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The disease of knowing

"To know and yet (think) we do not know is the highest (attainment); not to know (and yet think) we do know is a disease. It is simply by being pained at (the thought of) having this disease that we are preserved from it. The sage has not the disease. He knows the pain that would be inseparable from it, and therefore he does not have it."

Author

Lao Tzu

All Translations

Chinese

"知不知尚矣。 不知知病矣。 夫惟病病, 是以不病。 聖人之不病, 以其病病, 是以不吾病。"

Czech

"Uměti neuměti jest (nej)vyšší, neuměti uměti jest nemoc. Právě jen, považujeme-li nemoc za nemoc, nejsme proto nemocni. Svatý člověk není nemocen, poněvadž považuje nemoc za nemoc; proto není nemocen."

German

"Erkennen das Nicht-Erkennen, ist das Höchste. Nicht erkennen das Erkennen, ist Krankheit. Nur wen die Krankheit kränkt, der ist dadurch nicht krank. Der heilige Mensch ist nicht krank, weil ihn seine Krankheit kränkt. Daher ist er nicht krank."

English

"To know and yet (think) we do not know is the highest (attainment); not to know (and yet think) we do know is a disease. It is simply by being pained at (the thought of) having this disease that we are preserved from it. The sage has not the disease. He knows the pain that would be inseparable from it, and therefore he does not have it."

Spanish

"Conocer es no conocer, he ahí la perfección. No conocer es conocer, he ahí el mal. El sabio no padece este mal, porque lo padece. Lo padece, y por eso está libre de él."

French

"Celui qui sait croit qu'il ne sait rien. Celui qui ne sait rien et croit tout savoir s'expose à l'échec. L'homme qui prend conscience de ses erreurs peut éviter de les répeter. Le Sage est conscient des difficultés, conscient aussi des erreurs. Ainsi il peut les écarter. Et il garde sa sérénité."

Hungarian

"A tudást nem-tudásnak tartani: a legmagasabb fok. A nem-tudást tudásnak tartani: betegség. Csak aki betegségnek ismeri fel a betegséget, az tud ezáltal megszabadulni a betegségtől. A bölcs ember (seng-zsen) sohasem beteg, mert azáltal, hogy betegségnek tudja a betegséget, megszabadítja magát a betegségtől."

Italian

"sapere di non sapere è saggezza superiore non sapere di non sapere è un male infatti solo considerando male un male non si ha male il saggio evita il male perché sa che il male è male e perciò non ha male"

Romanian

"Cunoscându-ne limitele este înțelepciune, Necunoscându-ne limitele este ignoranță. Înțeleptul își cunoaște limitele. Astfel că știe oricând cât poate face."

Russian

"Кто, имея знания, делает вид, что не знает, тот выше всех. Кто, не имея знаний, делает вид, что знает, тот болен. Кто, будучи больным, считает себя больным, тот не является больным. Совершенномудрый не болен. Будучи больным, он считает себя больным, поэтому он не болен."

Vietnamese

"Biết điều không biết mới cao, Mờ điều đáng biết lẽ nào chẳng đau. Bệnh nàn mà biết lo âu, Rồi ra mới được trước sau khang cường. Thánh nhân bệnh hoạn chẳng vương, Vì hay phòng bệnh, nên thường khang an."

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