六八、居安思危 天亦無用

68. Get prepared for danger in times of peace, and Providence can do nothing against you.

天之機緘①不測，抑而伸，伸而抑，皆是播弄②英雄、顛倒豪傑處。君子隻是逆來順受，居安思危，天亦無所用其伎倆矣。

【注 釋】

① 機緘：唐成玄英《疏》：“機，關也；緘，閉也。”此處指推動事物運動發展的造化力量。

② 播弄：掌管。此處喻捉弄。

【今文解譯】

上天的造化之功是深不可測的，它忽而叫人背運忽而叫人走運，忽而又反之，那些所謂的英雄豪傑都一個個被它玩弄於股掌之間。有鑒於此，真正的君子應該學會逆來順受和居安思危，這樣就連上天對他都無計可施了。

【English Translation】

The power of Providence can never be outguessed. It now sets people out of luck and now favors them with good fortune, and then does the same the other way round. However, no matter what it does, it does it purposely to make fools of the so-called heroes who consider themselves no ordinary beings. In light of this, what a true gentleman should learn to do is to resign himself to adversity when out of luck and get prepared against danger in times of peace. That way, even Providence is unable to play a trick on him.