Tao Core Concepts
When I started reading the Tao, I realized right off that ‘this is for real’. This is what has been missing from my life. I have no religious beliefs and without faith, life can lack meaning and direction. I believe that life has the meaning that you give it. What I didn’t know was what meaning to give my life. The Tao answered that question.
This is not to say that the Tao is a replacement for faith, it’s not. It actually fits quite well along side. In China, Jesus is the Tao (the way). To me, the primary differences between the moralities laid down in religion and those that are the result of the Tao, is that in religion, morality is dictated to you. It is simply ‘commanded’. The Tao has similar concepts to those dictated in the Bible but nothing is demanded. It is simply explained that there is a way of living that is more enjoyable. It explains how the things you do can impact the quality of your life. That if you choose to do certain things and not others, that your quality of life will improve. One who chooses to live by the teachings of the Tao will live a life more moral than the Bible dictates and get an enormous amount of joy and satisfaction out of life. The reason to live by the way of the Tao is desire to have a good life, it’s not out of fear of damnation.
In my first reading of the Tao, many the concepts came through and were meaningful. Many had multiple meanings that needed some consideration. Several were not so obvious. What I needed was to pick out the ‘core concepts’ of the Tao. I then needed to consider each. I did so daily for several months, reading each of the core concepts. I started to apply these core concepts into my daily life. There isn’t always an obvious transition. How does ‘a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step’ apply to my life today? It does apply and that was what I spent time contemplating.
Below are the core concepts that I pulled from the Tao-Te-Ching. Each concept is explained as I interpreted it. The intention is not only to explain the intention of the concept (as I see it) but to explain how it fits into daily life which is what I found missing from the Tao-Te-Ching.
For the Tao to ‘change you life’, as I believe it can for everyone, the concepts need to become part of who you are. This will not happen by simply reading them and setting this document aside. It should be read through once to gain a general idea of what it is all about. If you intend to make a change, to incorporate the concepts of the Tao into your life, you will need to read the core concepts often to allow them to become a part of you.
As you re-read the core concepts (which are detailed below), you should consider how you currently handle situations, relationships and ideas that you have. You should consider how the Tao Master would handle the situation. You should question every aspect of your life to determine if change is in order. Are you happy? Do you live a simple uncomplicated life? Do you have inner peace?
The Tao Master is:
Satisfied with sufficiency, is not jealous or envious
Content with what is naturally achieved
More focused on the end result… the fruit not the flower
Perceptive and alert
Watchful, so has no fear of danger
Responsive so has no need of fear
Not fearful of death
Unaware of the good he does
At one with the Tao and as such, all living things
An open book
The Tao Master does:
Remain at peace with himself
Conduct his life without regrets
Tempers intellect with wisdom
Accept the irrevocable
Maintain his energy
Act naturally and spontaneously
Remains receptive to changing needs
Develop creativity and cultivates receptivity
Avoid extremes and excesses
Send the Tao as a gift
Allow the rule of nature, letting things take their natural course
Realize his potential without harming others
Seem to neither lead nor follow
Retain humility to avoid rivalry
Not place his brother in the shadow of his brilliance
Achieve results without glory, pride or boast
Reduce effort until all that is done is done effortlessly
Achieve greatness by small deeds multiplied
Ensures his dues are met
Often seem to do nothing
Not leave anything undone
Not seek credit, fame or titles
Reduces the complex to the simple
Retains simplicity as his guide (even if he resides in a grand estate)
Not lose the opposite when considering anything
Not boast of possessions to avoid steeling
Minimize his desires so has no cravings
Avoid anxiety by limiting the possession of treasures
Focus on needs rather than sensory temptations
Not act with insufficient care to avoid subsequent problems
Deals with problems as they arise
Lets go of what is not needed
The Tao Master knows:
Judgments are relative to the person and circumstances
That all things change
Will power gets perseverance but tranquility is to endure
All have the need to give and receive
The soft overcomes the hard
That the fool is always trying and leaving much undone
A violent man will not die a natural death
That, that which is firmly rooted is not easily uprooted
It is easy to quit near the end so is careful to follow through
The long journey starts with the first footstep
The truth is not always beautiful
Beautiful words are not always the truth
Positive begets positive and negative begets negative
Not if any single event is good or bad so he does not dwell
Possessions are easier to protect in moderation
That by grasping for a thing it is lost
One may gain by losing and lose by gaining
That excessive attachment to wealth will cause suffering from loss
That desire and wanting cause discontent
That he who desires sufficiency more easily has what he requires
Excess dulls the senses
With others, the Tao Master:
Knows virtue may grow from example
Cultivates without possessing
Teaches by example and abandons no one who stops to listen
Ensures the pace is correct when managing
Does not act for his own ends when managing
That force leads to force and waste of energy
Does not cause unnecessary conflict
Does not interfere with others unless someone is to be hurt
Yields to maintain integrity
Does not defend himself
Does not underestimate the opponent as the weaker may still win
Makes no show of strength
Knows that arguments may be won by waiting
Is kind in dealings
Treats all with respect, love and trust
Is courteous like a guest
Holds no prejudice against his fellow man
Does not expect others to share his criteria
Is selfless and compassionate
Makes no false claim
Says little
Acts with honor but retains humility
Is receptive to the needs of others
Is good to all regardless of their deeds
Treats others according to their needs
Knows promises easily made are most easily broken
Knows that from economy comes generosity
Knows that from humility comes the willingness to lead from behind
Acknowledges his ignorance displaying strength of personality
Knows that to ignore wisdom is a sign of weakness
Has self-respect but is not arrogant
The Tao Master is:
Satisfied with sufficiency, is not jealous or envious
The primary lesson of the Tao is that the best life to live… is a simple, natural, happy life. Many of the concepts of the Tao are directly related to reducing everything else. Jealousy and envy are not useful. They provide the owner with nothing positive and therefore should be released. Without jealousy and envy you are free of burdens that can reduce happiness.
