归元 · 既知其子复守其母

Guī Yuán

Classical Chinese Text

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。塞其兑，闭其门，终身不勤。开其兑，济其事，终身不救。见小曰明，守柔曰强。用其光，复归其明，无遗身殃；是为袭常。

Translation & Meaning

天地万物皆有本始，这一本始便是化育天下的母体。体悟了本源之“母”，便能通达万象纷呈之“子”；通达了具体万象之“子”，依然回归并坚守本源之“母”，终身都不会陷入危殆。 收摄感官嗜欲的孔窍，关闭外逐妄动的门径，终身精神充沛而不劳损；若放纵感官孔窍，盲目追逐外在繁杂事务，终身都将精力耗竭而无可挽救。 能洞察细微萌芽叫做“明”，能安守柔顺谦和叫做“强”。善用向外映照的智慧光芒，回光返照归于内在的本觉清明，不给身心留下祸殃，这就叫做承袭恒常大道（习常）。

Commentary

青禾散人评注：“用其光，复归其明”是道家内观精髓：光向外散射则耗神，明向内敛照则养神。于现象（子）中历事，于本心（母）中安住。

Linguistic & Character Analysis

  • 天 (tiān): heaven / nature / cosmos
  • 下 (xià): under / earthly realm / humble
  • 有 (yǒu): manifest being / cosmos / to possess
  • 始 (shǐ): dawn / primordial origin
  • 以 (yǐ): in order to / by means of
  • 为 (wèi): act / deem / become
  • 母 (mǔ): mother / generative root
  • 既 (jì): classical character (jì)
  • 得 (dé): obtain / acquire / gain
  • 其 (qí): its / their / his / her
  • 知 (zhī): know / distinguish / recognize
  • 子 (zǐ): child / progeny
  • 复 (fù): classical character (fù)
  • 守 (shǒu): classical character (shǒu)
  • 没 (méi): classical character (méi)
  • 身 (shēn): classical character (shēn)
  • 不 (bù): not / un- / without
  • 殆 (dài): classical character (dài)
  • 塞 (sāi): classical character (sāi)
  • 兑 (duì): sharpness / apertures
  • 闭 (bì): classical character (bì)
  • 门 (mén): gateway / portal of reality
  • 终 (zhōng): classical character (zhōng)
  • 勤 (qín): classical character (qín)
  • 开 (kāi): classical character (kāi)
  • 济 (jì): classical character (jì)
  • 事 (shì): affairs / deeds
  • 救 (jiù): classical character (jiù)
  • 见 (jiàn): see / display / manifest
  • 小 (xiǎo): classical character (xiǎo)
  • 曰 (yuē): classical character (yuē)
  • 明 (míng): classical character (míng)
  • 柔 (róu): classical character (róu)
  • 强 (qiáng): strengthen / firm / robust
  • 用 (yòng): use / function / apply
  • 光 (guāng): light / radiance / shine
  • 归 (guī): classical character (guī)
  • 无 (wú): formless void / non-being / without
  • 遗 (yí): classical character (yí)
  • 殃 (yāng): classical character (yāng)
  • 是 (shì): this / therefore
  • 袭 (xí): classical character (xí)
  • 常 (cháng): constant / dynamic invariable