Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, Chapter 1

Dao De Jing by Laozi
Chapter 1

"The Dao that can be understood cannot be the primal, or cosmic, Dao.
An idea that can be expressed in words cannot be the infinite idea.
This ineffable Dao was the source of all spirit and matter,
And being expressed was the mother of all created things.  
Therefore not to desire the things of sense is to know the freedom of spirituality.
To desire is to learn the limitation of matter.
These two things spirit and matter, so different in nature, have the same origin.
This unity of origin is the mystery of mysteries, but it is the gateway to spirituality."
-  Translated by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, 1919, Chapter 1
 
"Tao that can be expressed is not Everlasting Tao.
The name that can be named is not the Everlasting Name.
The Name, in its inner aspect, is Life-Spring of Heaven and Earth.
The Name, in its outer aspect, is Mother of all created things.
Therefore:
To perceive the mystery of Life, desire always to reach the innermost.
To perceive the limitations of things, desire always to posses them.
These two aspects of Life are One.
In their out-come they become different in Name but in their depth they are One.
In a depth, still deeper yet, is the Door of many mysteries."
-  Translated by Isabella Mears, 1916, Chapter 1  

"A Tao that can be Tao-ed is not lasting Tao. 
A name that can be named is not lasting name. 
Name-less — the beginning of Heaven and Earth. 
Named — the mother of all things. 
So, we must be always without desires to see the mystery.
If we always have desires we will see its limits. 
These two are the same; once there is out-going, then there is difference of name. 
As the same they are called obscure.
The obscure of the obscure is the gate of all mysteries."
-  Translated by P. J. Maclagan, 1898, Chapter 1 

"The Tao which can be expressed is not the unchanging Tao; the name which can be named is not the unchanging name.
The nameless is the beginning of the Heaven Earth; the mother of all things is the nameable.
Thus, while the eternal non-being leads toward the fathomless, the eternal being conduct to the boundary.
Although these two have been differently named they come from the same.
As the same they may be described as the abysmal.
The abyss of the abysmal is the gate of all mystery."
-  Translated by C. Spurgeon Medhurst, 1905, Chapter 1  

"The Tao that can be expressed is not the true Tao
The name that can be defined is not the true name
Non-existence is called the antecedent of heaven and earth;
Existence is the mother of all things.
From eternal non-existence, therefore, we serenely observe the mysterious beginnning of the universe;
From eternal existence we clearly see the apparent distinctions.
These two are the same in source and become different when manifested.
This sameness is called profundity. Infinite profundity is the gate whence comes the beginning of all parts of the universe."
-  Translated by Ch'u Ta-Kao, 1904, Chapter 1 
  
The way that may be traversed is not the Eternal Way.
The name which can be uttered is not the Eternal Name. 
Without name — Heaven and Earth (Nature) at the beginning were called the mother of all things.
Thus it always is that he who is without passion can grasp the inner essence, while he who is blinded by passion can only apprehend the outer form.
These two have really the same issue, and differ only in name.
Together they are spoken of as the First Cause.
The cause of the First Cause itself is the gateway of the Essential."
-  Translated by T.W. Kingsmill, 1899, Chapter 1 

"The Tao that can be trodden is not the enduring and unchanging Tao.
The name that can be named is not the enduring and unchanging name. 
Conceived of as having no name, it is the Originator of heaven and earth;
Conceived of as having a name, it is the Mother of all things.  
Always without desire we must be found,
If its deep mystery we would sound;
But if desire always within us be,
Its outer fringe is all that we shall see.  
Under these two aspects, it is really the same;
But as development takes place, it receives the different names.
Together we call them the Mystery.
Where the Mystery is the deepest is the gate of all that is subtle and wonderful."
-  Translated by James Legge, 1891, Chapter 1 

"The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao
The name that can be named is not the eternal name
The nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth
The named is the mother of myriad things
Thus, constantly without desire, one observes its essence
Constantly with desire, one observes its manifestations
These two emerge together but differ in name
The unity is said to be the mystery
Mystery of mysteries, the door to all wonders"
-  Translated by Derek Linn, 2006, Chapter 1    

Tao Te Ching Concordance

Tao Te Ching  Chapter Number Index Standard Traditional Chapter Arrangement of the Daodejing Chapter Order in Wang Bi's Daodejing Commentary in 246 CE Chart by Mike Garofalo
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20
21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30
31	32	33	34	35	36	37	38	39	40
41	42	43	44	45	46	47	48	49	50
51	52	53	54	55	56	57	58	59	60
61	62	63	64	65	66	67	68	69	70
71	72	73	74	75	76	77	78	79	80
81