2012daily's blog
I have three precious things which I prize and hold fast. The first is gentleness; the second is economy; and the third is shrinking from taking precedence of others.
第六十六章
江海之所以能為百谷王者，以其善下之，故能為百谷王。是以聖人欲上民 ，必以言下之﹔欲先民，必以身后之。是以聖人處上而民不重，處前而民 不害。是以天下樂推而不厭。以其不爭，故天下莫能與之爭。
Chapter 66
1. That whereby the rivers and seas are able to receive the homage and tribute of all the valley streams, is their skill in being lower than they;—it is thus that they are the kings of them all. So it is that the sage (ruler), wishing to be above men, puts himself by his words below them, and, wishing to be before them, places his person behind them.
2. In this way though he has his place above them, men do not feel his weight, nor though he has his place before them, do they feel it an injury to them.
3. Therefore all in the world delight to exalt him and do not weary of him. Because he does not strive, no one finds it possible to strive with him.
第六十七章
天下皆謂我道大，似不肖。夫唯大，故似不肖﹔若肖，久矣其細也夫！我 有三寶，持而保之。一曰慈，二曰儉，三曰不敢為天下先。慈故能勇﹔儉 故能廣﹔不敢為天下先，故能成器長。今舍慈且勇﹔舍儉且廣﹔舍后且先 ﹔死矣！夫慈以戰則勝，以守則固。天將救之，以慈衛之。
Chapter 67
1. All the world says that, while my Tao is great, it yet appears to be inferior (to other systems of teaching). Now it is just its greatness that makes it seem to be inferior. If it were like any other (system), for long would its smallness have been known!
2. But I have three precious things which I prize and hold fast. The first is gentleness; the second is economy; and the third is shrinking from taking precedence of others.
3. With that gentleness I can be bold; with that economy I can be liberal; shrinking from taking precedence of others, I can become a vessel of the highest honour. Now-a-days they give up gentleness and are all for being bold; economy, and are all for being liberal; the hindmost place, and seek only to be foremost;—(of all which the end is) death.
4. Gentleness is sure to be victorious even in battle, and firmly to maintain its ground. Heaven will save its possessor, by his (very) gentleness protecting him.
第六十八章
善為士者不武﹔善戰者不怒﹔善勝敵者不與﹔善用人者為之下。是謂不爭 之德，是謂用人之力，是謂配天古之極。
Chapter 68
He who in (Tao's) wars has skill Assumes no martial port; He who fights with most good will To rage makes no resort. He who vanquishes yet still Keeps from his foes apart; He whose hests men most fulfil Yet humbly plies his art.
Thus we say, 'He ne'er contends, And therein is his might.' Thus we say, 'Men's wills he bends, That they with him unite.' Thus we say, 'Like Heaven's his ends, No sage of old more bright.'
第六十九章
用兵有言：「吾不敢為主而為客﹔不敢進寸而退尺。」是謂行無行﹔攘無 臂﹔扔無敵﹔執無兵。禍莫大于輕敵，輕敵几喪吾寶。故抗兵相若，哀者 勝矣。
Chapter 69
1. A master of the art of war has said, 'I do not dare to be the host (to commence the war); I prefer to be the guest (to act on the defensive). I do not dare to advance an inch; I prefer to retire a foot.' This is called marshalling the ranks where there are no ranks; baring the arms (to fight) where there are no arms to bare; grasping the weapon where there is no weapon to grasp; advancing against the enemy where there is no enemy.
2. There is no calamity greater than lightly engaging in war. To do that is near losing (the gentleness) which is so precious. Thus it is that when opposing weapons are (actually) crossed, he who deplores (the situation) conquers.
第七十章
吾言甚易知，甚易行。天下莫能知，莫能行。言有宗，事有君。夫唯無知 ，是以不我知。知我者希，則我者貴。是以聖人被褐而懷玉。
Chapter 70
1. My words are very easy to know, and very easy to practise; but there is no one in the world who is able to know and able to practise them.
2. There is an originating and all-comprehending (principle) in my words, and an authoritative law for the things (which I enforce). It is because they do not know these, that men do not know me.
3. They who know me are few, and I am on that account (the more) to be prized. It is thus that the sage wears (a poor garb of) hair cloth, while he carries his (signet of) jade in his bosom.
Chi-lu asked what is due to the ghosts of the dead? The Master said, When we cannot do our duty to the living, how can we do it to the dead? He dared to ask about death. We know not life, said the Master, how can we know death?
先進第十一
BOOK XI
1. 子曰：「先進於禮樂，野人也；後進於禮樂，君子也。如用之，則吾從先進。」
The Master said, Savages! the men that first went into courtesy and music! Gentlemen! those that went into them later! My use is to follow the first lead in both.
