The concept of Tao is mysterious and probably foreign to the western mind. As a spiritual searcher and having done many years of research in philosphy, Alan Spencer decided to write an article on Tao for the western mind. The article starts by making you think hard about the purpose of life and proceeds then to define some common terms we encounter in Taoism and Buddhism. The concept raised in the article is thought provoking and the language is beautiful. Hope you enjoy reading this excellent piece of work.

* Special thanks  to Veronica Perko, Ying Hao Wu, Ann Sadler for proof reading the article.

Before the universe was born there was something in the chaos of the heavens.
It stands alone and empty, solitary and unchanging.
It is ever present and secure.

It may be regarded as the Mother of the universe.
Because I do not know its name, I call it the Tao.
If forced to give it a name, I would call it 'Great'.

Because it is Great means it is everywhere.
Being everywhere means it is eternal.
Being eternal means everything returns to it.

Tao Te Jing Chapter xxiv

INTRODUCTION TO TAO

Many people ask “what is my purpose in life, what am I here for?”  We live so that we might become.  We live to evolve into that which we truly are.  Anything that survives on this planet has done so because it has heard the call of evolution.  The meaning inherent in the word evolution is lost if there is no growth.  Anything which lives strives to grow to its full potential, a plant strives to flower in the spring; the chick strives to escape from the egg.  “We” are here to live and grow in abundance.  We are here to evolve to the uttermost of our potential.  The act of creation is achieved when a thought becomes manifest.  Science now acknowledges that the Universe was created out of nothing.  The ‘Big Bang’ theorists agree that before the ‘bang’ there was nothing.  However logic determines that something had to create the ‘bang’.  That something was thought!  To come to terms with this concept it is necessary to consider that in ‘the beginning’ there was a state of pure nothingness, and from that nothingness the creation of the Universe came into being.  Following on from that statement the question which begs asking is: “if thought creates from nothing, what could be the only thought that might possibly arise out of that infinite state of nothingness?”  The thought would have to be one of self-awareness; in a state of complete nothingness there would have been no other object for that ‘thinking stuff’, which we have come to call Tao, to focus its attention upon.  Nothing other than itself!  In other words, that initial state of primacy became aware of itself as being universal. “I am omnipresent!”  There is no word or term which more or less accurately describes “the thinking stuff” that created Heaven and Earth.  In the book of the way, called Tao Te Jing Lao Tzu wrote “The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao.  The name that can be named is not the eternal name.  The nameless is the beginning of heaven and Earth.”  The desire to create was given to man so that he may improve himself.  The ultimate purpose of our creation is for us to evolve to a stage where we again become one with Tao; however evolution without a mentor, a guide, or some form of instruction is painfully slow.  Mankind has already been on the planet for 65 million years and we struggle with change.  The Dinosaurs lived on this planet for 140 million years. They were an amazingly successful species by any standard, and yet they died out, why? Did they succumb to a giant meteor strike?  A meteor which eradicated life over the whole planet!  There are many theories however one thing is sure, they did not evolve and grow beyond a certain level of development.  Living without growing and changing is dying by degrees.  In death there is sameness until disintegration.  Nothing stays the same unless it is dead or dying.  Nothing but Tao!

Evolution by its very definition demands change.  Nothing, either animate or inanimate can evolve without changing.  It is the desire of Tao to show us the way to create the necessary change.  Tao saturates man with the desire, and the ability to change.  All that is required is that we ask.  In the Bible we find in Luke chapter xi: ix “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”  Tao is eternal, immortal, everywhere and nowhere.  We can neither see nor touch Tao, and yet it is in everything and everything is of it.  Tao gave mankind of its own spirit, its essence, and its desires; we are Tao in an unrefined state.  Some say that God created mankind so that He could experience relationship. The innate need to evolve was given to man so he would improve himself, improve himself to the point where upon one day he may indeed return home.    

Thus the answer to the question is revealed: “To evolve is my purpose”

What is Tao?