It is the American way to strive to get more. It is considered acceptable to push to the limits to get more. All of the excess has a cost beyond hours and dollars. The cost is a less simple, less happy life. Working more and buying more things adds complexity to your life. It takes away from the time you would otherwise have to build relationships which should be the primary focus of a simple happy life.
Content with what is naturally achieved
There are two concepts here. To be content, that is simple enough. Not being content would be being unhappy which is the opposite of the goal. The second is the concept of natural achievement. While you should always look to grow as a person and expand your knowledge and capabilities, to try to achieve beyond what is natural is to ‘force’ something. When you try to force something, you often lose what you are trying to gain.
More focused on the end result… the fruit not the flower
The focus here is on the end result. It is easy to focus on the short term… it is here… now. To make decisions about the short term without considering the long term is a mistake. If fact, long term… or the final result should be the focus. Many times the correct decision will be counter intuitive… see “The Tao Master does not lose the opposite when considering anything”.
Perceptive and alert
On my first read through the Tao-Te-Ching, I was left with the idea that you don’t know if any particular event in your life is good or bad and that you should accept what happens. I was conflicted with the idea that I thought that this was telling me that I should make no effort to change events since the change I make might not have a positive end result.
Reading through the second time, I realized that the sage is perceptive and alert. He is perceptive and alert because he intends to avoid conflict, danger and harm that may come to him or the ones he loves.
Watchful, so has no fear of danger
Fear works against peace of mind. Not all fear is unjustified though. One should let go of unjustified fear. Fear of real danger is not unjustified. Fear is still at odds with peace of mind. To let go of fear of danger, the master is watchful.
Responsive so has no need of fear
If you are watchful for danger, you will have the opportunity to do your best to avoid it. If you do your best to avoid danger and danger still impacts you, fear made no difference and has no value.
Not fearful of death
It is a natural survival instinct to fear death. Death is a natural process, part of the cycle of life. Fear works against peace of mind and peace of mind is the goal. The sage is watchful for danger, he is responsive and takes action to avoid danger. If death is to come when your best is done to respond to danger, fear of death has no value.
Unaware of the good he does
Forcing something to happen is the opposite of allowing the natural cycle of events to happen. Being a good person and doing good things are part of the result of leading a natural, happy and simple life. The philanthropist by definition is forcing ‘good deeds’. This is not to say that philanthropy is bad, just that it is not a defining characteristic of the sage. The good deeds done by the master are done naturally. They are done because of who he is. He does not go out of his way to do good things. He just does good things as part of his every day life. By interacting positively with others, the sage emits positive energy that will enhance his own life as that positive energy is returned.
At one with the Tao and as such, all living things
All things are interconnected. The concept of the butterfly effect is the perfect example of this. The idea that the gentlest of breezes, one as small as that from the flap of a wing from a butterfly can have an impact on it’s immediate surroundings that lead to other and larger events… events that otherwise would have turned out differently. The final result being a hurricane, half way around the world. While extreme… the example is relevant. It is this truth of interconnection that is a foundation concept of the ‘Yin and Yang’. There is balance to the universe. All things are connected and related. While negative energy doesn’t always result in a 1 for 1 relationship which could be described as ‘instant justice for all wrong doings’, negative energy is perceptible. Those who surround themselves in negative energy… those that give off negative energy, will receive negative energy back. The opposite is also true.
It is a Christian concept that what you give out, you will receive back 10 fold. This is the same concept. Picture two examples… one of a man you consider to be the most good man you know, the other the least good. Maybe the first is a religious leader in your life. A man who cares little for the things that concern most… one who’s life has been dedicated to helping others. For the second man, maybe he is abusive, maybe inconsiderate of others, maybe he hurts the people that he should care most about.
Now suppose that both come to you with the same need. While you might be able to tell yourself that you should be good to both, in reality, your attitude will reflect your opinion of the energy (positive and negative) that these individuals have shown you. It is very likely that the good man, one who never asks for anything for himself, will get what he asks for should he have a need. It’s also very likely that the ‘bad’ man will often be turned away.
In this example I’ve used the words good and bad. This was used for the purpose of the example but is not the master’s way. The master has no need of judgments or labels. See ‘judgments are relevant to the person and circumstances’ below.
An open book
It is easiest to look at this from it’s opposite. Not being open means that you are not expressing your feelings, that you have secrets or that you are not very social. All of these work against the goal of having a peaceful happy life.
For those that do not express their feelings, negative emotion can build up and work against inner peace. This lack of expression can also negatively impact relationships, relationships that are necessary for a happy life. It can lead to assumptions, assumptions that are not true but are left unconfirmed. These unconfirmed assumptions can lead to the destruction of relationships… over a circumstance that didn’t even exist.
Secrets cause problems. They can weigh on the mind and work against inner peace. To keep the secret, you may do things that you ordinarily would not do. To keep the secret, you may lie… which can lead to more lies to cover the first. This accumulation can be a very heavy burden to carry. As it has been said… “The truth shall set you free”.
There are many reasons that people choose to ‘not socialize’. Feelings of inadequacy, fear of rejection, fear of feeling looking stupid. None of these are valid reasons to avoid socializing. The fears need to be dealt with as they are of little use in a happy, simple life. There is one source of true happiness in life. It’s not things, there is nothing you can own that will fill you with lasting happiness. It’s not a job, while a job can provide satisfaction, the job by itself will not provide real happiness. It’s not money, money can provide you with a ‘high’, a short term rush that can come from the acquisition of things but no amount of money will make you really happy.
The only source of true happiness in your life will be from the personal relationships that you create.
Creating roadblocks to enhancing personal relationships is creating roadblocks to living a happy life.
