56 知者不言 言者不知

老子道德經第五十六章

知者不言　言者不知
塞其兌　閉其門
挫其銳　解其紛
和其光　同其塵　是謂玄同
故不可得而親　不可得而疏
　不可得而利　不可得而害
　不可得而貴　不可得而賤
故為天下貴

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FIFTY-SIX (Feng)

Those who know do not talk.
Those who talk do not know.

Keep your mouth closed.
Guard your senses.
Temper your sharpness.
Simplify your problems.
Mask your brightness.
Be at one with the dust of the earth.
This is primal union.

He who has achieved this state
Is unconcerned with friends and enemies,
With good and harm, with honor and disgrace.
This therefore is the highest state of man.

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56. (ah san)

He who knows does not speak.
He who speaks does not know.

Close off his senses,
Slow down his mind,
Temper his sharpness,
Untangle from his problems,
Mask his brilliance,
Mix himself with the dust:
He has reached the state of being one with nature.

We can't get close to him.
We can't get away from him.
We can't gain anything from him.
We can't harm him.
We can't honor him.
We can't disgrace him.
This way he is respected by all.
(But seriously, I think he is done with this world.)