The word Tao is pronounced Dow, as in Dow Jones of the Wall Street stock exchange.  Tao means ‘way’ or ‘path’.  The term God is seldom used in Taoism, however by following the guidance of Taoist masters a true seeker comes into connection with and ultimately achieves the rich and fulfilling life which is so often promised in Biblical texts.  God created the heavens and earth, however contrary to what some may suppose God has not stopped creating; the ongoing task of co-creation has been assigned to us.  God is using us, His creation, to continue the work.  Following Taoism or ‘the path’ means living a life which enhances and expands, thereby fulfilling the desire of God.  If it is true as some say, that God created mankind so that ‘He’ could have a relationship, then the necessary resources must have been provided to achieve that.  In our rudimentary stage of spiritual development few have achieved such a relationship but Tao is patient and Tao is the way. 

There are two types of Taoism, religious and philosophical.  Taoism is a belief centered faith, and while there are a variety of assumptions regarding a certain way of living there is no force, and no obligation to comply.  Force and pressure is not the Way!   Taoism advances clear guidelines for living which if earnestly and diligently followed ultimately leads the student back to his spiritual home, the all prevailing all loving Self.  Philosophical  Taoism does not refer to only one particular Taoist school, or group of philosophers.  Philosophical Taoism emphasizes various themes found in two ancient texts.  The book of the way, the Tao Te Ching teaches such practices as non-action, emptiness, detachment, the strength of softness or flexibility, receptiveness, spontaneity, ways of speaking, and guiding behavior.  Many elements of Taoism appear to have been extracted from the other significant book of Taoism, the “I Ching”or book of changes.  While no accurate record exists of just when the I Ching was written, scholars speculate that it was somewhere within the period of 2852-2738 BCE.  It is from the I Ching that the concept of Yin and Yang originates.  Pure philosophical Taoism focuses upon quieting the soul, meditating on the universe, right-minded living and being as one with nature. 
Tao is revealed to be an all pervading all prevailing force that penetrates and fills the interspaces of the Universe.  It's not a God, as we sometimes think of God in the classical sense, not some sentient being controlling the universe from high up in the heavens; or an invisible and all powerful ruler who is keeping a record of the sins we have committed which he may or may not forgive according to our faith and level of spiritual development.  Tao is life, love and light, it is everything that IS.  It is everywhere, and all at once.  It existed before time began, and is eternal, it flows through the entire Universe, it IS the Universe!  We are all affected by it; it’s all around us, and in us; it IS us.  Tao is not limited by time or space, it is formless and boundless; it cannot cease to exist because it IS and always WAS.  We are the essence of Tao which means that we too cannot cease to exist; we fritter away our time when we sacrifice our earthly lives by subjecting them to renunciation or asceticism as some doctrines advocate. 

We are created by God.  We are spiritual beings having a physical experience.  It is our purpose as spiritual beings to evolve back to God, to claim our inherent Godliness.  Tao guides its followers to the way, or places them on the path to absolute spiritual attainment through right minded living, or being righteous.  When Taoism is considered there may be some confusion about what being righteous means.  Righteous is a word not often associated with Asian philosophy although Jesus was Asian.  That’s right!  Jesus was not white, he did not have blond hair and blue eyes, nor did he speak English.  Jesus came from Asia Minor.  The Bible uses the word righteous or righteousness more than 600 times so we can safely assume that it is of importance to be living in a certain way.  It is fundamental to the Taoist way.  “Love the whole world as if it were your self; then you will truly care for all things.” Tao Te Jing xiii 

What is Tao Te Ching?

The name Lao Tsu is an honorific; Lao means ‘venerable’ or ‘old’ and Tsu translates as boy, but it was also a term used to represent a nobleman.  Lao is a term of respect attached to the names of revered masters; thus Lao Tsu can be translated broadly as ‘the old master’.  The name Lao Tsu also trans-literates as, Laozi , Laotze, and he may also have had a courtesy name and been called Boyang, or Dan which means ‘mysterious’.  What ever name or title is used to describe him he is a major figure in Chinese philosophy.  Lau Tsu is credited with writing the Tao Te Ching, and he is generally recognised as the founder of Taoism.  

Lao Tsu was an older contemporary of Confucius.   Lao Tsu worked as an archivist in the Imperial Library of the Zhōu dynasty 1122–256 BCE.  It seems that Lao Tsu disagreed with various forms of governing and said that systemising or codifying laws and rules in society created dificulty and complexity in managing and governing people.  Lao  Tsu strongly opposed what he felt to be hollow practices and eventually left the position.  It is claimed that he travelled to the West with his water buffalo and disappeared into the desert.  Scrolls and paintings often depict Lao Tsu as a a bald elderly man with a beard, riding on a water buffalo.

