Passage 1

Source 1:

"The way that can be told is not the eternal way. The name that can be named is not the eternal name. The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth. The named is the mother of the ten thousand things.

Therefore, give up your desires if you would observe its secrets. Keep your desires if you would observe its manifestations. These two are the same, but diverge in name as they issue forth. Being the same, they are called profound; profound and more profound, gateway to all mystery."

The book explains part of that by saying "The Taoist mystics believe this nameless, empty, formless quality is necessarily present before those things which can be named, and have form, can come into existence.

The "manifestations" of the Way are everything that exists. The "secrets" are the underlying meanings, principles, or causes beneath these manifestations. Desires are like mental attachments. If one is "attached" to a thing, he loses his perspective and objectivity. He will perceive the thing in terms of how it relates to him, not how the thing relates to existence. His mind will not be free to "see" the secrets behind the manifestations. Strong attachments to a thing can result in one being unable to see anything but that thing; blindness of a sort.

The secrets and manifestations are aspects of the same thing, and being so are profound. All the secrets are before our eyes if we look right; "gateway to all mystery."

Source (2) has a more detailed breakdown. The One gave rise to the two, which are the twin opposites of yang and ying. From those came the three legs of the tripod, Heaven, Earth and Humanity. From that, everything else derived.

Source 2:

"The Tao that can be talked about is not the true Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal Name. Everything in the universe comes out of Nothing. Nothing-the nameless, is the beginning; While Heaven, the mother, is the creatrix of all things.

Follow the nothingness of the Tao and you can be like it, not needing anything, seeing the wonder and the root of everything. And even if you cannot grasp this nothingness, you can still see something of the Tao in everything.

These two are the same only called by different names-and both are mysterious and wonderful.

All mysteries are Tao, and Heaven is their mother; She is the gateway and the womb-door."

Source 3:

The Tao that can be expressed is not the Tao of the Absolute. The name that can be named is not the name of the Absolute.

The nameless originated Heaven and Earth. The named is the Mother of All Things,

Thus, without expectation, One will always perceive the subtlety; And, with expectation, One will always perceive the boundary.

The source of these two is identical, Yet their names are different. Together they are called profound, Profound and mysterious, the gateway to the Collective Subtlety."

The author of that version says that "Lao Tzu urges his readers to drop their expectations, to discard their preconceived ideas, to abandon any method of knowing that might limit their horizons. When expectations are drooped, the mind expands, and reality expands along with the mind. Rather than merely perceiving where things are and where they have been (the boundary), an individual can begin to perceive the direction in which things are going (the subtlety)."

Source 4:

"The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name.

The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth, the named is the mother of ten thousand things.
v Ever desireless, one can see the mystery. Ever desiring, one can see the manifestations. These two spring from the same source but differ in name; this appears as darkness.

Darkness within darkness. The gate to all mystery."

Source 5:

"If Tao can be Taoed, it's not Tao. If its name can be named, it's not its name. Has no name; precedes heaven and earth; Has a name; mother of ten thousand things.

For it is always dispassionate; see its inwardness; Always passionate; see its outwardness.
The names are different but the source the same. Call the sameness mystery; Mystery of mystery, the door to inwardness."

That, I think, shows just how different the translations can be. In my own opinion, this version does not read smoothly at all.

Source 6:

The sixth source re-orders the passages, so passage 1 in all the above becomes passage 45 in this version. The author of the book states that his translation is based on recently-discovered texts that are at least 500 years older than any others used so far.

"The ways that can be walked are not the eternal Way. The names that can be named are not the eternal name. The nameless is the origin of the myriad creatures; The named is the mother of the myriad creatures.

Therefore, Always be without desire in order to observe its wondrous subtleties; Always have desire so that you may observe its manifestations.

Both of these derive from the same source; They have different names but the same designation. Mystery of mysteries, The gate of all wonders!"

