Tuesday, January 25, 2022 (XIV/V)

"Each soul enters in each experience for a lesson, a development."  Edgar Cayce reading 1089-3

(Hierophant/Temperance)

道德經

《道德經》 第七十三章

勇於敢則殺，勇於不敢則活。

此兩者，或利或害。

天之所惡，孰知其故？

是以聖人猶難之。

天之道，不爭而善勝，不言而善應，不召而自來，繟然而善謀。

天網恢恢，踈而不失。

Dàodé jīng Chapter Seventy-three — C.Ganson

73

One of courage, with audacity, will kill.

One of courage, but gentle, spares life.

From these two kinds of courage

arise harm and benefit.

Even if 道 dislikes certain people,

who can say why?

The truly wise regard this

as a most difficult question.

道 does not contend but it surely wins,

does not speak but it surely responds,

does not command but things come of themselves.

It is empty yet contains the master plan.

The net of 道 is all-encompassing,

its meshes are wide, yet nothing is lost.

Dàodé jīng Chapter Seventy-three — James Legge

73 (Allowing men to take their course)

He whose boldness appears in his daring (to do wrong, in defiance of the laws) is put to death;

he whose boldness appears in his not daring (to do so) lives on.

Of these two cases, the one appears to be advantageous, and the other to be injurious. But

When Heaven's anger smites a man,

Who the cause shall truly scan?

On this account, the sage feels a difficulty (as to what to do in the former case).

It is the way of Heaven not to strive, and yet it skilfully overcomes; not to speak, and yet it is skilful in (obtaining a reply); does not call, and yet men come to it of themselves. Its demonstrations are quiet, and yet its plans are skilful and effective. The meshes of the net of Heaven are large; far apart, but letting nothing escape.

Dàodé jīng Chapter Seventy-three — Arthur Waley

73

He whose braveness lies in daring slays.

He whose braveness lies in not daring gives life.

Of these two, either may be profitable or unprofitable.

But “Heaven hates what it hates;

None can know the reason why”.

Wherefore the Sage, too, disallows it.

For it is the way of Heaven not to strive but nonetheless to conquer,

Not to speak, but none the less to get an answer,

Not to beckon, yet things come to it of themselves.

Heaven is like one who says little, yet nonetheless has laid his plans.

Heaven's net is wide;

Coarse are the meshes, yet nothing slips through.