The Tao Master does:
Remain at peace with himself
There are many things that can work against peace in one’s life. Many are listed here. The Tao Master is aware of the level of peace in his life and intrusions in to his peace are obvious and blocked.
Conduct his life without regrets
Regret is of no use to the master. There is balance to all things. No thing is all good or all bad and often the difference isn’t obvious and often the conclusion is incorrect. Therefore, it is of no use to have regrets. It simply is an intrusion to inner peace.
Tempers intellect with wisdom
Intellect, learning from instruction or book is of value… but wisdom, learning from life experience is far more valuable. Intellect should be used in combination with wisdom. Intellect may indicate that a situation must always be handled a certain way while wisdom knows that it is impossible to handle that situation in such a manner.
It is the lack of wisdom that leads college students toward idealistic movements. It is wisdom that understands that in reality the situations that lead to these idealistic movements are never so clearly black and white.
Accept the irrevocable
The irrevocable by definition can not be changed. Not to accept what can not be changed is to deny yourself inner peace for no gain.
Careful consideration should be given to issues that cause stress in your life. You should consider if there really is something that can be done to change the situation.
Maintain his energy
Energy is life. Wasting energy brings you closer to death. You can only lose so much before you die. One example of this is a fight to the death. While the master would do everything he could to avoid conflict, should he be forced into this situation, his actions and reactions would be conservative. He knows that to expend all of his energy would leave him defenseless.
Food is another example of this. Food is energy and energy is life. You can only waste a finite amount of food before you run out. If you run out and can not replenish… you will die.
Act naturally and spontaneously
The master does not worry about trying to be someone he is not. His mind is at peace with who he is and worries not about what others might think of him or expect from him. These considerations might convince him to act in a manner that is not natural to him and in doing so would reduce the level of inner peace he enjoys.
Remains receptive to changing needs
The one consistent in life is that everything changes. By accepting this as a foregone conclusion the master easily accepts that his needs and the needs of others will change and remains at peace.
Develop creativity and cultivates receptivity
This is the epitome of what it is to be female. To receive and to create. These characteristics are dominantly female but they should not be considered to be exclusively so. We all have a female side, we all start out female. Men are made male through chemistry during early development.
To be male should not be to exclude the female side, it should be an extension of it. Men should not lose the good in the female side simply to call yourself a man.
Avoid extremes and excesses
Extremes and excesses are by definition, too much. The fact that it is ‘too much’ means that there is an associated negative component. Avoiding problems are at the center of the masters thoughts allowing the master inner peace.
Send the Tao as a gift
If you have read this far, you probably see the value in the Tao. It can be truly life altering. The concepts here are of a value unmatched. How many gifts can you think of that will change someone’s life?
Allow the rule of nature, letting things take their natural course
There are cycles to all things. Too often we try to stop natural cycles and more often than not the result is not good. A couple of simple examples are the levies along the Mississippi. They stopped flooding in areas that flooded yearly for all of history. The result was that farmlands that used to accept the floods no longer received silt deposits that fertilized the land and further down the river… places that had never flooded before, more populated places, flooded because all of the flood water made it past the farm land.
The second example is the idea that forest fires should always be put out as quickly as possible. The result was that the forests were allowed to grow unchecked for decades. The resulting amount of fuel for the fires that were inevitable became so large that the resulting fires were so big and so powerful that nothing could stop them.
Most problems are self resolving. It’s not good to interfere with natural cycles.
Realize his potential without harming others
Blind ambition often has negative consequences for others. The concept of ‘stepping on the little people on the way to the top’ is a prime example of this. Since all things are interconnected, you can not do harm to others without doing harm to yourself. While this connection may not result in a direct 1 for 1 reaction (an eye for an eye), the connection exists and negative energy will be returned.
Seem to neither lead nor follow
A great leader leads without being noticed. Since he is not acting for recognition or for self advancement, being seen is not important. He is kind and courteous and does not stand out as a ‘Boss’ since he is not bossy.
The master is also on his own path at his own pace. For this reason he appears not to be following anyone.
Retain humility to avoid rivalry
As they say, it takes two to tango. If you have two individuals that are full of boast, it is easy to see how they could become rivals. Another example from the news was of a riot at an annual event in a major city. The police made a show of force and the crowd responded violently. The following year, the police were there but all in plain clothes, they made no show of force and there was no violence.
Few would present a show of force against a man of humility.
Not place his brother in the shadow of his brilliance
Everyone knows someone less educated or intelligent than themselves. It is a form of negative energy to show off intellectual capability. The positive feeling one may gain from a display of intellectual capacity comes at the expense of others. Negative energy will always come back.
Achieve results without glory, pride or boast
To achieve is natural. It is positive without harming others. Glory, pride and boast are often seen associated with achievement. Glory, pride and boast all have a clear message to the listener. That message is that ‘I am better than you’. This negative energy will come back.
You can not negatively impact any part of the world you live in without consequences.
Reduce effort until all that is done is done effortlessly
This has to do with efficiency and mastery. Complexity is the opposite of simplicity. Simplicity is part of the goal. It is worth the effort to find ways to make life easier, more simple. Mastery of a task also makes life easier. For any task that you have learned, there was the initial exposure to the experience. It may have been awkward, you may not have done it correctly the first time and it probably required your full attention. After several years of repeating this task, you can likely do it without thinking about it. The muscle memory of mastery makes life much more simple.
Achieve greatness by small deeds multiplied
I like to think of this concept as the Mother Teresa model. Clearly there are great men who have accomplished great things. Things that altered the course of humanity by the enormity of their accomplishment. What doesn’t fit here, in a simple, happy life is the opportunity for the average man to come across a circumstance where greatness can be accomplished by a single deed.
Every man is capable of small deeds. Every man is capable of completing many small deeds. This was the way of Mother Teresa. While she was famous enough to spend all of her time with world leaders, she spent her time doing simple tasks like feeding and bathing. It was through these simple tasks that she achieved her greatness.
