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| Bissier 1948 |
"Saber destriar entre les accions del cel i les accions dels humans, heus ací el cim del coneixement. Qui coneix quines són les accions del cel fusiona la seva vida amb el cel. Qui coneix quines són les accions dels humans accepta que el coneixement és una part del seu intel·lecte i augmenta aquest coneixement perquè accepta la seva pròpia ignorància. Es tracta de conservar la pròpia vida natural, procurant no morir prematurament. Heus ací la plenitud del coneixement.
Tot i així, encara hi ha alguna cosa de què preocupar-se. Car tot coneixement s'ha de conformar amb alguna cosa per a ésser veritable. Però aquesta cosa no pot ser determinada únicament pel coneixement. Com esbrinar, doncs, si el que crec que ve del cel no prové dels humans, i el que crec que ve dels humans no prové del cel? Així doncs, un ha d'esdevenir una persona veritable abans de poder tenir coneixements veritables.
Què és una persona veritable? La persona veritable de l'antiguitat no oprimia ningú, no exhibia el seus èxits i no planejava seduir els humans. Algú així no es lamentava pels seus errors i no s'enorgullia de les seves bones accions. Algú així podia pujar a cotes vertiginoses sense tremolar de por, entrar a l'aigua sense sentir-se mullada i entrar al foc sense sentir l'escalfor. Aquest tipus de percepció es devia a haver accedit al Dao.
La persona veritable de l'antiguitat podia dormir sense somiar, podia despertar-se sense ansietat, podia menjar aliments sense delectar-s'hi. Podia omplir completament els seus pulmons quan respirava: la seva respiració provenia dels seus talons, mentre que la respiració d'altres persones només provenia de la seva gorja. Aquells que són esclaus de les seves passions sembla que vomitin les paraules. Aquells que alberguen vells desitjos profundament en ells deixen només un espai poc profund perquè el cel pugui operar.
La persona veritable de l'antiguitat no era conscient d'expressar alegria per la vida, ni de sentir aversió a la mort. No s'alegrava de la seva arribada ni li sabia greu haver de marxar; marxava tan naturalment com havia arribat, sense més. No oblidava on va començar, i no es preocupava per on acabaria. S'acontentava amb el que rebia, i considerava tota pèrdua com un retorn. No utilitzava la ment per contribuir al Dao, i no utilitzava les persones per ajudar el cel. Això és el que s'anomenava una persona veritable.
El seu cor estava en pau, el seu rostre era impertorbable, el seu front no tenia arrugues. Amb una frescor com la tardor i una calidesa com la primavera, l'alegria i la ràbia fluïen per ell com les quatre estacions. Trobava acontentament amb totes les coses i no pensava en quan arribaria al cim. Per això, el savi podia fer una guerra i destruir un país sense perdre l'afecte del vençut. El que feia de bo es transmetia a les generacions futures, sense que hi hagués per part seva un amor particular per als éssers humans.
Intentar transferir felicitat a altres éssers vius no farà que un sigui un sant. Qui practica el favoritisme no és un benefactor. Qui només sap aprofitar les circumstàncies no és un savi. Qui no és capaç de conciliar l'avantatge amb el desavantatge no serà un bon governant. Qui busca la fama i es desvia de la seva naturalesa no és pas una persona com cal. Qui perd la seva personalitat i no manté la seva identitat no serà bo per servir als altres. Els savis treballaven pels altres i aspiraven a l'ideal d'aquests altres, no pas als seus propis ideals.
La persona veritable de l'antiguitat semblava actuar correctament, tot i que no s'ajustava a la norma. Semblava que li faltava alguna cosa, però no buscava favors. Tenia alguns aspectes cantelluts, però no era obstinada. Estava molt buida, sense ornamentacions. Il·luminava tot el que l'envoltava com si estigués plena de joia. Volava com una àguila, com si no calgués trobar un lloc per aterrar; només actuava per necessitat. La seva expressió facial era reservada; només la seva virtut guiava els seus actes. Semblava severa amb els de la seva pròpia generació. Quan hi havia una nova moda o tendència no la seguia; la seva llibertat era indomable. Semblava absorta com si estigués darrere d'una porta tancada; estava tan poc atenta, tan deslligada del món, que oblidava el que anava a dir.
Considerava el sofriment com una compressió del cos, els rituals com a vols de fantasia, el coneixement com una oportunitat i la virtut com una guia. Com que considerava el sofriment com una compressió del cos, renyava amb indulgència. Com que considerava els rituals com a vols de fantasia, se'n sortia en les relacions amb els altres. Com que considerava el coneixement com una oportunitat, només actuava quan no tenia cap més remei. Com que considerava la virtut com una guia, animava els altres a caminar amb els seus propis peus per tal d'arribar al cim i la gent assolia realment allò en el que estaven involucrats. Tot i no dedicar-se a actuar, tothom la tenia per algú molt actiu.
Per tant, s'unia amb allò que era agradable, i s'unia amb allò que no era agradable. Estar units és unitat, i no estar units és unitat. Estant unida, seguia el cel. No estant unida, seguia la gent. Quan el cel i la gent s'apleguen, no cal que un sigui victoriós sobre l'altre. Es diu que una persona veritable posseeix un equilibri perfecte entre el cel i els éssers humans.