Source 7:

"There are ways but the Way is unchartered; There are names but not nature in words; Nameless indeed is the source of creation. But things have a mother and she has a name.

The secret waits for the insight of eyes unclouded by longing; Those who are bound by desire see only the outward container.

These two coins paired but distinct by their names; of all things profound, Say that their pairing is deepest, the gate to the root of the world."

Source 8:

"The way that can be spoken of is not the constant way; the name that can be named is not the constant name. The nameless was the beginning of heaven and earth; the named was the mother of the myriad creatures.

Hence always rid yourself of desires in order to observe its secrets; but always allow yourself to have desires in order to observe its manifestations

These two are the same but diverge in name as they issue forth; being the same they are called mysteries, mystery upon mystery-the gateway of the manifold secrets."

Source 9:

"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."

********************

So you can see that the various version can differ fairly considerably. Trying to put these together, I sort of think it is somewhat like this:

1. The Tao that can be named is not the actual Tao; the name that can be named is not the actual name.

Basically, Tao exists but once we put a specific name to it and conditions that automatically go with that name then we are not really talking about the true Tao. When we give something a name we bring along with that name all the associations that go with that specific name, and those can differ from person to person.

For example, the word "homosexual" has a variety of connotations with it. To some people, the word evokes disgust and religious opposition, a being that cannot be tolerated To some others, the name has positive connotations. The moment we give something a specific name, that we have limited that something and are no longer dealing with what it actually is.

2. The Nameless is the origin of all things; the Named is the Mother of all things.

Assuming that there is a creative force in the universe, that creative force exists and is far beyond human ability to describe in full. Thus, it is the Nameless, and from that Nameless the entire universe (Heaven and Earth) was created.

When we give it a name (God, Buddha, Christ, Zeus, the Great Mystery, etc.) we are trying to put a human face on the Nameless. This causes major differences to appear. To Christians, the Nameless is really a male God. To Wiccans, there is both a God and a Goddess. Yet, if there is an actual Creative Force, then whatever it is, is far, far beyond human. We try to define the Nameless as male, as female, or as some of both, yet even that reflects our way of thinking for humanity comes in two sexes; male and female.

But the Nameless might have a hundred sexes, or no sex. We try to make something more familiar and easier to handle in our minds by giving it a name. Thus, when we are describing the universe around us and its creation, we are using the Named, not the Nameless. This is sort of like Plato's parable of the cave; the shadows on the cave wall only represent whatever is really causing the shadows; the shadows are not the things themselves.

3. To observe the actual secrets of the Tao you must do so without desires or expectations; to observe what has arisen from the Tao you use your desires and expectations.

This is sort of like the parable about the empty cup. Paraphrasing it, there is a Master and his student. The student has a cup in front of him and the Master begins to fill the cup with water. He keeps filling the cup until it is overflowing and does not stop.

The student points out that the cup is now overflowing, to which his Master/Sensei explains that in order to learn certain things, you have to do away with your expectations about the nature of those things. A cup cannot be filled until it is first empty.

So, if you want to learn the secrets of the Tao, you must empty your cup (mind) of all preconceived notions; if you don't, you will observe that which is created from the Tao, but not the secrets of the Tao itself.

4. The Tao and its manifestations are the same initially, but become different as specific names are given to the manifestations themselves. These are the gateway to the fundamental mysteries of existence.

We need to understand that the Creative Force and the things it creates are not actually the same. We need to drop our expectations, our preconceived notions and open our minds (and hearts) as much as possible to begin to understand and appreciate the true mysteries and wonders of all that is around us.

(1)Lao Tse: Tao Teh Ching, Classic of the Way and its Nature, translated by Hohn R. Leebrick, 1980.

(2) The Illustrated Tao Te Ching, 1993.