Ensures his dues are met
This is a very clear way to help to maintain your inner peace. You will attract hostility and stress if you choose not to pay your bills.
Often seem to do nothing
When all that is done, is mastered, and all that is not necessary is left undone, the master does little and what is done requires no effort since he has mastered his tasks and completes them from muscle memory without thought.
Not leave anything undone
By reducing from his life the things that are not necessary, the master can easily do what must be done. By doing all that must be done, the master can remain at peace. There is no stress from a lengthy list of things undone.
Not seek credit, fame or titles
To seek credit, fame or title indicates desire. Desire often leads to discontentment. It is easy to desire, it is often difficult to obtain. Therefore, desire most often causes discontentment. If you let go of desire, it is easier to remain at peace.
To seek credit, fame and title can also lead to significant negative energy. Suppose that you want credit bad enough to exclude another that is equally or more so, due that credit? Seeking credit, fame and title forces one to be selfish. The master is selfless. He avoids this negativity.
Reduces the complex to the simple
Simplicity in life is part of the goal. Anywhere complexity can be reduced, simplicity is gained. The master looks daily to lose one thing. He looks to unclutter his environment. He looks to simplify the process he uses in his life.
Retains simplicity as his guide (even if he resides in a grand estate)
Modern life is full of complexity. It is easy to become surrounded by it. It is easy to have your life consumed by it. It should be a daily focus to lose something. Too many things not only clutter the house, the garage and any other available storage space… but it also clutters you mind, interfering with inner peace. It should be a goal to identify the places in life where life becomes less simple (buying or otherwise receiving ‘things’, accepting assignments or tasks that require your time) and work to reduce or block these intrusions.
Not lose the opposite when considering anything
I do have to say that I believe this to be one of the most important concepts of the Tao. The process of science is to develop a theory based on observation and to then create a process to test the theory. Anyone who has followed these steps soon discovers just how often it happens that the result was the exact opposite of what was expected.
Another way to look at this is ‘unintended consequences’. What could also happen given the path you are considering?
Before making a decision, consider what would happen if you did the exact opposite… as well as what else may happen (unintended consequences) regardless of the path taken.
Remember that there are no things in life that are all bad or all good. Making any good decision will have some negative impact. By selecting the opposite, you eliminate some negative. If your evaluation of the significance of the good and bad are off, the negative may be more bad… than the positive is good. This combined with unintended consequences can make what appeared to be a good decision… a very bad one.
Not boast of possessions to avoid steeling
Boast is a form of negative energy. To boast is to suggest that another is not as good as you. Negative energy always comes back. Boasting about possessions may well be returned in the form of theft.
Minimize his desires so has no cravings
It is easy to desire, it is often difficult to satisfy desire. When desires can not be satisfied, cravings are the result. Cravings can lead to discontentment which opposes a simple, happy life. Cravings can also lead to bad decisions. Decisions that are physically harmful like over eating or decisions that are immoral or unethical. Decisions that will release a large amount of negative energy and that can prevent inner peace.
Avoid anxiety by limiting the possession of treasures
Treasures can be difficult or expensive to protect. Anxiety can easily be the result of unprotected treasures. Anxiety is opposed to the inner peace that is a goal of the life for the Tao master.
Focus on needs rather than sensory temptations
The Rolling Stones said it well: You can’t always get what you want but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need. If your focus is on sufficiency, you will more easily reach your goal. Sensory temptations, desires, are almost always going to be more difficult to obtain. The additional work required to obtain or the unsatisfied desire both work against the simple happy life.
Not act with insufficient care to avoid subsequent problems
The plain English translation here is ‘do it right the first time’. There are examples on a daily basis of problems that could easily have been prevented had the job just been done correctly the first time. More often than not, the resulting problem is an additional amount of work, while the original job still needs to be done correctly.
Deals with problems as they arise
One of the most stressful things on a daily basis is just the feeling of being overwhelmed by an accumulation of the ‘little things’ in life. Alone, there aren’t too many problems that will appear to be insurmountable, but little things do add up. The master keeps up with problems and does not let them accumulate. This allows him to remain at peace.
Lets go of what is not needed
I grew up poor. This led me to be a pack rat. The idea in my head was if I’ve got something, even if it’s something that I probably won’t need, I better keep it because if I ever do need one, I won’t have the resources to get another. As I grew up and was more able to buy the things I needed, I still had a tendency toward ‘pack-ratting’. This was more out of a sense of frugalness. Why throw away something that you might have to spend money on later? That idea seemed logical at the time, but as an accumulation grows, it cost money just to keep it all. In addition, if you’ve got a lot of stuff, unless you can keep it all organized and know what is where, when you do need something, you won’t remember that you have it or won’t be able to find it. So, what I have decided and am working toward is keeping only what I’m fairly sure I will need and keeping the things that I do have organized to the point that if I need something that I’ll know where it is.
Letting go of the unnecessary unclutters the master’s mind by uncluttering his surroundings. A cluttered mind is not at peace.
The Tao Master knows:
Judgments are relative to the person and circumstances
The judgments that come to mind most often are negative judgments. While positive judgments happen, they are often of little significance. ‘John is a nice person’. The thought comes and goes with little emotion. Negative judgments can be very emotionally charged and be a burden to the mind.
Many would look at an addict or a criminal and make the judgment that that is a ‘bad’ person. The people that know this individual might think that this is one of the best people on earth who just happens to be human and has a human problem. There is also very often a lack of complete understanding in a given circumstance. It is often true that when a single new fact is introduced to a situation, the outlook changes completely.
The Tao master lets go of what is not needed. The Tao master knows that judgments are not needed. He is aware that every judgment is relative to the person place and circumstances. There is nothing that is all good and nothing that is all bad. For every person, place, thing or event, there are people that will have positive opinions and those that will have negative opinions. Therefore, the judgment is of no value and is let go. It is not a burden to the Tao master.
