Look at it and you cannot see it; its name is called Yi — colorless is called Yi. One has no color or hue; it cannot be seen by looking at it. Listen to it and you cannot hear it; its name is called Xi — soundless is called Xi. One has no sound or voice; it cannot be heard by listening to it. Grasp at it and you cannot obtain it; its name is called Wei — formless is called Wei. One has no form or body; it cannot be grasped or held onto. These three cannot be thoroughly examined — Yi, Xi, and Wei have no color, no sound, and no form; they cannot be spoken of with words or transmitted through writing. One should receive them in stillness and seek them with spirit; they cannot be obtained by questioning. Therefore, they are blended into One — Hun means to combine; the combination of these three is named as One. Its upper part is not bright — One in heaven is not bright; Jiao means brightness or light. Its lower part is not obscure — One on earth is not obscure; Mei means to be dark or dim. Its movements are endless and cannot be named — Shengsheng refers to motion proceeding without end. What cannot be named is not a single color, not a single sound, not a singular form; its length, shortness, largeness, or smallness cannot be measured. It returns to the state of no substance — Wu means material; it returns to the state of having no material form.

This is called the shape without a specific form — One has no particular shape, yet it can create forms for all things. The image of something without substance — One has no material form, yet it establishes images and forms for all things. This is called Huhuang — One exists as if it were there and yet disappears; it cannot be seen. Meeting it head-on, you do not see its beginning — One has no start or end; it cannot be anticipated in advance. Remove emotions and desires, and One will naturally return to you. Follow it and you do not see its end — One leaves no shadow or trace and cannot be seen. Grasp the ancient Dao to manage present existence — sages hold fast to the ancient Dao, giving rise to One to govern things, knowing that today there should be a One. To know the beginning of antiquity is called the principle of the Dao — one who can know that the beginning of all antiquity lies in One is said to know the guiding principle of the Dao.