《道德经》第一章
道可道，非常道；名可名，非常名。无名，天地之始；有名，万物之母。故常无欲，以观其妙；常有欲，以观其徼。此两者，同出而异名，同谓之玄。玄之又玄，众妙之门。
《Tao-Te Ching》Chapter 1
The Way that can be told of is not an Unvarying Way；The names that can be named are not unvarying names. It was from the Nameless that Heaven and Earth sprang；The named is but the mother that rears the ten thousand creatures，each after its kind. Truly，‘Only he that rids himself forever of desire can see the Secret Essences’；He that has never rid himself of desire can see only the Outcomes. These two things issued from the same mould，but nevertheless are different in name. This‘same mould’we can but call the Mystery，Or rather the‘Darker than any Mystery’，The Doorway whence issued all Secret Essences.
【易解】
取道于寻常可取之道，其道非恒久之道；取名于寻常可取之名，其名非恒久之名。取名于无名，就好比天地未判之初始；取名于有名，乃是万物化生之根本。所以，通常要无所趋求，以便观想那无以名状的微妙；时常又要有所趋求，以便观想那成名化物的极限。这两方面是同一行为体的不同显现，同样深及于行为体的幽深内殿。在这同样深及幽深的两者之间作不断深入的循环运行，就是一切行为运作的微妙法门。
道德经全文及译文