July 2009

Commentary

The gentleman when traveling all day can at least let his guard down when he puts his ’stuff’ safely away. How is the ruler able to put his stuff away? The poignant comparison here is that limited sense of responsibility allows one to rest, albeit somewhat obliviously. Children are another example of this. Becoming an adult means having an increasing sense of responsibility for what lies outside of your direct sights (experience). I doubt there is an end to this either. Circumstances keep bringing us to maturity over our entire life time. I expect that if I were to live a thousand years my sense of responsibility would still be increasing.

To be clear, ’sense of responsibility’ does not mean acting upon anything. If anything, it probably means ‘knowing when to stop‘. Another word for ’sense of responsibility’ would be ‘breadth of awareness’. Children can be ‘worry free’ because their breath of awareness is nescient.

The only sane way of dealing with the difficulty of deepening sense of responsibility is stillness and the heavy. The memory of an old silver back gorilla at the zoo comes to mind. He was heavy and still – ‘grounded’ I’d have to say. They young juvenile gorillas were just the opposite, restless and light. Nature’s model applies to us all, regardless of the species to which we belong.

Translation

The heavy is the cause of the light,
The still is the ruler of the restless.
Because of this, the noble man throughout the day never abandons seriousness.
Although, he flourishes, watches, enjoys and dwells detached.
How wasteful to be in charge, yet take life lightly.
Light follows the loss of the cause.
Restless follows the loss of the ruler.

heavy (important; repeat) do (act as; be, mean; support) light (softly) root (cause; origin),

still (quiet; calm) do (act as; be, mean; support) rash (impetuous; restless) sovereign (supreme ruler).

is (this, that) use (take; because of; so as to> and; as well as) gentleman daylong go (be current; prevail; do) not leave (off, from) weight (degree of seriousness).

though (although; even if) have (there is; exist) grow luxuriantly (flourish, honor) watch a swallow (comfort, enjoy) manage (dwell; live) aloof (detached).

how (why, to no avail) ten thousand (myriad) a war chariot of host (owner) <conj.> use (take; because of; so as to> and; as well as) body (life; personally) light (softly) land under heaven.

light (softly) standard (norm; rule > imitate; follow) lose (miss; let slip) root (cause; origin),

rash (impetuous; restless) standard (norm; rule > imitate; follow) lose (miss; let slip) gentleman.

Original

重为轻根，
静为躁君。
是以君子终日行不离轻重。
虽有荣观燕处超然。
奈何万乘之主而以身轻天下。
轻则失根，
躁则失君。