Chapter 14 of the Laozi

Chinese Text

视shì之zhī不bù见jiàn，名mìng曰yuē夷yí;
听tīng之zhī不bù闻wén，名mìng曰yuē希xī;
搏bó之zhī不bù得dé，名mìng曰yuē微wēi.
此cǐ三sān者zhě不bù可kě致zhì诘jié，故gù混hùn而ér为wéi一yī.
其qí上shàng不bù皦jiǎo，其qí下xià不bù昧mèi.
绳shéng绳shéng不bù可kě名mìng，复fù归guī于yú无wú物wù.
是shì谓wèi无wú状zhuàng之zhī状zhuàng，无wú物wù之zhī象xiàng，是shì谓wèi忽hū恍huǎng.
迎yíng之zhī不bù见jiàn其qí首shǒu，随suí之zhī不bù见jiàn其qí后hòu.
执zhí古gǔ之zhī道dào，以yǐ语yù今jīn之zhī有yǒu.
以yǐ知zhī古gǔ始shǐ，是shì谓wèi道dào已yǐ.

Translation

You look at it (the Dao) and do not see it: it is called colorless.
You listen to it and do not hear it: it is called soundless.
You try to grasp it and do not reach it: it is called formless.
These three qualities cannot be examined through speech. Therefore, they are merged into one.
Its upper part is not bright; its lower part is not dark.
It is eternal and cannot be named.
It returns to non-being.
It is called a form without form, an image without image.
It is called vague and indeterminate.
If you go before it, you do not see its face; if you follow it, you do not see its back.
By observing the Dao of ancient times, one can govern the existences of today.
If one can know the origin of ancient things, it is said that one holds the thread of the Dao.

Notes

河上公 (Héshàng Gōng): 无 (wú) means "colorless"; 希 (xī) means "soundless" (hence the word "aphonic"); 微 (wēi) means "formless, incorporeal." This explanation by 河上公 (Héshàng Gōng) is confirmed by 德清 (Déqīng), B, C, 列御寇 (Liè Yùkòu), etc.

Lit. "non possunt interrogationibus penitus investigari." 刘劼夫 (Liú Jiéfū): Generally, when one cannot find something one is seeking, sometimes one finds it by questioning others. It is not the same with these three things. One could question others until the end of one's life and still not attain or understand them. But if one renounces one's own understanding and strips away one's body, then one will understand them, that is, one will understand the 道 (Dào) of which they are attributes.

河上公 (Héshàng Gōng): These three things—colorlessness, soundlessness, and formlessness—cannot be expressed by mouth nor transmitted through writing.

B: They cannot be examined through speech nor distinguished from one another. E: These three words (adjectives) 无 (wú), 希 (xī), 微 (wēi) equally express the idea of what is empty and immaterial. Indeed, what is invisible does not differ from what is imperceptible to hearing and touch. Therefore, these three qualities cannot be separated or distinguished from one another. They are merged and united into one quality (which is emptiness, formlessness), since, as seen above, they separately and together give the idea of what is empty and immaterial.

尹喜 (Yǐn Xǐ): These three qualities are fundamentally one and the same thing (by their union, they show the immateriality of the 道, Dào). It is people who necessarily use these names to say that the 道 (Dào) eludes the organs of sight, hearing, and touch, with which they seek to find it.

列御寇 (Liè Yùkòu): All material things are bright above and dark below. But the 道 (Dào) has neither upper nor lower part; consequently, it is neither brighter above nor darker below.

佛傀子 (Fóguīzǐ): The expression 精精 (jīngjīng) means "uninterrupted, without cessation or interruption."

A: It cannot be designated by color, sound, or form. It cannot be distinguished by any of the five colors; it does not have a voice or sound that corresponds to any of the five musical notes; it does not have a body whose dimensions or form can be indicated.

B: It can be related to non-being. D, E: Forms that have form, images that have image are material beings. The words "form without form, image without image" designate the 道 (Dào). D: Shall we say it does not exist? But beings need it to be born and formed. Shall we say it exists (materially)? But one does not perceive its body. Therefore, 老子 (Lǎozǐ) calls it form without form and image without image.

B: It is as if existing and as if non-existing. One (D) cannot determine it.

Lit. "non vides ejus caput, non vides posteriorem ejus partem." B: That is to say, you find neither beginning nor end in it.

E: By 今之有 (jīn zhī yǒu) "the existences of today," 老子 (Lǎozǐ) means the affairs of the current world. To govern them well, one must (E) rest in absolute tranquility that excludes all occupation. This is what the author calls observing the 道 (Dào) of ancient times. H: What constitutes the merit of the Sage is that he governs the age, the world, with the help of this subtle 道 (Dào).

B: Anciently, all things drew their origin from what has no origin (from the 道, Dào). Some commentators (E, H) believe that the expression 谷神 (gǔshén) designates the 道 (Dào) of ancient times.

B explains the words 道纪 (dàojì) by 道之端绪, lit. "the initial thread of the 道" (Dào zhī duānxù).