Artem Ogurtsov

 

Monday, September 6

"Know, and never forget, that life and its experiences are only what one puts into them!"   (ECRL 1537-1)

《道德經第十三章》

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。

Dao De jing Chapter Thirteen — Alan B.Taplow 13 NATURE OF FEAR

    Favour and glory as well as disfavour and disgrace,

    All cause pain in equal measure. —

    As disfavor and disgrace cause pain,

    Possessing favour and glory —

    The fear of its loss is ever-present.

    What we value and what we choose to fear

    Are both contained within our body/selves.

    We possess fear because we have a body/self.

    Ceasing to acknowledge the body part of self,

    Nothing of significance remains to be feared.

    The leader —

    In honouring and loving his responsibilities

    as he honours and loves the body/self,

    Can be entrusted with the leadership

    of his domain.

Dao De jing Chapter Thirteen — James Legge 13 (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.

Dao De jing Chapter Thirteen — Arthur Waley 13 

Favour and disgrace goad as it were to madness;

High rank hurts keenly as our bodies hurt.”

What does it mean to say that favour and disgrace goad as it were to madness?

It means that when a rule's subjects get it they turn distraught,

When they lose it they turn distraught.

That is what is meant to by saying favour and disgrace goad as it were to madness.

What does it mean to say that high rank hurts keenly as our bodies hurt?

The only reason that we suffer hurt is that we have bodies;

If we had no bodies, how could we suffer?

Therefore we may accept the saying:

“He who in dealing with the empire regards his high rank

As though it were his body is the best person to be entrusted with rules;

He who in dealing with the empire loves his subjects as one should love one's body

Is the best person to whom one commit the empire.”