Tao Teh Ching Chapter 14

视之不见名曰夷；听之不闻名曰希；搏之不得名曰微。此三者不可致诘，故混而为一。
其上不□，其下不昧。绳绳兮不可名，复归于无物。是谓无状之状，无物之象，是谓惚恍。迎之不见其首，随之不见其后。
执古之道，以御今之有。能知古始，是谓道纪。

Translation
Strive to look for it , but it can never be found, this is called remote; Strive to listen to it, but it cannot be heard, this is called scares; Strive to catch it, but it cannot be hold, this is call minute. These three attributes cannot be thoroughly investigated, therefore they are treated as one.
From the top it have no lid, from the bottom it is not concealed. It is as thin as a string and cannot be described, and it retires into the voidness. It is the so called the form of the formless, image of the emptiness, it is called the obscure. Try to meet it from the front, its head can't be seen; try to follow it from behind, its tail is nowhere to be found.
Use the way from the ancient, the current affairs can then be managed. To know the ancient beginning is the princleple of the Tao.

Comments
This Chapter deals with the indescribable nature of the Tao. The Text is straight forward. Here are some words and its meanings.
夷, Any race other than the race in Middle China, in here it means remote
昧, Conceal. It also means to fool, to not have knowledge
绳绳兮, This is a difficult translation as 绳 means only rope or string. It can further expand to confine, straighten. Here I have imagine that it must have be like a string and thin so hard to name. It is however not important to know the exact meaning here, as the meaning of the context is pretty clear.
纪, the original meaning is a group of strings. when yo have a group of stings to sort them out is a task. It is extending to meanings like manage and to rule. Here it means principle.

Tao Teh Ching Chapter 13

宠辱若惊，贵大患若身。
何谓宠辱若惊？宠为下得之若惊，失之若惊，是谓宠辱若惊。何谓贵大患若身？吾所以有大患者，为吾有身，及吾无身，吾有何患！
故贵以身为天下，若可寄天下；爱以身为天下，若可托天下

Translation
To be in favour or disgrace are both to be feared; To be honoured or persecuted (harms) the body just the same.
Why is that to be favoured or disgraced are to be feared? Favour is to obtained from an inferior position, now that one is in favour, he is afraid of losing it. Why is it that To be honoured or persecuted (harms) the body just the same? The reason that I can be persecuted is because I have this body (which I identify as myself). Had I have not this body, how can I be persecuted?
Therefore one is fit to rule the world if he treats his body just as the anything beneath the sky and with honour and love.

Comments
In this chapter we are dealt with ones attitude towards his social positions. As we are in a society, we are involved with other human beings. Collectively we often judge ourselves by looking at how well are we received by our peers or our superiors. It is our nature to like to be in a favoured or honoured position rather than being disgraced or persecuted. Here the lesson is that the desire to be in favour and honoured is the root cause of the fear of being disgraced or persecuted.
The translation of the chapter is difficult. Many 若 are used here, its meaning is hard to guess. In the first and second paragraphs, it seems the closest meaning is to be the same. I translated the second sentence of the first paragraph, 贵大患若身 to be like the same structure as the first sentence, unlike other translations.大患 literally means great calamity, but here it is likely to mean the opposite to being honoured, just as 宠辱.
及吾无身, had I not have this body. But this is not possible, we have a body, this is undeniable fact. Here what Lao Tzu really means is that if we don't identify ourselves as the body. This is a fundamental question of who we are? Are we the body or are we a soul. In Hinduism, we are Atman, or the universal self. According to Lao Tzu, if we are not the body then we cannot be persecuted.

故贵以身为天下, this is very hard to understand. Lao Tzu talked about the body and that the body is not us. Then what is the body? 以身为天下, treat the body as nature. 天下, anything beneath the sky, perhaps Tao itself? Here we get the answer, when we treat the body as Tao, we are fit to lead.

Tao Teh Ching Chapter 12

五色令人目盲；五音令人耳聋；五味令人口爽；驰骋畋猎令人心发狂；难得之货令人行妨。
是以圣人为腹不为目，故去彼取此
Translation
The splendid colours blind the eyes; The wonderful sounds deafen the ears; the delicious food damages the tongue; Riding and hunting excites the mind; Precious goods drive people to do evil.
Therefore the sage lives for his heart and not his senses and make his choices accordingly.

