鉴远

原文

不出户知天下；不闚牖见天道。其出弥远，其知弥少。是以圣人不行而知，不见而名，不为而成。

王弼注

不出户，知天下；不窥牖，见天道。事有宗，而物有主，途虽殊而同归也，虑虽百而其致一也。道有大常，理有大致，执古之道，可以御今，虽处于今，可以知古始，故不出户，窥牖而可知也。其出弥远，其知弥少。无在于一而求之于众也，道视之不可见，听之不可闻，搏之不可得，如其知之，不须出户，若其不知，出愈远愈迷也。是以圣人不行而知，不见而名，得物之致，故虽不行而虑可知也。识物之宗，故虽不见，而是非之理可得而名也。不为而成。明物之性，因之而已。故虽不为而使之成矣。

英文 · James Legge

(Surveying what is far-off) Without going outside his door, one understands (all that takes place) under the sky; without looking out from his window, one sees the Dao of Heaven. The farther that one goes out (from himself), the less he knows. Therefore the sages got their knowledge without travelling; gave their (right) names to things without seeing them; and accomplished their ends without any purpose of doing so.