The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao
The name that can be named is not the eternal name
The nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth
The named is the mother of myriad things
Thus, constantly without desire, one observes its essence
Constantly with desire, one observes its manifestations
These two emerge together but differ in name
The unity is said to be the mystery
Mystery of mysteries, the door to all wonders*

Everything under the Sun has a beginning and an end. In the known world, everything has a name and, with it, a beginning and an end; it is finite.

The eternal has no name, but it is the origin of heaven and earth. Everything under the Sun has a name.

Transcendence has no name and, therefore, no meaning; a name gives meaning and evokes desire.

Name and nameless are completely different yet emerge together. Their unity is known as the Mystery, the Door to all Wonders.

The Great Unknown in the “world” is not spiritual but Transcendent. The transcendency is beyond the world one knows of. The transcendency offers no meaning, so it remains unknown.

The Path can only be walked intuitively, without desire, yet completely fulfilling.

Kirsten

* Copyright and translation: Derek Lin