老子道德經：無源第四

道沖而用之或不盈

道沖而用之或不盈，淵兮似萬物之宗。挫其銳，解其紛，和其光，同其塵，湛兮似或存。吾不知誰之子，象帝之先。

Graphic: Sveta Dorosheva (B.1976)

道德經 不盈章第四(道之功用)

不盈章第四道沖而用之，或不盈。淵兮似萬物之宗。挫其銳、解其紛、和其光、同其塵。湛兮似或存。吾不知誰之子，象帝之先。

CHAPTER FOUR

Dao can be infused into nature and put to use without being exhausted.

It is so deep and subtle, like an abyss that is the origin of all things.

It is complete and perfect as a wholeness that can round off sharp edges; Resolve confusion; harmonize with the glory; act in unity with the lowliness

不盈章第四
道沖而用之或不盈　　　道在虛空中到處存在，卻永不滿溢地運行
淵兮　似萬物之宗　　　天地。它深邃無底，像是宇宙萬物的根源
挫其銳　解其紛　　　　。在虛空中能磨合太空星石的尖銳，調節
和其光　同其塵　　　　星球間的衝突，融和虛空中的彩光成白光
湛兮　似若存　　　　　，將不同的星塵捏揉成同一球体。它溶於
吾不知誰之子　　　　　虛空，幻無蹤跡地存在。吾人無法得知它
象帝之先　　　　　　　源起何方，因它比眾天神仙佛更早存在。

【心要】道能在虛空中磨合尖銳、調節衝突、融和輝光、揉捏星塵
。人也要在心性上內剛外柔、處事果斷、收斂光芒、入世圓融，適
時調和自我及人際間的衝突。

道沖而用之或不盈。 淵兮似萬物之宗。 挫其銳 解其紛， 和其光， 同其塵， 湛兮似或存。 吾不知誰之子， 象帝之先。

The Way is like an empty vessel That yet may be drawn from Without ever needing to be filled. It is bottomless; the very progenitor of all things in the world. In it, all sharpness is blunted, All tangles untied, All glare tempered, All dust soothed. It is like a deep pool that never dries. Was it to the child of something else? We cannot tell. But as a substanceless image, it existed before the Ancestor.

道德經 Dao De jing - 4th century BCE