Tao Te Ching Chapter 1

 

The Tao that can be told of

Is not the Absolute Tao;

The Names that can be given

Are not Absolute Names.

 

The Nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth;

The Named is the Mother of All Things.

 

Therefore:

Oftentimes, one strips oneself of passion

In order to see the Secret of Life;

Oftentimes, one regards life with passion,

In order to see its manifest forms.

 

These two (the Secret and its manifestations)

Are (in their nature) the same;

They are given different names

When they become manifest.

 

They may both be called the Cosmic Mystery:

Reaching from the Mystery into the Deeper Mystery

Is the Gate to the Secret of All Life.