2. 子曰：「從我於陳蔡者，皆不及門也。」德行：顏淵、閔子騫、冉伯牛、仲弓；言語： 宰我、子貢；政事：冉有、季路；文學：子游、子夏。
The Master said, Not one of my followers in Ch'en or Ts'ai comes any more to my door! Yen Yüan, Min Tzu-ch'ien, Jan Po-niu and Chung-kung were men of noble life; Tsai Wo and Tzu-kung were the talkers; Jan Yu and Chi-lu were statesmen; Tzu-yu and Tzu-hsia, men of arts and learning.
3. 子曰：「回也，非助我者也！於吾言，無所不說。」
The Master said, I get no help from Hui. No word I say but delights him!
4. 子曰：「孝哉閔子騫，人不間於其父母昆弟之言。」
The Master said, How good a son is Min Tzu-ch'ien! No one finds fault with anything that his father, or his mother, or his brethren say of him.
5. 南容三復白圭，孔子以其兄之子妻之。
Nan Jung would thrice repeat The Sceptre White. Confucius gave him his brother's daughter for wife.
6. 季康子問：「弟子孰為好學？」孔子對曰：「有顏回者好學，不幸短命死矣！今也則 亡。」
Chi K'ang asked which disciples loved learning. Confucius answered, There was Yen Hui loved learning. Alas! his mission was short, he died. Now there is no one.
7. 顏淵死，顏路請子之車以為之 。子曰：「才不才，亦各言其子也。鯉也死，有棺而無 ；吾不徒行，以為之 ，以吾從大夫之後，不可徒行也。」
When Yen Yüan died, Yen Lu asked for the Master's carriage to furnish an outer coffin. The Master said, Brains or no brains, each of us speaks of his son. When Li died he had an inner but not an outer coffin: I would not go on foot to furnish an outer coffin. As I follow in the wake of the ministers I cannot go on foot.
8. 顏淵死，子曰：「噫！天喪予！天喪予！」
When Yen Yüan died the Master said, Woe is me! Heaven has undone me! Heaven has undone me!
9. 顏淵死，子哭之慟。從者曰：「子慟矣！」曰：「有慟乎！非夫人之為慟而誰為！」
When Yen Yüan died the Master gave way to grief. His followers said, Sir, ye are giving way. The Master said, Am I giving way? If I did not give way for this man, for whom should I give way to grief?
10. 顏淵死，門人欲厚葬之，子曰：「不可。」門人厚葬之。子曰：「回也，視予猶父也 ，予不得視猶子也。非我也，夫二三子也。」
When Yen Yüan died the disciples wished to bury him in pomp. The Master said, This must not be. The disciples buried him in pomp. The Master said, Hui treated me as his father. I have failed to treat him as a son. No, not I; but ye, my two-three boys.
11. 季路問事鬼神。子曰：「未能事人，焉能事鬼？」「敢問死？」曰：「未知生，焉知 死？」
Chi-lu asked what is due to the ghosts of the dead? The Master said, When we cannot do our duty to the living, how can we do it to the dead? He dared to ask about death. We know not life, said the Master, how can we know death?
12. 閔子侍側，誾誾如也；子路，行行如也；冉有、子貢，侃侃如也。子樂。若由也，不 得其死然。
Seeing the disciple Min standing at his side with winning looks, Tzu-lu with warlike front, Jan Yu and Tzu-kung frank and free, the Master's heart was glad. A man like Yu, he said, dies before his day.
13. 魯人為長府。閔子騫曰：「仍舊貫，如之何？何必改作！」子曰：「夫人不言，言必 有中。」
The men of Lu were building the Long Treasury. Min Tzu-ch'ien said, Would not the old one do? Why must it be rebuilt? The Master said, That man does not talk, but when he speaks he hits the mark.
14. 子曰：「由之瑟，奚為於丘之門？」門人不敬子路。子曰：「由也升堂矣！未入於室 也！」
The Master said, What has the lute of Yu to do, twanging at my door? But when the disciples looked down on Tzu-lu, the Master said, Yu has come up into hall, but he has not yet entered the inner rooms.
15. 子貢問：「師與商也孰賢？」子曰：「師也過，商也不及。」曰：「然則師愈與？」 子曰：「過猶不及。」
Tzu-kung asked, Which is the better, Shih or Shang? The Master said, Shih goes too far, Shang not far enough. Then is Shih the better? said Tzu-kung. Too far, said the Master, is no nearer than not far enough.
