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DAO DE JINGHome

Chapter 1

道可道，非常道

道dào可kě道dào，非fēi常cháng道dào。
名míng可kě名míng，非fēi常cháng名míng。
无wú名míng天tiān地dì之zhī始shǐ；
有yǒu名míng万wàn物wù之zhī母mǔ。
故gù常cháng无wú欲yù，以yǐ观guān其qí妙miào；
常cháng有yǒu欲yù，以yǐ观guān其qí徼jiào。
此cǐ两liǎng者zhě，
同tóng出chū而ér异yì名míng，
同tóng谓wèi之zhī玄xuán。
玄xuán之zhī又yòu玄xuán，
众zhòng妙miào之zhī门mén。

a> A dao that may be spoken is not the enduring Dao. A name that may be named is not an enduring name. No names – this is the beginning of heaven and earth. Having names – this is the mother of the things of the world.

b> Make freedom from desire your constant norm; thereby you will see what is subtle. Make having desires your constant norm; thereby you will see what is manifest.

These two arise from the same source but have different names. Together they may be termed ‘the mysterious’.

Mystery and more mystery: the gate of all that is subtle.

A modern classroom translation, with labeled subsections for study.

© 2010, 2016, 2019 Robert Eno. Freely available for personal use and not-for-profit educational settings. For other purposes, apart from fair use, copyright is not waived.