第16章 · 原文
现代白话译文
努力使心灵虚空到极点，坚守清静到极致。万物都在蓬勃生长，我由此观察到了循环往复的道理。万物纷繁茂盛，最终各自返回到它们的本根。返回本根叫作静，静叫作复命。复命叫作常，认识了常叫作明。不认识常，轻举妄动就会遇到凶险。认识了常才能包容，包容才能公正，公正才能称王，称王才能顺应天，顺应天才能符合道，符合道才能长久，终身没有危险。
多版本对照
王弼注（魏晋）
言致虚．物之极笃．守静物之眞正也．动作成长．以虚静观其反复．凡有起于虚．动起于静．故万物虽并动作．卒复归于虚静．是物之极笃也．各返其所始．归根则静．故曰静．静则复命．故曰复命也．复命则得性命之常．故曰常也．常之为物．不偏不彰．无皦昧之状．温凉之象．故曰知常曰明也．唯此复．乃能包通万物．无所不容．失此以往．则邪入乎分．则物离其分．故曰不知常则妄作凶．无所包通也．无所不包通．则乃至于荡然公平也．荡然公平．则乃至于无所不周普也．无所不周普．则乃至于同乎天也．与天合徳．体道大通．则乃至于穷极虚无也．穷极虚无．得道之常．则乃至于不穷极也．无之为物．水火不能害．金石不能残．用之于心．则虎兕无所投其爪角．兵戈无所容其锋刃．何危殆之有乎.
河上公注（汉）
致虚极，守静笃者，道人绝情去欲，守道不移，致虚极静，万物并作，吾以观其复，归于根本也。
王夫之《老子衍》（明末清初）
最下擊實，其次邀虛。最下取動，其次執靜。兩實之中，虛故自然：眾動之極，靜原自復；不邀不執，乃極乃篤。何以明其然也？萬物並作，而蕓蕓者，勢盡而反其所自來也。是故鄧林之葉，可無籌而數；千里之雨，可無器而量。猶舍是而有作，其不謂之妄手？故無所有事，而天下為我用，其道不用作而用觀。觀，目也。觀而不作，目亦腹矣。
憨山德清《老子道德经解》（明）
此承上章要人作靜定功夫，此示功夫之方法也。致虛極守靜篤者。致，謂推致推窮之意。虛，謂外物本來不有。靜，謂心體本來不動。世人不知外物本來不有，而妄以為實。故逐物牽心，其心擾擾妄動，火馳而不返。見利亡形，見得亡真，故競進而不休，所以不能保此道也。今學道工夫，先要推窮目前萬物，本來不有。則一切聲色貨利，當體全是虛假不實之事。如此推窮，縱有亦無。一切既是虛假，則全不見有可欲之相。既不見可欲，則心自然不亂。而永絕貪求，心閒無事。如此守靜，可謂篤矣。故致虛要極，守靜要篤也。老子既勉人如此做工夫，恐人不信。乃自出己意曰，我之工夫亦無他術，唯只是萬物並作，吾以觀其復，如此而已。並作，猶言並列於前也。然目前萬物本來不有，蓋從無以生有。雖千態萬狀，並列於前，我只觀得當體全無。故曰萬物並作，吾以觀其復。復，謂心不妄動也。向下又自解之曰，夫物芸芸，各歸其根。意謂目前萬物雖是暫有，畢竟歸無，故云各歸其根。根，謂根本元無也。物既本無，則心亦不有。是則物我兩忘，寂然不動。故曰歸根曰靜，靜曰復命。命，乃當人之自性，賴而有生者。然人雖有形，而形本無形。能見無形，則不獨忘世，抑且忘身。身世兩忘，則自復矣。故云靜曰復命。性，乃真常之道也。故云復命曰常。人能返觀內照，知此真常妙性，纔謂之明。故云知常曰明。由人不知此性，故逐物妄生，貪欲無厭。以取戕生傷性亡身敗家之禍。故曰不知常，妄作凶。人若知此真常之道，則天地同根，萬物一體，此心自然包含天地萬物。故曰知常容。人心苟能廣大如此，則民吾同胞，物吾與也。其心廓然大公，則全不見有我之私。故曰容乃公。此真常大道，人若得之於內，則為聖。施之於外，則為王。故曰公乃王。王乃法天行事，合乎天心。故曰王乃天。天法道，合乎自然。故曰天乃道。與天地參。故曰道乃久。人得此道，則身雖死而道常存。故曰沒身不殆。殆，盡也。且此真常之道，備在於我。而人不知，返乃亡身殉物，嗜欲而不返，豈不謬哉。
马王堆帛书异文（西汉）
至虚极也，守静督也。万物旁作，吾以观其复也。
郭店楚简异文（战国）
至虚，恒也。守中，笃也。万物方作，居以须复也。
English Translations / 英文译本
Reach the extreme of emptiness, preserve the utmost stillness. The ten thousand things prosper together, and I observe their return. All things flourish and each returns to its root. Returning to the root is called stillness. Stillness is called returning to life. Returning to life is called the constant. Knowing the constant is called enlightenment. Not knowing the constant is to act blindly and leads to disaster. Knowing the constant leads to acceptance. Acceptance leads to impartiality. Impartiality leads to kingliness. Kingliness leads to heaven. Heaven leads to the way. The way leads to eternity. Though the body perishes, the way is never destroyed.
Reach the limit of emptiness, preserve the utmost stillness. The ten thousand things prosper together, and I observe their return. All things flourish and each returns to its root. Returning to the root is called stillness. Stillness is called returning to life. Returning to life is called the constant. Knowing the constant is called enlightenment. Not knowing the constant is to act recklessly and leads to disaster. Knowing the constant leads to acceptance. Acceptance leads to impartiality. Impartiality leads to kingship. Kingship leads to heaven. Heaven leads to the way. The way leads to eternity. Though the body perishes, the way is never destroyed.
Empty to the limit, become still. Ten thousand things arise, I watch them return. Things flourish and each returns to its root. Returning to the root is stillness. Stillness is returning to life. Returning to life is the constant. Knowing the constant is enlightenment. Not knowing the constant is recklessness, leading to disaster. Knowing the constant is acceptance. Acceptance is impartiality. Impartiality is kingship. Kingship is heaven. Heaven is the way. The way is eternal. Though the body dies, the way does not.