Abstract: Suzan Mazur describes the evolution industry in crisis, given an apparent emptiness in the neo-Darwinian account. Mazur interviewed many world-wide scholars, and not just those that attended the 2008 meeting in Altenberg, Austria. Stewart Newman, Antonio Lima-de-Faria and Lynn Margulis provide among of the most interesting and credible accounts of an evolution that is not stuck in a dogmatic and hopeless neo-Darwinism. This is not to say that most scientists don`t still over prescribe Darwin`s simplistic theory, and some of these folks are interviewed in Mazur`s book. See: http://scigod.com/index.php/sgj/article/view/51
Review of Jerry A. Fodor & Massimo Piattelli-Palmarini's Book by Stephen P. Smith: What Darwin Got Wrong
Abstract: I agree with most of Fodor and Palmarini`s analysis. They ask what kind of "theory is natural selection?," and write the following: "The same kind as Skinner`s theory of operant conditioning. With, however, the following caveat: all that`s wrong with Skinner`s story about filtering of psychological profiles is that it is a variety of associationism, and quite generally, associationism is not true. But Darwinism has (we`ll claim) no analogous story about the evolutionary filtering of randomly generated phenotypes. In consequence, whereas Skinner`s theory of conditioning is false, Darwin`s theory of selection is empty." See: http://scigod.com/index.php/sgj/article/view/52
Review of Amit Goswami's Book by Stephen P. Smith: Creative Evolution: A Physicist's Resolution between Darwinism and Intelligent Design
Abstract: Goswami's book is worth five stars, and his view of evolution is almost the same as my own; and I have studied evolution for years now. I present the following quotes. For example, Goswami write: "Any organizing principle that is nonmaterial is automatically excluded from science by definition. However, mainstream scientists themselves, biologists included, have a fundamental but unproven metaphysical assumption behind their work called scientific materialism." See: http://scigod.com/index.php/sgj/article/view/53
Review of Michael J. Behe's Book by Stephen P. Smith: The Edge of Evolution: The Search for the Limits of Darwinism
Abstract: Michael J. Behe, in "The Edge of Evolution", shows himself to be an evolutionist. He believes in common descent, but he questions the limit of Darwin's theory. Behe sees Darwin's theory as describing only micro evolution. See: http://scigod.com/index.php/sgj/article/view/54
Review of S. Conway Morris' Book by Stephen P. Smith: Life's Solution: Inevitable Humans in a Lonely Universe
Abstract: Simon Conway Morris in "Life's Solution" makes his point. Evolution does seem to be going somewhere, and human-like intelligence is along the way (not to be confused with the endpoint). Morris is less convincing with his belief that we are alone in the universe. To collect convincing data we need to travel to distant corners of the universe, and see for ourselves. But such a hypothetical adventure is out of the question, at least today. See: http://scigod.com/index.php/sgj/article/view/55
Abstract: This is a philosophic proof, but is it a scientific proof? Science has drifted into philosophy, and it finds itself unable to stay as a pure activity as Popper demanded. And so Shollenberger`s proof can be seen as scientific in that all evidence must make sense within the unifying presence, and because science necessarily drifts into philosophy for big questions about what is beyond caricature (infinite). When science is limited to empiricism and existentialism, science can only test theories that permit predictions (that necessarily make a caricature of their subject). The caricature-giver is beyond Popper`s science. See: http://scigod.com/index.php/sgj/article/view/26
Review of Duane Elgin's Book by Stephen P. Smith: The Living Universe: Where Are We? Who Are We? Where Are We Going?
