The First Line

(O Beloved!) Read (commencing) with the Name of Allah, Who has created (everything).
~ from The Qur'an ~

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
~ from the Bible ~

The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao.
~ from the Tao Te Ching ~

If a person wanted to get an idea of how philosophical Taoism differs from the religions of Islam, Judaism and Christianity, one need look no further than the first line of their foundational texts. While the three religions mentioned make a definite proclamation, the Taoist text does not. In fact, the TTC states that the chief subject of the book is not a subject that a book can do any justice to!

These three religions seek to quantify the eternal mystery right off the bat. They offer parameters. They each set the stage for all that comes afterwards.

The Tao Te Ching makes no such claims. The first line is the antithesis of trying to quantify anything. It announces at the outset that, whatever is said or written, comes nowhere close to identifying or defining that which can never be specifically identified or defined.