清靜經，全稱《太上老君說常清靜經》。一卷。作者不詳，是道教煉養術重要資料之一。道教稱老君西遊龜台之時，為西王母說常清靜經。後經仙人轉傳，為葛玄所得，筆錄而傳之於世。即葛玄曰：“吾昔受之于東華帝君，東華帝君受之于金闕帝君，金闕帝君受之於西王母。西王母皆口口相傳，不記文字，吾今於世書而錄之。”因而《清靜經》被認為是三國時葛玄依託之作。
《太上老君說常清靜經》僅四百零一字。是道教煉養術重要資料之一。《清靜經》正文起首一句就是“大道無形”而定了全經格調。經文不講有為的修養方法，而是要人從心地下手，以“清靜”法門去澄心遣欲，去參悟大道。經中以發揮“清靜”兩字為主，簡明地敘述了道家修心養性的基本原則。“夫人神好清，而心擾之；人心好靜，而欲牽之。”要去除這些牽擾，獲得“清靜”，必須“遣其欲而心自靜，澄其心而神自清”。達到“心無其心”、“形無其形”、“物無其物”，“唯見於空”的境界。但是，有“空”存在，還不究竟，還要“觀空亦空”、“所空既無”、“無無既無”才能“湛然常寂”。“寂無所寂，欲豈能生，欲既不生，即是真靜”，直至進入“常清靜”的境界，如此“漸入真道”“名為得道”。
清靜經中文全文
太上老君說常清靜經
老君曰 大道無形 生育天地 大道無情 運行日月 大道無名 長養萬物 吾不知其名 強名曰道 夫道者 有清有濁 有動有靜 天清地濁 天動地靜 男清女濁 男動女靜 降本流末 而生萬物 清者 濁之源 動者 靜之基 人能常清靜 天地悉皆歸
夫人神好清 而心擾之 人心好靜 而欲牽之 常能遣其欲 而心自靜 澄其心 而神自清 自然六欲不生 三毒消滅 所以不能者 為心未澄 欲未遣也 能遣之者 內觀其心 心無其心 外觀其形 形無其形 遠觀其物 物無其物 三者既悟 唯見於空 觀空亦空 空無所空 所空既無 無無亦無 無無既無 湛然常寂 寂 無所寂 欲豈能生 欲既不生 即是真靜 真常應物 真常得性 常應常靜 常清靜矣 如此清靜 漸入真道 既入真道 名為得道 雖名得道 實無所得 為化眾生 名為得道 能悟之者 可傳聖道
老君曰 上士無爭 下士好爭 上德不德 下德執德 執著之者 不名道德 眾生所以不得真道者 為有妄心 既有妄心 即驚其神 既驚其神 即著萬物 既著萬物 即生貪求 既生貪求 即是煩惱 煩惱妄想 憂苦身心 便遭濁辱 流浪生死 常沉苦海 永失真道 真常之道 悟者自得 得悟道者 常清靜矣
仙人葛玄曰 吾得真道 曾誦此經萬遍 此經是天人所習 不傳下士 吾昔受之於東華帝君 東華帝君受之於金闕帝君 金闕帝君受之於西王母 西王母皆口口相傳 不記文字 吾今於世 書而錄之 上士悟之 升為天官 中士修之 南宮列仙 下士得之 在世長年 遊行三界 升入金門
左玄真人曰 學道之士 持誦此經者 即得十天善神 擁護其身 然後玉符保神 金液煉形 形神俱妙 與道合真
正一真人曰 人家有此經 悟解之者 災障不幹 眾聖護門 神升上界 朝拜高真 功滿德就 相感帝君 誦持不退 身騰紫雲
清靜經英文翻譯:
English translation of the Taoist Qing Jing Jing:
Lao-Zi’s Teaching on Spiritual Tranquility
Lao-Zi said
The Great Path is invisible
but it gives birth to heaven and earth
The Great Path is impassive
but it moves moon and stars
The Great Path is anonymous
but it nurtures all
I don't know its name
so inadequately I named it the Path
The Path is sometimes pure and
sometimes turbid
sometimes active and sometimes calm
heaven is pure and earth is turbid
heaven is active and earth is calm
male is pure and female is turbid
male is active and female is calm
Birth to death cycles give birth to all
Purity is the source of turbidity
activeness is the base of calmness
If people can always be in the state of
purity and calmness
heaven and earth will become one
with them
One’s soul wants to be pure but one’s mind
disturbs it
one’s mind wants to be calm but one’s desires tether it
Eliminating one’s desires one’s mind will be
calm
clearing one’s mind one’s soul will become
pure
naturally the desires from the six senses (
sight sound smell taste touch and feel) will stop emerging
and the three spiritual poisons (
greed anger and infatuation) will vanish
The reason one is unable to reach this state
is merely because the mind is not cleared and desires noteliminated
For those able to eliminate their desires
when they look into their minds there is
nothing
when they look at their form from the
outside they see nothing
when they look at other things from afar there is nothing to see
as these three exist no more there is only
emptiness
Emptying out even the thought of emptiness
until there is nothing more to empty out
as emptiness is eliminated
the effort to eliminate emptiness is also
eliminated
as such effort exist no more
there is pure tranquility and perpetual stillness
nothing stiller than such stillness
how can desire emerge?
As desire cannot emerge
that is real calmness
Using one’s true being to face life’s encounters
one realizes the truth
always remain calm in every encounter
one achieves the state of purity and calmness
With such purity and calmness
one gradually enters into the true Path
As one has entered into the true Path
it’s called Path acquired
Although it’s called Path acquired
in reality nothing has been acquired
It’s called Path acquired just so that it is
easier for common people to understand
Those who are enlightened may pass on the
knowledge ofThe Sacred Path
Lao-Zi said
Highly virtuous people do not vie
not so virtuous people like to vie
Highly virtuous people do not see their
virtuous actions as being virtuous
not so virtuous people advertise their virtuous actions
Those who insist in their own ways
do not understand ThePath and its application
The reason common people cannot find the
true Path
is because their minds are full of fantasies
As the mind is full of fantasies the soul is
disturbed
as the soul is disturbed worldly temptations
clung on
as worldly temptations clung on greed
emerges
as greed emerges there comes the worries
Worries and fantasies agonizing the body
and mind
tarnishing the soul leading one to wander within cycles of life and death
and sink into an ocean of misery losing sight
of the true Path forever
The true Path can only be realized by the enlightened ones
those who have achieved enlightenment
will always be in the state of purity and
calmness
