Tao Teh Ching

Raised a Baptist minister’s daughter, I was spoon fed the philosophies of Christianity from the tender age of four. I was a strong student of the Bible and read the entire Bible several times, memorizing large portions. We were trained to tear apart the text, often researching in depth the backgrounds of Hebrew and Latin in which the King James Version of the Bible was translated from.

I was applauded for my level of skill in memorization and interpretation and was even offered trophies along the way to commemorate the accomplishments I had made. But around seventeen my soul began to feel unrest. I realized there were many other avenues I had never considered. I left home in search of my own beliefs. I experimented, studied, and listened to the spiritual voice of many others in order to find what I myself truly believed.

I was introduced to Taoism around the age of nineteen. Having moved far from my childhood home, I felt free to find the nature of my own soul’s beliefs. I was engaged fully by the concepts of Taoism, and have had a copy of the Tao Teh Ching among my most sacred books for over a decade now.

The word Tao literally means, “The Way”.  It is a path of harmonic peace within nature. It requires of its patrons many ideals that would include Simplicity, Gentleness, and Relativity (p. 226 Molloy).

The Tao must not be confused with God. It is all things and all things are manifestations of it; however, it is not one particular thing and it certainly has no stated personality that would align with a type of god or God Himself.

One of the most fundamental principles of Taoism is the concept of Wu Wei. Wu Wei is also my favorite element and has aided in augmenting my spiritual nature to an inherent level of existence. Its power is quite supernatural when fully grasped and fully practiced. Wu Wei is the effortlessness required in a simplistic existence desired by a Taoist. Wu Wei might be described as the flowing of water. One would be benefited if one became as water. Water flows freely along its natural course. It does not stop to argue with rocks in its path; it simply continues to flow around obstacles. Water is not known to ponder the existence of the fallen log on its course; it simply continues to flow in its natural progression.

Yoga, another important element of Taoism, to us is an exercise or series of exercises and breathing techniques. To a Taoist, yoga is so much more. It is a Sanskrit word that embraces even dietary needs, meditation, along with breathing and exercises to become the healthiest physical version of one-self. Part of yoga would include finding a state of internal alchemy. “It aims at transforming and spiritualizing the life force (qi, ch’i) of the practitioner (p.226 Molloy).”

Taoism like Confucianism was not seen as an organized religion when it was developed. It is simply a “way” of thought; a “way” of existence. The Tao is governed by such thought processes as simplicity, gentleness, relativity, and the element of yin-yang.

Yin-yang is the fundamental balance of duality. It is not seen as good and evil. One element is not superior over the other. The two elements are believed to balance one another, harmonize together, and therefore be a whole. Much of yin and yang would be represented as dark and light, male and female, cold and hot, truth and illusion, etc. (p. 217 Molloy).

The concept of Taoism like Confucianism may be implemented into many religious views. On a personal level, I feel this is healthy to glean from multiple sources the thread of truth that source represents and then add it to the wealth of knowledge our individual soul seeks to attain.

“The five colours blind the eye. The five tones deafen the ear. The five flavours cloy the palate. Racing and hunting madden the mind. Rare goods tempt men to do wrong. Therefore, the Sage takes care of the belly, not the eye. He prefers what is within to what is without (Tao Teh Ching 12).”

A Taoist not only seeks harmony with nature but also ardently seeks to see patterns apparent in Nature so that one might learn. “Some of the patterns were quite easy to discern…others were more subtle, like the motion of waves and the ripple of mountain ranges (p. 216 Molloy)…”

A Taoist operates inside a state of center calm, while endeavoring at all times to exist within the moment. A Taoist seeks to float like water down the river of life, honoring the patterns found in the natural world that surrounds us. A Taoist seeks to not harm other beings and honors the harmonic flow of the natural world.

“It lies in the nature of the Grand Virtue to follow the Tao and the Tao alone. Now what is the Tao? It is Something elusive and evasive. Evasive and elusive! And yet It contains within Itself a Form. Elusive and evasive! And yet It contains within Itself a Substance. Shadowy and dim! And yet It contains within Itself a Core of Vitality. The Core of Vitality is very real, it contains within Itself an unfailing Sincerity. Throughout the ages Its Name has been preserved in order to recall the Beginning of all things. How do I know the ways of all things at the Beginning? By what is within me (Tao Teh Ching 21)”.

Therefore, I proceed forward along my own spiritual path, seeking knowledge, gaining wisdom and holding on only to those things which resonate as truth within me. This is the way of the Tao.