Chapter Fifteen

Those who were good at practicing the Tao in ancient times were subtle and profound, beyond comprehension. It is not because it is imperceptible that one forces oneself to be tolerant. Yuxi ③ Ruodong Wuduan ④ You may fear your neighbors. He is as if he were a guest. Huan Xi Qi Ru Ru Shi ⑨ "Dun Xi Qi Ru Pu ⑩ Vast and expansive, like a valley. "Murky as if turbid How can the turbid be gradually cleared by stillness? Who can be at peace with ⒁ to gradually grow in stillness? Those who keep this way do not desire to be full ⒂. It is only because it is not full that it can be concealed and newly formed ⒃. In ancient times, those who were adept at practicing the Tao were subtle, perceptive, profound and far-reaching, beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. It is precisely because I cannot recognize him that I can only describe him with difficulty: He is so cautious and prudent, as if crossing a river by stepping on water in winter. He was on high alert, as if guarding against an attack from a neighboring country. He was so respectful and solemn, as if he were going to a banquet as a guest. He moves so freely, as if an ice cube were slowly melting. He is so simple and honest, as if he were an unprocessed raw material. He is vast and broad-minded, like a deep and secluded valley. He is thick and forgiving, like murky water. Who can calm down the turbid and gradually clarify it? Who can bring tranquility to life and gradually reveal its vitality? Those who adhere to this "way" will not be complacent. It is precisely because he is never complacent that he can renew himself. [Note] ① A good practitioner of the Tao: refers to a person who has attained the Tao. ② Rong: To describe or describe. ③ Yu: Originally the name of a wild beast, it is prone to suspicion. Yuxi, extended to mean hesitation and caution. ④ Shikawa: Trembling with fear, as if standing on the edge of an abyss. ⑤ You: Originally the name of a wild beast, it is characterized by alertness. Here, it is used to describe the appearance of being alert and on guard. ⑥ Be afraid of one's neighbors: Describing someone who dares not act rashly. ⑦ Yanxi: Describes a dignified, solemn and respectful appearance. ⑧ Guest: If one book reads "Rong", it should be the guest's mistake. ⑨ Huan xi Qi Ru Ling Shi: Describing the flowing appearance. ⑩ Dunxi Qiruo Pu: Describing a kind and honest appearance. ⑾ Vast and open like a valley: Describing a person with a broad mind and a carefree spirit. "Mixed as turbid: Describing a thick and simple appearance." "Hun" is used interchangeably with "hun". 13. Turbidity: dynamic. Youdaoplaceholder0 an: static. Youdaoplaceholder0 do not seek to be full: do not seek to be complacent. Full, full. Youdaoplaceholder0 to replace the old with the new: it means to renew. A single book cannot be newly formed. [Quotation] This chapter follows the previous one and describes those who embody the way. Laozi praised those who have grasped the "Dao" as "subtle and profound, beyond comprehension". They have mastered the universal laws of the development of things and know how to apply these universal laws to deal with concrete things that exist in reality. It can also be said that this is teaching ordinary people how to master and apply the "Tao". The spiritual realm of those who have grasped the "Way" far exceeds the level that ordinary people can understand. They possess the qualities of caution, vigilance, seriousness, ease, harmony, simplicity, broad-mindedness and depth. They are subtle and unobtrusive, profound and unfathomable. In dealing with people and matters, they never become complacent or arrogant. In this chapter, the four characters "obscured and newly formed" are sometimes translated as "obscured but not newly formed" in some versions. This way, their meanings are quite different. The former is interpreted as discarding the old and renewing, while the latter means being content with the old and not seeking new achievements. This book adopts the phrase "covered but newly formed", which roughly conforms to the context. [Commentary] The "Tao" is mysterious, profound, and uncertain. Most people find the "Tao" hard to fathom, but those who have grasped it are clearly different from the common people. They have a unique style and distinctive personality. The mundane people, "those with deep desires have shallow wisdom", are extremely shallow and can be seen through at a glance. Those who have attained the "Tao" are quiet, secluded and enigmatic, and hard to fathom. Here, Laozi also made a reluctant description of them, that is, "strength as tolerance". They have good personal cultivation and psychological quality, as well as excellent meditation skills and inner activities. On the surface, they seem to be quiet and inactive, but in reality, they are highly creative, that is, they move when they are still to the extreme and move when they are still. This is the process of their life activities. The personality that Laozi envisioned was honest and simple, calm and composed, with an extremely rich inner world, and capable of transitioning from stillness to movement under specific conditions. This kind of stillness and movement in personality also conforms to the changing law of the "Tao".