虚心
原文
孔德之容,唯道是从。道之为物,唯恍唯惚。忽兮恍兮,其中有象;恍兮忽兮,其中有物。窈兮冥兮,其中有精;其精甚真,其中有信。自古及今,其名不去,以阅衆甫。吾何以知衆甫之状哉?以此。
王弼注
孔德之容,惟道是从。孔,空也,惟以空为德,然后乃能动作从道。道之为物,惟恍惟惚。恍惚无形,不系之叹。惚兮恍兮,其中有象;恍兮惚兮,其中有物。以无形始物,不系成物,万物以始以成,而不知其所以然,故曰,恍兮惚兮,惚兮恍兮,其中有象也。窈兮冥兮,其中有精;窈、冥,深远之叹,深远不可得而见。然而万物由之,其可得见,以定其真。故曰,窈兮冥兮,其中有精也。其精甚真,其中有信。信,信验也。物反窈冥,则真精之极得,万物之性定。故曰,其精甚真,其中有信也。自今及古,其名不去,至真之极,不可得名,无名则是其名也。自古及今,无不由此而成,故曰,自古及今,其名不去也。以阅众甫。众甫,物之始也。以无名说万物始也。吾何以知众甫之状哉?以此。此上之所云也。言吾何以知万物之始于无哉,以此知之也。
英文 · James Legge
(The empty heart, or the Dao in its operation) The grandest forms of active force From Dao come, their only source. Who can of Dao the nature tell? Our sight it flies, our touch as well. Eluding sight, eluding touch, The forms of things all in it crouch; Eluding touch, eluding sight, There are their semblances, all right. Profound it is, dark and obscure; Things' essences all there endure. Those essences the truth enfold Of what, when seen, shall then be told. Now it is so; 'twas so of old. Its name - what passes not away; So, in their beautiful array, Things form and never know decay. How know I that it is so with all the beauties of existing things? By this (nature of the Dao).