Dull day, 1895, Isaac Levitan

 

《道德經 - 53》

使我介然有知，行於大道，唯施是畏。大道甚夷°，而民好徑。朝甚除，田甚蕪，倉甚虛；服文綵，帶利劍，厭飲食，財貨有餘；是謂盜夸。非道也哉！

(If I were suddenly to become known, and (put into a position to) conduct (a government) according to the Great Dao, what I should be most afraid of would be a boastful display.)

The great Way is easy,

yet people prefer the side paths.

Be aware when things are out of balance.

Stay centred within the Tao.

while farmers lose their land;

When rich speculators prosper
when government officials spend money

when the upper class is extravagant and irresponsible

on weapons instead of cures;
while the poor have nowhere to turn–
all this is robbery and chaos. It is not in keeping with the Tao.

— Lao Tzu, c. 400 BC (trans. Stephen Mitchell) Dao De Jing ch. 53

 

(Increase of evidence)

If I were suddenly to become known, and (put into a position to) conduct (a government) according to the Great Dao, what I should be most afraid of would be a boastful display.

The great Dao (or way) is very level and easy, but people love the by-ways.

Their court(-yards and buildings) shall be well kept, but their fields shall be ill-cultivated, and their granaries very empty. They shall wear elegant and ornamented robes, carry a sharp sword at their girdle, pamper themselves in eating and drinking, and have a superabundance of property and wealth; - such (princes) may be called robbers and boasters. This is contrary to the Dao surely!

° 夷 ㄧˊ

1. an ancient tribe in eastern China
2. barbarian; foreigners

   學夷技以制夷 [Classical Chinese]  ―  xué yí jì yǐ zhì yí [Pinyin]  ―  learn the Westerners' tricks so as to control them

3. to level; to raze
4. flat; level; smooth
5. to eradicate; to obliterate
6. someone of the same generation
7. happy; joyous
8. 23rd tetragram of 太玄經 (Tàixuánjīng, literally “Canon of Supreme Mystery”).the Taixuanjing; "ease" (𝌜)

《周》

1	周:	𝌇周。陽氣周神而反乎始，物繼其彙。
2	周:	初一，還於天心，何德之僭，否。測曰，「還心」之「否」、中不恕也。
3	周:	次二，植中樞，周無隅。測曰，「植中樞」、立督慮也。
4	周:	次三，出我入我，吉凶之魁。測曰，「出我入我」、不可不懼也。
5	周:	次四，帶其鉤鞶，錘以玉鐶。測曰，「帶其鉤鞶」、自約束也。
6	周:	次五，土中其廬，設于金輿，厥戒渝。測曰，「廬」「金」「戒渝」、小人不克也。
7	周:	次六，信周其誠，上通于天。測曰，「信周其誠」、上通也。
8	周:	次七，豐淫，見其朋，還于蒙，不克從。測曰，「豐淫」「見朋」、不能從也。
9	周:	次八，還遇躬外，其禍不大。測曰，「還遇躬外」、禍不中也。
10	周:	上九，還于喪，或棄之行。測曰，「還于喪」、其道窮也。