What is the Dao(道)?

The Dao is the central focus of Dao De Jing. It refers an unnameable , inherent order or force of the universe. The book begins by saying "The dao is that can be spoken of , is not the constant way, the name that can be named, is not the constant name(道可道，非常道。名可名，非常名)"

The dao is thought to be responsible for the creation and maintenance of the universe in being. One may say that it is misleading to say that the dao produced the universe. However ,the book does not say that it produced the universe like a father produces a son, It produced the universe only in a figurative sense.