August 2009

Commentary

One who excels at something reflects an underlying agenda of their part. Action follows motivation, the urge to ‘do it’. This urge is energized by the need to achieve the goal to which the action is aimed. Ironically, the greater the need (desire) to achieve the goal, the less likely the doer will feel he excels, and so relies on ‘audience’ feedback. What’s more, lacking a sense of adeptness further energizes the urge to finally ‘get it right’. The need to ‘get it right’ counteracts the sense of contentment one innately dreams of feeling once success arrives. This dynamic powers the seemingly adept results of us all (yes, even plant and animals – though without the unique complications imagination gives humans).

Even though the world ‘out there’ judges and thinks it sees true excellence, the subjective experience is otherwise. It is an ironic process where underlying need pushes for the achievement of something, and prevents the subjective experience of anything more than fleeting moments of success for the doer. The world ‘out there’, in not experiencing the subjective stress that brings success, only sees the adept results. Feeding into our one-sided perception of adeptness and perfection is hierarchical instinct which drives us to rank the apparent successes we see.

Any essential and subtle wisdom brought to bear here must play out in the discernment of the doer. The doer, by transferring his fixation on the goal to the flow of doing, can find the success he seeks in that eternal moment (as long as he remains detached from any idealized goal). In other words, have little thought of self and as few desires as possible.

In the process of life, mistakes are the first step toward becoming adept. Mistakes are commonly seen (especially by adults) as something to avoid. The folly of this is obvious; avoiding mistakes leads to a stand-still frustration with life. Embracing mistakes as the essence of life’s process redirects the eye away from the idealized goal and back to the essential and subtle moment to moment (i.e., step by step, a journey of a thousand miles starts from beneath one’s feet).

The idealize goals we pursue are outside of reality. While we can image a perfect world, or action, with nothing ‘chipped‘, reality comes in pairs. Mistakes <-> perfection; life <-> death; good <-> bad. (see correlations for more). ‘One without the other’ only exists in the wishful needs of the one’s imagination. This two-fold co-generating dynamic plays itself out in those who are adept and those who are not adept. Neither to value the model nor love the supporter is unavoidable once one sees the whole picture and no longer harbors favoritism.

Translation

Adept at prevailing without the ruts of an outward sign.
Adept at speech without the flaw of banishment and blame.
Adept at listening without a plan or paper.
Adept at closing without locking, yet cannot be opened.
Adept at settling without restraint, yet cannot be undone.
Using this, the wise person is:
Always adept at helping people because he discards no one.
Always adept at helping things because he discards nothing.
This says he follows the pattern honestly.
Thus, those who are adept are models for those not adept.
Those not adept support those who are adept.
Neither value the model nor love the supporter.
This wisdom, although perplexing,
Is called an essential subtlety.

good (be adept in) go (be current; prevail; do) nothing (without; not) the track of a wheel (rut; > way; idea) mark (trace; an outward sign).

good (be adept in) speech (word; say; talk) nothing (without; not) flaw (defect; shortcoming) banish (censure; blame).

good (be adept in) number (count) no use (apply; <polite> eat; <formal> hence) counter (prepare; plan) plan (strategy; bamboo slips used for writing on).

good (be adept in) shut (close; stop up; obstruct) nothing (without; not) shut door lock <conj.> no approve (can) open (start).

good (be adept in) tie (settle; conclude; affidavit) nothing (without; not) rope (restrain) make an appointment (arrange; restrain) <conj.> no approve (can) separate (divide; untie).

<grm> is <formal> this (that) use (take; because of; so as to> and; as well as) sage (wise man.)

ordinary (normal; constant; often) good (be adept in) rescue (save; salvage; help; relieve; succour) man (people), happening (reason; cause; hence) nothing (without; not) throw away (discard; abandon) man (people).

ordinary (normal; constant; often) good (be adept in) rescue (save; salvage; help; relieve; succour) matter (the outside world), happening (reason; cause; hence) nothing (without; not) throw away (discard; abandon) matter (the outside world).

<grm> is <formal> this (that) say (call; name; meaning; sense) make a surprise attack on raid (follow the pattern of; carry on as before) bright (clear; honest; know).

happening (reason; cause; hence) good (be adept in) man (people) no good (be adept in) man (people) of teacher (master; model; example).

no good (be adept in) man (people) good (be adept in) man (people) of money (expenses; subsidize; support; natural ability).

no value (expensive, precious; noble; > your) his (its, he, it, that; such) teacher (master; model; example), no love (like; treasure; take care of) his (its, he, it, that; such) money (expenses; subsidize; support; natural ability),

though (although; even if) wisdom (resourcefulness) big (great) be confused (be lost; perplex; fascinate; enchant),

<grm> is <formal> this (that) say (call; name; meaning; sense) demand (force, important; want; ask for) wonderful (excellent; fine; ingenious; clever; subtle).

Original

善行无辙迹。
善言无瑕谪。
善数不用筹策。
善闭无关楗而不可开。
善结无绳约而不可解。
是以圣人
常善救人，
故无弃人。
常善救物，
故无弃物。
是谓袭明。
故善人者
不善人之师。
不善人者
善人之资。
不贵其师、
不爱其资，
虽智大迷，
是谓要妙。