Not much is
written on Taoism; yet its values give us an appreciation of its gentle nature
when compared to what we experience in our current society.
Particular
attention is being paid to the following topics:
1) What
are Lao Tzu’s principles of Non-Contention?
2)
Why
does the Sage not Contend?
3)
Why
can no one contend against the Sage?
4)
How
can Non-Contention be applied in daily life?
5)
What
is the difference between
6)
Wei
(Action),
7)
Wu
Wei (Inaction), and
8)
Wei
Wu Wei (Spontaneity)?
Lao
Tzu’s principle of Non Contention is similar in spirit to that of the Buddhist
concept of Dukkha (Pali, in Sanskrit Duḥkha). The Buddha taught there are three
main categories of Dukkha. These are:
Suffering or pain (dukkha-dukkha) in the
four Noble Truth we read, that we suffer because of desire and ignorance.
Impermanence or change (viparinama-dukkha)
Conditioned states (samkhara-dukkha); the
yin/yang of Discomfort and Desire.
To
contend or confront is to compete. Why do people compete because they desire, to
be more than they are, to be better than someone else, to have power over
others, to have power over themselves. In the same fashion, that
discomfort/desire are the root of ego in the Buddhist tradition, so also is contending
the root of ego in the path of the Tao.
Perhaps
the best way to illustrate elements of the Tao as “Duḥkha” would be, to reflect
them against its main contemporary, at the time,
of
Confucianism.
Confucianism
was the dominant religion, and Taoism was a counter-culture. The Way of
Confucius was a way of ethical, social, moral, and intellectual disciplines, and
a Way of ethical, social, moral and intellectual VALUES. This is important
because values are societal constructs by humans to elevate or subjugate other
humans. We can assume that it was rather difficult for the common man to fit
comfortably into Confucianism because of its high regard for values that he
could never hope to attain. An example would be education.
The
Tao turns sharply away from labels like beauty, intellect, loyalty, goodness,
integrity, cleverness, virtue, because in creating them, we create the
antithesis of them: ugliness, stupidity, betrayal, evil, moral corruption,
gullibility, and immorality.
The
Confucian values of humanity are justice, wisdom, loyalty, goodness,
cleverness, virtue and integrity. The valuation of these subjective elements
leads to a hierarchical values system for the social group. It generates the
“haves” and the “have not’s”. This leads to the never ending cycle of discomfort
on the one hand and desire on the other. Contention/Duḥkha, leads to division
of the “haves” and “have not’s” to those who can and those who never will be
able to. These fragmentations lead to hopelessness and despair/desire and
Contention.
#2
The
teachings:
(When
all) below heaven know beauty as beauty,
There
arises ugliness.
(When
they all) know the good as good,
There
arises evil.
Therefore,
Being
and Non-being arise together
Difficult
and easy complete each other.
Long
and short take shape together.
High
and low lean toward each other.
Sound
and tone make harmony together.
Front
and behind accompany each other. #1
By
refusing the identification of Values the Tao develops as a Way that everyone
can follow with a hope of success. The nature of the path narrows considerably
based upon the state of the practitioners consciousness. A farmer’s Tao is
simplicity because a farmer’s awareness is limited; a Sage’s Tao is more
difficult because his/her awareness is broader. He knows what he is releasing.
#3
Exalt
not the virtuous,
So
that the common people will not contend (Want, Desire),
Treasure
not goods difficult to obtain,
So
that the common people will not steal.
Display
not the objects of desire,
so
that the common people’s minds will not be confused.
Therefore,
in the government of the Sage,
(The
people’s) minds are empty,
Their
bellies are full,
Their
ambitions are weakened,
Their
bones are strengthened.
(As)
their minds are always
Free
of knowledge and desire,
The
clever will not dare to interfere.
(Through)
action without action,
All
will be at peace.
One
becomes a Sage by achieving to live according to the Natural order, by
releasing labels (Values). Taoists refer to “The Natural” as harmony with
rhythms of the cosmos. As previously stated, Values are a construct of humans,
and human social structure. The Natural knows how to treat others, how to live
an honorable life just for the sake of doing so.
