第八章
原文：上善若水。水善利万物而不争。处众人之所恶，故几于道。居善地，心善渊。与善仁，言善信。政善治，事善能，动善时，夫唯不争，故无尤。
罗汉乱弹琴：上一章老子讲了一个人要先人后己，才能最大限度地实现自我利益，自我追求，自我价值的最大化。但，这是一个大的原则，到这章，就讲具体该怎么做。
上善若水。水善利万物而不争——最好学习水的性格。水就有着利万物却不与万物争利的特点。
处众人之所恶，故几于道——把自己放到众人都不愿去的位置、地方（比如人人都想往高处走，水却喜欢往低处流），这样做就接近了我（老子）所说的道（实现自己人生价值最大化的途径和方法）。要知道老子虽然处于春秋时期，但是离尧、蕣、禹的禅让时代，和周公施礼教的时代，却比我们近，虽然到春秋时期礼教已经开始隳頽，但是民间的温良恭俭让风气，依然有所传承。当时还没有实行科举考试制度，政府选拔官员，往往都是通过乡里口碑进行简拔。所以，在当时，一个人若真能做到：
居善地，心善渊。与善仁，言善信。政善治，事善能，动善时——居住在别人需要自己帮忙时能最快找到自己的地方；自己的心地能像深渊那样清澄明澈而且包容，与人交往最慈爱，说话承诺最讲信守，参与社会活动能有最好的治理方法，做事最能干，行动最及时、最能把握时机。
夫唯不争，故无尤——任何时候，任何地点都不与人争雄争利，就不会有过错。
既然在大家眼中是一个无过错的人，自然就是贤人。选拔社会管理者时，自然就会被简选。
现在好些人读《老子》，总是用自己时代的特点去看老子开出的“圣人”处方，从而认为是当今社会绝对不可行的迂腐之谈。但若我们清楚老子当时所处时代的社会特点，你就会发现，老子还真是给人开出了一个如何成为“贤人”，从而得到群众选举为社会管理者的良方。
若我们再深入地思考思考，就会发现，老子的这一教人如何成为贤人，或者说大家如何选拔贤人的标准，虽然在大陆不实用，但在香港，在台湾、在世界很多实行选举制而不是中央政府任命制的地方，还真正地被人和社会努力实践着呢。当然，也有一点不同，就是“竞选“，看起来和老子的主张还有点出入，但仔细一想，竞选的时候，是要承诺将为大家做些什么的，就好比写保证书，立军令状，上台过后选民就拿竞选时的承诺审查着、监督着，到任期，大家认为做得好，就再连任，做得不好就下来。而且就是在任期中若有大错，还会被中途赶下台。即使两届都干得很好，但是你的精力已经衰了。也不能再连任。
所以，大家看到香港的公务支出费用比我们的少得可怜，看到美国驻华大使到中国赴任就象我们的普通公务员报到，副总统的午餐，就在街边小店吃了几十块钱，都不要认为别人是在做秀。因为，如果他们在国内国外不是这样，就会被选民指责，下一次就不会再选你，甚至会被赶下台。
现在真正要问的是，中华民族曾经有过的理想社会模式，全世界很多地方都在实行着，我们什么时候才又会重新拥有呢？
Luohan comprehension：
In the last chapter，Lao-Tzu said that we must think about others before yourself，then we can realize the value of life with maximum. In the last chapter it told the major principle，now we talk about what we should do.
上善若水。水善利万物而不争——The highest excellence is like（that of water）. The excellence of water appears in its benefiting all things，and in its occupying，without striving（to the contrary）.
处众人之所恶，故几于道——The low place which all men dislike（man struggles upwards，water follws downstairs）.Hence（its way）is near to（that of）the Tao（realize the value of life by the way）. Though Lao-Tzu was in the spring and autumn period，but it was close to the period of Yao，Shun and Yu，even close to the period of the Duke of Zhou. Though the moral codes of the spring and autumn period was decline，but the culture spirit of gentle，modest ，courteous，restrained and magnanimous are inherited. Because there had not the imperial examination system，so it used to select national government officials through the village reputation selection. So at that time，if a person really can do that：
居善地，心善渊。与善仁，言善信。政善治，事善能，动善时——The excellend of residened is in（thesuita of the；That of the mind is in abysmal stillness; that of associations is in their being with the virtuous；that of government is in its securing good order; that of (the condut of )affairs if in its ability; and that of（the initation of）any movement is in its timeliness.
夫唯不争，故无尤——His only true，therefore no especially.
In the eyes of the public，the sage has no mistake， in the options of the custodians of society.
Now many people read《Lao-Tzu》，explaining the sage on the point of modern time and think there is a pedantry in today's society. But if we learn about the times which Lao-Tzu lived in，we will find that Lao-Tzu has taught us how to become a sage and become the custodians of society.
If we take a harder look again，we would find out the standards of selecting the sage by Lao-Tzu，especially In Hongkong、Taiwan and many electoral system in the world had been verifed by the practice of human-being，besides in the centralized system of ranks. And there is some different between the election，it differs from that
the Philosophy of Lao-Tzu，but on second thoughts，at the time of election，they promises to do something about it，Like the guarantee or the military order. When he takes office，the voter needs to make sure if he can remember to carry out his promise. Except the mistake and the election or the low energy that can not for re-election.
So all you see is the expense of official business in Hongkong is less than that in China. And the U.S. ambassador to China like the civil servants“check in”for work. The lunch of the vice-president is a few dozen yuan at the snack stalls one of the side streets and not to be surprised. Because，if they dont 's，they will be accused by voters then he need step down.
The question really you have to ask，when do politician return back the ideal social patterns that have experienced by the Chinese people.
2011年12月24日星期六于富力湾
