Intro to Tao

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.

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Tao Wow | Daily Cup of Tao

Thoughts on the Tao Te Ching

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.

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Tao Wow | Daily Cup of Tao

Tao te Ching Chapter 81

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.

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Tao Wow | Daily Cup of Tao

Tao te Ching Chapter 80

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.

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Tao Wow | Daily Cup of Tao

Tao te Ching Chapter 79

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.)

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Tao Wow | Daily Cup of Tao

Tao te Ching Chapter 78

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.

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Tao Wow | Daily Cup of Tao