原文
公有领域為學日益，
為道日損。
損之又損，以至於無為。無為而無不為。
取天下常以無事，
及其有事，
不足以取天下。
王弼注
待校读務欲進其所能，益其所習。
務欲反虛無也。
有為則有所失，故無為乃無所不為也。
動常因也。
自己造也。
失統本也。
河上公章句
待校读學謂政教禮樂之學也。日益者，情欲文飾日以益多。
道謂之自然之道也。日損者，情欲文飾日以消損。
損情欲也。又損之，所以漸去。
當恬淡如嬰兒，無所造為也。
情欲斷絕，德於道合，則無所不施，無所不為也。
取，治也。治天下當以無事，不當以勞煩也。
及其好有事，則政教煩，民不安，故不足以治天下也。
Legge 1891
Public domainHe who devotes himself to learning (seeks) from day to day to
increase (his knowledge); he who devotes himself to the Tao (seeks)
from day to day to diminish (his doing).
He diminishes it and again diminishes it, till he arrives at doing
nothing (on purpose). Having arrived at this point of non-action,
there is nothing which he does not do.
He who gets as his own all under heaven does so by giving himself
no trouble (with that end). If one take trouble (with that end), he
is not equal to getting as his own all under heaven.