誰當主角，誰當配角都無所謂。重要的是，有生物不斷的在那裏上演生命之舞。
7
Universe and sage think that the life of creature is longitudinal, a thread
going through; whereas us, the life in this time and location, our viewpoint
are focus on our self, focus on this considerably short period of time and
space; we expect ourselves to keep our roles on the stage, the longer, the
better. For the different standing of point, no wonder that the two’s
viewpoint, thinking, idea and criterion are different.
以天地的眼光看，祂認為生命體是縱的，是一條前後連貫的線。而以我們活在當下的生命看生命體，則是以站在局限於這個時空的立場上去檢視一切問題。我們都希望自己這個主、配角能持續當下去，愈長愈好; 然而從我們主觀的立場出發，我們卻是站在有我相、人相、眾生相、壽者相的範圍裡看事情、想事情。所以，各人因為立場不同而導致想法、看法、標準大為不同，也就絲毫不足為怪了。
8 It is
said that universe neglects human, which is rational. In the eyes of universe,
human is none but an actor on the stage in a scene. The former scene by
dinosaur was more wonderful than human’s.
因此，如果說天地並沒有把我們人類放在眼裏，這應該也是合情合理的。站在天地的立場，我們人類不過是戲臺上串場的演員之一。剛退場的恐龍戲碼，就比我們精彩有趣得多了。
9 Since universe is not benevolent, Buddhism defines that universe is in the
realm of transmigration and states clearly that the controller of the universe
is demon who is the one bring birth, aging, disease, death, worry and nervousness
to us. It is impossible to be intact and tranquil in the realm ruled by demon.
To gain the permanent peace and joy, people have to jump out of the realm of
demon.
因為天地不仁的特性，所以佛教界一直認為，天地是輪回的範圍，並直言天地的主事者為魔，是給我們帶來生、老、病、死、以及憂慮不安的源頭。在魔所統領的天地裏，根本就沒有圓滿及清靜的可能。想要獲得永恆及不變的安樂，就得跳出這個魔域，才有可能實現。