[Original]

There is a mixture of things (1), born from nature. Lonely (2), independent and unchanging (3), circumferential and not perishable (4), can be the mother of heaven and earth (5). I don't know its name, the strong word says: Tao (6), and the name of strong is said: big (7). The great is said to be gone (8), the death is said to be far away, and the distance is said to be anti (9). Therefore the way is great, the heavens are great, the earth is great, and the people are great (10). There are four great in the domain (11), and man inhabits one of them. Man is the law of the earth, the earth is the law of the sky, the heaven is the law of the Tao, and the Tao is the law of nature (12).

[Translation]

There was a thing that was mixed up and existed before the formation of heaven and earth. You can't hear its voice or see its form, it's silent and empty, it doesn't rely on any external force and exists independently and never stops, it runs in a cycle and never fails, it can be the root of all things. I didn't know its name, so I reluctantly called it "Dao" and reluctantly named it "Great". It is vast and boundless, and it runs endlessly and stretches far away, and it stretches far away and returns to its origins. That's why it's said that it's big, the sky is big, the earth is big, and the people are big. There are four major universes, and man lives in one of them. Man takes the law from the earth, the earth takes the law from the sky, and the sky takes the law from the "Tao", and the Tao is pure and natural.

[Notes]

1. Matter: refers to "Tao". Mixed: Mixed and mixed, referring to a simple state.

2. Lonely: no voice, no body.

3. Independent and unchanging: Describe the independence and eternity of "Tao", which does not rely on any external force and has absoluteness.

4. Weekly: Cycle operation. Immortal: The meaning of ceaselessness.

5. Mother of Heaven and Earth: One is "Mother of the World". Mother refers to the "Tao", and all things in heaven and earth are produced by the "Tao", so it is called "Mother".

6. The strong word is called Dao: reluctantly named it "Dao".

7. Big: Describe the "Tao" as boundless and infinitely powerful.

8. Death: refers to the state of the "Tao" that runs endlessly and never stops.

9. Anti: Another book is "return". It means to return to the point of origin, to return to the original state.

10. People are also great: one is "Wang Yida", which means that people are the spirits of all things, and stand side by side with heaven and earth as three talents, that is, the sky is big, the earth is big, and people are also big.

11. In the domain: that is, in space, between the universe.

12. Taoism is natural: "Taoism" is pure and natural, as it is.

[Quote]

As of this chapter, we have a few basic understandings of Lao Tzu's "Tao". In this chapter, Lao Tzu describes the existence and operation of the "Tao", which is a very important content in the Tao Te Ching. It mainly includes: "there is a mixture of things", which is used to explain that "Tao" is in a simple state, it is a complete and harmonious whole, and it is not composed of different factors. "Dao" is silent and formless, exists congenitally and earthly, runs in a continuous cycle, and is the "mother" that produces all things in heaven and earth. The Tao is an Absolute. Everything in the real world exists relatively, and only the Tao is unique, so the Tao is independent and unchanging. In this chapter, Lao Tzu proposes that there are four existences: "Tao", "Man", "Heaven", and "Earth", and "Tao" comes first. It doesn't go away with change. It changes and returns to its original state, which is the most basic and fundamental place where things can be produced.

[Commentary]