Dao ke dao, wei jing shu zhengjiao zhi dao ye. Is not the constant Dao. Not the natural way of growth and development. The constant Dao should be cultivated through non-action to nourish the spirit, through inaction to bring peace to the people, by containing radiance and concealing brilliance, by erasing traces and hiding beginnings; it cannot be described or spoken of. A name that can be named, meaning the names of wealth, honor, and high status in the world. Is not a constant name. Not the name of something naturally and constantly present. The constant name should be like an infant who has not yet spoken, or an egg before it hatches, a pearl inside an oyster, or fine jade within a stone; although brilliant internally, externally it appears foolish and stubborn. Nameless, is the beginning of heaven and earth. The nameless refers to Dao; Dao has no form, so it cannot be named. "Beginning" means the origin of Dao; breathing out qi and spreading transformation, emerging from emptiness, it is the fundamental beginning of heaven and earth. Having a name, is the mother of all things. "Having a name" refers to heaven and earth. Heaven and earth have form and position, yin and yang, softness and hardness; this is why they have names. The mother of all things: heaven and earth contain qi to give birth to all beings, nurturing them until they grow up and mature, just as a mother raises her child.

Therefore, always without desire, one observes its subtlety; Miao means essential. If a person can always be without desire, then one may observe the essentials of Dao; the essentials refer to One. One emerges and spreads names for Dao, praising and clarifying right and wrong. Always having desire, one observes its manifestations; Jiao means return or boundary. A person who constantly has desires can observe where the secular world tends to return and pursue. These two, originate from the same source but have different names; The two refer to having desire and not having desire. Same origin means they both arise from human mind. And different names, because their named aspects differ. The name of non-desire leads to lasting existence; the name of desire leads to self-destruction. They are both called Xuan, Xuan means heaven. This means that people with desires and those without desires equally receive qi from heaven. Xuan upon Xuan, heaven within heaven again. Receiving qi in varying degrees of richness or thinness, those who receive harmonious nourishment and moisture give birth to sages and virtuous people; those who receive chaotic and corrupting influences give rise to greedy and licentious individuals. The gate of all subtleties. To understand that within heaven there is again heaven, and that receiving qi varies in richness or thinness; to remove emotions and desires and maintain harmony—this is called knowing the gateway to the essentials of Dao.