Detailed Comments
In this little chapter, Lao Tzu talks about the senses and the consequence of the use of the senses. Here are the meaning of a few of the characters that is not obvious.
爽, to damage.
行, to carry out
妨, to injure
The essence of the chapter is that the sage cares for the inside, not the outside. 腹, the stomach. Here it is used to symbol something from the inside. For the 8 limbs of Ashtanga, this is the 5th limb, or Pratyahara, -withdrawal of the senses. Here, Lao Tzu had come to the same conclusion. The question here is how to achieve this state of sense withdrawal. If the state can be achieved without the first four limbs, then doing asanas is not necessary.

Tao Teh Ching Chapter 11

三十辐共一毂，当其无，有车之用。埏埴以为器，当其无，有器之用。凿户牖以为室，当其无，有室之用。
故有之以为利，无之以为用。

Translation
(A carriage has) 30 spokes that shares the same nave, but it is when it has the voidness (the axis) that it has the function of a carriage; Mix water and clay to make a jug, but it is because the empty space that has the function of a jug; Make windows and doors so a house is built, but it is when the emptiness of the is formed that a house can has its function.
Therefore to have is for the profit and to not have is for the function.

Detailed Comment
I have to admit I stumbled with this seemingly easy chapter. Literally, this is a quite simple chapter, however I am trying hard to figure out what Lao Tzu is trying to tell us.
The three analogies talks about one thing, that is only the voidness created from non-voidness has the function and is the reason for the non-voidness to exist. It is believed that voidness is the essential character of all beings in Buddhism. I find it very hard to understand 利, or profit, here. Why is it to have is for the profit? I am trying to understand the whole paragraph like this:
The essential teaching is that everything is created out of nothing. Let's look at any object, scientist say they are made of atoms, and atoms are made of electrons and neutrons etc. What is the neutron made of? Perhaps quacks. Ok, let's agree that, but what is quack made of? This question can go on and on. Science can never answer this. This is a philosophical question. On and on, we will have to conclude that matter is made of nothing, i.e. We are made of nothing. Secondly, we are told that atoms are bind together through "bonds". Now what is a "bond"? As a chemistry student, I take bond for granted. Now that I think about it, it seems to me that the "bond" is made of nothing and it is essentially void. The fact is, without the bonds, the atoms cannot form anything. 当其无，有原子之用. Therefore the voidness is the origin of all things.

Tao Teh Ching Chapter 10

载营魄抱一，能无离乎？专气致柔，能如婴儿乎？涤除玄览，能如疵乎？爱国治民，能无为乎？
天门开阖，能为雌乎？明白四达，能无知乎？
生之、蓄之，生而不有，为而不恃，长而不宰，是谓玄德。

Translation
The sage (having received from birth) carries his soul, embraces the oneness, he will not be separated (from the Tao);He concentrates his life breath and achieves ultimate subtleness and flexibility in his body, just like a new born baby; He cleanses himself even sins only known to the superior, and he is without a blemish; He loves his country and his people, and no wilful action is carried out; As he reaches the gate of heaven where it opens and closes, he resumes his feminine nature; He reaches perfect understanding in all directions, then he became truly without knowledge.
He creates, he accumulates. Create, but he doesn't own; Achieve, but he does not hold. He is superior but he does not rule. This is the highest virtue.

