第四十一章  道隱無名

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, 夷道若颣, 上德若谷, 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。

The Nameless and the Formless

When a superior person hears of the Tao, She diligently puts it intopractice. When an average person hears of the Tao, he believes half of it, anddoubts the other half.

Whenthe foolish hear of the Way, they laugh out loud. If it were not laughed at, itwould not be the Way.

Therefore it is said, "The enlightenment of the Way seems likedullness; progression in the Way seem like regression; the even path of the Wayseems to go up and down."

Great virtue appears like a valley (hollow). Great purity appears likedisgrace. Far-reaching virtue appears as if insufficient.

true Power appears weak,

true purity appears tarnished,

extensive Power appears to beinsufficient,

true steadfastness appearschangeable.

true clarity appears obscure,

the greatest space has nocorners,

the greatest talents are slowlymastered,

the greatest music has no therarest sound,

the great image has no form.

The Tao is hidden and nameless,

Yet it is the Tao that skillfully supportsand completes all things.

[譯文]

慧根深的人聽了道，辛勤地踐行；中等慧根的人，聽了道，半信半疑；下等慧根的人，聽了道，便哈哈的譏笑。不被嘲笑，便稱不上真正的道。古賢立言：光明的道看上去似乎暗昧，前進的道好似后退，平坦的道好似崎嶇。純宇宙意識能量本源的大德，如深谷一般深不見底，純潔清晰的天道卻隱沒在人的貪欲之中。浩瀚天德能量處于不斷的循環之間，積陰德是默默地進行的，不需要到處張揚，質樸純真的德應變無常。純宇宙意識能量化生的宇宙無邊無角，物質的顯現也是大者晚成，宇宙之音是人類耳朵聽不到的，道之形象人類無法描繪，