(3)The Tao of Power, translation by R.L. Wing, 1986

(4)Lao Tsu: Tao Te Ching, translation by Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English, 1972

(5)The Way of the Ways: Tao, translation by Herrymon Maurer, 1982

(6)Tao Te Ching: The Classic Book of Integrity and the Way, translation by Victor H. Mair, 1990

(7) The Way of Life: Lao Tzu. Tao Te-Ching, a new Translation by R. B. Blakney, 1955.

(8)Lao Tze: Tao Te Ching, Penguin Classics, 1963

(9) The Wisdom of Lao Tzu, 1948

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Passage 1

"The way that can be told is not the eternal way. The name that can be named is not the eternal name. The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth. The named is the mother of the ten thousand things.

Therefore, give up your desires if you would observe its secrets. Keep your desires if you would observe its manifestations. These two are the same, but diverge in name as they issue forth. Being the same, they are called profound; profound and more profound, gateway to all mystery."

The book explains part of that by saying "The Taoist mystics believe this nameless, empty, formless quality is necessarily present before those things which can be named, and have form, can come into existence.

The secrets and manifestations are aspects of the same thing, and being so are profound. All the secrets are before our eyes if we look right; "gateway to all mystery."

Source (2) has a more detailed breakdown. The One gave rise to the two, which are the twin opposites of yang and ying. From those came the three legs of the tripod, Heaven, Earth and Humanity. From that, everything else derived. Source 2:

"The Tao that can be talked about is not the true Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal Name. Everything in the universe comes out of Nothing. Nothing-the nameless, is the beginning; While Heaven, the mother, is the creatrix of all things.

Follow the nothingness of the Tao and you can be like it, not needing anything, seeing the wonder and the root of everything. And even if you cannot grasp this nothingness, you can still see something of the Tao in everything.

These two are the same only called by different names-and both are mysterious and wonderful.

All mysteries are Tao, and Heaven is their mother; She is the gateway and the womb-door." Source 3:

The Tao that can be expressed is not the Tao of the Absolute. The name that can be named is not the name of the Absolute.

The nameless originated Heaven and Earth. The named is the Mother of All Things,

Thus, without expectation, One will always perceive the subtlety; And, with expectation, One will always perceive the boundary.

The source of these two is identical, Yet their names are different. Together they are called profound, Profound and mysterious, the gateway to the Collective Subtlety."

"The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name.

The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth, the named is the mother of ten thousand things. v Ever desireless, one can see the mystery. Ever desiring, one can see the manifestations. These two spring from the same source but differ in name; this appears as darkness.

Darkness within darkness. The gate to all mystery." Source 5:

"If Tao can be Taoed, it's not Tao. If its name can be named, it's not its name. Has no name; precedes heaven and earth; Has a name; mother of ten thousand things.

For it is always dispassionate; see its inwardness; Always passionate; see its outwardness. The names are different but the source the same. Call the sameness mystery; Mystery of mystery, the door to inwardness."

That, I think, shows just how different the translations can be. In my own opinion, this version does not read smoothly at all. Source 6:

The sixth source re-orders the passages, so passage 1 in all the above becomes passage 45 in this version. The author of the book states that his translation is based on recently-discovered texts that are at least 500 years older than any others used so far.

"The ways that can be walked are not the eternal Way. The names that can be named are not the eternal name. The nameless is the origin of the myriad creatures; The named is the mother of the myriad creatures.

Therefore, Always be without desire in order to observe its wondrous subtleties; Always have desire so that you may observe its manifestations.

Both of these derive from the same source; They have different names but the same designation. Mystery of mysteries, The gate of all wonders!" Source 7:

"There are ways but the Way is unchartered; There are names but not nature in words; Nameless indeed is the source of creation. But things have a mother and she has a name.

The secret waits for the insight of eyes unclouded by longing; Those who are bound by desire see only the outward container.

These two coins paired but distinct by their names; of all things profound, Say that their pairing is deepest, the gate to the root of the world." Source 8:

"The way that can be spoken of is not the constant way; the name that can be named is not the constant name. The nameless was the beginning of heaven and earth; the named was the mother of the myriad creatures.