Detailed Comment
The Tao Teh Ching is considered mystic by all. This is one of the chapters that makes it mystic. Different translations of this chapter is wildly different. This personal translation here is different to anyone that I have read.
载营魄, 载, means to carry, to load. Like loading a truck. 营, army barracks. I have extended its meaning to accommodating. This chapter deals with the sage's actions. First he must 抱一, or embrace the oneness. 一, one, single, as opposed to duality. He must embrace the oneness, therefore he renounces duality. Here let's revisit Chapter 2,天下皆知美之为美，斯恶已. When one find beauty, ugliness arises. To the sage, become he embraces oneness, such beauty or ugliness does not exist.
专气致柔，To concentrate on the breath. Here I interpreted this as the physical breath and this is the first time Lao Tzu mentions the physical aspect of the sage, it is that he is like a baby.
涤除玄览. There are two kinds of self-discipline. just as there are two type of vegetarian. The first kind don't eat meat for fear of bad rebirth, or he doesn't sin because of fear of a punishment. This is from the outside. The elimination of the sin is for a purpose. Like donating money. If you create a fund using your own name, it cannot be the highest charity. Here the sage cleans himself sins only heaven knows, i.e. he is not cleaning it for himself, let alone for other people. This is from the inside. It is only when one cleans himself from the inside, then he can be perfectly clean.
天门开阖，能为雌乎. Here, the sage has acquired the ability to open and close the door of heave, he resumes his feminine nature. For a comment on the feminine nature of nature, see Chapter 6.
明白四达，能无知乎. Without knowledge. What is knowledge? Here, when the sage understands all things in every direction, he doesn't have the so-called knowledge. In Yoga, we constantly say that the truth is from within. Out knowledge, is science. The origin of science is from the observation of objects and phenomenon through senses or instruments that is able to detect beyond our senses. Again, the source is outside. Lao Tzu said you don't need this knowledge. This bring me to a dream I had last night. I was a teacher teaching 30 teenage nursing student. I was supposed to teach them the Bible, instead, I taught Einstein. I would like to look back to this dream latter when I have some more understanding.
长而不宰. To be superior and not to rule. This is when the sage always put himself last.

Tao Teh Ching Chapter 9

持而盈之，不如其已；揣而锐之，不可长保。金玉满堂，莫之能守；
富贵而骄，自遗其咎。功遂身退，天之道。

Translation
Continue to fill a jug when it is full, it will be worse than a bamboo basket, Continue to sharpen a sword when it is sharp, it won't last; Continue to accumulated gold and jade, it cannot be protected.
Take pride we you are prosperous, you give yourself a present called disaster. Complete the task and disappear in the crowd, this is the heaven's way.

Detailed Comment
持, here we have two possible meanings. It can mean holding, or it can mean the sustained effort. I have opt here the second. The literal meaning here is not as important, as the message of Lao Tzu is clear. 其, 簸箕 a container made of bamboo.
遗, pronounced Wei. To give a present or give to someone. 咎, originally means disaster, later on it extends to mistakes.
In this chapter, Lao Tzu treats two important aspects regarding the action of people. In paragraph 1, moderation is prescribed. To much of something always attracts the other. In the second paragraph, Lao Tzu describes how a disaster is in its own making when one take pride in what he had achieved.

Tao Teh Ching Chapter 8

上善若水。水善利万物而不争，处众人之所恶，故几于道。
居善地，心善渊，与善仁，言善信，正善治，事善能，动善时。
夫唯不争，故无尤。


Translation
The highest goodness is like water. Water benefits all living things and yet it does not contend (for recognition), it dwells in the worst place where all dislike, therefore it is almost like Tao.
The nature of the Tao when dwelling it is proficient in choosing a place, its heart is as big and accommodating as the valley, in dealing with people it is kind, when using speech it is convincing, when ruling it is just, when working it has the ability, when initiating a move it chooses the right moment.
It is only because the Tao never contends, it never makes a mistake.

