Upper men hear the Dao, act on it diligently;
-> what happen upon Dao realization? One becomes a vehicle of it and serve diligently. (see last post how Dao runs in those humble)
Middle men hear the Dao, half believe in it;
-> one needs more observation, evidence, experiment, experience, or realization.
Lower men hear the Dao, laugh at it.
-> one says “you are telling me that my perception is not the reality? you must be crazy!”
If not being laughed at it doesn’t worth to be the Dao.
-> if Dao can be spoken, understood, reasoned, it is not the ultimate Dao.
* * *
Therefore there are sayings: obvious path looks obscure;
-> life goes on despite of the self is obvious, but not realized by the public;
Proceeding path looks like retreating;
-> when proceed with the Dao, the self is perceived as retreating.
Flat path looks unflat;
-> towards ultimate peace, one needs to go through bumps and pains in surrendering attachments of and to the self.
High virtue is like low valley; cleanest appears dirty; great virtue appears not sufficient;
vigorous virtue appears lazy; quality material appears hollow;
-> qualities of pure virtue
The most upright does not have corners; great vehicle appears in their late years;
-> corners imply a this cornering a that, when one is all, how can there be corners?
Great sound is difficult to hear; great phenomenon is beyond form; Dao is hidden with no name. Dao gives, and allow for manifestation.
-> Qualities of Dao
* * *
Chapter 41 Discussion:
When the self is transcended, Dao takes care of one’s life; when self is being studied and practiced, sometime it dominates, while other times it is subdued; when the self is proclaimed authorship, teachings of non-self is laughed at as non-sense and radicule.
When one has not set the intention to the Dao or to ultimate reality, don’t share teachings of such to them, or you may be laughed at! Keep the teachings to your self, live it, share it only when people ask for it.
Bilingual version of Ch41: http://www.lisiming.net/ddj34-52/
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