verse 1

“(1) The way that can be spoken of is not the constant way; (2) the name that can be named is not the constant name. (3) The nameless was the beginning of heaven and earth; (4) the named was the mother of the myriad creatures. (5) Hence always rid yourself of desires in order to observe its secrets; (6) but always allow yourself to have desires in order to observe its manifestations. (7) These two are the same but (8) diverge in name as they issue forth. (9) Being the same they are called mysteries, mystery upon mystery – (10) the gateway of the manifold secrets.”

In truth this is verse 000. The zero-point intersection of axes x, y and z where 3-dimensional space is stripped back to a nothingness. Even truer, from the mathematical point of view, this verse portrays the conceptual distance that lies between co-ordinates 000 and 001. My first conceit, that a dimensionless point can be virtual (000) or real (001), that is, it’s an infinitissimal distinction seperated by an infinite amount of nothingness.