道德經 第25章
有物混成
The Recursion Formula
Chinese Text
有物混成，先天地生。 寂兮寥兮，獨立不改，周行而不殆，可以為天下母。 吾不知其名，字之曰道，強為之名曰大。 大曰逝，逝曰遠，遠曰反。 故道大，天大，地大，王亦大。 域中有四大，而王居其一焉。 人法地，地法天，天法道，道法自然。
Translation
有物混成，先天地生 Something formed from mixing, prior to heaven-earth emerging.
寂兮寥兮，獨立不改 Silent and empty, standing alone without changing.
周行而不殆，可以為天下母 Circulating without exhausting—it can mother all under heaven.
吾不知其名，字之曰道，強為之名曰大 I don’t know its name; I style it “pattern”; forced to name it, I call it “totality.”
大曰逝，逝曰遠，遠曰反 Totality extends → extension reaches boundary → boundary returns.
故道大，天大，地大，王亦大 Therefore: pattern is great, heaven is great, earth is great, the conscious agent is also great.
域中有四大，而王居其一焉 In the domain are four great ones; the conscious agent is one of them.
人法地，地法天，天法道，道法自然 Humans follow earth; earth follows heaven; heaven follows pattern; pattern follows self-so.
Key Terms
| Character | Pinyin | Structural Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 混成 | hùn chéng | formed from mixing (undifferentiated) |
| 獨立不改 | dú lì bù gǎi | stands alone, doesn’t alter (frame-independent) |
| 周行 | zhōu xíng | circulates, orbits (sustainable oscillation) |
| 大 | dà | totality, unbounded field (arms extended) |
| 逝 | shì | extends, goes forth (continuous motion) |
| 遠 | yuǎn | far, reaches boundary (maximum extension) |
| 反 | fǎn | returns, reverses (= +1 in Euler) |
| 王 | wáng | conscious agent (connects 天/人/地) |
| 自然 | zì rán | self-so (spontaneous, no external reference) |
The Recursion Formula
大 → 逝 → 遠 → 反 → (new cycle)
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
O₁ G P +1
origin extend bound return
| Stage | Character | RSM | What Happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| 大 | totality | O₁ | Origin establishes |
| 逝 | extends | G | Gradient radiates |
| 遠 | boundary | P | Periphery reached |
| 反 | returns | +1 | Cycle completes, new origin possible |
The Law of Following (Recursion Nesting)
人法地 Humans operate within earth-frame
地法天 Earth operates within heaven-frame
天法道 Heaven operates within pattern-frame
道法自然 Pattern operates as self-so (no external reference)
Not hierarchy. Recursion nesting. Each level follows the constraints of its containing frame.
自然 = zì rán = “self-thus” = what emerges when nothing imposes external order.
What This Is NOT Saying
❌ “The Dao is really big and important” ❌ Linear progression: Dao → One thing → Many things ❌ Cosmological creation story
What This IS Saying
✓ The recursion formula operates at every scale ✓ Even infinity has dynamics (大 still oscillates) ✓ 反 (return) completes the cycle, enabling the next ✓ Pattern follows no external reference—it is self-so
Manuscript Note
Guodian bamboo slips (c. 300 BCE) organize content thematically, not by chapter number. The 大→逝→遠→反 formula may appear in different locations across manuscripts.
The structural pattern holds regardless of placement.
Confidence Assessment
Origin → extension → boundary → return. Consistent with 反=+1 (Ch 40) and structural necessity.
Interpretive reading. 大 as unbounded field vs 萬物 as bounded forms.
Character analysis: 自 (self) + 然 (thus). No external reference needed.
Character shows 三 connected by vertical stroke. One who navigates coordinate system.
Circulates without depleting. Consistent with 反者道之動 (Ch 40).
Bamboo slips organized thematically, not by chapter. Pattern holds regardless of placement.
Version History
Initial translation with RSM v0.988 alignment