If Laozi had known that he would be translated into over 80 different languages, and that the New York Times would list him as the greatest author of all time, what would he have to say about the way he has been lionized? Laozi begins with its famous warning to the reader that words cannot express what the dao really is, and if you try to describe it, you won't do it justice.
老子五千言，一開始就說「道可道，非常道」，道無法以語言盡述其貌，可以說的也就不是道了。