23. Apprehending the Supreme

Before Heaven and Earth existed
there was in Nature a primordial essence,
serene and unfathomable.
It was omnipresent and suffered no limitation.
I regard this essence as teh supreme.
I do not know its name, but I call it Tao.
If forced to qualify it, I call it boundless.
Since it is boundless, I call it inconceivable.

Tao is supreme,
Heaven is supreme,
Earth is supreme,
The human being is supreme.