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"Favour and disgrace are both alarming. Treat great calamities as if they were happening to yourself. What does "favour and disgrace are both alarming" mean? When favour is conferred upon a lowly position, it is like a shock. And when it is taken away, it is like a shock. This is what is spoken of as "Favour and disgrace are both alarming." What does this mean: "Treat calamities as though they were happening to yourself"? I am able to feel great calamities because I have a self. If I have no self, what calamity is there? Therefore, only one who values himself as he values the world is fit to be entrusted with the world. Only one who loves the world as he loves himself is worthy of being the trustee of the world."

Author

Lao Tzu

All Translations

English

"Favour and disgrace are both alarming. Treat great calamities as if they were happening to yourself. What does "favour and disgrace are both alarming" mean? When favour is conferred upon a lowly position, it is like a shock. And when it is taken away, it is like a shock. This is what is spoken of as "Favour and disgrace are both alarming." What does this mean: "Treat calamities as though they were happening to yourself"? I am able to feel great calamities because I have a self. If I have no self, what calamity is there? Therefore, only one who values himself as he values the world is fit to be entrusted with the world. Only one who loves the world as he loves himself is worthy of being the trustee of the world."

Hungarian

"Félelem a szégyen és dicsőség! A testet érő nagy csapás az előkelőség! Mivel a dicsőség megszerzésekor félnek, elvesztésekor szégyenükben élnek. Ezért félelem a dicsőség. És miért csapás az előkelőség? Mivel szerencsétlenség lesz osztályrészed, ha nem létezik számodra csak saját éned… De miféle szerencsétlenségben lehetne részed, ha mások énjének létezését magadnál eléred?* Ezért bízd az ég alattit arra, ki a legelőkelőbb: saját énje egy az ég alattival, semmi sincs előbb. Ezért hagyd az ég alattit arra, ki legjobban szeret: saját énje az ég alattival egy, kisebb nem lehet."

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