Tao Te Ching

Chapter 2
Taoism
[Original text]

Tao [1] can be Tao [2], it is very Tao; name [3] can be named [4], it is very famous.

No, it is called the beginning of heaven and earth; Yes, it is called the mother of all things [5].

Therefore, there is always nothing, and you want to see its wonder; there is always, and you want to see its beauty [6].

These two come from the same name but have different names, and they are the same as [7].Mysterious and mysterious [8], the door of all wonders [9].

【Note】

[1] Dao: Noun, here refers to the origin of the universe.The extended meaning is the foundation, truth, principle, law, etc. of all things.

[2] Dao: Verb, to explain, to make clear.

[3] Name: noun, the form of "Tao" in ①.

[4] Name: verb, indicating that it is the same as "Tao" in ②.

[5] Mother: Mother, source.

[6] 徼 (jiào): boundary, dividing line.Here it means the appearance of things.

[7] Call: appellation, here means "can be called" and "call...for".

[8] Xuan: mysterious, esoteric, unable to explore.

[9] Gate: gate, portal, here refers to the place where the mystery of the universe is produced, or implies the method to understand the mystery of the universe.

【Analysis】

"Tao" cannot be clearly expressed in words. If it can be, it is not what we call "the Great Dao"; if the form and concept of "Tao" can be named, it cannot be the eternal form and concept.

Everything in the world is uncertain when it is produced, and its state cannot be described in words. This is the source of the entire chaotic universe; however, everything has its own origin. This part of the concept that can be expressed in words is called For the pregnant mother.

Therefore, to maintain the state of nothingness is to observe the mysterious essence of things; to maintain the state of reality is to observe the superficial phenomena embodied by things.

In fact, "nothingness" and "existence" come from the same "Tao", but they are just different aspects of "Tao". The combination of "nothingness" and "existence" will have countless mystical possibilities (uncertain combinations, such as upper and lower, internal and external, etc.).These undetermined combinations and even more mysterious things are "Tao".

【Explanation by Famous Artists】

Mr. He Shang:
It is also called the way of politics and religion.It is not a natural way of growth.It is often said that you should cultivate your mind with inaction, calm the people with nothing to do, hide the light with light, and hide your traces, which is not praiseworthy.It is called wealth and honor, and the name of the world.It is also the name of unnatural presence.The constant name should be like a baby's unspoken, chicken's undivided, the pearl is in the clam, the beautiful jade is in the stone, although the inside is clear, the outside is like foolishness.

The nameless is called Dao, and Dao has no form, so it cannot be named.The beginning is the origin of Dao, exhaling and distributing, coming out of nothingness, it is the origin of heaven and earth.Known as heaven and earth.Heaven and earth have shapes and positions, yin and yang, and softness and rigidity, which is why they are famous.The mother of all things, the heaven and the earth contain air to give birth to all things, grow up and mature, just like the adopted son of the mother.

Wonderful, yes.People can often have no desires, then they can see the essence of the Tao, which is called oneness.As soon as the famous Taoism is published, it is praised to explain right and wrong.徼, return also.People who often have desires can observe the secular world.

The two are said to have desires but not desires.Those who come out together are also out of people's hearts.And those with different names have different names.Those who are known as having no desires live forever, and those who are known as having desires perish.Xuan, God.Those who say that those who have desires and those who have no desires are both inspired by the sky.There is another sky in the sky.Inherent qi can be thick or thin, if it is neutralized and nourishing, it will produce sages; if it is disordered and insulted, it will produce greed and lust.There is another sky in the sky of energy, and there are thick and thin qi. Eliminate emotion and desire, and keep the balance. This is the door to know the essentials.

(End of this chapter)