Meaning: If "Tao" can be expressed in words, then it is a constant "Tao" ("Tao" can be expressed in words, it is not an ordinary "Tao"); If a "name" can be named by words, it is a constant "name" ("name" can also be explained, it is not an ordinary "name")

Source: Tao Te Ching-Laozi

Extended data:

Tao Te Ching is also known as Lao Zi, and the first to the thirty-seventh chapters are called Tao Ching. The first chapter begins: "Tao can be Tao, not surprising."

Virtue appears two or three times at most in Tao Jing, which is called the first part. The next chapter is called "Virtue Classics" (Chapters 38 to 8 1). Chapter 38 says: "Virtue is not virtue, but virtue; There is virtue without losing it, and it is not virtue. " From here on, there is a lot of discussion about "virtue".

Since we talk about "Tao" and "virtue", it becomes the Tao Te Ching. The "virtue" in Tao Te Ching is different from the so-called benevolence, righteousness and morality. We often say that "this man has good cultivation, high morality and always does good deeds", which has little to do with the Tao Te Ching.

Of course, I can't say that it has nothing to do with this, because I think "virtue" is a little close to "goodness". This "virtue" is a good thing after all, and "Tao" has nothing to do with what is often said.

Tao Te Ching wins by wisdom. Wisdom is a threshold, it doesn't matter whether it is high or low, only whether it can be crossed. If you don't understand the Tao Te Ching, it's obviously on this side of the threshold, and you haven't crossed it yet. Reading the Tao Te Ching will be hard and easy to be misunderstood. If you understand the Tao Te Ching, it means that you have crossed the threshold of wisdom and you will be suddenly enlightened.

References:

Baidu Encyclopedia-Tao can be said, but extraordinary.