一孔录The video for this chapter is still in production. For now this page gives the original text, the facsimile page, a working translation and the commentary; the full reading follows when the video is out.
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。Reach the utmost emptiness; hold fast to stillness. The ten thousand things rise together, and I watch them return. Things flourish in abundance, and each returns to its root. Returning to the root is called stillness; this is called returning to one's destiny. Returning to destiny is called the constant; knowing the constant is called clarity. Not knowing the constant, one acts recklessly and meets misfortune. Knowing the constant, one is all-embracing; all-embracing, one is impartial; impartial, one is kingly; kingly, one is like heaven; like heaven, one is with the Way; with the Way, one endures, and to the end of life one is in no danger.
What this chapter says
一孔按：万物忙着长，最后都回到开始的地方；看得见这个“回”，就叫明；看不见，乱动手，就要出事。王弼注原话：以虚静观其反复；各返其所始也。
Yikonglu's reading of this chapter is in Chinese for now; the English version comes with the video.
白Plain Chinese
把虚做到极处，把静守得笃实。万物一同生长兴起，我从中观看它们的回复。万物纷纷纭纭，各自回归它们的根本。回到根本叫作静，静叫作复归本命。复归本命叫作常，懂得常叫作明。不懂得常，胡乱作为，就会招凶。懂得常就能包容，包容就能公正，公正就能周全如王，周全就合乎天，合乎天就合乎道，合乎道就能长久，终身没有危险。
Draft plain-Chinese rendering following Wang Bi; it will be checked when the chapter is taught.
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