原文
公有领域致虛極，守靜篤。
萬物並作，吾以觀復。
夫物芸芸，各復歸其根。歸根曰靜，是謂復命。復命曰常，
知常曰明。不知常，妄作凶。
知常容，
容乃公，
公乃全，
全乃天，
天乃道，
道乃久，
沒身不殆。
王弼注
待校读言致虛物之極，篤守靜物之真正也。
以虛靜觀其反復。凡有起於虛，動起於靜，故萬物雖並動作，卒復歸於虛靜，是物之極篤也。
歸根則靜，故曰靜。靜則復命，故曰復命也。復命則得性命之常，故曰常也。
常之為物，不偏不彰，無皦昧之狀，溫涼之象，故曰知常曰明也。唯此復，乃能包通萬物，無所不容，失此以往，則邪入乎分，則物離其分，故曰不知常，則妄作凶也。
無所不包通也。
無所不包通，則乃至於蕩然公平也。
蕩然公平，則乃至於無所不周普也。
無所不周普，則乃至於同乎天也。
與天合德，體道大通，則乃至於極虛無也。
窮極虛無，得道之常，則乃至於不窮極也。
無之為物，水火不能害，金石不能殘。用之於心則虎兕無所投其齒角，兵戈無所容其鋒刃，何危殆之有乎。
河上公章句
待校读得道之人，捐情去欲，五內清靜，至於虛極。
守清靜，行篤厚。
作，生也。萬物並生也。
言吾以觀見萬物無不皆歸其本也。人當念重其本也。
芸芸者，華葉盛也。
言萬物無不枯落，各復反其根而更生也。
靜謂根也。根安靜柔弱，謙卑處下，故不復死也。
言安靜者是為復還性命，使不死也。
覆命使不死，乃道之所常行也。
能知道之所常行，則為明。
不知道之所常行，妄作巧詐，則失神明，故凶也。
能知道之所常行，去情忘欲，無所不包容也。
無所不包容，則公正無私，眾邪莫當。
公正無私，可以為天下王。治身正則形一，神明千萬，共湊其躬也。
能王，德合神明，乃與天通。
德與天通，則與道合同也。
與道合同，乃能長久。
能公能王，通天合道，四者純備，道德弘遠，無殃無咎，乃與天地俱沒，不危殆也。
Legge 1891
Public domainThe (state of) vacancy should be brought to the utmost degree, and that of stillness guarded with unwearying vigour. All things alike go through their processes of activity, and (then) we see them return (to their original state). When things (in the vegetable world) have displayed their luxuriant growth, we see each of them return to its root. This returning to their root is what we call the state of stillness; and that stillness may be called a reporting that they have fulfilled their appointed end. The report of that fulfilment is the regular, unchanging rule. To know that unchanging rule is to be intelligent; not to know it leads to wild movements and evil issues. The knowledge of that unchanging rule produces a (grand) capacity and forbearance, and that capacity and forbearance lead to a community (of feeling with all things). From this community of feeling comes a kingliness of character; and he who is king-like goes on to be heaven-like. In that likeness to heaven he possesses the Tao. Possessed of the Tao, he endures long; and to the end of his bodily life, is exempt from all danger of decay.