To not know but think you know is flawed.

不知道卻認為自己知道是有缺陷的。

Only when one recognizes the fault as a fault can one be without fault.

只有當一個人認識到過失是一種過失時，他才能沒有過失。

The sages are without fault.

聖人是沒有過錯的。

Because they recognize the fault as a fault.

因為他們認識到過失是一種過失。

That is why they are without fault.”

這就是為什麼他們沒有過錯"。

So if I understood that correctly, wisdom lies in seeing our own faults, or in other

所以，如果我的理解正確的話，智慧在於看到我們自己的缺點，或者在其他的

words, our own foolishness.

詞，我們自己的愚昧。

But how do we see our own foolishness?

但我們如何看待自己的愚昧呢？

As usual, I'm gonna explore this idea through a dialogue.

像往常一樣，我將通過對話來探討這個想法。

---

---

The following is a conversation between a monk (M) and his student (S).

下面是一個和尚（M）和他的學生（S）之間的對話。

S: Teacher, how do I become wise?

S:老師，我怎樣才能變得有智慧呢？

M: Wisdom lies in seeing your own foolishness.

M: 智慧在於看到自己的愚昧。

When you see your own foolishness as foolishness, you stop being a fool.

當你把自己的愚昧看成是愚昧時，你就不再是愚昧。

S: Then how do I see my own foolishness?

S:那麼我如何看待自己的愚昧呢？

M: In the same way you see anything: by looking at it.

男：以同樣的方式，你看到任何東西：通過看它。

S: Well, it can't be that easy.

S:嗯，這不可能那麼容易。

I feel like I'm not seeing it.

我覺得我沒有看到它。

Why am I not seeing it?

為什麼我沒有看到它？

M: Do you know what foolishness looks like?

男：你知道愚昧是什麼樣子的嗎？

S: What do you mean?

S:你是什麼意思？

M: If you don't know what foolishness looks like, how will you see it?

男：如果你不知道愚昧是什麼樣子，你怎麼會看到它？

S: If I were to make a guess, I'd say a fool is someone who makes a lot of errors.

S：如果讓我猜，我會說傻瓜是指犯了很多錯誤的人。

M: Can you go through life without making a lot of errors?

M：你能在生活中不犯很多錯誤嗎？

S: Probably not.

S:可能不會。

M: So that definition is probably not very useful.

M：所以這個定義可能不是很有用。

It's normal to make lots of errors.

犯很多錯誤是正常的。

But if you see your errors as errors, you become less likely to repeat them, and by

但是，如果你把你的錯誤看作是錯誤，你就不太可能重複它們，而且通過

doing so, you become more knowledgable over time.

這樣做，隨著時間的推移，你會變得更有見識。

Do you agree?

你同意嗎？

S: I agree.

S：我同意。

M: So how about we say this: foolishness is being blind to your own errors—leading you

M：那麼我們這樣說吧：愚昧是對自己的錯誤視而不見，導致你

to repeat them and preventing you from becoming more knowledgeable?

來重複它們，阻止你變得更有知識？

S: I like that.

S：我喜歡這樣。

So you're saying I'm blind to my own errors.

所以你是說我對自己的錯誤視而不見。

That's the source of my foolishness, right?

這就是我愚蠢的根源，對嗎？

M: Right.

M：對。

S: Why can I not see my errors?

S:為什麼我看不到自己的錯誤？

M: Try this.

M：試試這個。

Take one of your index fingers and hold it in front of your eyes.

拿起你的一個食指，在你眼前晃動。

Count the lines on your finger.

數一數你手指上的線條。

Now, bring it closer to your face and really focus on one of the lines.

現在，把它靠近你的臉，真正專注於其中一條線。

Do you notice how everything but the finger blurs?

你注意到除了手指以外的所有東西都變得模糊了嗎？

Do you notice how everything else becomes unclear?

你是否注意到其他一切都變得不清楚了？

Do you notice how you become less able to see anything but the finger?

你是否注意到，除了手指，你變得不再能看到任何東西？

And if you were in a busy place, things might happen in the periphery of your vision that

如果你在一個繁忙的地方，在你視野的外圍可能會發生一些事情，這些事情是

you do not notice because you are so fixated on your finger.

你沒有注意到，因為你是如此專注於你的手指。

S: Yeah, I see all of that.

S：是的，我看到了所有的這些。

So what are you trying to say?

那麼你想說什麼呢？

M: Desire, ambition, and obsession: these things lead to a partial blindness.

M: 慾望、野心和痴迷：這些東西會導致部分失明。

The more you fixate on your finger, the less attentive you become to everything else.

