《老子》“见小曰明”释论

Commentaries on the Statement that “Lowering Oneself is Wisdom” in Tao Te Ching

"见小曰明"向乏解人,究其原因,缘于人们没有意识到此处的"见"读若"现",意为把自我拉低,避免自我膨胀,与文中的"守柔曰强"一以贯之,见小、守柔,从根本上说都是个体在面向世界时所当取的姿态。老子心目中的"大者"恰恰是见小者、不自为大者。反过来,只有强者、大者才能"见小"。

The reason why little has been commentated on the statement that ＂lowering oneself is wisdom＂ lies in the failure to realize that the character ＂fian＂ here should be pronounced as ＂xian＂ in Chinese. Here it means to lower oneself and avoid the one＇ s arrogance, which is consistent with the other statement that ＂going gentle is powerfulness＂. Fundamentally, lowering oneself and going gentle are considered to be the preferred at- titudes towards the world. ＂The chief＂ in the mind of Laozi is exactly the one that can lower himself and is not arrogant. On the contrary only the powerful and the chief can really ＂lower oneself＂.