第四章
原文：道冲而用之或不盈，渊兮似万物之宗。挫其锐，解其纷，和其光，同其尘。湛兮似或存。吾不知谁之子，象帝之先。
罗汉乱弹琴：第三章老子明确提出了对待自然、参与社会，该怎样做：“为”，知道了该怎样做，实际上不该怎样做的认识也就出来了：“无为”。到第四章，则进一步提出“道”的更高一层含义来。在第一章我解释了老子是如何把具体的“道”（路）提升到抽象的“道”（途径、方法），这里老子进一步指出，这抽象的“道”还可以进行更简单的概括：规律。
道冲而用之或不盈，渊兮似万物之宗——对待自然和参与社会的途径和方法在具体使用过程中是无论怎样用也是用不完的（比如我们讨论从自己的居住地到北京，有多少种途径一样），这种途径、方法汇聚起来，一如不能见底的深渊，但是一旦汇聚起来，也就十分简单，一如万千散漫自流的水汇入深渊，也就成了一潭深水而已。（这里的“渊”字，当动词讲，有收集、汇聚的意思，整句的意思是，无论我们从居住地到北京可以有N种方案，但归结起来就只有一个：如何方便快捷地到达北京。我作如此讲，是认定这里的“宗”，有汇聚，归拢的意思，所以整个句子有“万法归宗”之意）。在阅读时，我们还要注意老子用“或”和“似”所表达的不确定性。被大家公认的思想家，是何等的谦虚，当代好多自诩比老子还老子的人，读到此会有德鲁克的“惊觉”吗？
挫其锐，解其纷，和其光，同其尘——（对万千纷繁复杂的途径、方法），挫其锐（去其险，比如有人提出坐火箭到北京最快）}、解其纷（去除繁琐纷乱，比如有人说可以先到曼谷再转东京，然后经纽约等等路径到北京，如此或许更省钱），和其光（选择快捷而又安全的路线），同其尘（也就是采纳了认同了既不冒险，也不迂腐的脚踏实地的方案。这里的“尘”不是尘埃，而是既有“脚踏实地”，也有不张扬、不显摆的意思）。
湛兮似或存——如此清晰、简单、明白的途径或规则（也就是老子所主张的“大道至简”），也许是应该有的吧？
吾不知谁之子，象帝之先——我不知如此清晰、简单、明白（认识自然、参与社会）的途径或规则，产生于何时（或者说是什么时候产生的），好像是在归根结蒂之前就有的了。
有好多版本和好多学者又把“帝”字解释错了。我手上这本自诩权威的版本就把“象帝之先”解释成“似乎在天帝出现之前就存在了”——这样的解释又把一个思想者庸俗成了一个“愚民”。其实作为思想者的老子不愚，而是自诩为大师级的人物“自愚”！
这个“帝”字，画出来，就是一朵开繁了的花，花瓣四散开始向下，也就是说此花已经完成了她的娇艳与妩媚，接受了花粉的传播，已从怀春的少女，转变为受孕的少妇。她的生命将慢慢地转化成她的下一代——结出硕大的果。所以“帝者，蒂也”。老子这句话的正确解当是：一切事物发生、发展、结果的规则，早孕育在开花结果前，或者说归根结蒂时。这是十分简单的道理，就好比我所举的到北京的例子。当大家看到我到了北京时，我是从何地，用什么方法、途径到的北京，早已包含其中一样。老子的本意就是说一切事物从生长到成熟再到外形衰败，但实际是新一轮生命转换的开始，而这一切，都是由其自身内在的规则、程序，事先就决定好了的，这，就是道。
Luohan comprehension：
In the chapter 3 Lao-Tzu explicitly stated the way how to cope with nature and participate in the social activities：“为”，come to know about the do's and dont's，and it is “无为”. At the chapter 4，further theorized a higher level of“道”. At the chapter 1，I has explained how to sublimate the concrete objects“道”（road） to the abstract objects“道”（way）. Lao-Tzu pointed out the abstract“道”can be summarize briefly in law.
道冲而用之或不盈，渊兮似万物之宗——The Tao is (like)the emptiness of a vessel；and in our employment of it we must be on our guard against all fullness.（For example we talk about the ways form the resident to Beijing）. How deep and unfathomable it is，as if it were the Honoured Ancestor of all things！（In here，the word of “渊”，it used as a verbal，haves the eaning of collction，The meaning of the whole sentences is：whether we have too many ways from the resident to Beijing but the common things is how to
convinent and eifficient to Beijing，and it is remain the same（“万法归宗”）. When reading，we need to remember that the uncertainty expression of the word“或”and “似” by Lao-Tzu. Lao-Tzu，a thinker who has been generally accepted，what a great modest，but those people who take himself to be Lao-Tzu by contemporary，could you read out the “discovered” by Drucker?
挫其锐，解其纷，和其光，同其尘——（The myriad complex method）We should blunt our sharp points（It was suggested sitting rockets to Beijing faster），and unravel the complications of things（It was suggested that return to Beijing by way of Bangkok、Tokyo and Newyork，is the potential to save money） ；We should attemper our brightness（We should choose the convient and safe route），and bring ourselves into agreement with the obscurity of others（agree with the down-to-earth plan，the meaning of“尘”is not refer to the dust but down-to-earth and not flaunt）.
湛兮似或存——How pure and still the Tao is，as if it would ever so continue！（Lao-Tzu said that way to achieve great deed is usually the simplest way.）There should be.
吾不知谁之子，象帝之先——I do not know when did the way and regulations resonate（learn about the nature and participate the society）. It might appear to have been developed all in all.
There are many versions and scholars explain the word “帝” by mistake，the book at hand which praised itself as the authority，it explained“象帝之先”by“It might appear to have been before God.”—— This interpretation transform the thinker to the blockhead. Actually Lao-Tzu is not a fool but the scholar who take hiself to be a master！
The word of “帝” by draw it out，is a flower that with too much blossom and expanded her petals after the pollination，which finished her delicate and charming. It turn a girl in love to a pregnant young woman where life could be created——bears large fruits.So “帝者，蒂也。”The correct interpretation of this sentence by Lao-Tzu is：Everything occurrence、existence and development with the natural law before it blossom and bear fruits. The simple truth is that the example to go to Beijing. When I arrived in Beijing，contains knowing how、or when or from where. The real intention of Lao-Tzu is to reveal the grows 、ripens and decoy of everything，but actually to start a new round of life. And that is“道”.
2011年12月23日星期五于富力湾
