도덕경 1장

道可道非常道名可名非常名 無名天地之始有名萬物之母 故常無欲以觀其妙常有欲以觀其徼 此兩者同出而異名同謂之玄 玄之又玄 眾妙之門 The image displays the opening chapter of the Tao Te Ching (道德經), the foundational text of Taoism attributed to Laozi. This passage is one of the most translated and debated pieces of literature in history, dealing with the limits of language and the nature of existence. Text Transcription 道可道非常道名可名非常名 無名天地之始有名萬物之母 故常無欲以觀其妙常有欲以觀其徼 此兩者同出而異名同謂之玄 玄之又玄 眾妙之門 Translation and Analysis 1. The Paradox of Naming 道可道非常道名可名非常名 The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name. Laozi begins by establishing that the ultimate reality (Tao) is ineffable. As soon as you define it or give it a name, you have limited it, and therefore it is no longer the "eternal" or "constant" (常) Tao. 2. Origins of the Universe 無名天地之始有名萬物之母 The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth. The named is the mother of all things. Nameless (無名): Refers to the state of primordial void before the universe existed. Named (有名): Refers to the manifestation of the physical world where things are categorized and distinguished. 3. Perception and Desire 故常無欲以觀其妙常有欲以觀其徼 Therefore, ever desireless, one can see the mystery. Ever desiring, one can see the manifestations. To understand the essence (妙 - mystery) of the Tao, one must be free of personal desire and bias. However, desire (or intent) allows us to observe the boundaries and physical outcomes (徼 - manifestations/fringes) of the world. 4. The Unity of Opposites 此兩者同出而異名同謂之玄 These two spring from the same source but differ in name; this unity is called darkness (mystery). "These two" refer to the Nameless and the Named, or Mystery and Manifestation. They are fundamentally the same reality perceived in different ways. 5. The Ultimate Mystery 玄之又玄 眾妙之門 Darkness within darkness. The gate to all mysteries. The word 玄 (Xuán) literally means "dark," "deep," or "mysterious." By stacking this mystery ("mystery upon mystery"), Laozi suggests that the source of all existence is an unfathomable depth that transcends human logic. Key Terms for Study