29/11/2

29/XI/二

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䷜=䷲䷳=䷝

29515230

道德經

Veil of Night, Serena Malyon

《道德經》第二十九章

將欲取天下而為之.

吾見其不得已.

天下神器, 不可為也.

為者敗之.

執者失之故物或行或隨.

或歔或吹.

或強或羸.

或挫或隳. 

是以聖人去甚去奢去泰.

道德經 Dao De Jing Chapter Twenty-nine — Ronald Hogan

29.

Want to take over the world?

Think again.

The world's a holy place.

You can't just fuck around with it.

Those who try to change it destroy it.

Those who try to possess it lose it.

With Tao, you push forward,

or maybe you stay behind.

Sometimes you push yourself,

other times you rest.

Sometimes you're strong,

sometimes you're weak.

Sometimes you're up,

and sometimes you're down.

A Master lives simply,

avoiding extravagance and excess.

道德經 Dao De Jing Chapter Twenty-nine — Translated by James Legge, 1891

29 (Taking no action)

"If anyone should wish to get the kingdom for himself, and to effect this by what he does,

I see that he will not succeed.

The kingdom is a spirit-like thing, and cannot be got by active doing.

He who would so win it destroys it; he who would hold it in his grasp loses it.

The course and nature of things is such that

What was in front is now behind;

What warmed anon we freezing find.

Strength is of weakness oft the spoil;

The store in ruins mocks our toil.

Hence the sage puts away excessive effort, extravagance, and easy indulgence."

道德經 Dao De Jing Chapter Twenty-nine — Translated by Arthur Waley

The Way and its Power: A Study of the Tao Te Ching and its Place in Chinese Thought, 1934

29

Those that would gain what is under heaven by tampering with it -

I have seen that they do not succeed.

For that which is under heaven is like a holy vessel, dangerous to tamper with.

Those that tamper with it, harm it.

Those that grab at it, lose it.

For among the creatures of the world some go in front, some follow;

Some blow hot when others would be blowing cold.

Some are feeling vigorous just when others are worn out.

Therefore the Sage “discards the absolute, the all-inclusive, the extreme”.

道德經 Dao De Jing Chapter Twenty-nine — Translated by Ellen M. Chen, Chapter 29 

"One who desires to take the world and act (為) upon it,

I see that it cannot be done.

The world (天下) is a spirit vessel (神器),

Which cannot be acted (為) upon.

One who acts (為) on it fails,

One who holds on to it loses (失).

Therefore things either move forward or follow behind;

They blow hot or blow cold;

They are strong (強) or weak;

They get on or they get off.

Therefore the sage gets rid of over-doing,

Gets rid of extravagances,

Gets rid of excesses."

道德經 Dao De Jing Chapter Twenty-nine — Translated by Thomas Z. Zhang, Chapter 29

"To conquer and rule the world, I think, is not achievable.

The world is like a sacred utensil, which cannot be taken and held.

Whoever tries to conquer it will fail.

Whoever tries to hold it will lose it.

Thus, the sage does not try this, so he can avoid failure.

The sage does not try to own the world, so he loses nothing.

Things can be fast or slow, warm or cool, strong or weak, light or heavy.

The sage avoids the excessive, extravagant, and grandiose."

道德經 Dao De Jing Chapter Twenty-nine — Translated by Red Pine, Bill Porter, 1996, Chapter 29

"Trying to govern the world with force I see this not succeeding

the world is a spiritual thing it can't be forced to force it is to harm

it to control it is to lose it

sometimes things lead sometimes they follow sometimes blow hot

sometimes blow cold sometimes expand sometimes collapse

therefore the sage avoids extremes, avoids extravagance, avoids excess"