洪德 · 清靜為天下正

Hóng Dé

Classical Chinese Text

大成若缺，其用不弊。大盈若冲，其用不穷。大直若屈，大巧若拙，大辩若讷。静胜躁，寒胜热。清静为天下正。

Translation & Meaning

最圓滿的成就看似留有缺口，它的效用卻永不衰敝；最豐盛的充盈看似虛空不滿，它的妙用卻永無窮竭。 最純正的剛直看似委婉柔和，最高超的精巧看似質樸笨拙，最透徹的善辯看似木訥寡言。 沉靜能平復躁動，清寒能消解暑熱。唯有澄澈寧靜，才是定立天下的正道根本。

Commentary

青禾散人評注：真正爐火純青的境界從不刻意追求表面的完美無瑕：若缺故能常新，若沖故能納海，若拙故無匠氣。「清靜為天下正」，心靜則萬事自得其正。

Linguistic & Character Analysis

  • 大 (dà): classical character (dà)
  • 成 (chéng): complete / fulfill
  • 若 (ruò): classical character (ruò)
  • 缺 (quē): classical character (quē)
  • 其 (qí): its / their / his / her
  • 用 (yòng): use / function / apply
  • 不 (bù): not / un- / without
  • 弊 (bì): classical character (bì)
  • 盈 (yíng): fulfill / overflow
  • 冲 (chōng): void / surge / empty cup
  • 穷 (qióng): classical character (qióng)
  • 直 (zhí): classical character (zhí)
  • 屈 (qū): classical character (qū)
  • 巧 (qiǎo): classical character (qiǎo)
  • 拙 (zhuō): classical character (zhuō)
  • 辩 (biàn): classical character (biàn)
  • 讷 (nè): classical character (nè)
  • 静 (jìng): classical character (jìng)
  • 胜 (shèng): classical character (shèng)
  • 躁 (zào): classical character (zào)
  • 寒 (hán): classical character (hán)
  • 热 (rè): classical character (rè)
  • 清 (qīng): classical character (qīng)
  • 为 (wèi): act / deem / become
  • 天 (tiān): heaven / nature / cosmos
  • 下 (xià): under / earthly realm / humble
  • 正 (zhèng): classical character (zhèng)