September 2009

Commentary

Being responsibile is more about accepting and conforming to ‘how it is’ rather than action bent on changing ‘how it is’. Chapter 65 speaks to this: Mysterious virtue is profound and far-reaching, But when things turn back it turns back with them. Only then is complete conformity realized.

Any action that flows from this bottom line is less likely cause unintended consequences. This is somewhat like a spiritual ‘buy low, sell high’. ‘Buy low’ is taking the lower position, the ’sell high’ is the natural benefit that ensues. Life offers two paths, ’short term pain, long term pleasure’ is the buying low; ’short term pleasure, long term pain’ is the buy high approach and is always sure to end in immense loss. Of course this also parallels the pay-up-front-now versus buy-on-credit-pay-later. Modern life certainly favors the later, and yet is shocked by the predictable unintended consequences.

The empire is a sacred vessel and nothing should be done to it brings to mind the quantum paradox of Schrödinger’s cat. Think of the empire as like a painting. You must begin and paint something, but then also knowing when to stop. Knowing when to stop is key. I came into existence as ‘carl’ 66 years back. The empire (whether we’re talking about the universe, or my home town’s current era) were ‘painted’ before I was born. I entered the picture and add my dollop of paint to this cosmic canvas. It was perfect as could be when I entered the scene, although in life, act I must. Here is the dilemma: how to act and yet leave well enough alone, or act without acting. Like the Schrödinger’s cat paradox, I act and yet don’t act. How is that possible? It all lies in the eye of the observer. That is why thinking that one knows is so fraught with self-deception.

‘Hence’ or ‘therefore’ often implies an active free will view, i.e., a sense of because of this I intend to do that. My experience is much more passive. The more I see the ebb-and-flow nature of existence, the more tentative and hesitant I become naturally. I can’t help it. It is like playing whack-a-mole. You smash here and it pops up there. Nothing really changes; you just move stuff around. And in moving stuff around you create unintended consequences. The mole pops up where you least expect it. Oops! In youth and ignorance, I wasn’t aware of ‘it’ popping up ‘over there’. I thought taking care of the situation would solve the problem; end of story. Deal with a thing while it is still nothing is best, works best when nothing is truly Nothing.

Is this not why nothing really ever changes in human affairs, despite our dreams to the contrary? Babies born replace those who pass on. The babies must undergo the same ‘learning on the job of life’ that those who pass on underwent to gain whatever sense of how things really versus how they first appear.

Translation

With desire choosing anything, of doing I see no satisfied end.
All under heaven is divine talent, nothing can be done either
Doing decays, grasping loses.
In the external world of man, someone leads, someone follows.
Someone sighs, someone blows.
Someone strives, someone wins.
Someone subdues, someone ruins.
Because of this, the wise man leaves the extremes, the extravagant, and the safe behind.

support (take; will, prod>with, by means of) desire (wish; about to) take (get; aim at; seek; choose) land under heaven <conj.> do (act as; be, mean; support) of, I (we) see (catch sight of) his (its, he, it, that; such) no get (obtain, <formal> satisfied) stop (cease; end<formal> thereafter).

land under heaven god (deity; magical; spirit; mind) implement (utensil; ware; organ; capacity; talent), no approve (can <adv.> but; yet) do (act as; be, mean; support) also (too; as well; either),

do (act as; be, mean; support) be defeated (lose; beat; fail; decay) of, hold (grasp; manage; observe; catch) lose (miss; mishap; defect; mistake) of.

husband (man) matter (the outside world) perhaps (or; either…or…; > someone) go (be current; prevail; do) perhaps (or; either…or…; > someone) to follow (to comply with / to allow),

perhaps (or; either…or…; > someone) sigh perhaps (or; either…or…; > someone) blow (puff; boast; brag; break off; break up; fall through),

perhaps (or; either…or…; > someone) strive (strong; powerful; better_unyielding) perhaps (or; either…or…; > someone) win (beat; gain (profit),

perhaps (or; either…or…; > someone) defeat (frustrate; subdue; lower) perhaps (or; either…or…; > someone) destroy (ruin).

<grm>is <formal> this use (take; because of; so as to> and; as well as) sage (wise man) go (remove) very (extremely; more than), go (remove) luxurious (extravagant; excessive; inordinate; extravagant), go (remove) safe (peaceful; extreme; most).

Original

将欲取天下而为之，
吾见其不得已。
天下神器，
不可为也，
为者败之，
执者失之。
夫物或行或随、
或□或吹、
或强或赢、
或挫或隳。
是以圣人去甚、
去奢、
去泰。