Legend has it that as he began to embark upon his journey, a guard at the city gates asked him to write out the essence of his understandings for the benefit of future generations.  Lao Tzu wrote the Tao Te Ching, rode off and was never heard of again.  This was a defining moment in world history.  It was, as a result of this request that Lao Tsu developed the concept of Tao and widened its meaning to encompass the inherent order of the universe: "the way nature is".  He highlighted the concept of Wei wuwei, or ‘action without action’.  This is not to imply that one should sit around and do nothing, rather that one should avoid explicit intentions, strong wills or proactive initiatives.  Lao Tsu believed that violence should be avoided as much as possible, and that military victory which logically would be attained through use of force should be an occasion for mourning rather than triumphant celebration. 

The Tao Te Ching  has been translated as “The Book of the Way and its Virtue”.  It is perhaps the most frequently translated book originally written in the Chinese language having 100 different translations into English alone.  Translating text from one language to another has certain limitations, particularly when the writer is no longer alive to explain what was meant.  This obvious difficulty prevails no matter which text, and no matter the culture.  The Tao Te Ching is no exception.  Written in classical Chinese 400 years before the time of Christ it is difficult for even formally educated speakers of Chinese to understand.  Few people have a full command of the vast body of ancient Chinese literature which would have been common in Lao Tsu’s day; as a result many levels of subtext could have been lost on translators.  There is no punctuation in classical Chinese, and thus no way to conclusively determine where one sentence ends and the next begins.  Moving a comma back or forward can profoundly alter the meaning of a passage; divisions or intended intonations must be assumed by the translator so it may come as no surprise that translators have had difficulties converting ancient Chinese texts into English.  The Chinese word Tao has similar connotations to the Greek word logos which broadly means God, or the qualities of God.  Logos generally signifies life, light, creation, power, wisdom, love, healing, spirit, force, knowledge, rational, logic, reality, and method.  This similarity may be why the word Tao was chosen and used, however in Chinese philosophy it has more abstract meanings.   

What is I Ching?

In the 11 century BCE Wen Wang, the king of Zhou in northwest China was put in jail because he was accused of rebelling against the ruling emperor.  Wen Wang is acknowledged as the founder of the Chou dynasty [1150-249 BCE].  He was also known as a great reader, and writer, so much so that he was sometimes referred to as the ‘scripture-king’.  His study notes became the official interpretation of the I Ching.  There is consensus that the original I Ching was written well before the time of Wen Wang, tentatively within the period of 2852 -2738 BCE by a legendary individual called Tu Xi.  It is he who is credited with creating the yin - yang system and the eight trigrams which form the basis of the I Ching.  The thrust of the book is thus “in the eyes of time the world is an endless cycle.”  It is thought that Wen Wangs’ contribution was to add foot notes to the work.  This is not to be considered in a diminished way; historians agree that Wen Wang's interpretation was the first successful attempt to make it readable and understandable to common people.  So successful has been the proliferation of the I Ching that there are over 120 books written in English regarding I Ching.  Some of the more recent books have been written by scientists who have discovered ultramodern scientific findings, such as fractal structure and DNA codes within it. 

Yin and Yang

The yin and yang is perhaps the most easily recognised symbol ever to have emerged out of ancient China.  Yin and yang are terms quite familiar to many people, for the most part being better known than the Tao-Te Ching, the I Ching, or Lao-tzu.  In Chinese philosophy yin and yang represent the two primal cosmic forces in the Universe.  Yin [moon] is the receptive, passive, cold female force.  Yang [sun] is masculine, active, movement, hot.  The original meaning of the term signified the light and dark side of a mountain.  The sun shone on the East side and bathed it in light and warmth; consequently the West side was in the shadows, dark and cool.  As the day progressed the sun moved over the zenith and the process was reversed, the opposite became true.  Taoism’s central organising principle is the interconnectedness of all life with its flow of continuous change.  The concept is exquisitely expressed in the yin and yang which describes the interplay of opposites.  The Taoist writings state that all things and all processes contain two opposite primal energies or forces.  From the Taoist perspective these two polar opposites are not seen as distinctly separate or in conflict, rather as interdependent and complementary.  In actuality, one creates the other.  Just as one side of the mountain does not remain sunny all day, but becomes shady as the sun moves across the sky and lights the other side, so too do the two complimentary forces of yin and yang, constantly move and interact.  When one energy becomes full and complete the other begins to grow and ascend.  This is illustrated by the dots in the symbol.  The notion is that each force contains the seed of the other.  All though it is correct to see yin as black and yang as white; it is also correct to see that everything in the world is really a mixture of the two, and one cannot exist without the other. 

