Friday, March 25, 2022

"First, analyze yourself.

Know that there must be the ability to laugh under the most straining circumstance.

There must be the ability to see the sublime as well as the ridiculous." 



ECRL 1823-1

The Sublime & the Ridiculous

"En général, le ridicule touche au sublime; et, pour marcher sur la limite qui les sépare, sans la passer jamais, il faut bien prendre garde à soi"

(Jean-François MARMONTEL, Oeuv. t. v, p. 188, Œuvres, Paris, 1787, 17 vol. in-8, édit.)

“The sublime and the ridiculous are often so nearly related that it is difficult to class them separately. One step above the sublime makes the ridiculous, and one step above the ridiculous makes the sublime again.” 

— Thomas Paine in his The Age of Reason (1794).

"Du sublime au ridicule, il n'y a qu'un pas" is a saying assigned to Napoleon. Although sometimes attributed to the French diplomat Tallyrand (1754-1838), the expression is used much earlier by French historian Jean-François Marmontel (1723-99) and later by Thomas Paine in The Age of Reason (1793). Napoleon used it to describe the retreat of his army from Moscow.

Being born in this here-humanity gives the opportunity to eyewitness, see, or at least perceive clearly — no matter how blind to the world one can be — the no man's land that lies between the Sublime, the Voidào and the ridiculous, the self-infatuation.

This specific, fifty shades of grey area where shadows are still in style but that does not belong to the belief territories — though not far from the trenches and the wars humans love so much to inflict on each other — a territory, often disputed, that cannot be inhabited because of fear of conflict or alienation, especially the terra nūllīus “nobody's land, ground zero“, the Zero-point energy (ZPE).

Inner Voice

道德經

《道德經》第五十一章 

道生之

德畜之

物形之

勢成之. 

是以萬物莫不尊道而貴德

道之尊

德之貴

夫莫之命而常自然

故道生之

德畜之

長之育之

亭之毒之

養之覆之

生而不有

為而不恃

長而不宰

是謂玄德。

Dao De Jing Chapter Fifty-one — Ronald Hogan

51.

道 is the source of all living things,

and they are nourished

by 道 power.

They are influenced

by the other living things around them,

and they are shaped

by their circumstances.

Everything respects 道

and honours its power.

That's just the way it is.

道 gives life to all things,

and its power watches out for them,

cares for them, helps them grow,

protects them, and comforts them.

Create something

without holding on to it.

Do the work

without expecting credit for it.

Lead people

without giving them orders.

That's the secret of the power of 道.

Dao De Jing Chapter Fifty-one — Translated by Douglas Allchin

Chapter 51 

"The Way conceives them.

Integrity receives them.

Matter allows them.

Nature endows them.

All creatures thus respect the Way

and honour its Integrity.

No one demands that this be so.

Their respect by nature ever flows.

The Way gives birth to them and nurtures them.

It shapes them, develops them,

shelters them, strengthens them,

sustains them, preserves them.

Creating, not claiming as one's own,

working, not waiting for return,

guiding, not seeking to control:

such is the wonder of integrity."

Dao De Jing Chapter Fifty-one — Translated by 顧正坤 Gu Zhengkun

Chapter 51 

"道 begets all creatures;

The virtue rears them;

Substance gives them shape;

Forces in opposition accomplish them.

Therefore all creatures worship the Tao and honour virtue.

This worship and honour stems from the fact

That 道 and virtue never unnaturally

Impose their influence on all creatures.

In this way

道 begets all creatures;

The virtue rears them,

Promotes them, natures them,

Brings them to fruition and maturity,

Meanwhile maintains and defends them.

Giving them life without claiming to be their owner;

Availing them without claiming to be their benefactor;

And being their head without ruling them;

All these are called the most intrinsic 德 (virtue)."

Dao De Jing Chapter Fifty-one — Translated by Chad Hansen

Chapter 51 

"A guide starts it,

virtuosity cultivates it,

Natural kinds model it

and circumstances complete it.

For this reason, among the ten-thousand natural kinds,

None fail to respect a guide and value virtuosity.

This respecting of guides

and valuing of virtuosity

is not, in general, commanded in words instead it treats self-so as constant.

Hence a guide starts it,

virtuosity cultivates it,

Acts as its elder, educates it,

shades it, poisons it,

nourishes it and returns it.

Gives rise to and not 'exist,'

Deem: act and not rely on anything.

Acts as an elder and does not rule.

This would be called 'profound virtuosity.'"

Dao De Jing Chapter Fifty-one — Translated by Stanislas Julien, 1842

Chapter 51

"道 produit les êtres, la Vertu les nourrit.

Ils leur donnent un corps et les perfectionnent par une secrète impulsion.

C'est pourquoi tous les êtres révèrent 道 et honorent la Vertu.

Personne n'a conféré au 道 sa dignité, ni à la Vertu sa noblesse:

ils les possèdent éternellement en eux-mêmes.

C'est pourquoi 道 produit les êtres, les nourrit,

les fait croître, les perfectionne, les mûrit, les alimente, les protège.

Il les produit, et ne se les approprie point;

il les fait ce qu'ils sont et ne s'en glorifie point; il règne sur eux et les laisse libres.

C'est là ce qu'on appelle une vertu profonde."