Tao Te Ching

Chapter 40
[Original text]

In the past, those who got the one [1], the sky got the one to clear, the earth got the peace, the gods got the one to be spiritual, the valleys got the one to prosper, all things got the one to live, and the princes got the one to think the world was right[2].

As a result[3], if the sky is not clear, it will be split; if the earth is not peaceful, it will be destroyed [4]; ]; all things have no way to live, and they will be destroyed; princes and kings have no way to be noble, and they will be afraid of collapse [5].

Therefore, the noble must be based on the humble, and the high must be based on the inferior.Therefore, the Hou Wang claimed to be lonely, widowed, and not a valley.Isn't this evil based on cheapness?Nothing!Therefore, there are no cars for several cars, and I don't want the 琭琭[8] to be like jade, and the luoluo[9] to be like stone.

【Note】

[1] One: that is, "Tao".

[2] Positive: leader.

[3] The reason: push it.

[4] Abandoned: Abandoned, extended to collapse.

[5] Rest: Stop, stop, extended to extinction.

[6] Exhausted: Exhausted.

[7] Kick: Fall, here refers to collapse.

[8] 琭琭: Glossy appearance, describing beautiful jade.

[9] Luoluo: Hard appearance, describing stone.

【Analysis】

Those who have obtained the "Tao" in the past: the heavens have the Tao, and the earth is peaceful, the gods have the Tao, and the spirits, the valleys, the valleys are full, the things can grow, and the princes and kings can become the leaders of the world.

In other words, if the sky is not clear, it will collapse; if the earth is not peaceful, it will collapse; if the gods do not appear, they will perish; Extinction; if the Hou Wang cannot become the leader, the regime will fall by the wayside.

Therefore, nobility takes baseness as its foundation, and highness and inferiority as its foundation.Hou Wang claimed to be "lonely, widowed, and unworthy". Isn't this based on lowliness?yes!Therefore, the highest honor does not require praise. Those who have won the "Tao" do not want to be glorious jade, but are willing to become hard and ordinary stones.

It can be seen from this that there is no dignity of an emperor without the ordinaryness of the common people, and there is no preciousness of gems without the ordinaryness of stones... All the superior things are given their status by more inferior substances, and these inferior things should be cherished , in order to have the supreme honor.

【Explanation by Famous Artists】

Mr. He Shang:
In the past, in the past.One, inaction is the son of Tao.It is said that the sky is one, so it can hang like a clear sky.The words and the ground are the same, so they can be quiet and unshakable.It is said that God has one, so it can change invisible.The words and valleys are one, so they can be full and endless.It is said that all things need Tao to be generated.Yan Hou Wang got one, so he can bring justice to the world.

To, commandment also.It is called the next six things.It is said that the sky should have yin and yang to relax and expand, and it can be used more day and night, but if you want to be clear and bright, you may split into the sky.It is said that the earth should have high and low rigidity and softness, solar terms and five elements, but if you want to be quiet and endless, you may vent your anger on the earth.It is said that the gods should be imprisoned by a king to die and rest, but if the spirit of desire changes endlessly, they will be afraid that they will become gods in vain.When the grain of words is full and shrinking, it cannot be filled, but if it wants to be full and endless, it will be exhausted and become a valley.It is said that all things should live and die at any time, but if you want to live forever, you will be afraid of perishing and not being a thing.The King of Yanhou should bow down to his subordinates and search for talents, but if he wants to be more valuable than others, he will be afraid of falling and losing his position.

Words must desire honor, and should be based on humbleness, such as Yuji bowing to the crops, Shun Tao Riverside, Zhou Gong down to the white house.Words must be honored, and the following should be the foundation. It is like building a wall to make merit.Lonely widow means loneliness, but no hub means that it cannot be gathered by all the spokes like the hub of a car.Yan Hou Wang is very noble, and he can call himself a widow. Isn't this based on lowliness?To know people.Words of lament.To, just also.The speaker counts the car, which is the spoke, the wheel, the hub, the balance, and the public opinion. There is no one called a car, so it is called a car.It is said that the king of Yuhou does not use his honorary title to name himself, so he can become expensive.There are few metaphors for 琭琭, and many metaphors for luoluo. There are few jades, so it is expensive, and there are many stones, so it is cheap.If you don't want to be valued like jade and despised by people like stone, you should be in it.

(End of this chapter)