From the perspective of Panosophy—as the transcultural megasynthesis of all knowledge—the Dao (Tao) is the Absolute, beyond compare. But when the Chinese realized that such a Supreme Being exists, how could they refer to it in language? Well, whoever the legendary author of Tao Te Ching (Classic of the Way and Virtue) might be, the opening lines of this comparatively short book state:

Tao can be talked about,
But not the Eternal Tao.
Names can be named,
But not the Eternal Name.

Nevertheless, even though the Absolute is ineffable, here is the symbol for the Absolute that Laozi (Lao Tzu) used, generally translated as ‘way, path, right way (of life), reason’. But what does such a path mean?

Well, the ancient Chinese were also aware of the fundamental law of the Universe, which they depicted in this popular T’ai-chi-t’u symbol or ‘Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate’, encapsulating the paired concepts of yin and yang, as opposite sides of the same coin.

However, the ancients did not yet understand humanity’s place within the overall scheme of things, as depicted in the Grand Design of the Universe, so at best they could only intuitively suggest how we humans could live in harmony with the Cosmos, through what are called philosophical and religious treatises.