La mort i la vida depenen del destí, són tan segures com el cel avançant des de la nit fins a l'alba. Hi ha certes coses sobre les quals no es pot fer res; tots els éssers vius es troben en aquesta situació.
Hi ha qui configura una figura especial com el Pare del cel i estima la imatge que té d'ell com a persona. Com podrien no estimar alguna cosa que està per sobre del cel? Tothom estima al príncep que considera superior a ell i li sacrifica la vida; com podria el Dao no merèixer el seu sacrifici? La gent crea algú que creu que té poders especials per curar-los, però els seus cossos finalment moren de totes maneres.
Quan un rierol s'asseca, els peixos s'apleguen en un toll a la terra. S'humitegen mútuament amb la seva saliva i s'esquitxen mútuament amb escuma. Seria millor per a ells nedar lliurement als rius i llacs que preocupar-se d'haver de fer aquestes coses per mantenir-se amb vida. Per això, en lloc de lloar a Yao i condemnar a Jie, seria millor oblidar-los a tots dos i posar en un mateix pla el que va bé i el que va malament.
El gran cúmul de terra (el món) està encarregat de les nostres formes físiques, lluita per mantenir-nos vius, ens bressola en la nostra vellesa i proporciona un lloc on descansar els nostres cossos després de morir. Per tant, el que és bo per mantenir-nos vius també ho serà per proporcionar-nos un lloc on morir. Beneïda sigui la vida i beneïda sigui igualment la meva mort.
Si una barca es troba amagada en un barranc, es pot dir que està en un lloc segur. Tot i així, cap a la mitjanit podria venir una persona forta i pujar la barca sobre les seves espatlles i marxar amb ella. Com que fora era tan fosc, ningú ho sabria. Amagar quelcom petit dins d'alguna cosa més gran pot semblar la cosa adequada a fer, però tot i així les podríem perdre. Només qui sap amagar tot el que hi ha al món dins del món, pot no perdre res. És perquè sap copsar la realitat fonamental de les coses.
Algú podria tenir un cos especialment atractiu, i estar-ne content. Tanmateix, una forma humana pot canviar per moltes coses, i aquests canvis potser no necessàriament s'acaben. Què pensar de la joia que derivaria de la contemplació de les infinites transformacions del món? Per això, el sant voldria assolir l'arrel comuna de tot el que existeix, a la qual res no pot desvincular-se. Si és bo d'imitar aquell que troba igualment bons la mort prematura i la longevitat, l'inici i la fi de la seva existència, encara més mereix de ser el nostre model el que vincula tots els éssers del món i de qui depèn la transformació còsmica.
El Dao s'expressa i proporciona proves de si mateix, però no fent accions o mostrant una forma. Reparteix coses, però no recupera res; pot ser transmès sense que un altre el pugui rebre. Pot entrar dins teu, però no es pot percebre; se'l pot comprendre sense poder veure'l. Està arrelat en ell mateix i va créixer a partir de les seves pròpies arrels abans que hi hagués un univers. És tan antic que hi era abans que existís res. Proporcionava energia vital tant per als dimonis com per als déus. Va donar vida tant al cel com a la terra. Arriba més alt que l'èter del cel, però no arriba a ser alt. Arriba més avall que el nucli de la terra, però no es fa profund. Va començar abans que el cel i la terra, però no es pot mesurar pel temps. Existeix des de les èpoques més remotes, però no es fa vell."
Zhuangzi, del capítol 6 (versió de Raimon Ribera, a partir de la traducció a l'anglès de Nina Correa i al francès de Liou Kia-hway)
Versió anglesa de Nina Correa:
"One who has knowledge about what actions are of the heavens and what actions are of people has reached attainment. One who knows the actions of the heavens merges her life with the heavens. One who knows the actions of people accepts that knowledge is a part of her intellect and increases that knowledge because she accepts her own ignorance. In the end she will have lived out her natural life span and not have been cut down in the middle of her youth. She's fulfilled every aspect of her knowledge.
Even so, there's still something to be concerned about. Having knowledge can only go so far and then it's subject to measurements. One gets to a certain point then starts questioning how far they've gotten. How could I sort out whether what I think is coming from the heavens isn't coming from people, and what I think is coming from people isn't coming from the heavens? Moreover, one has to become a true person before they can have true knowledge. What is a true person?
The true person of ancient times wasn't opposed to the idea of being different than the rest of society, didn't try to be macho, and didn't plan for a lucrative career. Someone like that could move from one situation to another with no regret, and measure up her self worth without becoming smugly self-satisfied. Someone like that could climb to dizzying heights without trembling in fear, enter water without feeling wet, and enter fire without feeling the heat. This kind of perception enables one to ascend on the tails of Dao.
The true person of ancient times could sleep without dreaming, could awaken without anxiety, could eat food without relishing in it, and could completely fill her lungs when breathing. A true person breathed all the way down to her heels, while other people's breath only filled the top of their lungs. Those who bend over in submission seem to spew forth words from their mouths like vomit. Those who harbor old desires deeply within them leave only a shallow space for the heavens to maneuver.
