道德經聚會主題（3）- 上士聞道

聚會日期：2013年1月10日，12點

探討內容：the first impression of Dao

帛本：

上士聞道，勤能行之。中士聞道，若存若亡。下士聞道，大笑之。弗笑，不足以為道。是以建言有之曰：明道如昧，進道如退，夷道如類。上德如穀，大白如辱，廣德如不足，建德如偷，質真如渝，大方無隅，大器免成，大音希聲，大象無形，道褒無名。夫唯道，善始且善成。

反也者，道之動也；弱也者，道之用也。天下之物生於有，有生於無。

參照其他本（通行本41, 40章）：

上士聞道，勤而行之；中士聞道，若存若亡；下士聞道，大笑之。不笑不足以為道。故建言有之：明道若昧，進道若退，夷道若纇。上德若穀；大白若辱；廣德若不足；建德若偷；質真若渝。大方無隅；大器晚成；大音希聲；大象無形；道隱無名。夫唯道，善貸且成。

反者道之動，弱者道之用。天下萬物生於有，有生於無

英文對照：

41.1 When the great man learns the Way, he follows it with diligence; When the common man learns the Way, he follows it on occasion; 
41.2 When the mean man learns the Way, he laughs out loud; Those who do not laugh, do not learn at all. 
41.3 Therefore it is said: Who understands the Way seems foolish; Who progresses on the Way seems to fail; Who follows the Way seems to wander. For the finest harmony appears plain; The brightest truth appears coloured; The richest character appears incomplete; 
41.4 The bravest heart appears meek; The simplest nature appears inconstant. The square, perfected, has no corner; Music, perfected, has no melody; Love, perfected, has no climax; Art, perfected, has no meaning. 
41.5 The Way can be neither sensed nor known: It transmits sensation and transcends knowledge.

40.1 The motion of the Way is to return; The use of the Way is to accept; 
40.2 All things come from the Way, And the Way comes from nothing. 

另一英文版本翻譯

When the most sincere hear about the road to self-knowledge,
They will devote themselves to bringing it into practice
When the fairly sincere hear about the road to self-knowledge
They will only get out of it what suits their purposes
When the hardened hear about the road to self-knowledge
They will roar with laughter
If they didn’t roar, it would not be true
Therefore there are some aphorisms to it:
The road to light appears to be dark
Going forward sometimes feels like going back
The way to the simple road is a hard way to take
But also:
The greatest personality turns out to be vain
The purest white turns out to be grey
The most righteous proves to be unfair
Kindness seems but a thin layer
With the truth one can go in all directions
Like a square circle
Like an inexhaustible barrel
Like singing without words
Like a sculpture with no shadow
In that way the road is hidden and not captured in words
Only the road to self-knowledge has a beginning and an end 

One who deviates from the right and simple road
Will be pulled towards it again
This occurs with a mild touch
The whole creation comes into existence
The existing out of the unnameable unexisting