忘知 · 为学日益为道日损
Wàng Zhī
Classical Chinese Text
为学日益，为道日损，损之又损，以至于无为。无为而无不为，取天下常以无事；及其有事，不足以取天下。
Translation & Meaning
求取世俗知识，是每天不断累加概念与技能；修习生命大道，则是每天不断减损妄念、成见与执着。 减损之中再加减损，直到涤尽人为造作、臻于纯粹自然的“无为”之境。 达到无心妄为，便没有什么不能自然成就。赢得天下人心向来靠清静不扰的“无事”；一旦繁政苛扰、折腾生事，便不足以治理好天下了。
Linguistic & Character Analysis
- 为 (wèi): act / deem / become
- 学 (xué): classical character (xué)
- 日 (rì): classical character (rì)
- 益 (yì): classical character (yì)
- 道 (dào): The Way / Logos / to speak
- 损 (sǔn): classical character (sǔn)
- 之 (zhī): particle: of / possessive / it
- 又 (yòu): upon / further / layered
- 以 (yǐ): in order to / by means of
- 至 (zhì): classical character (zhì)
- 于 (yú): to / at / in
- 无 (wú): formless void / non-being / without
- 而 (ér): yet / and / but
- 不 (bù): not / un- / without
- 取 (qǔ): classical character (qǔ)
- 天 (tiān): heaven / nature / cosmos
- 下 (xià): under / earthly realm / humble
- 常 (cháng): constant / dynamic invariable
- 事 (shì): affairs / deeds
- 及 (jí): classical character (jí)
- 其 (qí): its / their / his / her
- 有 (yǒu): manifest being / cosmos / to possess
- 足 (zú): classical character (zú)
Commentary
青禾散人评注：“为学日益，为道日损”道尽知识与智慧的本质分野：知识做加法，修道做减法。减去偏见、贪求与恐惧，本具的圆满智慧自然显露。