The tao that can be described is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be spoken is not the eternal Name. The nameless is the boundary of Heaven and Earth. The named is the mother of creation. Freed from desire, you can see the hidden mystery. By having desire, you can only see what is visibly real. Yet mystery and reality emerge from the same source. This source is called darkness. Darkness born from darkness. The beginning of all understanding.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The Tao cannot be fully described; the nameless is the boundary of heaven and earth, while naming creates the world, and freeing desire reveals hidden mystery.
- In plain terms
- The nameless underlies all, naming builds the world.
- What can you take from it?
- Seek the hidden mystery by letting go of desire and fixed labels.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What does ‘hidden mystery’ mean to you?
- How do labels limit your experience?
Another view
The concept of ‘nameless’ can be too abstract for practical guidance.
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