[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [集古今佛道論衡](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2104) › 1.16 # 集古今佛道論衡 1.16 集古今佛道論衡 1.16 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [1.16](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2104.1.16) 道經云。故常無欲以觀其妙。故常有欲以觀其徼。此兩者同出而異名。同謂之玄。玄之又玄眾妙之門。舊說及王弼解。妙謂始。徼謂終也。夫觀始要終覩妙知著。達人之鑒也。既以欲澄神照其妙始。則自斯以已宜悉鎮之。何以復須有欲得其終乎。且有欲俱出妙門同謂之玄。若然以往復。何獨貴於無欲乎。天下皆知美之為美斯惡已。皆知善之為善斯不善已。 > The Daoist scripture says: 'Therefore, constantly be without desire so as to observe its subtlety; constantly have desire so as to observe its outcomes. These two emerge together but have different names; together they are called the dark. Dark upon dark, the gate of all subtleties.' Older explanations and Wang Bi's commentary say that subtlety refers to the beginning, and outcomes refer to the end. Now, observing the beginning to grasp the end, and beholding the subtle to know the manifest, is the discernment of the attained person. Since one has already purified the spirit with lack of desire to illuminate its subtle beginning, then from this point on one ought to settle everything; why is there further need to have desire to grasp its end? Moreover, having desire and lacking desire both emerge from the wondrous gate and are both called the dark. If one goes by this, why value only lack of desire? 'When everyone under Heaven knows the beautiful as beautiful, there is already ugliness; when everyone knows the good as good, there is already badness.' > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 1.15](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2104.1.15) - [Next: 1.17](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2104.1.17) - [Up: 1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2104.1) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2104~en-mt.1.16) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (1) - [廣弘明集](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2103.5.18) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2104.1.16](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2104.1.16) · Pramāṇa