That all things change
The only thing that remains the same is that all things change. Change can be very scary and change is often resisted for the simple reason that it is change. The master knows that things change and accepts this fact ahead of time. He anticipates it and is not disturbed by it.
Like the seasons, most things move in cycles. The master knows that allowing natural cycles to take their course is the right thing to do.
Our lives are a continuation of cycles of growth and understanding. The Tao master does not interfere with cycles of others. Though he is aware that another is on the wrong path, being on that path may lead to the life lesson that that individual needs to learn.
The master only interferes with others if someone is to be hurt.
Will power gets perseverance but tranquility is to endure
This is another of my favorite concepts. It sound on first pass to be a flowery bunch of fluff but this one has immense depth. This is one of the primary differences between morality that is faith driven and one that is the result of living your life through the wisdom of the Tao.
The Bible has commandments that dictate what you should and should not do. It doesn’t give a lot of explanation as to why or what your motivation is to do so. So, if your faith is strong enough, you will have enough will power to get you past your desires. Desires that may haunt you while you continue to resist.
The Tao doesn’t command you to do anything. It simply explains that there are things you can do to improve your quality of life.
What using will power says… is that there is something that I desire. Instead of fulfilling that desire, I’m going to will myself to resist. Forever forward… is this struggle.
What the Tao says is, there is a better way to live your life. You can let go of the struggle and be at peace. What the Tao says is to give up desire. If you let go of the desire, you have no need for a life long struggle. You can be at peace for the rest of your life. In knowing the Tao the master knows that he is not simply giving up something that he wants, he is making a choice that also has benefits… benefits that outweigh the current object of his desire. By choosing to let go of a desire that he deems to be potentially damaging, he frees his mind and has the knowledge that his life will remain simple and happy for having not pursued that desire.
All have the need to give and receive
This is a simple enough concept but greed and pride can interfere. These can work against the simple happy life. Giving and receiving connect you to others and will bring joy to your life. Those too greedy to give will miss out on this connection and may suffer at the knowledge that they should have helped others in need. Pride often prevents some from accepting help that is needed. To be humble enough to accept help that is needed not only will make a rough time in life easier but will allow a connection with others to deepen.
The soft overcomes the hard
This is a way of nature that needs to be understood. There are many examples. The way that water erodes solid rock and the way that a gentle woman can soothe and angered warrior.
The most obvious daily relation is that of conflict. When force meets force, damage is done. The Tao master knows that sometimes he can win a fight by doing nothing. He does not put on a show of force. He knows that a soft approach can defeat a hard stance.
That the fool is always trying and leaving much undone
This was me. Why is the fool always trying and leaving much undone? The fool tries to force things. When one grasps for a thing it is lost. The fool does not let go of what is not needed. The fool tries to do too much.
I have always considered myself a ‘do-it-yourself-er’. For the most part this has worked out ok but there are several examples where it just wasn’t a good ideal. I had this idea that I shouldn’t pay someone to do something that I could do myself. On the surface this seems logical enough. In practice it doesn’t always work out so well. As an amateur on a given project I (by definition) lack skill and knowledge about the project. This means that the finished project typically takes 4-10 times as long to complete and is of much lower quality than would have been done by a professional.
I also have a tendency to underestimate how long a project will take and how much work it will really be. This underestimation led me to accept way too many projects which resulted in a life that was very cluttered with projects that were incomplete. I was always trying and never getting anywhere near done.
The master only does what is natural for him to do. He has mastered these things and as such, the things he does do seem to be effortless. He spends little time doing things yet leaves nothing undone.
There is nothing wrong with learning new skills. This ‘personal expansion’ should be controlled though. There should be a focus on mastering a new skill instead of continually attempting new things having never mastered the previous.
A violent man will not die a natural death
What comes around goes around… live by the gun, die by the gun. How every you choose to describe it, everything is connected. You can not put out negative energy and escape its return.
That, that which is firmly rooted is not easily uprooted
What is blue is not red. Ok… that was comedy. The point here is that there are convictions that should become so much a part of who you are that you can not be separated from them.
It is easy to quit near the end so is careful to follow through
I have noticed that this is simple human nature. It is very easy to quit when nearing the end of a task, regardless of the size or significance. Any task that is worth the time to do (and there are probably many that just shouldn’t be started) is worth the effort to complete. Quitting can become habit forming and it’s not a good habit to have.
The long journey starts with the first footstep
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. It is easy to become overwhelmed by the size of some tasks. They may even seem impossible. Having already said that many tasks just shouldn’t be done, if a task should be done, don’t be dissuaded simply by its size. Make an effort to mentally break the task into ‘bite sized’ pieces. Since it’s unlikely that most people will have large tasks that no one has ever done before, look at how others have completed the same task.
The truth is not always beautiful
The truth is often ugly and stranger than fiction. As difficult as the truth may be, it is part of the path to inner peace. Secrets and lies start as a little black ball in your stomach… it feeds on your inner peace. If secrets and lies are allowed to be part of your life, they grow until they consume you.
Beautiful words are not always the truth
Deception. It’s very common. Most often it’s insignificant. It’s the face people put on when you’re around. Maybe it’s the face they put on for everyone. To some degree, everyone has shame, things that they don’t want others to know. Partly for this reason (there are many other reasons) people often do things for reasons other than the obvious one.
People often say what is expected (beautiful words) regardless of the truth. Sometimes, it’s just easier to use beautiful words. Sometimes there is a very dark reality that is being hidden.
Positive begets positive and negative begets negative
What comes around goes around. As I have said several times so far in my dissection of the Tao, everything is connected. You can not put out negative energy and avoid it’s return. Also true, is that positive energy is returned. People are good and kind to a good and kind individual. People do not react positively to those who spread negative energy.
