Chapter 16 of the Laozi

Chinese Text

致zhì虚xū极jí, 守shǒu静jìng笃dǔ.
万wàn物wù并bìng作zuò, 吾wú以yǐ观guān其qí复fù.
夫fú物wù云yún云yún, 各gè归guī其qí根gēn.
归guī根gēn曰yuē静jìng, 静jìng曰yuē复fù命mìng, 复fù命mìng曰yuē常cháng, 知zhī常cháng曰yuē明míng.
不bù知zhī常cháng, 忘wàng作zuò, 凶xiōng.
知zhī常cháng容róng, 容róng能néng公gōng, 公gōng能néng王wáng, 王wáng能néng天tiān, 天tiān能néng道dào, 道dào能néng久jiǔ, 没mò身shēn不bù殆dài.

Translation

One who reaches the ultimate emptiness maintains firm tranquility.
The ten thousand things arise together; then I watch them return.
After flourishing, each returns to its root.
Returning to the root is called tranquility.
Tranquility is called returning to life.
Returning to life is called constancy.
Knowing constancy is called enlightenment.
One who does not know constancy acts blindly and invites misfortune.
One who knows constancy has a broad mind.
One with a broad mind is impartial.
One who is impartial becomes kingly.
One who is kingly aligns with Heaven.
One who aligns with Heaven follows the Dao.
One who follows the Dao endures forever; until the end of life, they face no danger.

Notes

E: Emptiness (虚, xū) and tranquility (静, jìng) are the root of our nature. After receiving life, we are carried away by sensory things and forget our root. Thus, it is far from being empty and tranquil. Therefore, one who practices the 道 (Dào) detaches from beings to achieve emptiness; they free themselves from movement to achieve tranquility. They continue to detach more and more, thereby reaching the ultimate emptiness and tranquility. Then, their private desires disappear entirely, and they can return to the original state of their nature. Emptiness and tranquility are not two separate things. We have never seen a thing that is empty and not tranquil, nor a thing that is tranquil and not empty. The philosopher 关尹子 (Guānyǐnzǐ) said: If one moves, they lose their balance; if one remains tranquil, they possess themselves. The 道 (Dào) is not far from us, yet it is difficult to reach its peak. It dwells with humans, yet it is difficult to obtain. If we empty ourselves of desires, the spirit will enter its abode. If we expel all impurities, the spirit will reside there.

The same philosopher also said: Emptiness is not isolated from humans; only the sage knows how to find the path to emptiness. That is why 关尹子 (Guānyǐnzǐ) said: although it dwells with them, they struggle to obtain it.

E: The spirit (神, shén) is the most honorable being. If a house is not perfectly clean, an honorable person will refuse to dwell there. That is why it is said: If the heart is not perfectly pure, the spirit will not reside there.

E: The expression 并作 (bìng zuò) means "arise together." (王弼: Wáng Bì) 老子 (Lǎozǐ) does not see them being born but sees them returning. [] explains the word 作 (zuò) by 动 (dòng) "to move." 老子 (Lǎozǐ) means (E) that beings move (grow to reach their development) and, in the end, return to their root, that is, to the origin from which they came.

老子 (Lǎozǐ) (E) wants to highlight the art of maintaining tranquility; that is why he uses evidence from sensory objects to explain his thought.

According to C, the phrase 云云 (yún yún) refers here to plants and trees that grow abundantly; but it is better to apply it, with E, to the vital activity of all beings. Movement (vital) arises from tranquility. After being in motion, all beings necessarily return to tranquility because tranquility is like their root (that is, their origin). That is why it is said that returning to one's root is to enter tranquility.

E: When born, humans are calm (they have no passions yet): this is the nature they received from Heaven. If they maintain tranquility, they can return to their original state. If they move, they pursue sensory things and lose it (they lose this innate calm). From this, we see that remaining tranquil is returning to life. (It was said earlier that vital movement arises from tranquility.)

Every time you plant a tree, says the commentator 乌尤卿 (Wū Yóuqīng), in spring and summer, life starts from the root, rises, and extends to the branches and leaves. This is called 动 (dòng) or their movement. In autumn and winter, life descends, returns, and hides in the root. This is called 静 (jìng) or their tranquility.

I think, says the commentator 司马迁 (Sīmǎ Qiān) (E), that several interpreters have applied this (these words movement and tranquility) to plants and trees because they saw the words 归根 (guī gēn), literally "return to the root," in the text. But these words correspond to the previous passage: "the ten thousand things grow together." The author examines the principle of all beings in general, and it is certainly not permissible to say that he specifically refers to plants and trees.

E: In the world, only the principles of spiritual life (神明, shénmíng) are constant. All other things are subject to change; they are inconstant. One who possesses the 道 (Dào) preserves their spirit through tranquility; the great vicissitudes of life and death cannot change them. One who can return to the principle of life is called constant. But one who cannot return to the principle of life becomes perverted and drifts aimlessly, as if carried by the waves. What constancy can they have?

E: From this, we see that those who do not know how to be constant are plunged into blindness.

E: Since those who do not know how to be constant give themselves over to disorder and invite misfortune, we see that those who know how to be constant are upright and happy.

E: One who does not know how to be constant cannot make their heart empty to contain and embrace beings. But one who knows how to be constant has an immensely empty heart (literally "like the 太虚, tàixū"). There is not a single being they cannot contain and endure. But one who cannot contain and endure them has narrow ways (literally "their 道 is narrow," Dào xiá). They can grant small favors and cannot show great equity. One who can contain and endure beings is immensely just and equitable and is free from the partial affections inspired by bias.

Being just, equitable, and impartial is possessing the way of the king, or the art of ruling as a king. That is why 老子 (Lǎozǐ) said: 公乃王 (gōng nǎi wáng) ("Justus est, et tunc rex-evadit").

E: The way of Heaven (天道, tiāndào) is extremely just. The king being extremely just, their way can align with Heaven or the way of Heaven.

E: The 道 (Dào) nourishes all beings equally; only Heaven can imitate it. The way of the king can align with Heaven, and then they can imitate the 道 (Dào).

E: One who possesses the 道 (Dào) extends their merits (benefits) to all beings, to all creatures. Their spirits are bright, empty, tranquil, and immovable.

This is the meaning of B, who explains the words 莫甚 (mò shèn) by 终身 (zhōngshēn), "until the end of life."