Abstract: A close look at Elgin analysis shows that science has been unable to get beyond the three-fold archetype (receiving, sending, and middle-term), and it is this archetype that hints at Elgin`s conclusion. Elgin gives the false impression that most scientists will welcome his conclusion (or rediscovery). No, only some will have the level of maturity to find something significant in Elgin`s work. Many will accuse Elgin of being pseudo-scientific, but they are wrong. True, Elgin`s account is less about science as it is known traditionally, but his interpretation of the evidence is the correct one (in my view). Elgin presents a philosophical and spiritual treatment that recognizes the scientific evidence that is found beholding to the three-fold archetype. And this is not to say that all presented evidence is valid enough to give its support to Elgin`s thesis. For example, Elgin (page 103) mentions sting theory: "the particle nature of matter gives way to unimaginably small, vibrating loops of non-material strings." But string theory remains a wild speculation, and it adds little value to Elgin`s worthy insights. See: http://scigod.com/index.php/sgj/article/view/27
Review of Amit Goswami's Book by Stephen P. Smith: God Is Not Dead: What Quantum Physics Tells Us about Our Origins and How We Should Live
Abstract: Goswami's book provides evidence for the reality of God, and he gives (page 34) an early outline: "In view of quantum physics, the vast data on life after death, and alternative subtle-body medicine, it is considerably more difficult to refute the ideas of downward causation and subtle bodies." Goswami is breaking new ground here. Nevertheless, the book could benefit with additional treatments of some classical philosophical arguments, and I mean to point to arguments that are beyond Thomas Aquinas. Hegel's "ontological proof of God" and Charles S. Peirce's "neglected argument for the reality of God" (as they are known) provide non-dual understandings that are agreeable to Goswami's monistic idealism, in my opinion. See: http://scigod.com/index.php/sgj/article/view/28
Review of Antony Flew & Roy A. Varghese's Book by Stephen P. Smith : There Is a God: How the World's Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind
Abstract: Antony Flew's "There is a God" deserves a careful read by both believer and non-believer. Flew sews together an evidential tapestry, mostly by pointing to the work of others like Albert Einstein, Paul Davies, Gerald Schroeder, John Barrow, Richard Cameron, David Berlinski, and several others. Overall, I am impressed with Flew's thinking. See: http://scigod.com/index.php/sgj/article/view/29
Review of Bernard Haisch's Book by Stephen P. Smith: The God Theory: Universes, Zero-point Fields, and What's Behind It All
Abstract: Bernard Haisch's "The God Theory" is required reading for anyone interested in the religion versus science debate. Haisch (page xi) notes the modern-day dilemma: "you cannot get away from the preexistence of something, and whether that is an ensemble of physical laws generating infinite random universes or an infinite conscious intelligence is something present-day science cannot resolve, and indeed one view is not more rational than the other." But Haisch's God is very real. We are God's expressions, and we labor to bring God's experience to an otherwise meaningless world. See: http://scigod.com/index.php/sgj/article/view/30
The great state only wishes to unite men together and nourish them; a small state only wishes to be received by, and to serve, the other. Each gets what it desires, but the great state must learn to abase itself.
第六十一章
大國者下流，天下之交也，天下之牝。牝常以靜勝牡，以靜為下。故大國 以下小國，則取小國﹔小國以下大國，則取大國。故或下以取，或下而取 。大國不過欲兼畜人，小國不過欲入事人。夫兩者各得所欲，大者宜為下 。
Chapter 61
1. What makes a great state is its being (like) a low-lying, down-flowing (stream);—it becomes the centre to which tend (all the small states) under heaven.
2. (To illustrate from) the case of all females:—the female always overcomes the male by her stillness. Stillness may be considered (a sort of) abasement.
3. Thus it is that a great state, by condescending to small states, gains them for itself; and that small states, by abasing themselves to a great state, win it over to them. In the one case the abasement leads to gaining adherents, in the other case to procuring favour.
4. The great state only wishes to unite men together and nourish them; a small state only wishes to be received by, and to serve, the other. Each gets what it desires, but the great state must learn to abase itself.
第六十二章
道者萬物之奧。善人之寶，不善人之所保。美言可以市尊，美行可以加人 。人之不善，何棄之有？故立天子，置三公，雖有拱璧以先駟馬，不如坐 進此道。古之所以貴此道者何？不曰求以得，有罪以免耶？故為天下貴。
Chapter 62
1. Tao has of all things the most honoured place. No treasures give good men so rich a grace; Bad men it guards, and doth their ill efface.
2. (Its) admirable words can purchase honour; (its) admirable deeds can raise their performer above others. Even men who are not good are not abandoned by it.
3. Therefore when the sovereign occupies his place as the Son of Heaven, and he has appointed his three ducal ministers, though (a prince) were to send in a round symbol-of-rank large enough to fill both the hands, and that as the precursor of the team of horses (in the court-yard), such an offering would not be equal to (a lesson of) this Tao, which one might present on his knees.
4. Why was it that the ancients prized this Tao so much? Was it not because it could be got by seeking for it, and the guilty could escape (from the stain of their guilt) by it? This is the reason why all under heaven consider it the most valuable thing.
第六十三章
為無為，事無事，味無味。大小多少，報怨以德。圖難于其易，為大于其 細。天下難事，必作于易，天下大事，必作于細。是以聖人終不為大，故 能成其大。夫輕諾必寡信，多易必多難。是以聖人猶難之，故終無難矣。
Chapter 63
1. (It is the way of the Tao) to act without (thinking of) acting; to conduct affairs without (feeling the) trouble of them; to taste without discerning any flavour; to consider what is small as great, and a few as many; and to recompense injury with kindness.
