酷兔英语

章节正文

【原文】

致虚极,守静笃。

万物并作,吾以观复。

夫物芸芸,各复归其根。归根曰静,静曰复命。复命曰常,知常曰明。不知常,妄作凶。

知常容,容乃公,公乃全,全乃天,天乃道,道乃久,没身不殆。



【现代汉语】

让心灵保持空明、宁静,不受私欲的扰乱。

万物蓬勃生长,由静及动,我们由此看到了自然往复循环的规律。

万物纷杂,但它们又都最终由动及静,返回各自的初始与根本。这个初始极致空明、宁静,而这种空明、宁静的状态则孕育着新的生命和动力。以上的往复循环的过程就是自然变化中的不变规律,明白了解这个规律就是'明'。违背自然规律,恣意妄为就会导致动荡混乱。

真正地理解自然规律的人的内心能够包容万物,包容万物就能胸怀坦荡、大公无私,坦荡大公就能处事客观,没有偏见。做到客观周全才能符合自然的规律,而后才能符合'道'的准则,这样才能长久地避免危害和灾难。



【译文】

The vacancy and stillness should be brought to the utmost degree, so people's mind could withstand the temptation of selfish desire.

All things alike go through their processes of activity from static to dynamic state. We see the law of nature from this to-and-fro, circulatory process.

When things in the vegetable world have displayed their luxuriant growth, we see each of them return to its root and origin from dynamic to static state. The root and origin is supreme vacant and still. But, the still and vacant origin gestates new, huge life and motivity. The above report of that process is the regular, unchanging rule. To know that unchanging rule is to be intelligent and become wisdom. Contranatural and unseemly behavior leads to wild movements and evil issues.

The people who understand the natural rule indeed could accommodate the world. Therefore they could be selfless, broad and level. They will manage affairs objectively with out prejudice after them having above characters. And then, their behavior will close to 'Tao'. To follow the principle of Tao, they endure long; and to the end of their life, are exempt from all danger of decay.



【备注】

后世学者对本章内容争议颇多,微词颇多。大多批判老子的消极哲学思想,以及认为老子对宇宙万物"各复归其根"的判断和定义是偏激的,否定了人类向上的积极发展。

在我看来,这正是圣人优于我们凡夫之处,只有凡夫俗子才自诩天地之灵、万物之主,盲目而幼稚地自以为是,肆意破坏自然,竭尽其能而唯恐不及。

如果我们依旧执迷于破坏自然、破坏天道,那可真的连"复命"都难以实现了。摒弃野心和物欲,才会看到人类积极向上发展的希望。

《圣经.传道书》里有这样的句子:

凡事都有定期,天下万务都有定时:

生有时,死有时;

栽种有时,拔出所栽种的也有时;

杀戮有时,医治有时;

拆毁有时,建造有时;

哭有时,笑有时......

......静默有时,言语有时;

喜爱有时,恨恶有时;

争战有时,和好有时。

天下万物,并无新鲜......虽然听起来凄凉,确是事实,不管我们是不是自认为是万物之灵。
关键字:道德经
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