Detailed Comment
In this Chapter, the property of the Tao is further described and compared with water. Water is the second most important thing is our lives. We can live without food for weeks, but we will suffer dehydration and dye in days if our water is cut. Everything that grows need water. Yet, when possible, water tends to go to the lowest ground. This is a Chinese saying, The Man seeks a higher ground while the water flows to the lowlands. This says the difference nature of Man and Water. However Lao Tzu is saying here that the Man possesses the Tao is like water, therefore differentiate himself from the rest of the crowd.
In the second paragraph, Lao Tzu describes the way of the Tao with dealing with various aspects of life. Let's discuss these one by one.
居善地, Choosing the right please to live. This is obviously important in cultivating the Tao and it is stated here first. Now where is the right place? The answer is not given here, but different people will choose according to there need in the present time. However I think the desired place should be a humbled place. It should be comfortable, yet not having anything that is overly extravagant. This reminds me of the Buddhist King of Bhutan, who lives in a log cabin. He has the resources to build a palace, but he choose to live modestly.
心善渊,, The heart is as deep as the valley. We sometimes describes a person as having a big hart. The heart is of great importance in the Tao. This is as compared to the brain, which so far, Lao Tzu had ignored. Later on we will see how Lao Tzu renounced the brain. The valley is accommodating. If will build a dam the valley become a reservoir and it benefits all. If our hearts are accommodating, we become useful and close to the Tao.
与善仁, Deal with people with kindness. I am troubled here. In Chapter 2, Lao Tzu said 圣人不仁，以百姓为刍狗., The sage is not kind, he treats all people indifferently. Seemingly there is a conflict here. I will try to reconcile here as best as I can. The context here is the way of the Tao. , to be kind. I understand this kindness as not harming. Here is a common situation. You see a person in need of help. You can act out of you own good heart and offer help without being asked. If it is a small matter, such as vacating your seat to an elderly person, that doesn't matter. What about you offer career advise, or how to treat a personal problems? Time and again, we see the exact opposite is true, i.e. you are not only not helping, you are doing the damage here. Now what a sage will do? This is my understanding. Being indifferent, it doesn't mean he is not kind. He knows what is best to the person in question and gently leading him to a position where it is best for him, without pushing. If the desired outcome is not achieved, the sage is not frustrated, this is due to his 不仁, or indifference and he knows this is the way it is.
言善信, Talk with convincing power, with credibility. It is through what a person talk and don't talk that we put our judgement of that person. Therefore be very careful with what we speak.
正善治, to rule with justice.
事善能, when doing anything, cultivate your ability. Here is the practical part of the Tao. When Lao Tzu says No Action, he is also saying be strong in your ability. If we need to do nothing, why, then, ability is required? The No Action here is to do nothing with a purpose or desire. As it happens, the way has to flow and things is achieved by nature. The sage, with great ability, completes the Tao with grace.
动善时, To move with the best timing. This is the same as the previous one.
夫唯不争，故无尤。Having possessed all of the qualities above, we see that the sage has manoeuvred with perfection and not in a second he contends or strives to achieve. It is because of this way of his action, he never makes a mistake. What does it mean not to make mistakes? When you make a mistake, you say to yourself, I am so stupid. Overtime, when you progress in the Tao, you find yourself make less and less mistakes. This is the cultivation of Wisdom.

Tao Teh Ching Chapter 7

天长地久。天地所以能长且久者，以其不自生，故能长生。
是以圣人后其身而身先；外其身而身存。非以其无私邪，故能成其私。

Translation
The heaven and the earth lasts forever. It is the very fact that they don't live for themselves that make them imperishable.
Therefore the sage puts himself last and yet remains in front, exposes himself and yet he is preserved. Isn't that because he is not selfish at all? Therefore his own interests are always fulfilled.

Detailed Comment
In this chapter, Lao Tzu explained one of the attributes of the Tao when observed by nature or a person. Once again, the person who has the Tao is compared with the nature. When we look at the way nature evolves, we can say that we see the manifestation of the Tao in it. Nature possesses the Tao. The reason for this is that the Nature has no will or desire. Lao Tzu here used 以其不自生(it does not live for himself). Can we then conclude that when a person lives for himself, or has a desire for himself, he then doesn't possess the Tao? I remember now that Prashant S. Iyengar, son of BKS Iyengar, when interview the question 'What is the desire of our souls?'. He answered, the Soul doesn't have any desire, otherwise the soul would be doing things to fulfil that desire. The work Karma is Sanskrit for action. Iyengar says that the Karma is connected with the desire. The soul does not have karma, i.e. it has no action. This is equivalent to Lao Tzu's 无为 (Take no action). It seems that the prinple of Yoga and Lao Tzu are talking about the same thing.

Tao Teh Ching Chapter 6

Chapter 6
谷神不死，是谓玄牝。
玄牝之门，是谓天地根。
绵绵若存，用之不勤。

Translation
The spirit of the valley will never die, it is called the mystic female one.
At the gate of the mystic female, lies the root of heaven and earth.
It exists far and wide, take from it and it never dries.

Detailed Comments
In this chapter, the author defines the feminine nature of the Tao. The spirit of the valley is the essentially the spirit of voidness. Valley is used here to depict voidness. Why would Lao Tzu depict the Tao as a female? Osho has a very interesting explanation in his Absolute Tao. Osho explains that the female is the one who accepts, the male is the one who is aggressive. The nature of the Tao lies in its non-aggressiveness.
绵绵若存，用之不勤.. The 若 here is a bit hard to translate, therefore I treat it as word for connection only, it has no meaning.勤., exhausted. This is and extension of root meaning of this word, which is to labor intensively, working hard.

