Bit by Bit - Chapter 22, Part 3

Trey Smith

Knowledge, failing to get any answer, returned to the imperial palace, where he was received in audience by the Yellow Emperor, and posed his questions. The Yellow Emperor said, "Only when there is no pondering and no cogitation will you get to know the Way. Only when you have no surroundings and follow no practices will you find rest in the Way. Only when there is no path and no procedure can you get to the Way."
~ Burton Watson translation ~

One of the chief problems with defining Tao (in English) as the way is that it suggests that there is a singular fixed path that each of us must endeavor to discover. What this story points to -- Scott writes about this theme often -- is the path we seek is no path at all or, to put it another way, it is a free flowing path that is different for each of the ten thousand things.

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