第48章 · 原文
为学日益,为道日损。损之又损,以至于无为。无为而无不为。取天下常以无事,及其有事,不足以取天下。
现代白话译文

求学是每天增加知识,修道是每天减少欲望。减少又减少,直到无为的境界。无为却没有什么做不成的。治理天下常常靠无为而治,至于有为去治理,就不足以治理天下了。

多版本对照
王弼注(魏晋)

务欲进其所能益其所习.务欲反虚无也.有为则有所失.故无为乃无所不为也.

河上公注(汉)

为学日益者,学问日增,为善日多也。为道日损者,情欲日损,无为日多也。

王夫之《老子衍》(明末清初)

損於有者,益於無。去其所取,全其未有取。未有取,則未有失。故賓百為,而天下來賓。猶且詹詹然以前識之得為墨守,則日見益而所失者積矣。故月取明於日,明日生而真月日死。安能舍此無盡藏,以取恩於天下之耳目哉?夫天下無窮,取者恩而失者怨,取者得而失者喪,此上禮之不免於攘臂,而致數輿之無輿也。

憨山德清《老子道德经解》(明)

此言聖人治國之要,當以樸實為本,不可以智誇民也。明者,昭然揭示之意。愚者,民可使由之,不可使知之意。夫民之所趨,皆觀望於上也,所謂百姓皆注其耳目。凡民之欲蔽,皆上有以啟之。故上有好者,下必有甚焉者也。故聖人在上,善能以斯道覺斯民,當先身以教之。上先不用智巧,離欲清淨,一無所好,若無所知者。則民自各安其日用之常,絕無一念好尚之心。而黠滑之智自消,奸盜之行自絕矣。所謂我好靜而民自正,我無為而民自化。故曰非以明民,將以愚之。此重在以字。前云眾人皆有以。以,如春秋以某師之以。謂左右之也。此其上不用智,故民易治耳。然民之難治者,皆用智之過也。足知以智治國者,反為害也,乃國之賊。不用智而民自安,則為國之福矣。人能知此兩者,可為治國之楷式也。楷式,好規模也。苟能知此楷式,是謂之玄德矣。玄德,謂德之玄妙,而人不測識也。故歎之曰,玄德深矣遠矣。非淺識者所可知也。民之欲,火馳而不返。唯以此化民,則民自然日與物相反,而大順於妙道之域矣。語曰,齊一變至於魯,魯一變至於道,猶有智也。況玄德乎。

马王堆帛书异文(西汉)

为学者日益,为道者日损。损之又损,以至于无为。

帛书本'为学日益'作'为学日益','为道日损'作'为道日损','损之又损'作'损之又损'。
郭店楚简异文(战国)

此章缺

郭店本'为学者日益'与通行本'为学日益'不同,反映了早期版本特点。
English Translations / 英文译本

For learning, daily increase. For the way, daily decrease. Decrease and again decrease, until reaching non-action. Through non-action, nothing is left undone. Taking the world is always through non-action. As for acting, one is not enough to take the world.

For learning, daily increase. For the way, daily decrease. Decrease and again decrease, until reaching non-action. Through non-action, nothing is left undone. Taking the world is always through non-action. As for acting, one is not enough to take the world.

For learning, daily increase. For the way, daily decrease. Decrease and again decrease, until reaching non-action. Through non-action, nothing is left undone. Taking the world is always through non-action. As for acting, one is not enough to take the world.