Tao Teh Ching Chapter 5

Chapter 5

天地不仁，以万物为刍狗；圣人不仁，以百姓为刍狗。
天地之间，其犹橐龠乎？虚而不屈，动而愈出。
多言数穷，不如守中。
The heaven and the earth is does not try to be kind, it treats everything with indifference. The sage, like heaven and earth, treat people with indifference.
Between Heaven and earth, isn't it like a bellows? It is void and yet not subdued; it moves, air keeps coming out.
Too much speech will reach exhaustion soon, it is better to observe moderation.

Detailed comment
This has been my favourite chapter so far.
刍狗, dogs made of grass. It is used as a deterrent for birds to protect the harvest. When the harvest is over, no one cares about the grass dogs and they are allowed to rot in the fields. The nature does not have a feeling, it does not love or hate any component of itself. It is indifferent. Here, the author says that sages are like nature, they treat fellow human beings with indifference, without passion.
橐, an ancient tools made of cow hide to blow air into a furnace, bellows. 龠, an ancient musical tool with the shape of a whistle. The common thing here is that they are all instruments that deals with air. We humans are instruments of air. We breath, we take in air, we then discharge. If everything between heaven and earth are like bellows and whistles, we humans are also like them. We deal with our breath. This is everything that there is. This is the essence of being.
屈, the original meaning is to describe the state of being when one is not stretched. Thus it can mean curved, deformed. I have interpret here as subdued. This is a hard decision. The Tao is void, but it is not deformed, constantly air comes out.
In paragraph 3, Lao Tzu talks about using speech prudently. I failed to see the context of introducing the argument here.

Tao Teh Ching Chapter 4

Chapter 4

道冲，而用之或不盈。渊兮，似万物之宗；挫其锐、解其纷、和其光、同其尘、湛兮似或存。
吾不知谁之子，象帝之先。
The tao is very deep, in utilizing it seems never to be full; Like an abyss, it seems to be the origin of all beings. It blunts its sharpness, untangle its entanglements, softens its bright light and identifies itself with the mundane. It is so clear that it only seems to exist.
I don't know whose child it is, but it is must be before god.

Detailed Comments
In this chapter the author describe the properties of the tao, and it is repeated through out the whole scripture. The property is that the Tao is deep, profound, inexhaustible.
冲, Deep, it is the same as 渊.. 或, seems, likely. I have translated as such because it correlates with the 似 in the next sentence. 其, its. It is unclear what "it" stands for. It is likely to stand for all beings, which Tao had created. 纷, many of the same things. Originally it means horse tail. In 湛兮似或存, this is difficult sentence. 湛, clear.

Tao Teh Ching Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Original
1.不尚贤，使民不争；不贵难得之货，使民不为盗；不见可欲，使民心不乱。
2.是以圣人之治，虚其心，实其腹，弱其志，强其骨。常使民无知无欲。使夫智者不敢为也。
3.为无为，则无不治。

Translation
Do not prefer those people who are superior in quality, then the people will not contend among each other; Do not price rare articles of goods, then the people will not become thieves; Do not reveal things that are desired, then the people mind will not be disturbed.
Therefore in managing a country, the wise man empties the people’s mind, fills their belly, weakens their wills, strengthen their bones. He constantly keeps them without knowledge and desires and deters the informed from venturing to act.
Govern with no action and there is nothing cannot be kept in order.

Detailed Comments

In chapter 2, Lao Tzu said, 圣人处无为之事 – the sage manages his affairs without action. In this chapter, this principle of no action is explained in detail in regards to government

尚and 贵 means to look up to, to think highly of. Again, Lao Tzu had displayed his impartial treatment of human and lifeless objects. People with superior abilities is treated same as goods that are hard to find. It is very easy to understand that you become a target of the thieves if you possesses a fortune, therefore, it seems to be natural that too much of something will always attract the opposite.
不见可欲，使民心不乱。This point here states that the mind is disturbed by desires. How close is that to the teachings of Pantajali in Yoga Sutras? Indeed, this principle is the heart of Yoga, and Lao Tzu and Pantajali agreed on this point (they both from 500BC)
this paragraph deals with how to government the people. Again, the No Action is repeated in government.

