德卌 - Te Chapter 40

上士闻道 堇能行之

中士闻道 若存若亡

下士闻道 大笑之

弗笑 不足以为道

是以建言有之 曰

明道如孛 进道如退 夷道如颣

上德如浴 广德如不足 建德如偷 质真如渝

大白如辱 大方无禺 大器曼成 大音希声 天象无刑 道褒无名

夫唯道 善始且善成

高等级的学士听到道理（完整理解），马上就能囤土铺路沿道而行； 中等级的学士听到道理（部分理解），似懂非懂，有些地方明晰，有些部分不理解； 下等级的学士听到道理（朦朦胧胧），知道是很高深的道理，于是大声笑出声，表达自己闻道的愉悦； 那些连笑都不笑的，是没有能力和“道理”发生交集的。 所以（以道路做比），有这样的描述：光明的道路（给普通人的感觉）好像彗星一样（长时暗昧、短时光明）；引导往前的道路（给普通人的感觉）好像要往后退行一样；平坦的道路（给普通人的感觉）好像绞在一起的杂丝团一样错综复杂。 沿（道）路而攀行的过程中，在前引路的行者好像承载流水的谷地河道一样（上德）；护持大部队一起行进的行者（时刻沟通询问）表现得好像有所欠缺一样（上仁）；维持行进路线（依托自然实施建设、开路架桥）的行者（稳扎稳打）表现出懈怠一样（上义）。他们本质纯真，根据现实的情况随时进行自然的反馈，表现出好像干净的水源时刻被外部环境污染了一样随时改变。 巨大（无限）的白色，任何成就都好像被埋没一样；巨大（无限）的空间无法划分区域；巨大的器物，需要更长久的时间逐渐成型；巨大的声响背景之下，难以分辨出更多的声音；天一样大的形象反而无法形容（描述）；（基础的）道理广博，反而无法完整的命名祂。但是只有这些基础的道理，能够完整的表述事物的起始状态，也能够完整的表述这些事物如何发展、如何成就。

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A high-level bachelor hears the principle (full understanding) and immediately can accumulate soil and pave the way to follow the path; a middle-level bachelor hears the principle (partial understanding), seems to understand but not really, some parts are clear, some parts are not understood; a lower-level bachelor hears the principle (muddled), knows it is a very profound principle, so loudly laughs out loud, expressing their joy of hearing the principle; those who don't even laugh are those who have no ability and "principle" to intersect.

Therefore (comparing to the path), there is such a description: the bright path (for the average person) seems like a comet (long-time dark, short-time bright); the path that leads forward (for the average person) seems like you need to go back to move forward; the flat path (for the average person) seems like a tangled mess of thread.

In the process of climbing along the path, those who lead the way in front seem like a valley riverbed that carries water (cultivating virtue); those who protect and guide the large group to move forward (constantly communicating and asking) seem like they lack something (cultivating benevolence); those who maintain the path of progress (relying on natural construction and opening the way) (stabilizing and striking) seem like they are slack (cultivating righteousness). They are fundamentally pure, and according to the reality, they naturally give feedback and change as if the clean water source is always being polluted by the external environment.

Enormous (infinite) whiteness, any achievement seems to be buried; enormous (infinite) space cannot be divided into regions; enormous objects, require longer time to gradually shape; enormous sound in the background, difficult to distinguish more sounds; an image as big as the sky cannot be described; (basic) principles are broad and vast, yet cannot be completely named. But only these basic principles can fully express the starting state of things and also how they develop and achieve.