What is Tao? 何謂道？

"Something is formed in the chaos, which existed before Heaven and Earth

It is quiet and profound

It stands alone and alters not

It revolves eternally without exhaustion

It is regarded as the Mother of All Things

I do not know its name, except to call it 'Tao'

When forced to give it a name, I would call it 'The Great'

- Lao Zi (Chapter 25, Tao De Jing)

"Things have their roots and their branches

Affairs have their end and their beginning

To know what is first and what is last

Will lead near to Tao"

- The Great Learning (Confucius Teaching)