諺語 · a single proverb
致虛守靜
Simplified: 致虚守静
What does 致虛守靜 (zhì xū shǒu jìng) mean?
致虛守靜 (zhì xū shǒu jìng) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "attain emptiness, hold to stillness." In use it means: Cultivate inner emptiness and hold fast to stillness; from that quiet the ten thousand things return. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Water note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rat.
Literally: "attain emptiness, hold to stillness."
The reading
A bowl is useful because of what it does not contain. A room breathes because of the space between its walls. The person who clears themselves of noise becomes the one everyone wants to sit near.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Tao Te Ching 道德經, ch. 16 (Laozi)
Sits beside
上善若水
shàng shàn ruò shuǐ
The finest virtue is like water, which benefits all things and flows to the low places without contending.
天下之至柔，馳騁天下之至堅
tiān xià zhī zhì róu chí chěng tiān xià zhī zhì jiān
The most yielding force in the world overcomes the most unyielding.
心如止水
xīn rú zhǐ shuǐ
A heart as still and clear as motionless water.
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in The Way of Water, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rat, Year of the Ox, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 致虛守靜 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 致虛守靜 (zhì xū shǒu jìng) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Tao Te Ching 道德經, ch. 16 (Laozi). It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 致虛守靜?
In Mandarin it is zhì xū shǒu jìng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 致虛守靜 aloud in Mandarin.