← Table of contents Tao Te Ching illustration
致虚极,
Zhì xū jí,
Be completely empty,
守静笃,
Shǒu jìng dǔ,
Hold to perfect serenity.
万物并作,
Wàn wù bìng zuò,
The ten thousand things arise,
吾以观复。
Wú yǐ guān fù.
I watch their return.
夫物芸芸,
Fú wù yún yún,
All things blossom,
各复归其根。
Gè fù guī qí gēn.
And each returns to its root.
归根曰静,
Guī gēn yuē jìng,
Returning to the root is tranquility,
静曰复命。
Jìng yuē fù mìng.
Tranquility is returning to destiny.
复命曰常,
Fù mìng yuē cháng,
Returning to destiny is the constant.
知常曰明。
Zhī cháng yuē míng.
Knowing the constant is clarity.
不知常,
Bù zhī cháng,
Ignorance of the constant,
妄作凶。
Wàng zuò xiōng.
Leads to recklessness and misfortune.
知常容,
Zhī cháng róng,
Knowing the constant, the mind is open,
容乃公。
Róng nǎi gōng.
An open mind is generous.
公乃王,
Gōng nǎi wáng,
Generosity leads to nobility.
王乃天,
Wáng nǎi tiān,
Nobility leads to divinity.
天乃道,
Tiān nǎi dào,
Divinity leads to the Dao.
道乃久,
Dào nǎi jiǔ,
The Dao is eternal,
没身不殆。
Méi shēn bù dài.
Though the body dies, it is never in danger.