同异 · 大器晚成

Tóng Yì

Classical Chinese Text

上士闻道，勤而行之；中士闻道，若存若亡；下士闻道，大笑之。不笑不足以为道。
故建言有之：明道若昧，进道若退，夷道若纇。上德若谷；大白若辱；广德若不足；建德若偷；质真若渝。大方无隅；大器晚成；大音希声；大象无形；道隐无名。夫唯道，善贷且成。

Translation & Meaning

悟性高明的人听闻大道，便勤勉坚定地付诸践行；悟性一般的人听闻大道，半信半疑、若有所得又若有所失；浅薄世俗的人听闻大道，便放声嘲笑它——倘若不被世俗浅见所嘲笑，也就不足以称为真正超越的大道了。 所以古来立言说道：光明的大道看似幽暗，精进的大道看似退让，平坦的大道看似崎岖；崇高的德行虚怀如低谷，至纯的洁白含垢若暗污，广博的德行常自谦不足，刚健的德行看似闲散退隐，质朴纯真看似随和浑融；至大的方正没有棱角，贵重的重器不求速成，天籁至音超越繁响，宏大本象不拘形迹。 大道隐微而无名相。唯独这大道，善于无私施予万物并使万物各得圆成。

Commentary

青禾散人评注：“不笑不足以为道。”真理往往与短视功利直觉相反。大器免成（或晚成）、大音希声、大象无形，皆提醒行道者莫以世俗速成标准自我度量。

Linguistic & Character Analysis

  • 上 (shàng): elevate / utmost / high
  • 士 (shì): classical character (shì)
  • 闻 (wén): classical character (wén)
  • 道 (dào): The Way / Logos / to speak
  • 勤 (qín): classical character (qín)
  • 而 (ér): yet / and / but
  • 行 (xíng): practice / teach / walk
  • 之 (zhī): particle: of / possessive / it
  • 中 (zhōng): classical character (zhōng)
  • 若 (ruò): classical character (ruò)
  • 存 (cún): exist / remain / dwell
  • 亡 (wáng): classical character (wáng)
  • 下 (xià): under / earthly realm / humble
  • 大 (dà): classical character (dà)
  • 笑 (xiào): classical character (xiào)
  • 不 (bù): not / un- / without
  • 足 (zú): classical character (zú)
  • 以 (yǐ): in order to / by means of
  • 为 (wèi): act / deem / become
  • 故 (gù): therefore / thus / consequence
  • 建 (jiàn): classical character (jiàn)
  • 言 (yán): words / speech
  • 有 (yǒu): manifest being / cosmos / to possess
  • 明 (míng): classical character (míng)
  • 昧 (mèi): classical character (mèi)
  • 进 (jìn): classical character (jìn)
  • 退 (tuì): classical character (tuì)
  • 夷 (yí): classical character (yí)
  • 纇 (lèi): classical character (lèi)
  • 德 (dé): Intrinsic Virtue / inner power
  • 谷 (gǔ): classical character (gǔ)
  • 白 (bái): classical character (bái)
  • 辱 (rǔ): classical character (rǔ)
  • 广 (guǎng): classical character (guǎng)
  • 偷 (tōu): classical character (tōu)
  • 质 (zhì): classical character (zhì)
  • 真 (zhēn): classical character (zhēn)
  • 渝 (yú): classical character (yú)
  • 方 (fāng): classical character (fāng)
  • 无 (wú): formless void / non-being / without
  • 隅 (yú): classical character (yú)
  • 器 (qì): classical character (qì)
  • 晚 (wǎn): classical character (wǎn)
  • 成 (chéng): complete / fulfill
  • 音 (yīn): music / tone
  • 希 (xī): classical character (xī)
  • 声 (shēng): sound / voice
  • 象 (xiàng): appearance / image / form
  • 形 (xíng): contrast / appearance
  • 隐 (yǐn): classical character (yǐn)
  • 名 (míng): name / conceptual label / to name
  • 夫 (fū): for / indeed / now
  • 唯 (wéi): only / precisely because
  • 善 (shàn): goodness / skillful / kind
  • 贷 (dài): classical character (dài)
  • 且 (qiě): classical character (qiě)