#21 Becoming a Symbol of the Tao
Tao Te Ching, Chapter 21
Welcome back! “Reading Taoism” is now “The Wisdom of Lao Tzu.” (The new name more accurately captures the meaning of this series. )
We are reading chapter 21 of Tao Te Ching this week, where we discover what defines a true Taoist (philosophical, not religious).
We will know some of the most essential life principles of Taoists and why they live by those particular rules.
Meanwhile, by examining the nature of the Tao and the way of the Taoists, we can also reassess our own codes of conduct and life principles.
Let’s get to it.
**21**
孔德之容，惟道是從。
道之為物，惟恍惟惚。
惚兮恍兮，其中有象。
恍兮惚兮，其中有物。
窈兮冥兮，其中有精。
其精甚真，其中有信。
自古及今，其名不去，以閱眾甫。
吾何以知眾甫之狀哉？以此。
Border-crossing: English translations
#1 Lin Yutang’s version
The marks of great Character
Follow alone from the Tao.
The thing that is called Tao
Is elusive, evasive.
Evasive, elusive,
Yet latent in it are forms.
Elusive, evasive,
Yet latent in it are objects.
Dark and dim,
Yet latent in it is the life-force.
The life-force being very true,
Latent in it are evidences.
From the days of old till now
Its Named (manifested forms) have never ceased,
By which we may view the Father of All Things.
How do I know the shape of Father of All Things?
Through These!
#2 Edmund Ryden’s version
That utmost life force includes all things is only because it comes from the Way.
The Way is without action: uniquely vague, uniquely elusive.
Elusive ah! Vague ah! Within her womb there is a vague shape.
Vague ah! Elusive ah! Within her womb there is a something.
Recess ah! Obscure ah! Within her womb there is the seed.
That seed is most authentic.
Within her womb it is sure.
From of old till now, her name does not fade.
By this we observe the emergence of all things.
How do I know the shape of the beginning of all things?
By this. 1
#3 D. C. Lau’s version
In his every movement a man of great virtue
Follows the way and the way only.
As a thing the way is
Shadowy, indistinct.
Indistinct and shadowy,
Yet within it is an image;
Shadowy and indistinct,
Yet within it is a substance.
Dim and dark,
Yet within it is an essence.
This essence is quite genuine
And within it is something that can be tested.
From the present back to antiquity
Its name never deserted it.
It serves as a means for inspecting the fathers of the multitude.
How do I know that the fathers of the multitude are like that? By means of this.2
Deeper dive
This chapter delves into the metaphysical aspect of the mysterious Tao.
Tao is elusive and indistinct, yet it is the origin of all the myriad things. In other words, the things of the world all represent, to some extent, the partial truth of the Tao.
In this sense, we can observe the contrasts between different values and ways of doing things. There are always “good” and “evil,” “beauty” and “ugliness,” and “right” and “wrong” in one particular world and historical period. These are the temporary manifestations of the Tao in relative values and beliefs.
But, to fathom the ultimate value or truth of the world and the universe requires transcending these competing norms and values because their validity and utility are temporary.
To put it straightforwardly, all positive claims made about the truth of the world should be viewed with a grain of salt and accordingly examined and investigated. If popular ideas and conventions are valid, they may be proved false sometime from their beginnings or even a few hundred years later.
Humans cannot resist worldly temptations and rise above our natural limitations to view the world from our subjective perspectives. Even though we can do whatever it takes to be objective and comprehensive, we are still trying to understand the world from the viewpoint of humankind.
The mistake of our fatal conceit is that we are not observing the world from the angle of the Tao.
The Tao is all-pervasive and transcends beyond the limits of time and space. Chapter 14 of Tao Te Ching reveals the practical value of grasping the Tao as follows,
He who holds fast to the Tao of old
In order to manage the affairs of Now
Is able to know the Primeval Beginnings
Which are the continuity of Tao.
Since the Tao is manifested in various things as Virtue 德, it becomes critical for the observant and awakened individuals to thoroughly study and investigate whether the many forms of virtue and practices are aligned with the Tao.
This is why the first sentence in this chapter states, “In his every movement a man of great virtue follows the way and the way only.”
Spiritual Taoism
This chapter talks about the traits of the Tao, but it has an essential lesson for the awakened individuals.
If the metaphysical Tao is all-pervasive yet elusive, it has to find a way to demonstrate its presence in the things of the world.
On a personal level, the awakened individuals represent the Tao through their character and actions.
This principle means that these individuals live a life following the rhythm of the Tao. They do not intentionally reveal themselves (dimming the light and submerging with the upheaval of the world, Chapter 4), adopt the principle of non-contention (Chapter 81), and do not take credit (be like water to excel in benefiting the myriad things without contending with them, Chapter 8), strive to be impartial and non-interventionist in managing human affairs (practicing wuwei, or nonaction, Chapter 2), and resign from their posts when the work is done.
They have a grave sense of responsibility as they see the higher dimension of spirituality and the grand unity of the Tao.
They see the relative opposites of the world and rise above competing values and narratives. In this process, they liberate their spirit and mind and look at the world with a transcendent attitude and sentiment.
In doing so, they are not restricted by conventional values as they keenly investigate the ultimate truth beyond the universe where mystery resides. A true Taoist is a free spirit after seeing themselves aligned with the Tao. So, they cannot subject themselves to and worship any authority, be it political, religious, or spiritual. The light of philosophical wisdom shines on their path.
They understand following the Tao is fundamentally liberating because it is not prescriptive and does not possess and dominate. By observing that the Tao accomplishes and creates without claiming credit (Chapter 2), the Taoists learn the foundational principle of being free to pursue self-fulfillment and spontaneous transformation. This is the natural order.
The Tao approaches the myriad things of the world in a way that “It gives them life yet claims no possession; It benefits them yet exacts no gratitude; It is the steward yet exercises no authority (D. C. Lau’s translation, Chapter 10). This is the way of the Tao.
So, the Taoists practice their responsibility by embodying the Tao in all dimensions of their life. They defend the principles of the Tao silently while not forcing others to model after them because they abide by the teaching that “a man of the highest virtue does not keep to virtue and that is why he has virtue.”(D. C. Lau’s translation, Chapter 38).
Essentially, they transform themselves to align with the workings of the Tao. When entangled in complex human affairs, they must use wisdom and experience to subtly adjust the human world to the tune of the Tao.
They lead a life that is unselfconscious and spontaneous. Even if the world abandons them because of their way of life, they still take responsibility silently and unwaveringly. The legacy of a Taoist: a symbol of transcendence, transformation, and the will to investigate the ultimate truth and values. This is their responsibility and mission.
As the last chapter of Tao Te Ching describes,
The Sage does not accumulate (for himself);
He lives for other people,
And grows richer himself;
He gives to other people,
And has greater abundance.
The Tao of Heaven
Blesses, but does not harm.
The Way of the Sage
Accomplishes, but does not contend. (Lin Yutang’s translation, Chapter 81)
Thanks for reading!
Don’t forget to like and share this content with your like-minded friends!
To your spiritual journey,
Yuxuan
Daodejing, trans. Edmund Ryden. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008), 45.
Tao Te Ching, trans. D. C. Lau. (London: Penguin Classics, 1963), 26.
Been coming back to your series for a while... And I really really really needed to read this