象元 · 道法自然

Xiàng Yuán

Classical Chinese Text

有物混成，先天地生。寂兮寥兮，独立而不改，周行而不殆，可以为天地母。吾不知其名，强字之曰：道，强为之名曰：大①。大曰逝，逝曰远，远曰反。
故道大，天大，地大，人亦大。域②中有四大，而人居其一焉。人法地，地法天，天法道，道法自然。

Translation & Meaning

有一浑然天成的本源存在，在天地形成之前便已诞生。它寂静无声、空旷无形，超然独立而永不改变，周流运行而永不殆竭，足以作为天地万物的母体。 我不知晓它的真名，勉强给它起个表字叫“道”，勉强形容它的气象叫“大”。广大无边则流行不息（逝），流行不息则伸展辽远（远），伸展至远又复归本源（反）。 所以道广大，天广大，地广大，人亦尊贵广大。宇宙间有此“四大”，而人居其一。 人取法大地的厚载安稳，地取法苍天的运转无私，天取法大道的玄妙法则，而大道唯依循其本来如此的自然本性。

Commentary

青禾散人评注：“道法自然”并非说“道”之上另有一个叫“自然”的主宰，而是指“道”以“自己如此、本来如此”为法则——不假外求，浑然天成。

Linguistic & Character Analysis

  • 有 (yǒu): manifest being / cosmos / to possess
  • 物 (wù): things / phenomena / forms
  • 混 (hùn): classical character (hùn)
  • 成 (chéng): complete / fulfill
  • 先 (xiān): before / front
  • 天 (tiān): heaven / nature / cosmos
  • 地 (dì): classical character (dì)
  • 生 (shēng): give birth to / arise
  • 寂 (jì): classical character (jì)
  • 兮 (xī): classical character (xī)
  • 寥 (liáo): classical character (liáo)
  • 独 (dú): classical character (dú)
  • 立 (lì): classical character (lì)
  • 而 (ér): yet / and / but
  • 不 (bù): not / un- / without
  • 改 (gǎi): classical character (gǎi)
  • 周 (zhōu): classical character (zhōu)
  • 行 (xíng): practice / teach / walk
  • 殆 (dài): classical character (dài)
  • 可 (kě): can / capable of being
  • 以 (yǐ): in order to / by means of
  • 为 (wèi): act / deem / become
  • 母 (mǔ): mother / generative root
  • 吾 (wú): I / myself
  • 知 (zhī): know / distinguish / recognize
  • 其 (qí): its / their / his / her
  • 名 (míng): name / conceptual label / to name
  • 强 (qiáng): strengthen / firm / robust
  • 字 (zì): classical character (zì)
  • 之 (zhī): particle: of / possessive / it
  • 曰 (yuē): classical character (yuē)
  • 道 (dào): The Way / Logos / to speak
  • 大 (dà): classical character (dà)
  • 逝 (shì): classical character (shì)
  • 远 (yuǎn): classical character (yuǎn)
  • 反 (fǎn): classical character (fǎn)
  • 故 (gù): therefore / thus / consequence
  • 人 (rén): person / human
  • 亦 (yì): classical character (yì)
  • 域 (yù): classical character (yù)
  • 中 (zhōng): classical character (zhōng)
  • 四 (sì): classical character (sì)
  • 居 (jū): reside in / carry oneself
  • 一 (yī): classical character (yī)
  • 焉 (yān): classical character (yān)
  • 法 (fǎ): classical character (fǎ)
  • 自 (zì): classical character (zì)
  • 然 (rán): classical character (rán)