Meaning of Tao Te Ching

Intro to Tao

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Tao is only a name, it is a name outside of duality, it is the one thing with no anti, no, or opposite. The name Tao was given to the "unnameable" unwillingly by the first person to use the term, Lau Tzu. Lau Tzu did not wish to name Tao at all but was in a corner do do so as he was writing a book. Giving names causes problems and some chapters point to just that. So the name is just an aspect of language and not anything in itself.

Tao is an all embracing concept; which, due to its nature, can not be put into words. Therefore the first line anyone reads from the most famous book on the Tao "The Tao Te Ching" is something like "The Tao that can be told is not the Tao", the book then goes on to give a further 80 short enlightening verses pointing towards the Tao.

No thing or description is the Tao yet nothing is independent of the Tao. Think "There is all that is, so there must be all that isn't" -The Tao is both of those.

Tao almost equates to Interdependence mixed with an idea of motion - yet is neither. Motion could not exist without stillness, and nothing with properties can exist without something without those properties - the Tao has no properties yet contains them all - words fail it!

This may be unclear to newcomers but Tao is not a religion. Taoism is a religion and is probably the hardest to pin down as anything from Chinese life, simplicity, the arrangement of a house, and more, can all be called Taoism. I am open to the good in all but do not follow a religion as I find they are exclusive and thereby restrictive of ones true nature.

"I let go of religion,
and people become serene."

"When they lose their sense of awe,
people turn to religion."

Tao therefore is a philosophy or a way of thinking - it can be used by anyone non-exclusively; It is the notion of seeing from the centre, seeing that all points exist do to polar complementaries (not opposites). Things exist due to the notion of an opposite yet are complementary, mutually arising, in total interdependence of each other.

Often explained by the idea of a Clay Pot - the pot, decorated or not, is seen to be that part of value. Yet if it were not empty, it would have no use.

Here I would like to encourage modern, plain talking, about the Tao; how it relates to us now, and not the "ye olde" translations unless they carry direct relation to life now.

New Taoist Philosophy Short Book: "Pop!"

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Introduction: Buy The Book

In the stream bubbles appear one new one a second and as we watch old ones pop every second, pop, pop, pop. These bubbles represent humans coming into the world by birth and leaving by death, each second is this swirl of bubbles, pop, pop, pop, pop, and one day that pop will be you!

The thought of a death a second is not such a nice one as to dwell on it and so we do not, the thought though of the ongoing mass game of Russian Roulette where your number is guaranteed to come up at some unknown time should force a smart adjustment in perspective and awakening to the moment and living, now.

You do not spend your time sitting mourning each and every pop, considered though the thought of your own popping may be of some concern. Will you pop out of the blue unprepared or will you feel your pop coming? Part of your concern over your pop is sadness and loss you'll leave behind in others.

Each moment a pop, pop, pop, each moment people suffering that. Aren't you though, the stream?

Zen in Modern Life

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find me on yet another blog

zen in modern life

The posts should be quite infrequent.

Daily Cup of Tao

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The year long project a daily cup of tao is now complete.

Thoughts on the Tao Te Ching

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These are very casual thoughts on looking at the Tao Te Ching. I have much more to add but leave it open now to discussion in the comments sections of each post.

For my more up-to-date thoughts related to the Tao, please join me over on Tao Wow for regular updates of the Tao in daily life, conciousness, the mind, the one, and life itself.

Tao te Ching Chapter 81

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This is quite a brilliant summary of the Tao Te Ching, I often find myself dipping into various copies at random but on the times I do read a copy fully I quite often read from back to front. This chapter is a great ending but also a great introduction to living by the Tao.

"The more you yield to others, the more they yield to you,
Those who think they are right can talk all day, the wise do not argue."

and more along these lines too, mainly making the point of true balance and that one who is right with Tao does not even know it and is unlikely to even mention it unless asked.

Tao te Ching Chapter 80

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This chapter sounds more like a Chuang Tzu story. He like Lao Tzu made points by pointing to extreme cases and often made a joke out of people getting it wrong. There is no out and out humour in this chapter but the story told has rings of Chaung to it.

The story is of a place so simple and right that people could live their whole lives in perfect peace without ever thinking of going anywhere else. People so right with Tao that they would not even know they were right with Tao.

Tao te Ching Chapter 79

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Even after arguments are settled, still poor feelings remain, therefore it would be best if we could think before each action and take the low ground. Taking the low ground, acting without too much thought of self will bring a quicker smoother end and less or no resentment. Although Tao does not take favourites we can follow its example in taking the low to master the high. (Oceans are fed by rivers.)

Tao te Ching Chapter 78

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The idea of water again (another section where we can see that the Tao Te Ching, and especially the Te section, may have been added to the Tao of Lao Tzu).

The important message is how the weak can overcome the strong, think of removing somethings foundations or animals removing the root of a large tree. And that if we take on the problems of others then we can lead them. The opposite case of telling people how to live and having no direct knowledge of their life being the worst example of not living by this rule. In fact trying to cover a problem rather than getting to the root.

Tao te Ching Chapter 77

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This is quite a self explanatory and chapter, at least on the surface, I will quote Witter Bynner and leave the deeper meanings for discussion.

Is not existence
Like a drawn bow?
The ends approach,
The height shortens, the narrowness widens.
True living would take from those with too much
Enough for those with too little,
Whereas man exacts from those with too little
Still more for those with too much.
Now what man shall have wealth enough to share with all men
Save one who can freely draw from the common means?
A sane man needs no better support, no richer reward,
Than this common means,
Through which he is all men's equal.