The
Ideal of the Sage is freedom from desire or discrimination, (knowledge of the
world) calmness and Tranquility (knowledge of the true nature of self), and
spontaneity of action and non-attachment (spiritual knowledge).
Born
of these is a direct knowledge of the energy of the world (Te).
(One
who) knows – does not speak
(One
who) speaks – does not know
(If
one) closes the mouth, shuts the doors,
Dulls
the edges, unties the tangles
Harmonizes
the light, and unifies the dust,
(One
reaches) the mysterious unity.
Then
it will not be possible for love and hatred
To
touch (you), for gain and loss to affect (you),
Nor
for honor and disgrace to move (you).
Therefore,
(you) would be the honored one of the
(World)
below heaven.
A
Sage is like a brand new infant who can do nothing else but take life in as it
comes. He cannot judge it, he can only experience it, let it go and move on to
the next experience. He is like water, still and calm, until a stone is tossed
in, and then after the upset of the ripples, returned to calm and still. He
desires nothing, He does not contend.
The
Sage’s heart is not fixed,
And
so takes the people’s heart as (his own) heart.
The
good (ones) I treat well.
The
bad (ones) I also treat well.
(This
is) the Te of goodness.
The
honest (ones) I treat with honesty.
The
liars I also treat with honesty.
(This
is) the Te of honesty
The
Sage dwells harmoniously with all,
Blending
his heart (with all things)
(In
the world) below Heaven.
The
people’s ears and eyes are all fixed.
(Thus)
the Sage (regards) them all as (innocent) children. #3
If
the Sage walks the path in the Natural, (does not Contend) then what about the
others who are not on the path, the others who may Contend against the Sage?
(see above) The answer is simple.
The
honest (ones) I treat with honesty.
The
liars I also treat with honesty.
It
takes two to Contend. It takes two to quarrel. If the Sage is truly in the
Natural, he will not engage the one who contends against him, and the
Contention is neutralized. It isn’t that he chooses non contention or
non-engagement, but rather that since he is in the Natural, to Contend or not
Contend simply does not exist. It is not labeled; it has no state of
consciousness/awareness.
Everywhere,
they say the Way, our doctrine,
Is
so very like detested folly;
But
greatness of its own alone explains
Why
it should be thus held beyond the pale.
If
it were only orthodox, long since
It
would have seemed a small and pretty thing!
I
have to keep three treasures well secured:
The
first, compassion; next, frugality;
And
third, I say that never would I once
Presume
that I should be the whole world’s chief.
Given
compassion, I can take courage;
Given
frugality, I can abound;
If
I can be the world’s most humble man,
Then
I can be its highest instrument.
Bravery
today knows no compassion;
Abundance
is, without frugality,
And
eminence without humility:
This
is the death indeed of all our hope.
In
battle, ‘tis compassion wins the day;
Defending,
‘its compassion that is firm:
Compassion
arms the people God would save! #5
The
Way of the Tao approaches social action from the standpoint of inaction. By
being, not doing. A result is achieved by allowing the result to happen, rather
than by interfering, manipulating or in other ways causing the result to
happen.
#2
continued...
There
for the Sage
Manages
affairs without acting, and
Travels
(the path of) the wordless teaching.
The
Ten Thousand Things interact,
But
(the Sage) does not turn away (from them).
(They)
spring up, but (the Sage) does not grasp (them).
(The
Sage) acts, but does not rely on (actions).
Accomplishes,
but does not rest on (accomplishments).
Because
(the Sage) does not rest on (accomplishments),
(They)
cannot be taken away. #6
This
apparent inaction is called Wu Wei.
If
a Sage happens also to be a ruler, Wu Wei means to govern by letting the people
do what people do, not by telling them to do what you think they should do.
Most if not all rulers have controlled the masses through Wei that is: action.
The reciprocating result of the influence of a ruler is the establishment of an
aristocracy. If there is an upper class, there must be a lower class for the
upper class to rule, and be better than. And so here we are back with the
“haves” and “have not’s”
Use
the normal to govern the state.
Use
surprise to fight battles.
Use
not doing to regulate (the world) below heaven.