2. (The master of it) anticipates things that are difficult while they are easy, and does things that would become great while they are small. All difficult things in the world are sure to arise from a previous state in which they were easy, and all great things from one in which they were small. Therefore the sage, while he never does what is great, is able on that account to accomplish the greatest things.
3. He who lightly promises is sure to keep but little faith; he who is continually thinking things easy is sure to find them difficult. Therefore the sage sees difficulty even in what seems easy, and so never has any difficulties.
第六十四章
其安易持，其未兆易謀，其脆易泮，其微易散，為之于未有，治之于未亂 。合抱之木，生于毫末﹔九層之臺，起于累土﹔千里之行，始于足下。為 者拜之，執者失之，是以聖人無為，故無敗，無執，故無師。民之從事， 常于几成而敗之﹔慎終如始，則無敗事。是以聖人欲不欲，不貴難得之貨 ﹔學不學，復眾人之所過。以輔萬物之自然，而不敢為。
Chapter 64
1. That which is at rest is easily kept hold of; before a thing has given indications of its presence, it is easy to take measures against it; that which is brittle is easily broken; that which is very small is easily dispersed. Action should be taken before a thing has made its appearance; order should be secured before disorder has begun.
2. The tree which fills the arms grew from the tiniest sprout; the tower of nine storeys rose from a (small) heap of earth; the journey of a thousand li commenced with a single step.
3. He who acts (with an ulterior purpose) does harm; he who takes hold of a thing (in the same way) loses his hold. The sage does not act (so), and therefore does no harm; he does not lay hold (so), and therefore does not lose his bold. (But) people in their conduct of affairs are constantly ruining them when they are on the eve of success. If they were careful at the end, as (they should be) at the beginning, they would not so ruin them.
4. Therefore the sage desires what (other men) do not desire, and does not prize things difficult to get; he learns what (other men) do not learn, and turns back to what the multitude of men have passed by. Thus he helps the natural development of all things, and does not dare to act (with an ulterior purpose of his own).
第六十五章
古之善為道者，非以明民，將以愚之。民之難治，以其智多。故以智治國 ，國之賊﹔不以智治國，國之福。知此兩者，亦稽式。常知稽式，是謂「 玄德」，「玄德」深遠﹔與物反矣，然后乃至大順。
Chapter 65
1. The ancients who showed their skill in practising the Tao did so, not to enlighten the people, but rather to make them simple and ignorant.
2. The difficulty in governing the people arises from their having much knowledge. He who (tries to) govern a state by his wisdom is a scourge to it; while he who does not (try to) do so is a blessing.
3. He who knows these two things finds in them also his model and rule. Ability to know this model and rule constitutes what we call the mysterious excellence (of a governor). Deep and far-reaching is such mysterious excellence, showing indeed its possessor as opposite to others, but leading them to a great conformity to him.
Even at a meal of coarse rice, or herb broth, or gourds, he made his offering with all reverence.
鄉黨第十 Book X
1. 孔子於鄉黨，恂恂如也，似不能言者。其在宗廟朝廷，便便言，唯謹爾。
Among his own country folk Confucius wore a homely look, like one that has no word to say. In the ancestral temple and at court his speech was full, but cautious.
2. 朝與下大夫言，侃侃如也；與上大夫言，誾誾如也。君在，踧踖如也，與與如也。
At court he talked frankly to men of low rank, winningly to men of high rank. When the king was there, he looked intent and solemn.
3. 君召使擯，色勃如也。足躩如也，揖所與立，左右手，衣前後，襜如也。趨進，翼如 也。賓退，必復命，曰：「賓不顧矣。」
When the king bade him receive guests, his face seemed to change and his legs to bend. He bowed left and right to those beside him, straightened his robes in front and behind, and swept forward, with arms spread like wings. When the guest had left, he brought back word, saying, The guest is no longer looking.
4. 入公門，鞠躬如也，如不容。立不中門，行不履閾。過位，色勃如也，足躩如也，其 言似不足者。攝齊升堂，鞠躬如也，屏氣似不息者。出，降一等，逞顏色，怡怡如也；沒階趨進，翼如也；復其位，踧踖如也。
As he went in at the palace gate he stooped, as though it were too low for him. He did not stand in the middle of the gate, or step on the threshold. When he passed the throne, his face seemed to change and his legs to bend: he spake with bated breath. As he went up the hall to audience, he lifted his robes, bowed his back, and masked his breathing till it seemed to stop. As he came down, he relaxed his face below the first step and looked pleased. From the foot of the steps he swept forward with arms spread like wings; and when he was back in his seat, he looked intent as before.
