Classica Sinica Medica

恬惔 简体 恬淡

tián dàn

Tranquil and detached

Also rendered: Tranquil and indifferent (Common; risks implying apathy)

Cultivation

Reviewed · 2026-09

At a glance

Pinyin
tián dàn
Simplified
恬淡
Literal
Quiet and unstirred; without strong flavour or strong craving.

In brief

The interior state in which the chapter’s protection works: quiet, unstirred, free of appetite. The transmitted text varies between 惔 and 淡; the variant is recorded in the collation notes rather than settled here.

The two graphs are near-homophones doing one job: a mind that is quiet and a palate that is not inflamed. The line reads 恬惔虛無 — tranquil, unstirred, empty, without craving — four words for one condition.

Translators differ over whether to render this as calmness or as indifference. The chapter argues for the first: what follows is not listlessness but true qi following of its own accord.

Senses in the classical corpus

1
Quiet, unstirred 恬惔
The state in which qi is unobstructed
The state in which qi is unobstructed
恬惔虛無，真氣從之 — 素問·上古天真論

Occurrences in the classics

Passages where the term does real work, with the original, pinyin and English on the same line.

Display
3 passages
素問·上古天真論 Read in context →
恬惔虛無，真氣從之，精神內守，病安從來 恬惔虚无，真气从之，精神内守，病安从来
tián dàn xū wú, zhēn qì cóng zhī, jīng shén nèi shǒu, bìng ān cóng lái
Tranquil and detached, empty and without craving: true qi follows of itself, essence and spirit are kept within — where would illness come from?
The condition and its consequence are in the same breath.
素問·陰陽應象大論 Read in context →
樂恬憺之能，從欲快志於虚无之守。 乐恬憺之能，从欲快志于虚无之守。
lè tián dàn zhī néng, cóng yù kuài zhì yú xū wú zhī shǒu.
He delights in the capacity of tranquillity, and follows desire and satisfies the will in the keeping of emptiness.
底本作「恬憺」（憺，音 dàn，安也），與第一篇「恬惔虛無」之「惔」字異而義同，詳該篇校勘表。
素問·上古天真論 Read in context →
夫上古聖人之教下也，皆謂之虛邪賊風，避之有時，恬惔虛无，真氣從之，精神内守，病安從來？是以志閑而少欲，心安而不懼，形勞而不倦。氣從以順，各從其欲，皆得所願。故美其食，任其服，樂其俗，高下不相慕，其民故曰樸。是以嗜欲不能勞其目，淫邪不能惑其心，愚智賢不肖，不懼於物，故合於道。 夫上古圣人之教下也，皆谓之虚邪贼风，避之有时，恬惔虚无，真气从之，精神内守，病安从来？是以志闲而少欲，心安而不惧，形劳而不倦。气从以顺，各从其欲，皆得所愿。故美其食，任其服，乐其俗，高下不相慕，其民故曰朴。是以嗜欲不能劳其目，淫邪不能惑其心，愚智贤不肖，不惧于物，故合于道。
Fú shàng gǔ shèng rén zhī jiào xià yě, jiē wèi zhī xū xié zéi fēng, bì zhī yǒu shí, tián dàn xū wú, zhēn qì cóng zhī, jīng shén nèi shǒu, bìng ān cóng lái? shì yǐ zhì xián ér shǎo yù, xīn ān ér bù jù, xíng láo ér bù juàn. qì cóng yǐ shùn, gè cóng qí yù, jiē dé suǒ yuàn. gù měi qí shí, rèn qí fú, lè qí sú, gāo xià bù xiāng mù, qí mín gù yuē pǔ. shì yǐ shì yù bù néng láo qí mù, yín xié bù néng huò qí xīn, yú zhì xián bù xiào, bù jù yú wù, gù hé yú dào.
When the sages of high antiquity taught those below them, they all said this: as for the deficient evils and thieving winds, avoid them in season; be tranquil and detached, empty and without striving, and the true qi will follow you; keep essence and spirit guarded within, and from where could illness come? Therefore the will is at leisure and desires are few, the heart is at peace and knows no fear, the body labours and does not weary. The qi follows and goes smoothly, each follows what he wishes, and all obtain what they want. So they find their food sweet, they are easy in their clothes, they delight in their customs, and high and low do not envy one another — such people may be called the uncarved. Hence craving cannot weary their eyes and debauchery cannot confuse their hearts; the foolish, the wise, the worthy and the worthless alike are not made fearful by things, and so they accord with the way.
「恬惔虛无」——惔讀 dàn，通行本多作淡；「恬惔」本篇1見

Compounds built on this term

虛無
xū wú
empty, without craving
The phrase paired with 恬惔 in this line

How it has been translated

Every rendering below is a decision about which reader is being addressed. There is no neutral option.

This sitetranquil and detachedTwo adjectives, matching the two graphs.
Common Englishcalm, indifference"Indifference" overstates; the chapter's state is active.

Entry status

Review pending — who reviews this?

2026-09

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