知谓无为谓曰：“予欲有问乎若：何思何虑则知道？
In what way should I think and contemplate in order to know Tao?
何处何服则安道？
How should I live and behave to comply with Tao?
何从何道则得道？
What direction should I take and what approach should I adopt in order to obtain Tao?
”三问而无为谓不答也，非不答，不知答也。
Knowl- edge asked three questions, but Non-action the Nameless gave no an- swer.
知不得问，反于白水之南，登狐阕之上，而睹狂屈焉。
It was not that he did not want to answer him, but that he did not know how to answer these questions.
知以之言也问乎狂屈。
Unable to get any answer from Non-action the Nameless, Knowl- edge went to the southern bank of the Bright Waters and climbed up the Huque Hill.
狂屈曰：“唉！
There he met with Wild the Wittess and raised the same questions as he had done earlier.
予知之，将语若，中欲言而忘其所欲言。
Wild the Wittess said, Oh, I know how to answer these questions.
”知不得问，反于帝宫，见黄帝而问焉。
I'd like to give the answers but I now forget what I was going to say." Unable to get any answer from Wild the Wittess, Knowledge went to the Yellow Emperor and asked the same questions.
黄帝曰：“无思无虑始知道，无处无服始安道，无从无道始得道。
The Yellow Emperor said, You can get to know Tao without thinking or contemplating.
”
知问黄帝曰：“我与若知之，彼与彼不知也，其孰是邪？
You can comply with Tao without living in any place or doing any thing.
”黄帝曰：“彼无为谓真是也，狂屈似之；我与汝终不近也。
You can obtain Tao without going in any direction or taking any approach." Then Knowledge asked him again, Now that you and I have learned the answers while Non-action the Nameless and Wild the Wittess have not, who is indeed right?" The Yellow Emperor said, "Well, Non-action the Nameless was per- fectly right and Wild the Wittless was almost right.
夫知者不言，言者不知，故圣人行不言之教。
You and I are far away from Tao.
道不可致，德不可至。
Those who know never say and those who say never know.
仁可为也，义可亏也，礼相伪也。
Therefore, the perfect man teaches without words.
故曰，‘失道而后德，失德而后仁，失仁而后义，失义而后礼。
Tao cannot be ob- tained and virtue cannot be approached.
礼者，道之华而乱之首也’。
Humaneness can be practised, righteousness may be defective, and formalism may lead to hypocrisy.
故曰，‘为道者日损，损之又损之以至于无为，无为而无不为也’。
Thus it is said, "Once Tao is lost, virtue arises; once virtue is lost, hu- maneness arises; once humaneness is lost, righteousness arises; once righteousness is lost, formalism arises.
今已为物也，欲复归根，不亦难乎！
Formalism is the flowery repre- sentation of Tao and the beginning of disorder.' It is also said, 'He who pursues Tao does less day by day.
其易也，其唯大人乎！
Less and less is done until nothing is done at all; when nothing is done at all, nothing is left undone.' Since there is always something to be sought after, how difficult it is to return to Tao!
生也死之徒，死也生之始，孰知其纪！
It is the perfect man alone that can return to Tao.
人之生，气之聚也；聚则为生，散则为死。
"Life is the succession to death and death is the beginning of life.
若死生之徒，吾又何患！
No one knows exactly the regular patterns for both.
The birth of a man is the convergence of the vital energy, which in turn forms life.
故万物一也，是其所美者为神奇，其所恶着为臭腐；臭腐复化为神奇，神奇复化为臭腐。
The breaking- up of the vital energy causes death.