5. 執圭，鞠躬如也；如不勝。上如揖，下如授，勃如戰色，足縮縮如有循。享禮有容色， 私覿愉愉如也。
When he carried the sceptre, his back bent, as under too heavy a burden; he lifted it no higher than in bowing and no lower than in making a gift. His face changed, as it will with fear, and he dragged his feet, as though they were fettered. When he offered his present his manner was formal; but at the private audience he was cheerful.
6. 君子不以以紺緅飾，紅紫不以為褻服；當暑，袗絺綌，必表而出之。緇衣羔裘，素衣麑 裘，黃衣狐裘。褻裘長，短右袂。必有寢衣，長一身有半。狐貉之厚以居。去喪無所不佩。非帷裳，必殺之。羔裘玄冠，不以弔。吉月，必朝服而朝。
The gentleman was never decked in violet or mauve; even at home he would not wear red or purple. In hot weather he wore an unlined linen gown, but always over other clothes. With lamb-skin he wore black, with fawn, white, and with fox-skin, yellow. At home he wore a long fur gown, with the right sleeve short. His nightgown was always half as long again as his body. In the house he wore thick fur, of fox or badger. When he was not in mourning there was nothing missing from his girdle. Except for sacrificial dress, he was sparing of stuff. He did not wear lamb's fur, or a black cap, on a mourning visit. At the new moon he always put on court dress and went to court.
7. 齊，必有明衣布。齊，必變食。居，必遷坐。
On his days of abstinence he always wore linen clothes of a pale colour; and he changed his food and moved from his wonted seat.
8. 食不厭精，膾不厭細。食饐而餲，魚餒而肉敗不食，色惡不食，臭惡不食，失飪不食， 不時不食，割不正不食，不得其醬不食。肉雖多，不使勝食氣。惟酒無量，不及亂。沽酒，市脯，不食。不撤薑食。不多食。祭於公，不宿肉。祭肉，不出三日；出三日，不食之矣。食不語，寢不言。雖疏食，菜羹，瓜祭，必齊如也。
He did not dislike well-cleaned rice or hash chopped small. He did not eat sour or mouldy rice, bad fish, or tainted flesh. He did not eat anything that had a bad colour or that smelt bad, or food that was badly cooked or out of season. Food that was badly cut or served with the wrong sauce he did not eat. However much flesh there might be, it could not conquer his taste for rice. To wine alone he set no limit, but he did not drink enough to muddle him. He did not drink bought wine, or eat ready-dried market meat. He never went without ginger at a meal. He did not eat much. After a sacrifice at the palace he did not keep the flesh over-night. He never kept sacrificial flesh more than three days. If it had been kept longer it was not eaten. He did not talk at meals, nor speak when he was in bed.
Even at a meal of coarse rice, or herb broth, or gourds, he made his offering with all reverence.
9. 席不正不坐。 If his mat was not straight, he would not sit down.
10. 鄉人飲酒，杖者出，斯出矣。鄉人儺，朝服而立於阼階。
When the villagers were drinking wine, as those that walked with a staff left, he left too. At the village exorcisms he put on court dress and stood on the east steps.
11. 問人於他邦，再拜而送之。康子饋藥，拜而受之，曰：「丘未達，不敢嘗。」
When sending a man with enquiries to another land, he bowed twice to him and saw him out. When K'ang gave him some drugs, he bowed, accepted them, and said, I have never taken them; I dare not taste them.
12. 廄焚，子退朝，曰：「傷人乎？」不問馬。
On coming back from court after his stables had been burnt, the Master said, Is anyone hurt? He did not ask about the horses.
13. 君賜食，必正席先嘗之。君賜腥，必熟而薦之。君賜生，必畜之。侍食於君，君祭先 飯。疾君視之，東首，加朝服拖紳。君命召，不俟駕行矣。
When the king sent him cooked meat, he put his mat straight, and tasted it first; when he sent him raw flesh, he had it cooked, and offered it to the spirits; when he sent him a live beast, he kept it alive. When he ate in attendance on the king, the king made the offering, he tasted things first. When he was sick and the king came to see him, he lay with his head to the east, with his court dress over him and his girdle across it. When he was called by the king's bidding, he walked, without waiting for his carriage.
14. 入大廟，每事問。
On going into the Great Temple he asked about everything.
15. 朋友死，無所歸，曰：「於我殯。」朋友之饋，雖車馬，非祭肉，不拜。
When a friend died, who had no home to go to, he said, It is for me to bury him. When friends sent him anything, even a carriage and horses, he never bowed, unless the gift was sacrificial flesh.