This is equally true of nature, you can not do harm to nature without consequences.
All things are connected. You are part of this whole.
Not if any single event is good or bad so he does not dwell
This example is best explained by a short story. A long time ago in a small village in China lived a man and his grown son. They were horse breeders and as a gift to his son, the man bought the best horse in the village. The town’s people congratulated the son on his good fortune. The father said to his son, “You do not know if this is a good thing or bad”. Two weeks later, the horse ran away. The town’s people consoled the son for his loss. The father said, “You do not know if this is a good thing or bad”. A month later, the horse returned. It had gone north by the Mongol village and had returned with a Mongol mare that was his equal. The son now had a breeding pair that was the best known to anyone in the village. The town’s people congratulated the son on his good fortune. The father said, “You do not know if this is a good thing or bad”. While riding the new mare to break her in, she threw him and he landed on a large stone, shattering his hip. While he did heal, he would never walk right again. The town’s people consoled him for his misfortune. His father said, “You do not know if this is a good thing or bad”. A year later the Mongols attacked from the north. All able body men were conscripted to fight in the war. The son, being lame, could not fight. 9 of every 10 to be conscripted were killed in the war.
Clearly, regardless of how good or how bad something may seem, you never really know if something is good or bad. Since you can never know if something is good or bad, there is no reason to allow any event to prevent you from maintaining your inner peace.
The next time something happens that causes you stress or anger, ask yourself “Is this a good thing or a bad thing”. The correct answer is, you don’t know. As such, you should remain at peace.
Your initial reaction may be that there are things that are absolutely bad. While this may be true, no single event should be examined alone. Doing so, excludes other events that are the direct result of the individual event. While there are things that are individually bad… and the good that may come from it may not exceed the bad, you will never know.
The event causing your stress or anger may turn out to b the single most significant positive event in your life.
Possessions are easier to protect in moderation
The significance here is stress. Stress prevents inner peace. The more things you have, the more protection you need. This accumulation works against inner peace.
That by grasping for a thing it is lost
This is simply trying too hard. Things that should be, happen naturally. Consider relationships… when one of a potential couple tries to force it, it often doesn’t work out. The best relationships are ones where it is clear and obvious to both from the beginning that it is meant to be.
My initial reaction to this concept was, “but there are things that I want”. From that thought came the conclusion that I often want things that are not good for me. Desires can cause problems. Things that are meant to be will happen. To force things that are not meant to be is to step away from inner peace and to risk a result you do not want.
I can think of many times in my life where this applies. Once while cooking for a friend, I wanted to prove my skill. In ‘trying too hard’ to do so, I took a couple extra steps that I didn’t usually take. These extra steps ruined the meal.
I can also think of many times where I forced something that shouldn’t have been forced and broke it… like breaking a bolt by over tightening or by not using a release lubricant before forcing a nut off.
One may gain by losing and lose by gaining
This is often a concept used in professional sports. Problem players can be an exceptionally negative influence on an entire team. The team can gain by losing this player.
The concept is as simple as basic math. Any time you lose a negative you gain. One minus negative one equals two.
That excessive attachment to wealth will cause suffering from loss
I’ve heard it said that you should only love things that can love you back. If the goal is inner peace, you need to accept that things change and that sometimes what changes is the bank account balance.
That desire and wanting cause discontent
It is easy to desire, it is easy to want. It is often very difficult to obtain the object of desire. Simple logic dictates that if you allow desire to have free run in your thoughts, that you will be left wanting. You will be discontent because of the unsatisfied desires.
As they say, “be careful what you wish for”, not only because you might get it… but because you might not.
The master does not sacrifice inner peace for meaningless desires.
That he who desires sufficiency more easily has what he requires
As a percentage, very few in the US do not have food, shelter and clothing. If that was all it took to satisfy the desires of all of the people in the US, this would be a very peaceful, happy country.
The master does not set goals to acquire possessions beyond his needs. To do so would put his inner peace at risk. By desiring the necessities of life, he easily fulfills his desires and has no stress in his life regarding the accumulation of things.
Excess dulls the senses
Excess is the American way. We do everything ‘Extreme’. We ‘super size’ our food, we continue to build houses bigger and more extravagant (McMansions?). We have to have the most extreme entertainment all the time.
What happens is that as you push the limit in any direction, you become accustom to that level of intensity. Anything less is a let down. Extremes (by definition, more than normal or ordinary) should be avoided when possible.
You should be able to get a good level of satisfaction from the simple things in life.
With others, the Tao Master:
Knows virtue may grow from example
What would the Tao master do? Lead by example. Learn the Tao, practice the Tao and let others learn by your example.
Cultivates without possessing
What comes to mind is the possessive parent. The one that is overly careful. She still wants to see her child grow and makes efforts to that end but prevents the child from gaining real life experiences out of fear. Childhood lessons are cheap. A lesson learned by a bloody nose in the 3rd grade may prevent a gunshot wound as an adult.
The second situation that comes to mind is a mentor who after passing on his knowledge feels partial ownership of his student. While the connection is logical, it is not right to assume control over the lives of others.
Teaches by example and abandons no one who stops to listen
The best lessons for dealing with situations come from watching those who have mastered them. For Christians, the question is “What would Jesus do?” The same is true for Taoists. What would the Tao master do?
To many it is common to see things as black or white, good or bad. There is nothing that is all good or all bad. This is especially true of people. As it is said, there is good and bad in everyone. Everyone is on their journey, the journey of their life. This journey is a cycle, a process. While it is not good to interfere in the affairs of others, there is no higher calling than for a ‘good man’ to teach a ‘bad man’. For those that would like to know the Tao, do not pass them over because of judgments you may have… since all judgments are relative and therefore meaningless.
