The Tao is eternal and nameless.

In its purest form, it seems small,
yet no one dares command one who lives in it.

If a ruler could hold to the Tao,
all things would follow naturally.

Heaven and Earth would unite,
and sweet dew would fall.
It would nourish all
without needing direction.

Once the Tao is named,
it becomes known.
Knowing it,
we can rest in it.
Resting in it,
we are free from mistakes.

The Tao is to the world
as oceans are to rivers —
the vast and silent place
to which all things return.