"The Student of knowledge
(aims at) learning day by day;The student of Tao (aims at) losing
day by day. By continual losing One reaches doing nothing
(laissez faire or wu-wei). By doing nothing everything is done.He
who conquers the world often does so by doing nothing.When one is
compelled to do something,The world is already beyond his
conquering."Lin Yutang trs. TheWisdom of
Laotse. (Random House The Modern Library,1948), p. 229.
(Republished as The
Wisdom of Laotse by
Greenwood Publishing Group, 1948)
老子 「道徳経」18章
たいだうすたれて、じんぎあり。けいちいでて、たいぎあり。りくしんわせずして、
かうじあり。こっかこんらんして、ちゅうしんあり。
LAOTSE, TAO TE CHING, SECTION 18
THE DECLINE OF TAO
On the decline of the great Tao,
The doctrines of "humanity" and "justice"
arose. When knowledge and cleverness appeared, Great hypocrisy
followed in its wake.When the six relationships no longer lived
at peace, There was (praise of) "kind parents" and
"filial sons."When a country fell into chaos and
misrule, There was (praise of) "loyal ministers."