How
do I know this is so? Through this:
(When)
superstitions and taboos abound in the land,
The
people will become impoverished.
(When)
beautiful things fill the Imperial courts,
The
state and the family will become confused.
(When)
there are many clever and cunning people,
Strange
things will begin to happen.
(When)
laws and decrees are made prominent,
Thieves
and rebels will appear.
Consequently,
the Sage says,
I
take no action, and the people reform themselves.
I
love stillness, and the people regulate themselves.
I
(engage in) no business and the people enrich themselves.
I
have no desires, and the people (return to) the Natural.
When
wise rulers stop interfering in the daily affairs of the people, the people are
free to return to their traditional lifestyles. They return to a life of
simplicity and satisfaction - naturally.
(When)
the ruler is dull and idle,
The
people will be simple and pure.
(When)
the ruler is discriminating and clever,
The
people will be discontented and resentful.
(Since)
calamity is founded on good fortune,
(And)
good fortune is concealed in calamity,
Who
could know the ultimate (result)?
(It
the ruler) does not (use) the normal,
The
normal will revert to the strange,
And
the good will revert to the sinister.
For
so long have the people gone astray.
Therefore,
the Sage is Square, but not cutting,
Pure,
but not harming, Genuine, but not indiscreet,
Bright,
but not dazzling.
To
experience Wu Wei in everyday life implies effortless living, it teaches us not
to force actions but let them take their course of nature. An example is, if we grow a plant by following
the teaching of Wu-Wei, we would work the soil, plant the seed, fertilize and
water it and keep the soil loose; then we would let the plant grow on its own.
Heaven
is everlasting and Earth is eternal.
The
reason Heaven is everlasting and Earth is eternal
Is
that they do not live for self.
Thus
they are able to live long.
Therefore,
the Sage puts himself last,
And
finds himself in the forefront.
(The
Sage puts) his body outside,
And
so his body is preserved.
Is
not the Sage then without personal interests?
Thus
he is able to complete his interests.
If
we can really walk in the Way of the Natural, then we walk in Wei/Wu/Wei
(acting without acting) and everything we see and do and touch is as if for the
first time. It is a continual spontaneous experience with no prior expectations,
no judgments, and no attachment.
It is necessary to understand that I Am, in
order that I may know that I (ego) am not, So that at last I may realize that,
I am not, therefore I Am.“Ask the Awakened”
The
wise person deals with things through wu-wei and teaches through no-words. The
ten thousand things flourish without interruption. They grow by themselves, and
no one possesses them.
Every
being in the universe
Is
an expression of the Tao.
It
springs into existence,
Unconscious,
perfect, free,
Takes
on a physical body,
Lets
circumstances complete it.
That
is why every being
Spontaneously
honors the Tao.
The
Tao gives birth to all beings,
Nourishes
them, maintains them,
Cares
for them, comforts them, protects them,
Takes
them back to itself,
Creating
without possessing,
Acting
without expecting,
Guiding
without interfering.
That
is why love of the Tao
is
in the very nature of things.
Taoism
teaches us to flow with life, and to drop expectations. The more expectations we
have from life, the less we will become. A Taoist lives in the here and now
fully. Taoism teaches that by expressing life as it comes to us, we will
express our true nature.
What
is Taoism?
Taoism
takes its name from the word "Tao" ("the Way"), the ancient
Chinese name for the ordering principle that makes cosmic harmony possible. Not
a transcendent ultimate, the Tao is found in the world (especially through
nature), and can be encountered directly through mystical experience. It is the
ultimate reality as well as the proper natural way of life humans must follow.
Taoism prizes naturalness, non-action, and inwardness.
There
are two kinds of Taoism: philosophical and religious. Philosophical Taoism is
rational, contemplative, and nonsectarian, and it accepts death as a natural
returning to the Tao. Religious Taoism is magical, cultic, esoteric, and
sectarian, and it emphasizes health and healing as ways to gain long life or
even immortality. T'ai chi and the medical practice of Qigong are modern
manifestations of Taoism.
For
further reading visit:
http://www.with.org/tao_te_ching_en.pdf
Tao
Te Ching
by
Lao-tzu
J.
Legge, Translator
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