Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching

The Tao Te Ching, or "The Book of the Way," is "the world's most translated classic next to the Bible" (Chew). It is said to have been written by Lao-tzu sometime between 600 and 300 BCE Lao-tzu, whose name means "Old Master," was a famous philosopher in China who attracted some followers, but initially would not compile his teachings into a written work, as he "believed that written words might solidify into formal dogma" (Chew).

Lao-tzu was born in Ch'u, in the Henan Province of China's Eastern Zhou Dynasty. Historians are not certain of the exact year of his birth, but place it sometime between the seventh and fourth centuries before the common era. As a respected scholar, he was appointed Keeper of the Imperial Archives in Lo-yang by the King of Zhou.

Around Lao-tzu's lifetime, China's Eastern Zhou Dynasty was experiencing the "Warring States Period," which lasted from 475 - 221 BCE. In this era, there was a power struggle between several of the large Chinese states for control of the entire region. The warring states built walls around their borders and strengthened their armies. Some states entered alliances with others, and by the end of the period, there was fighting between several large states, amongst which Qin emerged as the winner, signifying the end of the Zhou Dynasty.

Three centuries before the Warring States Period, an "alliance of disloyal vassals and so-called barbarians destroyed the capital and killed the king" (Brummett 46). They destroyed all but a fragment of the Zhou royal power. The remainder escaped to Lo-yang, where Lao-tzu was born sometime during the centuries that followed.

There was perpetual warfare during the fifth through third centuries (BCE). During that period, there were several technological advancements adopted in China. Asian nomads influenced the Chinese art of war. The nomads were well known for their equestrian skills, and during the Zhou Dynasty, the Chinese adopted a cavalry to replace the use of chariots. The infantry wore uniforms based upon those of the Asian nomads.

The Warring States Period influenced Lao-tzu to reject the "chaos and evils of contemporary Warring States society," and to shun "human institutions and opinions as unnatural and artificial 'outside things' " (Brummett 50). When developing his philosophies concerning the place of all beings in the universe, Lao-tzu drew from his own experiences in what he saw to be a morally decaying society. He realized that it is in the nature of human beings to crave wealth and power, and that these desires only cause violence and disharmony.

Harmony with nature became one of Lao-tzu's most important concepts. By passively accepting one's fate, a notion called "wu-wei," one could achieve a life comparable to nature itself, because nature does not enforce change, it simply adapts to changes.

Legends tell of the circumstances under which Lao-tzu wrote the piece. According to Robin Chew, Lao-tzu became so "saddened by the evil of men," that he "set off into the desert on a water buffalo leaving civilization behind. When he arrived at the final gate at the great wall protecting the kingdom, the gatekeeper persuaded him to record the principles of his philosophy for posterity."

In writing the Tao te Ching, Lao-tzu was attempting to share his personal philosophies with others. He was unhappy with the struggle for worldly power which had corrupted the morals of his society. His work is a series of chapters, each which deals with a different aspect of the world and humanity. In the Tao te Ching, Lao-tzu attempts to explain the "nature of the Tao," and to guide humanity along the path towards harmony through acceptance of the Way. He also includes several descriptions of the characteristics which should be inherent in a ruler, indicating that he was not satisfied with the kings of the Zhou Dynasty, and wanted to show the people what characteristics would be inherent in a good ruler.

The Tao te Ching embodies the three main components within Taoism: The nature of life, the path to peace, and the obligations of a ruler. Within its verse, Lao-tzu uses examples from nature and from life to explain his perceptions regarding existence.

One main concept of Taoism is the importance of acceptance as the key to peace and harmony. Lao-tzu supports this idea in the Tao te Ching: "If no action is taken / Harmony remains" ("Tao," ch. 3. 11-12). In Taoism, the most desirable state of being, is the point at which one accepts all and tries to change nothing. "The sage would not control the world / He is in harmony with the world" ("Tao," ch. 34. 12-13).
Lao-tzu believed that the way to true harmony and wisdom is acceptance and passive living. The wise man takes things as they come, but does not try to change destiny, or the "ebb and flow" of things:

The sage experiences without abstraction,
And accomplishes without action;
He accepts the ebb and flow of things,
Nurtures them, but does not own them,
And lives, but does not dwell. ("Tao," ch. 2. 11-15)

