用無成敗

用無成敗

貴無之道,古今固有寳而用之者矣。而或以之成,或以之敗。太王去邠,與徐偃王不忍驅民以戰,是一類也。漢元優柔,與文帝元默亦一類也。而其成敗大相乖戾,故後世執迹以譏其不成者,而曰結繩不足以救亂秦,舞干不足以解平城也,則并與老語而懠諸無用,顧不知罪其施置之失當,則豈其知言也哉?列子設爲向、國二氏致富之說而明夫同意向,而異成敗者,則曰向氏喻國氏致富之言,而不喻其致富之道,則遂反爲身殃也。其意正以況此也。八十一章固皆本柔爲用矣,而其所從用之,則濟寬者有制,紏弛者有猛,暗行乎其間也。是故迷民之舍正而入奇也,則方廉直光實嘗交出而行制御也,豈其有柔無剛也歟?民皆賴生而畏死矣,猶有敢於爲奇者,且將執而殺之,則威當克愛者斷斷乎其無貨也。又如自夸其器之利,而主其勝之可必者,歙弱廢奪姑其蓋之以柔耳。非專於柔也。故凡世之慕清虚而隳事功者,皆其守雌而未嘗知雄者也。則凡無古聖人之德以求爲結繩舞干之事者,無往而不及於敗也。

End of chapter

Text and scans: Shidian Guji (Peking University – ByteDance open ancient texts). Edition details are given per book. Shidian Guji

129 / 164
p. 129
Loading…
Tap a character in the text and it is boxed on the scan; tap a box on the scan to locate it in the text.