Ensures the pace is correct when managing
A good manager is productive. To not be productive would be bad both for the manager and his workers. The manager that pushes too hard also does a disservice to his workers. These are both forms of negative energy. The negative energy will return to the manager most likely in the form of discontent from his workers. Being the recipient of negative energy works against inner peace.
Does not act for his own ends when managing
The Tao Master is selfless. He does what is natural to him. While he does work to improve himself, he does not force what is not natural. He is not concerned about title or prestige. To act for his own ends would be selfish. This would be a form of negative energy that would return to him working against his inner peace.
That force leads to force and waste of energy
Almost without exception, if you try to force something, it is because there is resistance to this force. When force meets force, little is accomplished and much energy is expended.
An example that comes to mind is Muhammad Ali with his ‘rope-a-dope’ boxing style. Instead of spending his energy head to head, he simply put up his hands defending himself without using up his energy. His opponent would throw blow after blow until exhausted. Once exhausted, Ali would let lose his offense and win the fight in short order.
Does not cause unnecessary conflict
Conflict is the polar opposite of peace… peace that is a primary goal of the Tao. Conflict can almost always be avoided. The easiest way to significantly reduce conflict is to not start conflict yourself.
Not butting in to others problems and using problem solving techniques where problems exist… without conflict.
Does not interfere with others unless someone is to be hurt
Other peoples business is other peoples business. You should not interfere with others unless someone will be injured due to your lack of interference.
This included offering advice whether it is requested or not. Un-requested advice is never wanted. Requested advice is a way for people to blame you for things that go wrong later. Other than technical instruction on how a thing works, advice should be skipped all together.
Yields to maintain integrity
A tree that bends in the wind yields to maintain integrity. A tree that is too rigid to bend will break.
Consider very carefully places in your life where you are unwilling to be flexible. Consider what the cost may be if you ‘break’.
Does not defend himself
Verbally or physically. Those that refuse to fight are rarely beaten. For someone that is spewing verbal abuse, the Tao master has no concern. The Tao Master is not concerned by the words of others; ‘sticks and stones’.
Does not underestimate the opponent as the weaker may still win
It is absolutely impossible to know an opponent completely. Even if you are confident that you have a significant advantage, you still do not know everything about your opponent. He may have a hidden advantage.
Even if your opponent has no hidden advantage, luck may work for your opponent. It happens all the time that an underdog wins.
Makes no show of strength
As they say, ‘it takes two to tango’. If one refuses to fight, it is impossible for a fight to happen and a simple beating is not a common thing. Refusing to fight starts with not making a show of force, threats or challenges.
Knows that arguments may be won by waiting
While not all problems are self resolving, many are. There is no need to step into the middle of every problem you see. Often the best result is the natural one the one that happens without interference.
Is kind in dealings
What comes around goes around. Kindness is the type of energy you want returned to you. This is the kind of energy you want to be giving out. The energy level of kindness is also directly related to the recipient of your kindness. While it is easy to be kind to a newborn, it is much more difficult to be kind to someone you could describe as an enemy. The energy level of kindness shown to an enemy is significant.
Treats all with respect, love and trust
Many people say that respect and trust must be earned. This limits your opportunities to give out positive energy. Since you are connected to everything, you can not deny respect, love and trust to others without limiting the possible positive returns to yourself.
Is courteous like a guest
Being on your ‘best behavior’. You’ve been somewhere special where you were kinder, softer and more courteous. There is no reason not to live your life the same way. To give off positive energy all the time.
Holds no prejudice against his fellow man
People are complex and often wear masks to hide who they really are. Sometimes on purpose, sometimes not. You can never really be sure that you know someone even after decades. If you can’t be sure that you know someone after many years, how can you possibly know anything about someone on your first meeting? No one is all good as no one is all bad. At most an individual may have a few characteristics that you may not care for. That individual is participating in the cycle of his life… the cycle that may eventually lead him away from the characteristics that you do not care for. Allow him to grow without negative energy from you.
Does not expect others to share his criteria
For as convinced as you may be about any particular thing, if that subject was put to a nation wide pole, it’s almost a guarantee that the results of the pole will be closer to 50/50 than 100/0. There are almost no concepts that are universally agreed upon. The master knows this and is not bothered by it. He knows that his opinions are subject to his situation and his situation may change. He does not allow the thoughts or opinions of others reduce his inner peace.
Is selfless and compassionate
These are both examples of positive energy. The Tao master is lives much like an animal in nature. He lives a natural life. Creatures in the wild do not emit negative energy. They do only what is natural for them.
Makes no false claim
It is almost impossible to tell lies without having to tell more lies to cover the original. A lifestyle that includes lies is a constant struggle to try to remember who has been told what. Not only is this a significant release of negative energy which will be returned but it is a source of significant stress. Stress works against inner peace.
Be it a minor lie, a major lie or a statement of fact that is not really known, false claim works against peace and calm in a major way.
What may be a bigger ‘quality-of-life’ factor is emotional intimacy. Even if you are not ‘actively lying’ you can still ‘passively lie’ by minimizing or omitting relevant information. I think it is common to expect people to judge you and to fear rejection. For these reasons, people tend to keep many (possibly controversial) issues to themselves.
For a moment, imagine that you told every last one of your deepest darkest secrets to a close friend or lover. Imagine that after hearing all of this, no judgment was passed and you were not rejected.
For me, emotional intimacy on this level was unknown. Fear of rejection and judgment were too severe to ever open up completely. As I have mentioned throughout… relationships are what really matters. Having relationships that you can call intimate due to the level of emotional connection are of a value incomparable.
Says little
There is usually a reason why people that talk a lot, do so. An attempt to display knowledge, feelings of insecurity, a feeling of discomfort with quiet. None of these reasons bother the Tao Master.
He has two ears and one mouth. He uses them in that proportion and is a good listener.
