Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching): Chapter 1

道德經 - Dàodéjīng - The Transmission of the Way and Virtuous Power

Author: 老子 - LǎoZi - Old Master

Translated by David Campbell, DSOM, LAc, EAMP

Chapter 1

道可道，非常道。

名可名，非常名。

無名天地之始；有名萬物之母。

故常無欲，以觀其妙；

常有欲，以觀其徼。

此兩者，同出而異名，同謂之玄。

玄之又玄，衆妙之門。

The Way that can be Travelled is not the Eternal Way. 

The Name that can be Named is not the Eternal Name.

Without Name is the Origin of Heaven & Earth [the Cosmos];

Having a Name is the Mother of the ‘Ten-thousand Things’ [every single thing].

For this reason, [those] eternally without Desire, are granted insight into marvelous subtleties;

[Whereas those] Eternally having Desire, are granted insight into [blind/random] luck.

These together are joined in emanation and yet have divergent names. 

Joined we call them the Mystery. 

Mystery upon Mysteries is the gateway to the multitude of Marvelous Subtleties.