I remember in the 1990’s, there was this visual craze revolving around these seemingly nonsensical posters, with a beautiful tapestry of image—almost looking chaotic, or obnoxiously busy in color, and scope, and density. I believe they are called Stereograms or Auto-stereogram.
They look like complete madness—until one relaxes his or her eyes, crossing them in a sense, akin the feeling of a stare you might have while lost deep in thought—and then suddenly you see something that is amongst the chaos: a three dimensional image, hidden within this two-dimensional picture.
I am a person full of desires, and I am very driven to succeed in my goals. However, I feel that this first verse, the opening words of the Tao Te Ching (Dao de Jing) is an encouragement to relax my gaze, so that I may see the beauty that resides within the bigger picture of life, and love and creation: the universe.
The Universe is a name we gave to something that we are all a small part of, yet we only try to understand—however we do not truly understand it. I think we feel it. We find it when we look outside of ourselves, relaxing our eyes—and we also feel it when we look within ourselves. Deep within ourselves, in calmness and serenity, perhaps focusing on our slow and steady breath. In… out… in… out.
Breathing is the very first thing we ever learned to do in this life—this beautiful life of ours.
… and when it gets difficult, perhaps, that is the best place for us to return: to the beginning. To breath. To the unnamed. To that which is within us, and all around us, and to that which binds us all, yet, we only name is a manner to attempt to understand it, and give boundary to something that has none.
I have been going back to my early youth as of late: I’ve been studying mathematics. I ran across this very strange anomaly that I don’t quite completely understand, even with an individual giving me a completely rational explanation as to why this is.
The Power of a Number. Exponents: a number to the power of itself. The power of a number has its “base” or the larger number that is being multiplied, as well as its exponent, which is the amount of times that this function is occurring. For example 2 to the power of 2 = 4 or 2 x 2 = 4
However, what happens when you do this with the number 0?
0 to the power of 0 = 1
Yes, you are reading that correctly.
Even more fascinating:
Take a calculator and begin using number that are less than zero, by decimals.
For example:
0.5 to the power of 0.5 = 0.7071067812
0.00005 to the power of 0.00005 = 0.9995049482
0.00000000005 to the power of 0.00000000005 = 0.9999999988
As we move closer to zero, the answer grows closer to one.
How beautiful is that? Think about it. Think about this mathematical wonder, in the context of the first Verse of the Tao Te Ching.
Perhaps we see what we want to see, and perhaps we miss everything we don't see.
Leonardo DaVinci has this quote:
"There are three classes of people: those who see, those who see when they are shown, those who don't see."
Verse 1
Kwok, Palmer, Ramsay Translation
The Tao that can be talked about is not the true Tao.
The name that can be named
is not the eternal Name.
Everything in the universe comes out of Nothing.
Nothing — the nameless
is the beginning;
While Heaven, the mother
is the creatrix of all things.
Follow the nothingness of the Tao,
And you can be like it, not needing anything,
seeing the wonder and the root of everything.
And even if you cannot grasp this nothingness,
You can still see something of the Tao in everything.
These two are the same
only called by different names
— and both are mysterious and wonderful.
All mysteries are Tao, and Heaven is their mother:
She is the gateway and the womb-door.
Verse 45
Tao Ching
Lau Translation
The way can be spoken of,
But it will not be the constant way;
The name can be named,
But it will not be the constant name.
The nameless was the beginning of the myriad creatures;
The named was the mother of the myriad creatures.
Hence constantly rid yourself of desires in order to observe
Its subtlety;
But constantly allow yourself to have desires in order to
observe what it is after.
These two have the same original but differ in name.
They are both called dark,
Darkness upon darkness
The gateway to all that is subtle.
Verse 1
Ames and Hall Translation
Way-making (dao) that can be put into words is not really way-
making,
And naming (ming) that can assign fixed reference to things is not
really naming.
The nameless (wuming) is the fetal beginnings of everything that is
happening (wanwu),
While that which is named is their mother.
Thus, to be really objectless in one’s desires (wuyu) is how one
observes the mysteries of all things,
While really having desires is how one observes their boundaries.
These two—the nameless and what is named—emerge from the same
source yet are referred to differently.
Together they are called obscure.
The obscurest of the obscure,
They are the swinging gateway of the manifold mysteries.
Verse 1
Walker Translation
Tao is beyond words
and beyond understanding.
Words may be used to speak of it,
but they cannot contain it.
Tao existed before words and names,
before heaven and earth,
before the ten thousand things.
It is the unlimited father and mother
of all limited things.
Therefore, to see beyond boundaries
to the subtle heart of things,
dispense with names,
with concepts,
with expectations and ambitions and differences.
Tao and its many manifestations
arise from the same source:
subtle wonder pithing mysterious darkness.
This is the beginning of all understanding.
Verse 1
Wilson Translation
The Way that can be articulately described
is not the Unchanging Way.
The name that can be said out loud
is not the Unchanging Name.
With you mouth unopened, and things left undefined,
you stand at the beginning of the universe.
Make definitions, and you are the measure of all creation.
Thus, being forever without desire,
you look deeply into the transcendent.
By constantly harboring desire,
your vision is beset by all the things around you.
These two enter the world alike,
but their names are different.
Alike, they are called profound and remote.
Profound and remote and again more so:
This is the gate to all mysteries.
Verse 1
Mitchell Translation
The Tao that can be told
is the not eternal Tao
The name that can be named
is not the eternal Name
The unnamable is the eternally real.
Naming is the origin
of all particular things.
Free from desire, you realize the mystery.
Caught in desire, you see only the manifestations.
Yet mystery and manifestations
arise from the same source.
This source is called darkness.
Darkness within darkness.
The gateway to all understanding.
Verse 1
Dale Translation
The Tao that can be told
is not the universal Tao.
The name that can be named
is not the universal name.
In the infancy of the universe,
there were no names.
Naming fragments the mysteries of life
Into ten thousand things and their manifestations.
Yet mysteries and manifestations
spring form the same source:
The Great Integrity
which is the mystery within manifestation,
the manifestation within mystery,
the naming of the unnamed,
and the un-naming of the named.
When these interpretations
are in full attendance,
we will pass the gate of naming notions
In our journey toward transcendence.
Verse 1
Dyer Translation
The Tao that can be told
is not the eternal Tao.
The name that can be named
is not the eternal name.
The Tao is both named and nameless.
As nameless it is the origin of all things;
as named it is the Mother of 10,000 things.
Ever desireless, one can see the mystery;
ever desiring, one sees only the manifestations.
And the mystery itself is the doorway
to all understanding.
