Reach the ultimate emptiness, stay the absolute peace; ten thousands t
歸根 · Guī Gēn
Classical Chinese Text
致虚极，守静笃；万物并作，吾以观复。 夫物芸芸，各复归其根。归根曰静，静曰复命⑦。复命曰常，知常曰明。不知常，妄作凶。 知常容，容乃公，公乃全，全乃天，天乃道，道乃久，没身不殆。
Translation & Meaning
Reach the ultimate emptiness, stay the absolute peace; ten thousands things converge, I observe the cycle. As things flourish, they return to the root. Returning to the root is called tranquility, tranquility is called back to nature. Back to nature is called constant, knowing constant is called brightness. Not knowing constant, the hubris commits the ominous.
Linguistic & Character Analysis
- 致 (zhì): classical character (zhì)
- 虚 (xū): empty / clear / open
- 极 (jí): classical character (jí)
- 守 (shǒu): classical character (shǒu)
- 静 (jìng): classical character (jìng)
- 笃 (dǔ): classical character (dǔ)
- 万 (wàn): ten thousand / myriad / all
- 物 (wù): things / phenomena / forms
- 并 (bìng): classical character (bìng)
- 作 (zuò): move / arise / operate
- 吾 (wú): I / myself
- 以 (yǐ): in order to / by means of
- 观 (guān): observe / contemplate essence
- 复 (fù): classical character (fù)
- 夫 (fū): for / indeed / now
- 芸 (yún): classical character (yún)
- 各 (gè): classical character (gè)
- 归 (guī): classical character (guī)
- 其 (qí): its / their / his / her
- 根 (gēn): classical character (gēn)
- 曰 (yuē): classical character (yuē)
- 命 (mìng): classical character (mìng)
- 常 (cháng): constant / dynamic invariable
- 知 (zhī): know / distinguish / recognize
- 明 (míng): classical character (míng)
- 不 (bù): not / un- / without
- 妄 (wàng): classical character (wàng)
- 凶 (xiōng): classical character (xiōng)
- 容 (róng): classical character (róng)
- 乃 (nǎi): classical character (nǎi)
- 公 (gōng): classical character (gōng)
- 全 (quán): classical character (quán)
- 天 (tiān): heaven / nature / cosmos
- 道 (dào): The Way / Logos / to speak
- 久 (jiǔ): classical character (jiǔ)
- 没 (méi): classical character (méi)
- 身 (shēn): classical character (shēn)
- 殆 (dài): classical character (dài)