Hence always rid yourself of desires in order to observe its secrets; but always allow yourself to have desires in order to observe its manifestations

These two are the same but diverge in name as they issue forth; being the same they are called mysteries, mystery upon mystery-the gateway of the manifold secrets." Source 9:

"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." ********************

So you can see that the various version can differ fairly considerably. Trying to put these together, I sort of think it is somewhat like this:

1. The Tao that can be named is not the actual Tao; the name that can be named is not the actual name.

2. The Nameless is the origin of all things; the Named is the Mother of all things.

Assuming that there is a creative force in the universe, that creative force exists and is far beyond human ability to describe in full. Thus, it is the Nameless, and from that Nameless the entire universe (Heaven and Earth) was created.

3. To observe the actual secrets of the Tao you must do so without desires or expectations; to observe what has arisen from the Tao you use your desires and expectations.

This is sort of like the parable about the empty cup. Paraphrasing it, there is a Master and his student. The student has a cup in front of him and the Master begins to fill the cup with water. He keeps filling the cup until it is overflowing and does not stop.

The student points out that the cup is now overflowing, to which his Master/Sensei explains that in order to learn certain things, you have to do away with your expectations about the nature of those things. A cup cannot be filled until it is first empty.

So, if you want to learn the secrets of the Tao, you must empty your cup (mind) of all preconceived notions; if you don't, you will observe that which is created from the Tao, but not the secrets of the Tao itself.

4. The Tao and its manifestations are the same initially, but become different as specific names are given to the manifestations themselves. These are the gateway to the fundamental mysteries of existence.

(1)Lao Tse: Tao Teh Ching, Classic of the Way and its Nature, translated by Hohn R. Leebrick, 1980.

(2) The Illustrated Tao Te Ching, 1993.

(3)The Tao of Power, translation by R.L. Wing, 1986

(4)Lao Tsu: Tao Te Ching, translation by Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English, 1972

(5)The Way of the Ways: Tao, translation by Herrymon Maurer, 1982

(6)Tao Te Ching: The Classic Book of Integrity and the Way, translation by Victor H. Mair, 1990

(7) The Way of Life: Lao Tzu. Tao Te-Ching, a new Translation by R. B. Blakney, 1955.

(8)Lao Tze: Tao Te Ching, Penguin Classics, 1963

(9) The Wisdom of Lao Tzu, 1948 Back to start of Spirituality section Back to start of Taoism section Back to main Index page

Source (2) has a more detailed breakdown. The One gave rise to the two, which are the twin opposites of yang and ying. From those came the three legs of the tripod, Heaven, Earth and Humanity. From that, everything else derived.

Source 2:

All mysteries are Tao, and Heaven is their mother; She is the gateway and the womb-door."

Source 3:

The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth, the named is the mother of ten thousand things.
v Ever desireless, one can see the mystery. Ever desiring, one can see the manifestations. These two spring from the same source but differ in name; this appears as darkness.

Darkness within darkness. The gate to all mystery."

Source 5:

For it is always dispassionate; see its inwardness; Always passionate; see its outwardness.
The names are different but the source the same. Call the sameness mystery; Mystery of mystery, the door to inwardness."

That, I think, shows just how different the translations can be. In my own opinion, this version does not read smoothly at all.

Source 6:

Both of these derive from the same source; They have different names but the same designation. Mystery of mysteries, The gate of all wonders!"

Source 7:

These two coins paired but distinct by their names; of all things profound, Say that their pairing is deepest, the gate to the root of the world."

Source 8:

These two are the same but diverge in name as they issue forth; being the same they are called mysteries, mystery upon mystery-the gateway of the manifold secrets."

Source 9:

They may both be called the Cosmic Mystery."

********************

(9) The Wisdom of Lao Tzu, 1948

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