Chapter 24: Pride and Failure (第24章：苦恩)

企者不立；跨者不行。
自見者不明；自是者不彰；
自伐者無功；自矜者不長。
其在道也，曰：餘食贅行。物或惡之，故有道者不處。
☸

Translation

He who stands on tiptoe is not steady.
He who strides too far cannot walk far.

He who shows himself off is not enlightened.
He who justifies himself is not distinguished.
He who boasts of himself has no merit.
He who is proud does not endure.

In the eyes of the Dao, these are like "leftover food and tumorous growths."
They are detestable to all things.
Therefore, the follower of the Dao does not dwell in them.

✦ ◆ ✦

📜 Liuren Perspective

This chapter is a stark warning about Instability. In Liuren Fajiao, "standing on tiptoe" (企者) refers to a practitioner who tries to use high-level magic before they have built a solid foundation (Daji). Such magic is unstable and will eventually fail.

"Boasting has no merit" (自伐者無功) is a technical truth. Meritorious power (Gong) is built through silent practice and service. When a practitioner boasts, they dissipate their accumulated energy for the sake of their ego. This energy is compared to "leftover food and tumors"—useless and harmful waste.

To endure in the path of the Immortal Master, one must walk with a steady, humble pace. We avoid the "tiptoe" of pride and the "stride" of over-ambition, remaining grounded in our daily cultivation.

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