Laozi · Complete work
Chapter 16
Chapter 16 of 81. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
Open the complete readerOriginal Classical Chinese
致虛極，守靜篤。萬物並作，吾以觀復。夫物芸芸，各復歸其根。歸根曰靜，是謂復命。復命曰常，知常曰明。不知常，妄作凶。知常容，容乃公，公乃王，王乃天，天乃道，道乃久，沒身不殆。
Mouseia
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the original source for fidelity, modern clarity, beauty, symbolism, and structure.
Reach utmost emptiness; hold fast to deep stillness.The myriad things arise together; through them I watch the return.Things flourish in profusion, each returning again to its root.Returning to the root is called stillness; this is called returning to destiny.Returning to destiny is called the constant; knowing the constant is called illumination.Not knowing the constant, one acts blindly and meets disaster.Knowing the constant brings all-embracing openness; openness brings impartiality; impartiality brings sovereignty; sovereignty accords with Heaven; Heaven accords with the Way; the Way endures; to the end of the body, there is no peril.
OpenTao
Complete CC BY 4.0 translation made directly from the received Chinese text; source line structure preserved.
Reach the utmost emptiness; hold fast to the deepest stillness.Amid all things arising together, I watch each one return.Things flourish in profusion, and each returns to its own root.Returning to the root: this is stillness. It is the return to one’s mandate.Returning to the mandate is the constant; to know the constant is clarity.Without knowledge of the constant, reckless action brings disaster.Knowing the constant, one has room for all; with room for all, one is impartial; impartial, one is kingly; kingly, one accords with heaven; with heaven, one accords with the Way; with the Way, one endures, free from peril to the end of life.
James Legge (1891)
Complete public-domain translation made directly from the original source text.
1. The (state of) vacancy should be brought to the utmost degree, and that of stillness guarded with unwearying vigour. All things alike go through their processes of activity, and (then) we see them return (to their original state). When things (in the vegetable world) have displayed their luxuriant growth, we see each of them return to its root. This returning to their root is what we call the state of stillness; and that stillness may be called a reporting that they have fulfilled their appointed end.
2. The report of that fulfilment is the regular, unchanging rule. To know that unchanging rule is to be intelligent; not to know it leads to wild movements and evil issues. The knowledge of that unchanging rule produces a (grand) capacity and forbearance, and that capacity and forbearance lead to a community (of feeling with all things). From this community of feeling comes a kingliness of character; and he who is king-like goes on to be heaven-like. In that likeness to heaven he possesses the Tao. Possessed of the Tao, he endures long; and to the end of his bodily life, is exempt from all danger of decay.