Tao te Ching Chapter 76

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Call to yield, go with the flow and adapt to change.

"A baby is soft and supple, and old man hard and brittle." (consider the ability to learn at both ages too, the mind.)

"A soft tree will flex, a strong one break."

The meaning is quite apparent and the translations themselves are very telling of this powerful message.

Tao te Ching Chapter 75

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Death is no fear for a person oppressed as such (previous chapter), only a person with too much value of their personal self can fear to lose it. So we could control those who value their lives above that of others by threats of death - but taking the job of nature into our hands would have far worse repercussions. We would be acting like a child with a gun, truly those who know the fullness of a simple life of balance, act best.

Tao te Ching Chapter 74

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Imbalance in one can affect the many.

People starve when they are oppressed by the demands of bad leaders. The faults and suffering in their lives are brought upon them. With a leader so fat and unhealthy, trying to say whats best for others while not doing the best for himself - in fact the man stealing bread for his family is a better man that that.

Tao te Ching Chapter 73

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A continuation of the warning of imbalance and a great statement on Tao.

"Who dares to be brash can die in action."

"The Tao does nothing yet nothing is left undone, says nothing yet nothing is left unsaid."

Tao te Ching Chapter 72

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This chapter is to balance a person who may be beginning to think they know the Tao. As it is unknown there is a danger that if you feel you know it you can be caught out.

"When you have noting to fear, something can come to truly put fear into you."

So we must be wary, maintain the balance and while we should be aware of Tao, we should never claim to know it or be protected by it. This goes along side the saying of 'those who say do not know' and is a warning to anyone talking the Tao too literally and thinking that they can know it.

Tao te Ching Chapter 71

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This is part quote, part explanation.

"As long as you know how little you know you are well. When you think you know it all then that is a sign of being unwell. Masters know that there is more to life than can be known and they get on so well because of this."

Tao te Ching Chapter 70

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So the way of Tao seems easy, yet it is hard, and if it were an easy fad, everyone would try it and it would pass away like fashion.

So, if you choose to take it on, remember that it sounds easy, looks simple, yet is a jewel and master art.

Tao te Ching Chapter 69

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Another example of how to use the values expressed in chapter 67 is the way of the warrior, which you can translate into your life as just getting by in the modern world.

"Raise your hand, show no fist." and the well known "Rather retreat a foot than advance an inch."

Defending yourself with openness this way is unstoppable yet is most well know when the opposite takes place and you attack an attack and see the repercussions of that for time to come. Truly it is the best way to yield, let it pass and move on.

Tao te Ching Chapter 68

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A continuation of the ideal ways to act to get by well in life.

"A great victor wins with out raising his voice." (fist, sword, temper...)

Again taking the way of Tao and being powerful by ever forceful quietness and Wu Wei.

Tao te Ching Chapter 67

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This is the closest the Tao Te Ching comes to laying out rules that are directly knowable, but just to keep it in line they are explained in the way of Tao and given in a way that should not be followed to the letter. Strict rules are not the way of the flowing Tao.

We begin by pointing out that Tao has great power through being unknown, then to say that the power is only there due to the inability to know it - if we could directly know Tao it would become a thing and subject to the mind and the world of opposites.

The rules a commonly translated to something like; care/compassion, humbleness/modesty, and the key one fairness/balance. The 3rd key quality is what stops the other two being conventional rules as being completely humble for example brings great danger of being trodden on.

Tao te Ching Chapter 66

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Simple to say, less so to do. Comparing a good person to the ocean. The ocean becomes great (the king of all the rivers) by staying lower than them and on a level. The good person should act this way too, not trying to get above them (or too far below). By getting people level they will never grow tired and always come to you.

Tao te Ching Chapter 65

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I will be brief in my explanation here as the words say it very well themselves. This chapter sums up the previous few and adds that keeping it simple again is a good rule. Allowing things to go simply and smoothly their own way, things will be right. Just think of the opposite to prove this, the more you meddle the more things will get tangled, just ask a small boy with a scab on his knee as to why it is still there in a months time.

Tao te Ching Chapter 64

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This chapter continues from 63 by adding many more examples and then the classic, perhaps over used, line;

"Every journey begins with a single step."

This seems so simple, yet we all find things a little overbearing at times. Some keys to the method are other lines in the chapter that remind us to act when we can, doing a little at the right time can make the big task much easier. Acting at the right time is part of Wu Wei and taking things bit by bit is both Wu Wei and the way of Tao.

Tao te Ching Chapter 63

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Here I will take a snippet from Witter Bynner's translation of this chapter which shows the main points being made.

"Could have been faced when it was simple,
The biggest problem in the world
Could have been solved when it was small.
The simple fact that he finds no problem big"

There you go, think about it for a minute and check the whole verse in the translations available to you. This a powerful meaningful verse, one that grows deeper with each new level of understanding.

Tao te Ching Chapter 62

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Time for a contradiction or two and a need for internal looking at this one, it won't come over properly here in words.

Tao is the wise mans hold he can never lose, but Tao is there for the bad person too. So don't feel better than anyone or underestimate anyones power as Tao is there for all. So why then should one take time to get right with something that is there for everyone with no effort? Well look at those who have done best, who have lived perfect simple lives, smoothly, with seemingly no effort and not left a trace of mess behind them. They were right with Tao and didn't have to look or hope that what they did was right. Being so certain of their source of power they were able to get by perfectly.