“The mysterious Laozi’s ancient wisdom may be hard to translate, but the meaning is clear – learning to be self-aware could improve modern life.”
the Guardian
In researching Taoism, and the Tao Te Ching by Laozi, I first turned to an article on the subject by the British news organization.
Self-awareness is an admirable quality, but let’s look at Taoism’s epistemological position.
One site tells us that the Tao is “the reality beyond human perception, a reality that Taoists strongly associate with the natural world.” That may have been hard for someone to translate, but it certainly seems even more difficult to comprehend.
Another site called “Taoism 101” begins with the admonition: “Don’t concentrate on the meaning of Tao…”
And, turning to the Cambridge University Press (the publishing arm of Cambridge University in the U.K.), we find:
“The more you know, the less you know; the less you know, the more you really know.”
Aristotle
The Cambridge Press article goes on to say: “If we know our own True Self…then we shall know all things.” The implication, then, is that only sages (those who know their true self) can know all things.
sage = "From a Taoist viewpoint, this term refers to one whose actions are in complete harmony with his surroundings - both the immediate environment and the universe as a whole." (JadeDragon.com)
Well, that’s ok, right?–“Someone whose actions are in complete harmony with his surroundings”–I have to admit, I’d like to be one of those “sages,” wouldn’t you?
So, what, then, can I expect to know?
Well, as we’ve done before, let’s take a look at the ontology and cosmology of the Tao Te Ching.
One paper I found, called: Born out of Nothingness: a Few Words on Taoism, says:
“The basis of the Taoist worldview is one unified pulsating cosmos and all its manifestations. Taoist thinkers interpret existence as a continuous process. They consider complementary forces to be the source of movement. The world creates itself out of its own potential existence.”
Tatiana Danilova
National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine”
“The world creates itself out of its own potential existence”?
Another site, called An Insider’s Look at Taoist Cosmology says:
- In the beginning, there was an endless void, known as Wu Chi, or Tao. The Tao is a universal energy, from which all things emanate.
- From this vast cosmic universe, from Tao, the One emerges.
- As the One manifests in the world, it divides into two: the Yin and the Yang, complementary conditions of action (Yang) and inaction (Yin)…
- From this dance of Yin and Yang emerges the five elements: wood, fire, metal, water, and earth….
- From the five constituent elements come the “ten-thousand things,” representing all of manifest existence, all of the objects, inhabitants, and phenomena of the world that we experience…
I am trying to think of things that emanate from something else without some actor, some entity, bringing them forth. The first example that comes to mind is the butterfly, emerging from its chrysalis. Or the birth of a baby. Is that what Taoist cosmology is describing?
Attempting to understand, I reluctantly found myself at a wiki site, which includes this as an explanation: ” Firstly, (the Tao) is the eternally existing Origin of the world: it knows no limits in space or time. According to Laozi, it is an undifferentiated whole which precedes the existence of Heaven and Earth. It is empty, silent and formless; it grows independently and is inexhaustible; and eternally revolves without ever stopping. It is the Source of all beings.”
” The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It’s an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together.
Obi-Wan Kenobi (Star Wars)
Even with its inscrutability, one reading is enough to realize that there is much that is attractive, useful, and even profound that is in the Tao Te Ching, but as a source of ultimate truth, it seems wanting. Yet, it does sound interestingly familiar…
“There is a thing, formless yet complete. Before heaven and earth it existed. Without sound, without substance, it stands alone and unchanging. It is all-pervading and unfailing. We do not know its name, but we call it Tao. .. Being one with nature, the sage is in accord with the Tao.“
Tao Te Ching