When a human accepts all things, then he has reached the goal of the Taoist. He has fully embraced the Way. The Way is the only route to harmony:

Opening your heart, you become accepted;
Accepting the world, you embrace the Way.
Bearing and nurturing,
Creating but not owning,
Giving without demanding,
This is harmony. ("Tao," ch. 10. 5-10)

In chapter twenty-one of the Tao te Ching, entitled "Accept," Lao-tzu explains that the procedure for understanding the Way, which ultimately leads to an understanding of the world, is simply to embrace the world as it is: "The Way is the source of all the world / How can I understand the source of the world? / By accepting" (9-11).
The lack of action, or "wu-wei" prevents the evils that appear in society, because "he who acts, spoils" ("Tao," ch. 64b. 1). Everything that is wrong with humanity exists because there are distinguishment between objects: "Not praising the worthy prevents contention / Not esteeming the valuable prevents theft / Not displaying the beautiful prevents desire" ("Tao," ch. 3. 1-3).

According to Lao-tzu, the act of categorizing an object, in turn leads to negativity when it is absent. For example, if there is an absence of beauty (Lao-tzu uses "abstracted"), then it is "implied" that there is ugliness:

When beauty is abstracted
Then ugliness has been implied;
When good is abstracted
Then evil has been implied. ("Tao," ch. 2. 1-4)

Lao-tzu also maintains that harmony is a characteristic of nature: "He who loses harmony opposes nature' / This is the root of my teaching" ("Tao," ch. 42. 8-9). In Taoism, one strives to unite with nature, thus achieving a perfect balance, or harmony.

Although Lao-tzu stressed the importance of accepting things as they are, he also included some thoughts concerning why life is as it is. He believed that "nature is complete because it does not serve itself" ("Tao," ch. 7. 1). When addressing life, Lao-tzu said that the "self" is the cause of both hope and fear. Without hope and fear, there is no "disaster or fortune" ("Tao," ch. 13. 4).

He often mentions fate and destiny, and argues that mere humans should not try to change their future. Fate is not to be tempted, for "even the sage dares not tempt fate" ("Tao," ch. 73. 5). Lao-tzu says that fate "does not honor daring" ("Tao," ch. 73. 4).

In Lao-tzu's philosophy, there lies a basic understanding of nature very similar to one that we have today. In chapter 16, he discusses decay and renewal, the cycle of nature. All things that "flourish" will also die. The remains of such objects return to the earth in an unending cycle of life that has been accepted by humanity.

Not only does Lao-tzu address nature, as in the world, but he also explicates his beliefs concerning human nature. He cites certain characteristics in humans that appear only as an effect of disharmony. When there is such a thing as "duty," or "justice," then humans believe they are wise or intelligent, and hypocrisy develops. When balanced relationships fail, there becomes a power distinguishment which leads to "respect and devotion." When an entity is lost in turmoil, the people become "patriotic" and "loyal" ("Tao," ch. 18).

The infinitesimal Way is everything. It is All and One. Lao-tzu describes it as "limitless" and "flowing away forever," but in being the whole, it also returns to each individual:

The Way is limitless,
So nature is limitless,
So the world is limitless,
And so I am limitless. ("Tao," ch. 25. 11-14)

Many ideas that Americans embrace are mentioned in the Tao te Ching. A characteristic, though maybe only a stereotype, of the Americans is that we value equality and integrity, and we believe that money cannot buy happiness. Lao-tzu refers to some similar ideas in chapter eighty-one in which he argues that being "cultured" and "enlightened" are not one and the same. An analogy for twentieth century society is that common sense and education are not interchangeable. He also supports an idea that is often characteristic of American Romanticism - that wealth does not equal happiness:

Enlightened people are not cultured;
Culture is not enlightenment.
Content people are not rich;
Riches are not contentment. ("Tao," ch. 81. 3-6)

Nature does not favor one being over another. Therefore, there is no reason for violence or competition amongst individuals or groups. People will benefit from nature if they are selfless. "The ancients said: 'nature is impartial; Therefore it serves those who serve all' " ("Tao," ch. 79. 7-8).

