原文
公有领域三十輻共一轂，當其無，有車之用。
埏埴以為器，當其無，有器之用。鑿戶牖以為室，當其無，有室之用。故有之以為利，無之以為用。
王弼注
待校读轂所以能統三十輻者，無也，以其無能受物之故，故能以實統眾也。
木埴壁之所以成三者，而皆以無為用也。言無者，有之所以為利，皆賴無以為用也。
河上公章句
待校读古者車三十輻，法月數也。共一轂者，轂中有孔，故眾輻共湊之。治身者當除情去慾，使五藏空虛，神乃歸之。治國者寡能，摠眾弱共使強也。
無，謂空虛。轂中空虛，輪得轉行，轝中空虛，人得載其上也。
埏，和也。埴，土也。和土以為飲食之器。
器中空虛，故得有所盛受。
謂作屋室。
言戶牖空虛，人得以出入觀視；室中空虛，人得以居處，是其用。
利，物也，利於形用，器中有物。室中有人，恐其屋破壞，腹中有神，畏其形亡也。
言虛空者乃可用盛受萬物，故曰虛無能制有形。道者空也。
Legge 1891
Public domainThe thirty spokes unite in the one nave; but it is on the empty space (for the axle), that the use of the wheel depends. Clay is fashioned into vessels; but it is on their empty hollowness, that their use depends. The door and windows are cut out (from the walls) to form an apartment; but it is on the empty space (within), that its use depends. Therefore, what has a (positive) existence serves for profitable adaptation, and what has not that for (actual) usefulness.