Acts with honor but retains humility
There is no reason not to live an honorable life. However, the Tao master is not bothered by a slight against his honor. Some cultures consider a claim of dishonor to be a life or death situation. The Tao master is not bothered by the words of others. He is what he is and the words of others make no difference to him.
Is receptive to the needs of others
The master knows that all need to give and to receive. He expects that others will have needs that he can help with. He lives a positive life and takes advantage of opportunities to give out positive energy.
The return of his positive energy (often in the context of relationships that he cares about) while in the state of peace (which he actively protects) allows for the happiness which is a goal of living a life guided by the Tao.
Is good to all regardless of their deeds
The Tao master is good to others because he is a good person. He is someone who is intentionally positive in an effort to release positive energy at every opportunity. The master does not allow the conduct of others to change this. The master’s behavior is about the master, it isn’t about others.
To be good to another is just the way the master is. To be good to another that may not be deserving is to release positive energy on a larger scale. The same good deed done for a Saint does not release the same level of positive energy.
It is also an opportunity to teach by example. To teach others that may be involved and to teach the recipient, who may not be deserving of this particular kindness.
Treats others according to their needs
To give a meal to a wealthy man is a meaningless task. To give a meal to a starving man may be a life altering event. All have needs and each individual should be treated according to their needs. The wealthy man likely has all of the ‘things’ that he needs. He may be in need of wisdom… guidance from the Tao that can add depth to a wealthy but shallow life.
Knows promises easily made are most easily broken
Consider carefully what you promise. It is easy to try to promise everyone everything they want. It can even be done with the intent to follow through. If careful consideration is not made before the promise is given, you may not realize that the promise you are about to make is not possible.
Allowing expectations that are not realistic is a form of negative energy. It is far better to be realistic with expectations even if that means bad news up front. If bad news is the likely outcome, it is much better to let that be known as soon as possible. This avoids bad feelings later in addition to the inevitable bad news. The bad feelings that will be the result of the knowledge that the news was known all along and only now disclosed. This is the return of negative energy multiplied.
Had the bad news been disclosed up front, alternate actions could have been taken to mitigate the problem or alternate plans could have been made.
The truth, even if not beautiful, will still be appreciated.
In my life this was most prominent in a former business partner of mine. While he was a smart guy, he definitely had self-worth issues and always felt the need to prove himself. This led him to always answer in the affirmative when asked ‘can you do this’. He just did a very poor job of considering all of the factors before making these types of statements. He typically wouldn’t ever check a calendar to see if he was even available. Practically everyone that he did work for ended up upset with him for ‘over-promising’. The funniest thing he ever said (and he couldn’t understand why I laughed when he said it) was that he wanted to change our company slogan to ‘We Over-Deliver’.
Knows that from economy comes generosity
The master lives a conservative life. From this economy comes the ability to give. You can not give what you do not have. Regardless of your income, if you consume less than the full amount, you will have excess, without that excess generosity becomes impossible.
Growing up poor, this part comes naturally for me. My current vehicle has 235,000 miles on it and has been paid for, for over 5 years and I don’t have any plans to get rid of it any time soon. Practically every purchase I make, I spend time considering if it’s really necessary and if it is, what is the most economical way to obtain it. This type of frugality isn’t all that common though. We live in a consumer driven economy where excess consumption is praised. The good thing about that is that most people can easily make significant improvements in there monthly cash flow with a few easy changes to their purchasing habits.
When you position yourself financially in a place where you don’t feel the pressure just to cover the bills, generosity becomes much easier.
Knows that from humility comes the willingness to lead from behind
To lead from behind. To be in charge, responsible for direction but not part of the effort in an attempt to gain glory. The master does not manage for his own gain. He does not need to be in the spot light. He is satisfied with getting the results that are naturally achieved, achieved without forcing the situation.
While a good manager may be the visual point man for his people, he doesn’t feel the need to be in the spotlight. He is a leader, a motivator, a trainer and provides direction. If this direction puts his people in the spotlight (for positive reasons), he has no concern.
Acknowledges his ignorance displaying strength of personality
MAS… Male Answer Syndrome. The inability to not have an answer to every question regardless of how strange the answer is. Many men suffer from this disease. The truth is, that you can never really know anything. Everything that you think you might know, might not really be the truth.
In reality, it almost always a safe answer to reply “I don’t know” since it is always possible to be wrong.
What it says to someone listening is not “This individual is ignorant”, it says “This person is strong enough to admit a weakness”.
Knows that to ignore wisdom is a sign of weakness
Wisdom is life experience. This is opposed to intellect which comes from study without experience. Wisdom is the greatest form of knowledge. It comes from reality as opposed to theory.
It is clearly a mistake to ignore wisdom.
The best example of this that I’ve seen was a young man that couldn’t have been more than 20. He was in a rant about the ignorance of ‘older people’ how they didn’t know anything… how he had it all figured out. While I didn’t say it, my thought was… ‘think about how smart you are now… think about all the things you will learn in the next 20 years… added together do you think you will be less smart?’ He didn’t have enough wisdom to understand wisdom.
Has self-respect but is not arrogant
The self-respect that the master has is internal. His self-respect is simply how he feels about himself. It is not an external trait. It is not his attempt to influence how others think about him. That is not a concern for the master.
It is my intent to offer this interpretation of the Tao to all who are interested. It is part of the Tao to do so. It is my hope that others will benefit from the wisdom contained in the Tao as I have.
To read it is good, to study it is better, to own it (to make it part of who you are) is best. To own the Tao, it should be returned to often. The actions and relationships in your life should be compared to the concepts in the Tao. You should consider how the actions you have taken compare to how the Tao master would have handled the situation. You should compare your outcome with what you would expect the results of the master to be.
Eventually, you will recognize opportunities in your life before they happen. Opportunities to reduce the negative and increase the positive. You will take action and your life will improve. If you make it a process to study, evaluate and take new positive actions, you can achieve the simple happy life.
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