关于“道法自然”

续上一篇。

朋友问我，（道）法自然，我是怎么说的。在那个对话的语境里，当然直接说成 learning from nature 比较合适。

《道德经》里的那几句名言，从“人”开始，然后依次是地、天，具象的“三才”齐了，接下来是形而上的“道”，最后是“道法自然”，而最后这个动词“法”，并非 to learn from, to be modelled on or to be fashioned after... 而是 to be consistent with or ANALOGOUS to...

Analogous to what? To the state of natural being.

Note that the state of natural being is not the same as natural beings, for natural beings, including human beings (in their unsullied state), are mere manifestations of the state of natural being. (sullied or unsullied 又会牵涉到“原罪”或“类原罪”概念，暂不讨论。)

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道，是形而上的，如何把握，如何体会？可以通过自在态去感受，而自在态贯穿于宇宙万物的内核，既然如此，那么每个人通过外观、内省，必然可以得“道”，就看你是否有动力去做，是否愿意为“得道”而有所取舍。

As humans, we have two sides to our identity: the human doing and the human being.

The doing part needs knowledge. But no matter how 'knowledgeable' you are, an AI-powered android that is hooked up to, say, Wikipedia is likely to put you in your place or, at the very least, give you a good run for your money.

Your doingness gets things done in the world. But it's the being part that makes you truly human, from whence springs your inspiration, your creativity, your knowing of the unknowable and your natural moral compass. Your beingness is not something you achieve. You are already it - just let it prevail.

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知白守黑 is often construed as an artful expedient with which to navigate the treacherous waters of life.

Nay, it's not a device of cunning. It's an imperative.

It's the difference between an android and a human, between 知识分子 and 智识分子.

大都会博物馆卖的橡皮