第九章 持而盈之
持而盈①之，不如其已②；揣③而銳之，不可長保。金玉滿堂，莫④之能守；富貴而⑤驕，自遺其咎⑥。功遂身退，天之道也。
名詞解釋:
盈：滿的意思
己：動詞，停止的意思
揣：捶打，敲打的意思
莫：代詞，“沒有誰”的意思
而：而且、並且
咎：災禍的意思
通篇解釋：
保持盈滿的狀態，不如適可而止。捶打得尖利的鐵器，就不能長久保持鋒利。縱然金玉堆滿房屋，沒有人能一直守住。富貴而又驕縱，定會給自己留下禍害。功成名就後就要急流勇退，這才是符合天道運行規律。
擴展引申：
普通生活中如何避免“滿招損”的現象發生呢？
本章中，老子講了許多滿招損的道理，比如你往杯子裡灌水，當水滿了，再往裡加，當然會溢出來；換一個說法，當弓被拉滿後仍然繼續用力猛拉，弦自然會被拉斷。這都告訴人們要適可即止，不可鋒芒畢露、富貴而驕、居功貪位。這些絕對不只是講給所謂的成功領先者聽。
在生活中，這也同樣適合於普通大眾。在當今社會下，很多精神、心理疾病患者都是有這類問題。很多人追求完美主義，想要做到最好，無形給自己造成很大的壓力。但每個人都是不同的個體，就好比你的杯型容積不同，你的弓型材質不同，那個滿溢飽和點自然不同。
所以很多時候你無需去貪戀大眾心目中的成功標準，因為人和人是不同，或者說命和命是不同的。其實事在人為，但成事還是在天，要學會享受這個追求目標的過程才是最重要的，即要會摸索自己瞭解自己的本性特質。這樣你在面對最終結果時會釋然很多，也就自然寵辱不驚了。
當達不到目標時，你無遺憾，因為你經歷過了，成長過了；反之當達到目標時，你自然也就不會貪戀要一直保持住這個狀態而招來禍患。所以凡事不求滿分，居於次之反而能更為你的快樂留有空間。
Chapter 9
Stretch a bow to the very full,
And you will wish you had stopped in time;
Temper a sword-edge to its very sharpest,
And you will find it soon grows dull.
When bronze and jade fill your hall,
It can no longer be guarded.
Wealth and rank breed insolence,
That brings ruin in its train.
When your work is done, then withdraw!
Such is Heaven’s Way.
Extension:
How to avoid the phenomenon of “full loss”in ordinary life?
In this chapter, Lao Tzu has made a lot of example to explain “full loss”theory. If you pour water into a glass, when the water is full, you will overflow. In other words, when the bow is full, the bow will continue to jerk and the string will be pulled apart. This all tells people to stop at the right time, do not to show rich status and be arrogant about that. These are definitely not just for the so-called successful leaders.
In life it is also suitable for the general public. In today’s society, many people with mental illness have such problems. They pursue perfectionism and want to do the best, that create a lot of pressure invisibly. Each person is a different person, just like your cup-volume, your bow profile is different, so your limiting point is naturally different.
So you don’t have to reach the public standards of success, because each people is different. All matter has its fate, enjoying the process of pursuing the goal is more important for us. That is to explore the nature of yourself. Therefore, you will be relieved to face the final result, and you will natural be humbled.
When you don’t reach your goals, you have no regrets, because you have experienced and grown. Conversely, when you reach your goal, you naturally don’t want to cling to it. So all things are not demand full marks, in the second place can bring your more happiness.
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