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道 Tâo
Chapter 1

Tâo that can be walked
Not permanent Tâo

Name that can be named
Not permanent name

Without name
Beginning of heaven and earth

Having a name
Mother of all things

Always without desire
Accordingly see this wonder (subtlety)

Always having desire
Accordingly see these fringes (edges, borders)

These two things:
Together issue yet differing names
Together called Profound

Profound of (within) Profound (Mystery of Mysteries, depth of depth, dark of dark)
Gate of all subtle (wonderful)

一 章

道 , 可 道 ,
非 常 道 ;
名 , 可 名 ,
非 常 名 。
無 名 ,
天 地 始 ;
有 名 ,
萬 物 母 。
常 無 欲,
觀 其 妙 ;
常 有 欲,
觀 其 徼 。
此 兩 者
同 出 而 異 名
同 謂 之 玄 ,
玄 之 又 玄 ,
眾 妙 之 門 。

Key Terms

Observations and Comments

Legge Translation Notes

###, 'Embodying the Tâo.' The author sets forth, as well as the difficulty of his subject would allow him, the nature of the Tâo in itself, and its manifestation. To understand the Tâo one must be partaker of its nature.

Par. 3 suggests the words of the apostle John, 'He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.' Both the Tâo, Lâo-dze's ideal in the absolute, and its Teh, or operation, are comprehended in this chapter, the latter being the Tâo with the name, the Mother of all things. See pages 12, 13 in the Introduction on the translation of the term Tâo.