For the past two thousand years the traditional western mind-set has been dominated by dualistic, either or approach; either something is good or it is bad; either right or wrong.  Experiences are perceived to be either positive or negative, and we expend a great deal, perhaps too much energy, trying to eradicate what we consider to be negative.  From a Taoist point of view, this is like trying to erase the negative current from electricity because it is not positive. 

Competition

From nothing to all things—that is Tao's theory of universal existence.  Practicing Taoism speeds up evolutionary advancement in the most efficient way by bringing enlightment, and thus the realisation that the competitive path mankind is following will not take us ‘home’. Contributing to the betterment of society rather than competing with society is the ideal.  Nature is full of competition because that is the way it survives.  In the animal kingdom the phrase “dog eat dog” is appropriate because survival instincts dominate.  Wild dog packs must compete with other predators to survive, they feed off each other.  In dog packs when a litter is born the weakest pup is killed off.  Weakness is fatal to the pack.  In the human world, for the most part at least, mankind does not live in the wild; apart from some remote tribes, and perhaps the Eskimo’s.  The demand to eke an existence out of nature is redundant, and yet competition in the modern world is plainly obvious and frequently more ruthless and pitiless than in the wild.   We compete with our colleagues in the same company, in the same industry, for the same contracts.  We compete with our employee’s to gain favour with employers.  We organise sporting tournaments to determine which country, which state, which town is ‘best’.  Records are set one day only to be broken the next, this occurs over and over again. 

History shows that we can never expect to rule over anything or anyone in the world for long.  Even if we destroy all the competition it is certain that in due course we will be overthrown. The competitive mindset is the rock upon which we perish and yet we are a race that is committed to competition; paradoxically we have a growing intolerance to aggression.  It is because we perceive ourselves as separate from others we often find ourselves in opposition to them, locked into a “this or that” paradigm merely because of language or perceptual differences.  Taking these so called differences for the way things ‘really are’ leads to breakdowns in relating, contributing to arguing, fighting, and ultimately killing.  How can we expect to have peace when we compete incessantly with others?   Competition is a form of passive aggression, it generates pressure, and pressure generates tension which seeps into every corner of our lives.  Faith is demonstrated when we trust that our own inner nature is an expression of the Tao which is naturally moving us forward towards harmony and balance.  Living in the manner prescribed in Taoism is replete with practice designed to develop harmony, serenity, and inner peace.  This is what all seekers desire.  When such a state is created a life of abundance is realised.  This in turn creates, and allows for more abundance to enter the space vacated by tension.  Any form of pressure or greed has been stimulated by some level of fear, some sense of deficiency. 

Good deeds in Taoism are defined as actions that benefit oneself as well as others. Actions that hurt one party while benefiting another are undesirable. Actions that hurt both parties are least desirable because they are actions that can work against our evolutionary progress.  “Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying”  Romans xiii:xiii. 

Life style

Taoism offers a departure from the more common sources of spiritual teaching, from laws and doctrine.  It offers a resting place from endless conflict, from the incessant struggle to get it ‘right’.  Taoist devotees claim that people die early not because it is their fate, but because their way of living saddens their spirits.  Taoism teaches freedom from excess, it values the individual life filled with space and peace, and it seeks to unite all of mankind with nature.  Taoism seeks to celebrate this physical body by teaching useful techniques which when practiced achieve this aim.  This ‘way’ of living promotes a longer, healthier, happier and wiser life.  The practice of Taoism is the consolidation of a number of concepts or procedures that walk us along the path, or way of living.  This unification of ideas and concepts includes basic principles or theories regarding the body, diet, breathing and physical exercises, uses of herbs, philosophical inquiry and meditation, all of which are designed to bring a human being into closer alignment with the natural order of life and living. 