Having lived during the Warring States Period, Lao-tzu saw several problems with his society and its rulers. In the Tao te Ching, he includes several lessons, which are directed towards those in power. Lao-tzu warns against those things which usually cause chaos in a society, such as violence, greed, and punishments.

In order to make his argument concerning execution as a punishment, Lao-tzu actually points out the benefits of having an executioner. He states that, because people fear death, they would not disobey if death was a punishment for crime. However, if there was nobody that disobeyed, there would be no need to have an executioner. He uses this principal to convince
the reader that death cannot be dealt by a human. It is "an instrument of fate" ("Tao," ch. 74. 7), and a ruler, no matter how powerful, should not meddle with destiny.

According to Lao-tzu, a leader should "lead by following" (ch. 66). In order to be a successful ruler, he maintains that the unfettered support of the people is invaluable:

In order to master people
One must speak as their servant;
In order to lead people
One must follow them.
So when the sage rises above the people,
They do not feel oppressed;
And when the sage stands before the people,
They do not feel hindered.
So the popularity of the sage does not fail,
He does not contend, and no one contends against him. (ch. 66)

The purpose of a ruler is to maintain harmony within society. Therefore, Lao-tzu advises "powerful men" not to use violence to achieve their goals ("Tao," ch. 30. 1). His argument holds true today: "Thorns and weeds grow wherever an army goes / And lean years follow a great war" ("Tao," ch. 30. 3-4). Often, after a war, there are economic problem. Economic discontent is a result of war, and has been for over two thousand years.

Lao-tzu does admit, though, that there is some necessity in having an army, but he states that "armies are tools of violence" ("Tao," ch. 31. 1). However, he maintains that an army must do what "is dictated by necessity / But not by choice" ("Tao," ch. 30. 9-10). If a general is victorious, Lao-tzu advises the victor not to "take advantage of his victory" ("Tao," ch. 30. 7).

The Tao te Ching proposes that a wise man does not "distinguish between himself and the world" (ch. 49. 1). The man should be good to all, even those who are bad. A good ruler does not live in a mansion while those around him struggle to survive. He does not value himself above his subjects. Lao-tzu points out that living well among the poor is the same as stealing:

When palaces are kept up
Fields are left to weeds
And granaries empty;
Wearing fine clothes,
Bearing sharp swords,
Glutting with food and drink,
Hoarding wealth and possessions -
These are the ways of theft . . . ("Tao," ch. 53. 6-13)

Not only does Lao-tzu advise rulers not to act with self-importance, but he also tells them that, to be a good ruler, one should not rule at all. Lao-tzu says not to "control the people with laws / Nor violence nor espionage / But conquer them with inaction" ("Tao," ch. 57. 1-3). He argues that laws and taxes only lead to theft due to a lack of funds. When there are too many moral standards, there are more people who are ostracized by society, and hence, more people who are dissatisfied with society. When there are people dissatisfied with society, the ruler has failed, and there is a chance he will be overthrown. Unhappiness in society leads to chaos and disharmony.

The Tao te Ching should be studied as an accurate source from ancient Asia, since it was written several thousand years ago. However, one cannot know exactly who wrote the text, nor how many people contributed to it. Many historians believe that either Lao-tzu was not, in fact, a real person, or that, if he was a historical figure, that he did not write the Tao te Ching on his own. Historians have found that some chapters of the Tao te Ching can be traced back to almost 600 BCE, while other chapters are several centuries younger. Even though there is debate concerning the existence of Lao-tzu, the Tao te Ching still shows that the author, or authors, were unhappy with their society. Its effects remain the same.

The Tao te Ching became popular in China because there was discontentment with the Warring States society. Lao-tzu provided an alternative philosophy to the Dynastic policy of a powerful king, and impoverished subjects. The Tao te Ching provides a comment on society, as well as a philosophical and a religious approach to life. Those who achieve its goals are the "ideal" people according to Taoism.

In studying the Tao te Ching, the reader learns about some of the tenants of Taoism. He discovers that though Taoism is a foreign philosophy, there are also some thoughts that are similar to his own. The basic idea of Taoism, wu-wei, though an idea that is incomprehensible to most Americans, is one that could be adopted by any culture. It may be the exact opposite of the extreme, American, "guardian of the world" philosophy, however, that makes it a no less reasonable approach to life.