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Tao Te Ching · 14 of 81

Chapter 14

We look at it, and we do not see it, and we name it ‘the Equable.’ We listen to it, and we do not hear it, and we name it ‘the Inaudible.’ We try to grasp it, and do not get hold of it, and we name it ‘the Subtle.’ With these three qualities, it cannot be made the subject of description; and hence we blend them together and obtain The One.

Its upper part is not bright, and its lower part is not obscure. Ceaseless in its action, it yet cannot be named, and then it again returns and becomes nothing. This is called the Form of the Formless, and the Semblance of the Invisible; this is called the Fleeting and Indeterminable.

We meet it and do not see its Front; we follow it, and do not see its Back. When we can lay hold of the Tao of old to direct the things of the present day, and are able to know it as it was of old in the beginning, this is called (unwinding) the clue of Tao.

Asked of Guide

Why does Lao Tzu keep saying the Tao is unseen, inaudible, and unsubstantial?

Lao Tzu lists ‘the Equable,’ ‘the Inaudible,’ and ‘the Subtle’ to point to qualities that resist ordinary perception; calling them The One shows the Tao is a ground you meet without the senses. He names the experience — “Form of the Formless” and “Semblance of the Invisible” — to let you grasp that the Tao functions though it cannot be fixed by description.

The chapter then gives a practical hint: “When we can lay hold of the Tao of old to direct the things of the present day” — knowing the timeless movement lets you guide action now. This echoes Chuang Tzu, who also treats the ineffable as something shown by story and lived practice rather than nailed down by words.

Guide is the guide inside the Gnosis app, where every book on these shelves is free to read. Guide is the part you pay for — your guide has read all of them, and answers about the passage you’re actually on. Ask your guide your own question.

Echoes elsewhere

Chuang Tzu · Taoismthus beyond men's knowledge, I will make an effort to describe of what sort they appeared to be. 2. Shrinking looked they like those who wade through a stream in winter; irresolute Vishnu Purana · Hinduismwere silent amidst the woods, like holy saints, who have come to know the unreality of the world. The clouds, of shining whiteness, exhausted of their watery wealth, deserted the a The Sayings of Lao Tzu · Taoismunlike other teaching. If it had this likeness, long ago would its smallness have been known. The skilful philosophers of the olden time were subtle, spiritual, profound, and penet Tertium Organum: The Third Canon of Thought · Esotericditends to the inner and not to the outer; he puts away the objective and holds to the subjective. The sage occupies himself with inaction, and conveys instructions without words.