16. 寢不尸，居不容。見齊衰者，雖狎必變。見冕者與瞽者，雖褻必以貌。凶服者式之； 式負版者，有盛饌，必變色而作。迅雷風烈必變。
He did not sleep like a corpse. At home he unbent. Even if he knew him well, his face changed when he saw a mourner. Even when he was in undress, if he saw anyone in full dress, or a blind man, he looked grave. To men in deep mourning and to the census-bearers he bowed over the cross-bar. Before choice meats he rose with changed look. At sharp thunder, or a fierce wind, his look changed.
17. 升車，必正立執綏。車中不內顧，不疾言，不親指。
When mounting his carriage he stood straight and grasped the cord. When he was in it, he did not look round, or speak fast, or point.
18. 色斯舉矣，翔而後集。曰：「山梁雌雉，時哉時哉！」子路共之，三嗅而作。
Seeing a man's face, she rose, flew round and settled. The Master said, Hen pheasant on the ridge, it is the season, it is the season. Tzu-lu went towards her: she sniffed thrice and rose.
In the beginning there was prespacetime (GOD) by itself e0 =1 materially empty and spiritually restless. And it began to imagine through primordial self-referential spin
…such that it created the self-referential Matrix Law, the external object to be observed and internal object as observed, separated them into external world and internal world, caused them to interact through said Matrix Law and thus gave birth to the Universe which it has since passionately loved, sustained and made to evolve. In short, this work is the continuation of our hypothesis of scientific genesis, sustenance & evolution of the Universe and all creations within (the principle of existence). Click hereIn the beginning there was prespacetime (GOD) by itself e0 =1materially empty and spiritually restless. And it began to imagine through primordial self-referential spin 1=e0=eiM-iM=eiMe-iM=e-iM/e-iM =eiM/eiM… such that it created the external object to be observed and internal object as observed, separated them into external world and internal world, caused them to interact through self-referential Matrix Law and thus gave birth to the Universe which it has since passionately loved, sustained and made to evolve. In short, this is our hypothesis of a scientific genesis (principle of existence). In this work, we shall lay out its ontological and mathematical foundations which shall include gravity and consciousness. We will then discuss its implications and applications and make predictions etc.
Click HereGoverning a great state is like cooking small fish.
第五十七章
以正治國，以奇用兵，以無事取天下。吾何以知其然哉？以此：天下多忌 諱，而民彌貧﹔人多利器，國家滋昏﹔人多伎巧，奇物滋起﹔法令滋彰， 盜賊多有。故聖人云：「我無為，而民自化﹔我好靜，而民自正﹔我無事 ，而民自富﹔我無欲，而民自朴」。
Chapter 57
1. A state may be ruled by (measures of) correction; weapons of war may be used with crafty dexterity; (but) the kingdom is made one's own (only) by freedom from action and purpose.
2. How do I know that it is so? By these facts:—In the kingdom the multiplication of prohibitive enactments increases the poverty of the people; the more implements to add to their profit that the people have, the greater disorder is there in the state and clan; the more acts of crafty dexterity that men possess, the more do strange contrivances appear; the more display there is of legislation, the more thieves and robbers there are.
3. Therefore a sage has said, 'I will do nothing (of purpose), and the people will be transformed of themselves; I will be fond of keeping still, and the people will of themselves become correct. I will take no trouble about it, and the people will of themselves become rich; I will manifest no ambition, and the people will of themselves attain to the primitive simplicity.'
第五十八章
其政悶悶，其民淳淳﹔其政察察，其民缺缺。禍兮，福之所倚，福兮，禍 之所伏。孰知其極？其無正也。正復為奇，善復為妖。人之迷，其日固久 。是以聖人方而不割，廉而不劌，直而不肆，光而不耀。
Chapter 58
1. The government that seems the most unwise, Oft goodness to the people best supplies; That which is meddling, touching everything, Will work but ill, and disappointment bring. Misery!—happiness is to be found by its side! Happiness!—misery lurks beneath it! Who knows what either will come to in the end?
2. Shall we then dispense with correction? The (method of) correction shall by a turn become distortion, and the good in it shall by a turn become evil. The delusion of the people (on this point) has indeed subsisted for a long time.
3. Therefore the sage is (like) a square which cuts no one (with its angles); (like) a corner which injures no one (with its sharpness). He is straightforward, but allows himself no license; he is bright, but does not dazzle.
第五十九章
治人事天，莫若嗇。夫為嗇，是謂早服﹔早服謂之重積德﹔重積德則無不 克﹔無不克則莫知其極﹔莫知其極，可以有國﹔有國之母，可以長久﹔是 謂深根固柢，長生久視之道。
Chapter 59
1. For regulating the human (in our constitution) and rendering the (proper) service to the heavenly, there is nothing like moderation.