This knowledge was identified by Lao Tsu over 2000 years ago.  Many believe that the Tao Te Ching contains universal truths which are powerful, and vitally necessary to the spiritual evolution of our species.  In our modern society much attention is devoted to the promotion of self-awareness that of “finding ourselves or knowing who we truly are” Countless numbers of personal coaches and leaders have taken fundamental aspects from Taoism and implemented them into training and education programmes for the purpose of raising the consciousness of an individual.  Many forward thinking teachers, including certain schools of psychology, regard the quest of self discovery and self acceptance as central to personal well being.  This is an important step on the path of individual transformation.  It is considered true to say that without a higher degree of individual self awareness and personal responsibility it will remain difficult to resolve many of the social and environmental problems currently facing mankind.  Growing can never mean staying the same.  In death there is sameness until disintegration. We see this eloquently illustrated in nature. We must never stop improving because once we loose the thirst to evolve we go the way of the Dinosaur.  

Education

In the Western world, when we think of education we generally think of schools and universities.  These are the institutions through which we receive our formal education.  Taoism strives to understand the whole, for the whole is the Tao.  We can say that we know someone, but we do not understand them.  In Taoism the reverse is sought after.  The Taoist master teaches “is it not better to say that we understand someone, rather than just saying that we know them?”  In Taoism the key is not to know something; the key is to understand it.  A student of the Tao goes about this learning through self education and transformation.  This kind of education is natural. 

The Taoist is an educator in his/her own right.  The Taoist master teaches by example, Lao Tzu said, “the master, by residing in the Tao, sets an example for all beings.”  It is one thing to hear that someone is enlightened but when one sees another who is living in enlightenment they will recognise it, and they will learn.  In this respect the living Taoist master is a role model for society.  By knowing his place in the world and by following ‘the way’ he teaches by example.  Therefore we must look at education with new eyes; we must see the deeper implications and understand how we fit into the whole.  We must teach others by example.  This is a very important form of education; it is how the species learns and evolves. 

Buddha Nature

Acquiring a Buddha Nature is the goal on the road to enlightenment.  But just what is it, and what does it mean to have a Buddha Nature?  Buddha means ‘the awakened one’ and refers to the potential or capacity to be enlightened.  It is the true or real self which is eternal.  The Buddha self is akin to the spirit so often referred to in orthodox religion.  When we die the physical body begins a process of decay while the spirit prevails.  When leaders or teachers speak of ‘sleep walkers’ they are not referring to insomniacs, rather to an unrealized or under-developed state of spiritual enlightment.  It is said in the Taoist literature that “a sleeping human has never come to life, whilst an awakened human lives life fully.”  We could stretch that a little further to encompass life and death, the life or death of our material self.  Our physical self is of consequence only to the ego.  That is the self which fears death and destruction.  The Buddha Nature is eternal it can never be depleted or reduced, it fears not.  The eternal self or Buddha Nature is not created, is not produced, cannot be spoiled, and is not deficient in any way.  It is indestructible just as Tao is indestructible.  We all have a Buddha Nature; it is within all of us waiting to be awakened!   Another term frequently used in Taoism is ‘emptiness’, this simply means that the Buddha Nature, or spirit is empty of imperfection, empty of impermanence, totally empty of corruption.  It is all that is pure and lasting.  

Taoism pays homage to the creator of Heaven and Earth although not in an orthodox way.  Taoism does not recognise a personalised God.  Not a person living inside of us, not a thing which can be put on or taken off like a suit of clothing; rather Tao is the self which is reality, a self which is eternal, virtuous, and immortal.  The Sprit self is the essential being, the life essence which is all of us.  The Buddha Nature is potential in all sentient beings although not often actualized.  A tomato seed may blow into the wild from a garden in town.  It has the potential to grow into a tomato vine and produce more tomatoes.  However if it is not tended weeds may overgrow and choke the life out of it, or birds may eat it.  If it is not in a protected and nurturing garden it may get too much, or not enough sun, alternatively it may fall into a river bed and be washed away.  It has the potential to grow into a flourishing hearty tomato vine but it is more likely that it won’t.   

Those who know do not talk.
Those who talk do not know.

Stop talking, meditate in silence,
blunt your sharpness,
release your worries,
harmonize your inner light,
and become one with the dust.

Doing this is the so called dark and mysterious identity.

Those who have achieved the mysterious identity
can not be approached, and they can not be alienated.
They can not be benefited nor harmed.
They can not be made noble nor to suffer disgrace.
This makes them the most noble of all under the heavens.

Tao Te Jing Chapter lvi