苦恩 · 企者不立

Kǔ Ēn

Classical Chinese Text

企者不立，跨者不行；自见者不明；自是者不彰；自伐者无功；自矜者不长。
其在道也，曰余食赘形。物或恶之，故有道者不处。

Translation & Meaning

踮起脚尖想要站高的人反而站不稳，劈开大步急于抢先的人反而走不远；自我炫耀的人反而心地不明，自以为是的人反而事理不显，自我夸功的人反而抹杀了功绩，骄矜自傲的人反而不能长久引领。 这些造作炫耀的行为从大道的视角来看，就像吃剩的馊饭、身体上的赘瘤一样多余。众人皆会厌弃，所以有道之人绝不居于此类心态与行径之中。

Commentary

青禾散人评注：踮脚求高、大跨求快，皆是违背自然节律的拔苗助长。一切刻意表现自我之举，在道眼中皆为“余食赘行”——减去浮夸，方能稳步致远。

Linguistic & Character Analysis

  • 企 (qǐ): classical character (qǐ)
  • 者 (zhě): aspects / those who / things
  • 不 (bù): not / un- / without
  • 立 (lì): classical character (lì)
  • 跨 (kuà): classical character (kuà)
  • 行 (xíng): practice / teach / walk
  • 自 (zì): classical character (zì)
  • 见 (jiàn): see / display / manifest
  • 明 (míng): classical character (míng)
  • 是 (shì): this / therefore
  • 彰 (zhāng): classical character (zhāng)
  • 伐 (fá): classical character (fá)
  • 无 (wú): formless void / non-being / without
  • 功 (gōng): achievement / merit
  • 矜 (jīn): classical character (jīn)
  • 长 (cháng): long / enduring / grow
  • 其 (qí): its / their / his / her
  • 在 (zài): classical character (zài)
  • 道 (dào): The Way / Logos / to speak
  • 也 (yě): [modal particle of assertion]
  • 曰 (yuē): classical character (yuē)
  • 余 (yú): classical character (yú)
  • 食 (shí): classical character (shí)
  • 赘 (zhuì): classical character (zhuì)
  • 形 (xíng): contrast / appearance
  • 物 (wù): things / phenomena / forms
  • 或 (huò): tangible / perhaps / presence
  • 恶 (è): ugly / aversion / evil
  • 之 (zhī): particle: of / possessive / it
  • 故 (gù): therefore / thus / consequence
  • 有 (yǒu): manifest being / cosmos / to possess
  • 处 (chù): stays / dwells / position