你越是專注於你的手指，你對其他事物就越不專心。

You visually ignore things so you can bring your finger into focus.

你在視覺上忽略了一些東西，所以你可以把你的手指變成焦點。

Everything else becomes distorted with respect to your fixation.

其他一切都會因為你的固著而變得扭曲。

Tell me, while looking closely at your finger, can you see the rest of the world clearly?

告訴我，在仔細觀察你的手指時，你能清楚地看到世界的其他地方嗎？

S: Of course not.

S:當然不是。

M: Now drop your finger.

男：現在放下你的手指。

What has happened?

發生了什麼事？

S: I see the world more clearly as a whole.

S: 我更清楚地看到整個世界。

M: So you see, when desire, ambition, or obsession drop away, your perception opens up.

M: 所以你看，當慾望、野心或執著消失時，你的感知就會打開。

You are able to see the things you were previously blind to.

你能夠看到你以前所看不見的東西。

S: So are you saying my own desires will blind me to my errors?

S：那麼你是說我自己的慾望會讓我看不到自己的錯誤嗎？

M: Yes.

M：是的。

For example, if you really want to believe there is no such thing as green apples, you

例如，如果你真的想相信沒有綠蘋果這回事，你就會

will ignore any evidence that proves otherwise.

將無視任何證明是相反的證據。

You will always have an excuse or a justification that allows you to dismiss the evidence.

你總是會有一個藉口或理由，使你能夠否定證據。

So yes, your own desires will blind you to your errors.

所以，是的，你自己的慾望會使你看不見你的錯誤。

But when desire drops away, you are able to see the things you were previously blind to.

但當慾望下降時，你就能看到你以前看不見的東西。

When desire drops away, it's like seeing a birds-eye view of an entire city.

當慾望掉落時，就像看到整個城市的鳥瞰圖。

You can see the entire flow of traffic, the different districts, the troubled areas, and

你可以看到整個交通流，不同的地區，麻煩的地區，以及

so on.

如此這般。

You can see the bigger picture.

你可以看到更大的畫面。

S: But I lose the details, don't I?

S：但我失去了細節，不是嗎？

M: You do.

M：你會的。

But from this higher point of view, you can properly decide where to re-direct your attention

但從這個更高的角度來看，你可以正確地決定將你的注意力重新放在哪裡

and desire.

和慾望。

You can decide where to look more closely.

你可以決定在哪裡進行更仔細的觀察。

---

---

In the Tao te Ching, Lao Tzu wrote, “The sages are without fault.

在《道德經》中，老子寫道："聖人無過。

Because they recognize the fault as a fault,” and I explored this idea more fully through

因為他們認識到過失是一種過失。"我通過以下方式更充分地探討了這一想法

a dialogue.

a對話。

What prevents us from seeing our own foolishness?

是什麼阻止我們看到自己的愚昧？

I believe it's strong desire, ambition, obsession, or fixation.

我相信這是強烈的慾望、野心、痴迷或固定。

For example, when we look really closely at our hand, we become more blind to everything

例如，當我們真的仔細觀察我們的手時，我們會變得對一切都更加盲目

else, to the bigger picture.

其他，對大局而言。

A strong desire, ambition, or fixation leads to a partial blindness.

強烈的慾望、野心或定力導致了部分失明。

For example, if we really want to believe there is no such thing as oranges, we'll

例如，如果我們真的想相信沒有橙子這種東西，我們會

ignore any evidence that proves otherwise.

無視任何證明是相反的證據。

We'll always have an excuse or a justification that allows us to dismiss the evidence.

我們總是會有一個藉口或理由，讓我們能夠否定證據。

So desire blinds us to our errors.

是以，慾望使我們對自己的錯誤視而不見。

But when desire drops away, our perception opens up, and we're able to see the things

但當慾望消失時，我們的感知就會打開，我們就能看到那些東西

we were previously blind to.

我們以前對其視而不見。

We get a birds-eye view of our world, and from this view, we can see more clearly where

我們對我們的世界有了一個鳥瞰圖，從這個視圖中，我們可以更清楚地看到在哪裡

we would like to redirect our focus.

我們希望重新確定我們的重點。

As always, this is just my opinion and understanding of Lao Tzu's words, not advice.

像往常一樣，這只是我對老子的話的看法和理解，不是建議。

Feel free to use this information however you like, and if you have a different take

請隨意使用這些資訊，如果你有不同的看法

on Lao Tzu's words, I'd love to hear

關於老子的話，我很想聽聽

your perspective in

你的觀點在

the comments.

的評論。