2. It is only by this moderation that there is effected an early return (to man's normal state). That early return is what I call the repeated accumulation of the attributes (of the Tao). With that repeated accumulation of those attributes, there comes the subjugation (of every obstacle to such return). Of this subjugation we know not what shall be the limit; and when one knows not what the limit shall be, he may be the ruler of a state.
3. He who possesses the mother of the state may continue long. His case is like that (of the plant) of which we say that its roots are deep and its flower stalks firm:—this is the way to secure that its enduring life shall long be seen.
第六十章
治大國，若烹小鮮。以道蒞天下，其鬼不神﹔非其鬼不神，其神不傷人﹔ 非其神不傷人，聖人亦不傷人。夫兩不相傷，故德交歸焉。 Chapter 60
1. Governing a great state is like cooking small fish.
2. Let the kingdom be governed according to the Tao, and the manes of the departed will not manifest their spiritual energy. It is not that those manes have not that spiritual energy, but it will not be employed to hurt men. It is not that it could not hurt men, but neither does the ruling sage hurt them.
3. When these two do not injuriously affect each other, their good influences converge in the virtue (of the Tao).
The Master said, Wisdom has no doubts; love does not fret; the bold have no fears.
16. 子在川上曰：「逝者如斯夫！不舍晝夜。」
As he stood by a stream, the Master said, Hasting away like this, day and night, without stop!
17. 子曰：「吾未見好德如好色者也。」
The Master said, I have seen no one that loves mind as he loves looks.
18. 子曰：「譬如為山，未成一簣，止，吾止也！譬如平地，雖覆一簣，進，吾往也！」
The Master said, In making a mound, if I stop when one more basket would finish it, I stop. When flattening ground, if, after overturning one basket, I go on, I go ahead.
19. 子曰：「語之而不惰者，其回也與？」
The Master said, Never listless when spoken to, such was Hui.
20. 子謂顏淵曰：「惜乎！吾見其進也，吾未見其止也！」
Speaking of Yen Yüan, the Master said, The pity of it! I saw him go on, but I never saw him stop!
21. 子曰：「苗而不秀者，有矣夫！秀而不實者，有矣夫！」
The Master said, Some sprouts do not blossom, some blossoms bear no fruit!
22. 子曰：「後生可畏，焉知來者之不如今也？四十五十而無聞焉，斯亦不足畏也已！」
The Master said, Awe is due to youth. May not to-morrow be bright as to-day? To men of forty or fifty, who are still unknown, no awe is due.
23. 子曰：「法語之言，能無從乎？改之為貴！巽與之言，能無說乎？繹之為貴！說而不 繹，從而不改，吾末如之何也已矣！」
The Master said, Who would not give ear to a downright word? But to mend is better. Who would not be pleased by a guiding word? But to think it out is better. With such as are pleased but do not think out, or who listen but do not mend, I can do nothing.
24. 子曰：「主忠信，毋友不如己者，過則勿憚改。」
The Master said, Put faithfulness and truth first; have no friends unlike thyself; be not ashamed to mend thy faults.
25. 子曰：「三軍可奪帥也，匹夫不可奪志也。」
The Master said, Three armies may be robbed of their leader, no wretch can be robbed of his will.
26. 子曰：「衣敝縕袍，與衣孤貉者立，而不恥者，其由也與！不忮不求，何用不臧？」 子路終身誦之。子曰：「是道也，何足以臧！」
The Master said, Yu is the man to stand, clad in a worn-out quilted gown, unashamed, amid robes of fox and badger! Without hatred or greed, What but good does he do? But when Tzu-lu was everlastingly humming these words, the Master said, This is the way towards it, but how much short of goodness itself!
27. 子曰：「歲寒，然後知松柏之後彫也。」
The Master said, Erst the cold days show how fir and cypress are last to fade.
28. 子曰：「知者不惑，仁者不憂，勇者不懼。」
The Master said, Wisdom has no doubts; love does not fret; the bold have no fears.
29. 子曰：「可與共學，未可與適道；可與適道，未可與立；可與立，未可與權。」
The Master said, With some we can learn together, but we cannot go their way; we can go the same way with others, though our standpoint is not the same; and with some, though our standpoint is the same our weights and scales are not.
30. 「唐棣之華，偏其反而，豈不爾思？室是遠而。」子曰：「未之思也，未何遠之 有？」
The blossoms of the plum tree Are dancing in play; My thoughts are with thee, In thy home far away. The Master said, Her thoughts were not with him, or how could he be far away?
