Tao Te Ching

Chapter 23
[Original text]

The crooked [1] will be straight, the hollow [2] will be new, the less will be obtained, and the more will be confused.

It is based on the sage holding one [3] as the world formula [4].If you don’t see yourself[5], you will be clear[6]; if you are not self-righteous, you will make it clear;

The husband does not fight, so the world cannot compete with him.The ancient so-called "music is complete", is it false?Come back with sincerity.

【Note】

[1] In vain: bent, wronged.

[2] Spare: dilapidated, bad.

[3] Hold one: keep the way.hold, keep.One, here refers to "Tao".

[4] Type: model, model.

[5] See: pass "now", show off, show off.

[6] Ming: To show, to show, to manifest.

[7] Cutting: boast.

【Analysis】

When encountering strong external pressure, always keep straight and easy to be damaged, and choose to bend to protect yourself, and to stretch again after being wronged; low-lying places can accumulate full water, and things that are too old will be refurbished or renewed ;If you have fewer goals, it will be easier to accomplish and gain more; and people who pursue too many goals are often confused by the multiple goals they choose, and they don't know what they really want, so that they get nothing in the end.

Therefore, people with Tao will adhere to the "Tao" as the basic principle and become the standard and model of everything in the world.People who do not show off themselves are more likely to be seen by others; people who are not self-righteous are more likely to be famous; people who do not brag about themselves are more likely to make outstanding achievements; , and last longer.

Therefore, if you do not compete with others, no one in the world can compete with yourself.The ancient saying of "seeking perfection through compromise", that is, wronging oneself can save oneself, must not be empty talk!It is indeed achievable, so people in the world should understand and believe in this truth, because this is also the fundamental behavior of following the "Tao".

To put it simply, the truth and meaning of "Tao" can be fully seen from life experience. When encountering problems that you cannot face and solve, you can first avoid them by being grievous and forbearing, to preserve your ability, and to observe Instead, take action after finding an opportunity, or avoid the edge, take a detour, and finally achieve your goal.By extension, this is a kind of dialectical thinking. To retreat is to advance; They are all produced in the process of change, so we must look at "advance and retreat", "stretch and bend", "struggle and not contend" dialectically, and play by ear.

【Explanation by Famous Artists】

Mr. He Shang:
If you bend yourself to follow the crowd, if you are not self-disciplined, you will be the whole body.In vain, Qu also.Bend oneself and extend others, for a long time complacent straight also.When the ground is low, water flows; when people are humble, virtue returns.Self-suffering disadvantages, successors and ancestors, the world respects it, and it will renew itself after a long time.If you accept less, you will get more. The way of heaven is humble, and the gods are entrusted with emptiness.Those who have a lot of money are confused by what they keep, and those who have a lot of knowledge are confused by what they hear.

Hug, keep also.The formula is also the law.The sage keeps one and knows everything, so he can be the standard of the world.A sage does not see thousands of miles away with his eyes, but sees with the eyes of the world, so he can understand.A sage is not self-righteous and not human, so he can be manifested in the world.Cutting, take also.The sage's morality is popular, and he does not take his own beauty, so he has contributed to the world.Reserved, big too.A sage is not arrogant, so he can last for a long time without danger.

It is said that the virtuous and the unworthy in the world, the incompetent and the incompetent contend for it.There is an old saying that if music follows the whole body, this statement is not false.Honesty, truth.Those who can follow the music are actually their bodies, and they belong to their parents without any harm.

(End of this chapter)