The true person of ancient times wasn't aware of expressing joy in life, nor of feeling aversion to death. He didn't feel a need to be gracious when he left, nor did he feel a need to be aloof when he entered. He could leave as swiftly as he arrived, and there was nothing more to it. He didn't forget where he began, but didn't question where he'd end up. He celebrated what was received, and recaptured what had been forgotten. This is called not using the mind to contribute to Dao, and not using people to assist the heavens. That's what was called a true person.
Being such, his heart was adaptable, his appearance was unruffled, his forehead was unwrinkled. With a coolness like autumn and a warmth like springtime, joy and anger flowed through him like the four seasons. He found contentment with all things and didn't think about when he'd reach the pinnacle. Therefore, if a wise person has to resort to using weapons, his country might be destroyed but the people's hearts wouldn't be lost. The benefits would carry over to all the future generations, but not because of his love for any person.
Therefore, trying to transfer happiness into other living things will not make one a sage. Experiencing intimate personal relationships will not make one benevolent. Trying to keep in time with the heavens will not make one worthy. One who isn't able to reconcile advantage with disadvantage will not be a good ruler. One who loses himself seeking fame won't be a good student. One who inadvertently loses his body won't be good at serving others.
A true person of ancient times appeared to be acting properly, even though she didn't conform to the norm. She seemed to be lacking, but didn't grovel for favors. She had some rough edges, but wasn't obstinate. She was extensively empty, but didn't superficially attract anything. She brightly lit up everything around her as though she was ecstatic! She soared like an eagle as though there was no need to find a place to land! Her facial expression took on a glowing quality. What she was willing to concede stopped with her own virtue. She seemed harsh to those of her own generation! She was so diverse that there was no way to control her. When there was a new fad or trend she didn't follow it. She was so inattentive that she forgot what she was going to say.
She regarded suffering as a compression of the body, rituals as flights of fancy, knowledge as opportunity, and virtue as a means of protection. Because she regarded suffering as a compression of the body, she was gentle with reprimands. Because she regarded rituals as flights of fancy, she went along with the times. Because she regarded knowledge as an opportunity, she used what was available in dealing with her affairs. Because she regarded virtue as a means of protection, she encouraged others to walk on their own feet in order to reach the pinnacle and people genuinely attended to what they were involved with.
So, she united with what was enjoyable, and she united with what wasn't enjoyable. Being united is unity, and not being united is unity. Being united, she followed the heavens. Being not united, she followed people. When the heavens and people join together, there's no need for one to be victorious over the other. A true person is said to be like this.
Death and life are destined. They're as certain as the the sky progressing from night into dawn. There are certain things a person can't do anything about. All living things are in that situation. There are those who set up a special figure as the Father of the Heavens (God) and are only able to love the image they have of him as a person. There might be something even above that! People set up someone who they believe has special powers to heal them, but their bodies eventually die anyway. There might be something even more effective than that!
When a stream dries up the fish gather together in a crater on the land. They moisten each other with their saliva and splatter each other with foam. It'd be better for them to be swimming freely in rivers and lakes than to be concerned with having to do these things to keep each other alive. Rather than to praise Yao and condemn Jie, it would be better to forget both of them and how different their Ways were.
The great clump of earth (the world) is loaded down with our physical forms, struggles to keep us alive, cradles us in our old age, and provides a place to rest our bodies after we die. Therefore, what's good at keeping us alive will also be good at providing a place for us to die.
A man may try to hide away a boat in a gully, which would be like trying to hide a mountain in a swamp, but he believes it's in a secure place. Even so, around midnight a strong person might come along and hoist the boat onto his shoulders and walk away with it. Since it was so dark outside, no one would know. Hiding something small within something larger might seem like the appropriate thing to do, yet anything could still be carted off. If a man were to hide everything in the world within the world, there would be no place left for anything to be removed to. Living things are already constantly in this great situation. Someone might have an especially attractive body, and they'd be pleased about that. However, a human shape can be changed by any number of things, and those changes might not necessarily ever come to an end. Is there pleasure to be found in counting the victories? Therefore, a wise person will travel where things take them rather than trying to constrain things where they don't belong.
Whether it's better to die young or to live to an old age; whether things will start out good or end up good - people just keep looking for ways to find meaning in those things. It's like everyone is looking for more things to be concerned about, as though they're waiting for one thing to come along and change everything!
Dao expresses itself and provides evidence of itself, but not by taking actions or showing a shape. It doles out things, but doesn't take anything back. It can enter within you, but can't be perceived. It was rooted in itself and grew from its own roots before there was a universe. It was so ancient that it was there before anything existed. It provided vital energy for both demons and gods. It gave life to both the heavens and the earth. It reaches higher than the ether of the sky, but doesn't become tall. It reaches lower than the core of the earth, but doesn't become deep. It began before the heavens and earth, but can't be measured by time. It was around from the most remote ages, but doesn't become old."
Entrades
