Tao is the root of all things

The greatest virtue follows the Tao completely—nothing else. As for the Tao, it is elusive and vague. Elusive and vague, yet within it there are images. Elusive and vague, yet within it there are things. Deep and dark, yet within it there is vital essence. This vital essence is utterly real; within it there is something you can verify. From the present back to the most ancient past, its name has never been lost. By it we can observe the beginning of all things. How do I know what the beginning of all things is like? By the Tao.