Chapter 16

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，靜曰復命。
復命曰常，知常曰明。
不知常，妄作凶。
知常容，容乃公。
公乃王，王乃天，天乃道，道乃久，沒身不殆。

Reach the utmost emptiness, hold fast to stillness: the ten thousand things rise together, and I watch them return.
Things flourish and flourish, and each returns to its root.
Returning to the root is called stillness; stillness is called returning to one’s destiny.
Returning to one’s destiny is called the abiding; knowing the abiding is called clarity.
Not to know the abiding is to act recklessly, and disaster follows.
Knowing the abiding, one is all-embracing; all-embracing, one is impartial;
impartial, one is kingly; kingly, one is of heaven; of heaven, one is of the Way; of the Way, one lasts; and to the end of one’s days there is no danger.