Tao Te Ching: An Adaptation. Chapter 1
I've been working on an adaptation of Loa Tsu's classic Tao Te Ching. I felt a need to interpret its chapters in a way that brought out their spirit (as I see it, anyway). It's simply my own interpretation of a variety of available English translations.
Here's Chapter 1:
The Tao that can be put into words is not the eternal Tao.
The face that can be given a name is not the original face.
Everything comes from nameless simplicity.
Giving names gives rise to complexity.
When wanting is absent, simplicity is seen.
When wanting is present, complexity is seen.
These two are the same but appear to be different;
What a mystery.
This mystery is a secret doorway to the greatest of mysteries.