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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.

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More quotes by Laozi

The Tao that can be expressed is not the eternal Tao;
The name that can be defined is not the unchanging name.

Ch'u Ta-Kao (1904)

The tao that can be described
is not the eternal Tao.
The name that can be spoken
is not the eternal Name.

J.H.McDonald (1996)

The tao that can be told
is not the eternal Tao
The name that can be named
is not the eternal Name.
The unnameable is the eternally real.

interpreted by Stephen Mitchell (1992)

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.

Gia-Fu Feng & Jane English (1972)

A good traveler has no fixed plans
and is not intent upon arriving.

interpreted by Stephen Mitchell (1992)

All Laozi quotes →

Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Laozi (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.