51/52 Mysterium Coniunctionis

Separation & Synthesis Double Agent

驚

1. to fear; to be afraid

   驚咩啫？  [Cantonese]  ―  geng¹ me¹ ze¹? [Jyutping]  ―  What are you afraid of? What is there to be afraid of?

2. (of a horse etc.) to be startled; to shy
3. to frighten; to scare
4. scary; frightening
5. fearfully; I'm afraid that ...

《道德經 - Dao De Jing》

道德經:	寵辱若驚，貴大患若身。 何謂寵辱若驚？ 寵為下，得之若驚，失之若驚，是謂寵辱若驚。 何謂貴大患若身？ 吾所以有大患者，為吾有身，及吾無身，吾有何患？ 故貴以身為天下，若可寄天下；愛以身為天下，若可託天下。

(Loathing shame)

Favour and disgrace would seem equally to be feared; honour and great calamity, to be regarded as personal conditions (of the same kind).

What is meant by speaking thus of favour and disgrace?

Disgrace is being in a low position (after the enjoyment of favour). The getting that (favour) leads to the apprehension (of losing it), and then losing it leads to the fear of (still greater calamity) - this is what is meant by saying that favour and disgrace would seem equally to be feared.

And what is meant by saying that honour and great calamity are to be (similarly) regarded as personal conditions? What makes me liable to great calamity is my having the body (which I call myself); if I had not the body, what great calamity could come to me?

Therefore he who would administer the kingdom, honouring it as he honours his own person, may be employed to govern it, and he who would administer it with the love which he bears to his own person may be entrusted with it.

13 - Herman Ould (1946)

"Glory and disgrace are both related to fear;
Fortune and misfortune are both bound up with the body."
What is meant by the saying that glory and disgrace are both related to fear?
The one is high, the other is low.
If you achieve glory, you fear to lose it.
If you are in disgrace, you fear the shame of it.
Thus glory and disgrace both involve fear.
What is meant by the saying that fortune and misfortune are bound up with the body?
Fortune and misfortune come to us because we have a body.
If we had no body, how should fortune or misfortune befall us?
Therefore he who is willing to give to the world as much care as he gives to his own body is worthy to govern the world.
He who gives to the world as much love as he gives to his own body may be trusted with the ruling of the world.