Tao Teh Ching Chapter 2

Chapter 2
1. 天下皆知美之为美，斯恶已。皆知善之为善，斯不善已。有无相生，难易相成，长短相形，高下相倾，音声相和，前后相随。恒也。
2. 是以圣人处无为之事，行不言之教；
3. 万物作而弗始，生而弗有，为而弗恃，功成而不居。夫唯弗居，是以不去。
1. When everyone agrees on the standard of beauty, ugliness arise; When all agrees on what it means to be good, evil appears. Void and entity creates each other, the difficult and the easy contrast each other, the long and the short forms each other, the high and the low inclines to each other, the loud and soft harmonize each other, the front and behind follows each other. This is the eternal rule.
2. Therefore, the sage, when dealing with his affairs, takes no wilful action; when conveying his teachings, only silence is produced.
3. When all things arise before him, he never refuse any: He creates, but does not own; He acts, but does not hold; He achieves, but takes no credit. It is only when no credit is taken, credit cannot be taken from him.

Detailed comments
This chapter expands the central teaching of no desire to the concept of 无为, do nothing. It is of course not possible to do nothing, it is more likely that it means no desire is involved in doing anything. This is more in tune with Chapter 1, when Lao Tzu asserts that the Tao can only be observed without desire.
天下皆知美之为美，斯恶已。皆知善之为善，斯不善已。有无相生，难易相成，长短相形，高下相倾，音声相和，前后相随。恒也。This paragraph states the duality of this world. Indeed, dualities exists only to an observer. i.e., when consciousness is involved. To the stone, a beautiful flower and an ugly spider make no difference, It is We, conscious beings, defines beauty and beast. 恒也。The eternal rule is duality.
是以圣人处无为之事，行不言之教；How does Lao Tzu come to this conclusion? The sage, when realizing the Tao, comes to the origin of the world, when duality does not exist. Only one exists, which is the Tao. Having realized the Tao, just like a stone, the sage carries no desire of his. Therefore, when he is doing things, no personal will is involved, as if no action is taken. The second verse, that the teaching is conveyed through silence, is essentially the same as the yogic belief that enlightenment is achieved through meditation.
万物作而弗始，生而弗有，为而弗恃，功成而不居。夫唯弗居，是以不去。作, Action, 始, to begin. All thing springs up, by nature. The sage allows nature to take its course. He will not deny them to begin. 生而弗有, 生, create, 有, take ownership. 为而弗恃, 恃, to hold. 功成而不居。夫唯弗居，是以不去。Do not take credit. To the Sage, Such things like ownership and credit arises from the ego. Since he has no desire, he has no ego. To him, a credit does not exist, there is no question about whether or not taking it.

Tao Teh Ching Chapter 1

Chapter 1
道可道，非常道。名可名，非常名。无名天地之始；有名万物之母。故常无欲以观其妙；常有欲以观其徼。此两者，同出而异名，同谓之玄。玄之又玄，众妙之门。
The Tao(Way) that can be followed is not the eternal Tao (Way), the name that has a name is not the eternal name. Without a name the heaven and earth was born, the name goes on and become the mother of all things. Therefore, without the desire to know, one knows the essential secret of existence; One is bound to know superficial manifestations of the existence when desire is envolved.
These two things, having different names, comes from the same source. The point of which these two are one is called the mystery. When the mystery is pursued step by step (to the top), we reach the gate of all mysteries.

Detailed Comment
This is a very famous but rather simple chapter. It summarized the Tao and give the definition.
道可道，非常道。道, can be translated as way, path, rule, it has so much meaning in it that not a single English word can cover, therefore it is common to leave it as Tao. The second 道 is a verb, i.e., an action. The action of treading a path is translated to Follow.
名可名，非常名。The second 名 is also a verb, it means to define, to give a name to an object or entity.
无名天地之始；有名万物之母。There is an uncanny similarity here between the Tao and Buddhism. The void which does not have a name created the world.
故常无欲以观其妙；常有欲以观其徼。I am not sure how this conclusion was made. However this is perhaps the center of Lao Tzu's teaching. Again, it shares common grounds with other eastern philosophy and religions. When the desire of achieving something is there, the eternal way can never be found. 其 here means "its", I translate it as "existence", this "it" represents Tao.
此两者，同出而异名，同谓之玄。Why With and Without desire come from the same source? They have to, because everything come from the Tao, the point where it separates is the gate of the Tao.
玄之又玄，众妙之门。There are many levels in finding the Tao. To reach the gate, all these levels are to be passed.