After Reading Lao Tsu: Chapter 51 老子：第五一章を読んで

老子は，世界の根源であるタオの働きを「徳」と呼ぶ。だから，タオに従って行動する人を徳のある人と呼ぶ。徳のある人は，ただタオにしたがって無為自然に事を成しているだけだから，ことさらそれを自慢したり，所有したり，支配したりしない。そういう執着から離れてただ在る。まさしく禅である。ただ在る人は，執着がないから強い。執着は迷いを生み，隙を作り，やがて自滅を招く。それが作為による自滅である。自然に在れば，自滅しない。

Lao Tsu stated that the function of the Tao, which is the source of the world, was named the "Te (toku)." Then, he referred to people who follow the Tao as those who have the Te (toku). Those who have the Te just do things in an unintentional and natural way along the Tao, and then they do not intend to boast, hold, nor dominate them on purpose. They are just being there without these attachments. This is just Zen. Those who are just being there are strong because they have no attachments. Attachments generate delusions, cause carelessness, and eventually lead to self-destruction. This is self-destruction caused by artificiality. When you are being naturally, you do not destruct yourself.

After Reading Lao Tsu: Chapter 50 老子：第五〇章を読んで

「君子危うきに近寄らず」というように，武道家ならば，予め危険を察知して不要な争いに巻き込まれないように，事前に危険を避けて通る。ましてや，「私」自ら力を誇示してわざわざ無益な争いを起こすことはしない。ある人の行いに対して私憤や公憤に駆られることもある。しかし，「私」がわざわざそれを正さなくても，この世はタオに従っているので，その人は巡り巡って報いを受ける。こうして「私」に執着しなければ，争いとは無縁になる。

There is a saying "a wise man keeps away from danger," and then Budo-ka would predict and avoid danger beforehand in order not to be embroiled in unnecessary conflicts. Still more, they would not display their power on their own will nor stir up an unworthy fight on purpose. In some cases, we become furious privately or publicly at what a person does. However, "we" need not to bother righting it, but instead, the person will pay for it later as a saying that "what goes around, comes around," because the world follows the Tao. Therefore, if we are not attached to "ourselves," we will be free from conflicts.

After Reading Lao Tsu: Chapter 49 老子：第四九章を読んで

私利私欲をもって人に接すれば，その人は自分が損しないようにと身構える。好き嫌いをもって人に接すれば，敵を作る機会が生じる。だから集団の長となる者は，私利私欲や好き嫌いで成員に接しない方が良い。我々はもともと自分を利するようにできているし，好きな人もいれば嫌いな人もいる。しかし，無心となって無我となって振る舞おうとする態度と行動が，集団に平穏を生む。そこに争いはない。これも一つの無手勝流，武の極意である。

If you interacted with people only in your self-interest, they would guard themselves from suffering a loss. If you interacted with people in a partial manner, some of them would become enemies to you. Therefore, a person who is a leader of a group should not interact with the group members in his/her self-interest nor in a partial manner. We human beings have a natural disposition to benefit ourselves, and there are not only people who we like but also those who we dislike. However, the attitude and act to behave without intention and selfishness leads to calmness in the group. There are not conflicts in that group. This is one of Mutekatsu-ryu, which is a secret of martial arts.

After Reading Lao Tsu: Chapter 48 老子：第四八章を読んで

普通，我々は，様々な面で知識を増やそうと努力をする。武術についても然りである。普通，武術を習い始めた者が，使える技を増やしたい，多様な技を操りたい，と思うのはごく自然である。そうして，習う技や形（型）が増えていく。しかし，ある段階を越えた武術家はやがて稽古する技や形（型）の種類が減っていく。その武術・流派の原理原則へと収束していく。それでいてその武術・流派を体現する。タオや禅に従えば，自ずとそうなる。

Usually, we human beings make efforts to increase our knowledge of various areas. It is true of martial arts, too. Usually, It is really natural that people who have begun practicing martial arts would think that they want to increase the techniques they use and master a variety of movements. In that way, the number of techniques and katas we learn go on increasing. On the contrary, as for martial artists who have transcended a certain stage, the kind of techniques and katas they practice go on decreasing. They are focusing on the principles of the martial art or the school of the art. In parallel with that, they can embody the art or the school. Harmonizing with the Tao or Zen will naturally make them do that.

After Reading Lao Tsu: Chapter 47 老子：第四七章を読んで

我々は，何かを知らないでいることに不安を感じる。大事なことを見逃して損をするのではないかと恐れる。足りていないという幻想に駆られ，延々と情報を求め続ける。それはやがて過剰となり，今度はそれに翻弄されるようになる。しかし，タオと禅を知る武道家は，そうして不安と混乱から情報の海に飲まれることはない。なぜなら武道家は，陸から海を眺めているからである。本来，人のいる場所というのは，海の中ではない。陸の上である。

We are anxious about the fact that we do not know something nor other. We are afraid of losing by missing important things. The illusions that we might be unsatisfied drive us to seek for information persistently. We will soon do that excessively, and on the contrary, we will be tossed about by the excessive information. But, Budo-ka, who know the Tao and Zen, never be caught up in the sea of information due to such anxiety and confusion. It is because they view the sea from the land. Essentially, where we human beings should be is not in the sea, but on the land.