第52章 · 原文
现代白话译文
天下万物都有个开端，以此作为天下的根源。既然知道了根源，就能认识万物；既然认识了万物，再坚守着根源，终身不会有危险。堵塞嗜欲的孔窍，关闭嗜欲的门径，终身不会有劳苦。打开嗜欲的孔窍，成就世俗的事务，终身不可救药。能察见细微叫作明，能坚守柔弱叫作强。运用智慧的光芒，复归内在的明智，不给自己留下祸殃，这就是承袭永恒不变的道。
多版本对照
王弼注（魏晋）
善始之则善养畜之矣故天下有始则可以为天下母矣．母本也．子末也．得本以知末．不舍本以逐末也．兑事欲之所由生．门事欲之所从也．无事永逸故终身不勤也．不闭其原而济其事．故虽终身不救．为治之功不在大．见大不明见小乃明．守强不强守柔乃强也．显道以去民迷．不明察也．道之常也.
河上公注（汉）
天下有始者，始，道也。天下有始，以为天下母也。
王夫之《老子衍》（明末清初）
言「始」者有三：君子之言始、言其主持也；釋氏之言始，言其涵合也；此之言「始」，言其生動也。夫生動者氣，而非徒氣也。但以氣，則方其生動於彼，而此已枵然矣。盈於彼，不虛於此；先天地生，而即後天地死；其息極微，用之無迹。小且無所執，而況於大？弱且不必「用」，而況於「彊」？將孰從而致吾「見」與「守」乎？故方其「守」而「知」，「知」之在「守」；方其「知」而「守」，」守」之在「知」。生息無窮，機漾於渺。欲執之而已逝矣，欲審之而已遷矣，欻忽蕭散，何所為「常」？於其不「常」，而陰尸其「常」，豈複在「子」」母」之涯涘邪？不然，以己之知與力，有涯之用，追隨「子」」母」之變，末見其免於殃也。
憨山德清《老子道德经解》（明）
此重明前章不爭之德，以釋上三寶以慈為本之意也。然用兵有言，吾不敢為主而為客，不敢進寸而退尺。以此觀之，足可知也。古之用兵，如涿鹿孟津之師是也。兵主，如春秋征伐之盟主。蓋專征伐，主於兵者，言以必爭必殺為主也。客，如諸侯應援之師。本意絕無好殺之心。今雖迫不得已而應之，然亦聽之待之，若可已則已。以無心於功利，故絕無爭心，所以進之難而退之易。故曰不敢進寸而退尺。言身進而心不進，是以退心進也。以無爭心，故雖行而如不在行陣，雖攘而若無臂之人。仍，相仍，猶就也。言彼以我為敵，而我以彼為敵也。雖就，亦似無敵可對。雖執，猶若無兵可揮。戒懼之至，而不敢輕於敵。由不敢輕敵，所以能保全民命，不傷好生之仁。然禍之大者莫大於輕敵。以輕敵則多殺，多殺則傷慈，故幾喪吾寶矣。抗兵，乃兩敵相當，不相上下，難於決勝。但有慈心哀之者，則自勝矣。何則，以天道好生，助勝於慈者也。由是觀之，兵者對敵，必爭必殺以取勝。今乃以不爭不殺而勝之，蓋以慈為本故也。足見慈乃不爭之德，施於必爭地，而以不爭勝之，豈非大有力乎。用之於敵尚如此，況乎聖人無物為敵，而以平等大慈，并包萬物，又何物而可勝之耶。故前云不爭之德，是謂用人之力，是謂配天古之極。此章舊解多在用兵上說，全不得老子主意。今觀初一句，乃借用兵之言。至輕敵喪寶，則了然明白。是釋上慈字，以明不爭之德耳。
马王堆帛书异文（西汉）
天下有始，以为天下母。既得其母，以知其子。既知其子，复守其母，没身不殆。
郭店楚简异文（战国）
此章缺
English Translations / 英文译本
The world has a beginning, which is the mother of the world. Once the mother is found, we know her children. Knowing the children but holding to the mother, one will not risk danger even to the end of life. Block the openings, close the doors, and to the end of life there is no exhaustion. Open the openings, do the work, and to the end of life there is no salvation. Seeing the small is called enlightenment. Keeping the weak is called strength. Use the light but return to wisdom, and do not bring disaster to oneself. This is called practicing the constant.
The world has a beginning, which is the mother of the world. Once the mother is found, we know her children. Knowing the children but holding to the mother, one will not risk danger even to the end of life. Block the openings, close the doors, and to the end of life there is no exhaustion. Open the openings, do the work, and to the end of life there is no salvation. Seeing the small is called enlightenment. Keeping the weak is called strength. Use the light but return to wisdom, and do not bring disaster to oneself. This is called practicing the constant.
The world has a beginning, which is the mother of the world. Once the mother is found, we know her children. Knowing the children but holding to the mother, one will not risk danger even to the end of life. Block the openings, close the doors, and to the end of life there is no exhaustion. Open the openings, do the work, and to the end of life there is no salvation. Seeing the small is called enlightenment. Keeping the weak is called strength. Use the light but return to wisdom, and do not bring disaster to oneself. This is called practicing the constant.