The Ten Thousand Things

10000 Things

The infinite… A myriad… Ten Thousand things

The Tao Te Ching
by Lao Tzu

1
As for the Way, the Way that can be spoken of is not the constant Way;
As for names, the name that can be named is not the constant name.
The nameless is the beginning of the ten thousand things;
The named is the mother of the ten thousand things.

Therefore, those constantly without desires, by this means will perceive its subtlety.
Those constantly with desires, by this means will see only that which they yearn for and seek.

These two together emerge;
They have different names yet they’re called the same;
That which is even more profound that the profound—
The gateway of all subtleties.

Ma-wang-tui version
Translated by Robert G. Henricks, 1989
https://terebess.hu/english/tao/henricks.html#Kap01