#25 The Way of Natural Life
Tao Te Ching, Chapter 25: Discover the Taoist way of following the Tao, crafting your unique life story, and choosing to live naturally.
Welcome back to The Wisdom of Lao Tzu.
We are reading chapter 25 of Tao Te Ching this week.
This particular chapter unravels the character of the Tao but also links it with the foundational idea in Taoism, ziran / tzu-jan (「自然」), by itself so, naturalness, or spontaneity.
There are also hidden messages, such as the Taoist view on independence, spiritual autonomy, the unceasing drive for self-discovery and perpetual growth, and following a natural way of life.
This is a fundamental chapter if you are new to Taoism and want to understand the idea of Tao.
Let’s dive in!
**25**
有物混成，先天地生。
寂兮寥兮，獨立不改，周行而不殆，可以為天下母。
吾不知其名，字之曰道，強為之名曰大。
大曰逝，逝曰遠，遠曰反。
故道大，天大，地大，人亦大。1
域中有四大，而人居其一焉。
人法地，地法天，天法道，道法自然。
Border-crossing: English translations
#1 Lin Yutang’s version
Before the Heaven and Earth existed
There was something nebulous:
Silent, isolated,
Standing alone, changing not,
Eternally revolving without fail,
Worthy to be the Mother of All Things.
I do not know its name
And address it as Tao.
If forced to give it a name, I shall call it “Great.”
Being great implies reaching out in space,
Reaching out in space implies far-reaching,
Far-reaching implies reversion to the original point.
Therefore: Tao is Great,
The Heaven is great,
The Earth is great,
The King is also great.2
These are the Great Four in the universe,
And the King is one of them.
Man models himself after the Earth;
The Earth models itself after Heaven;
The Heaven models itself after Tao;
Tao models itself after Nature.3
#2 Edmund Ryden’s version
A thing was formed murkily; she was generated before heaven and earth.
Silent and vast, unique she stands and does not change; She turns full circle and is not used up.
She can be the mother of the world.
I do not know her name; I entitle her the Way;
I force myself to name her Great.
What is great goes afar; going afar she turns, turning she
comes back.
The Way is great, heaven is great, earth is great, and the King is also great.
In the realm there are four greats and the King is one of them.
Humans imitate the earth; earth imitates heaven;
Heaven imitates the Way; the Way imitates her natural self.4
#3 D. C. Lau’s version
There is a thing confusedly formed,
Born before heaven and earth.
Silent and void
It stands alone and does not change,
Goes round and does not weary.
It is capable of being the mother of the world.
I know not its name
So I style it ‘the way’.
I give it the makeshift name of ‘the great’.
Being great, it is further described as receding,
Receding, it is described as far away,
Being far away, it is described as turning back.
Hence the way is great; heaven is great; earth is great; and the king is also great. Within the realm there are four things that are great, and the king counts as one.
Man models himself on earth,
Earth on heaven,
Heaven on the way,
And the way on that which is naturally so.5
Deeper dive
There are three main takeaways from this chapter.
1. The characteristics of the Tao
The Tao was already present before the formation of heaven and earth. No one knows its origin and cause. It is self-formed. No other forces dictated or forced its existence. In other words, it is the cause of its own formation.
Being silent and formless, it preserves its absolute independence without compromising.
It is always revolving and evolving without stopping.
Because of its uniqueness, the Tao becomes the driving force of creation in the universe.
As a result of its mysterious nature, Lao Tzu named it the great Tao. The unique thing about it is that it can voluntarily go to the limitless sphere but will always find its way to circle back.
2. Interconnected world through the Tao
Next, Lao Tzu explains Tao’s relations with the myriad things represented by heaven, earth, and humanity.
In Classical Chinese language and cultural context, heaven and earth indicate all the things of the world, including living animals and plants, mountains, rivers, deserts, and natural phenomena.
Tao is the natural law guiding the function and evolution of myriad things. Human beings are innately spiritual and creative, and we are eager to discover the underlying natural laws of the universe.
In this sense, the creative capacity of the Tao is manifested in humanity and the things of the world.
3. Tao and the principle of naturalness
But where does this innate creativity in humanity come from? From the Tao. And where does the Tao inherit this unique function? From the idea of tzu-jan (“ziran,” in pinyin system), naturalness, or spontaneity.
The idea of naturalness can be understood as the way things are. It is what it is, so of itself, by itself so. As a philosophical term, it means to be natural. To be natural indicates the authentic way of holding oneself.
In the constant state of being natural, one does not know why it is so. It is just naturally so.
So, Lao Tzu here explains to us that the Tao models itself after the principle of naturalness, or “the way on that which is naturally so.”
The Tao works in its own natural or spontaneous way without being interrupted or dictated by external influences. The myriad things in the universe develop and evolve in the same and spontaneous manner.
Humanity can discover and embody the Tao by studying and applying the natural laws of the universe. This is the creative function of the Tao within us, as manifested in the process of creating, making, and building.
If we live and preserve our natural way of life, we manifest and walk with the Tao.
Spiritual Taoism
There is an inner genius within each person. From a Taoist perspective, this is indeed true.
This innate genius is spontaneously embedded within us when we are born.
As the Tao is naturally creative, and humanity follows its workings even without us realizing its existence, we are all capable of creating and building.
So, there are three lessons we can incorporate into our life.
1) Following the Tao: individual autonomy
The Tao is independent and does not bow to the will of any forces or authority. It is against the principle of naturalness to do so.
To be spiritually awakened is to know that we are innately connected to the workings of the Tao.
The essential message is that we are spontaneously free and autonomous, and from a spiritual perspective, we are not living in bondage and shackles.
To own our autonomy and freedom is to be natural.
We recognize that each person has the potential to awaken to the Tao and rediscover their uniqueness. However, we are also realistic about the world that does not embody the Tao.
As a result of heightened awareness, we realize it is natural for us to associate and connect with others in society, as long as the state of living in naturalness is not hindered.
2) Crafting your unique story
The Tao is constantly moving and revolving. It never stops its actions. And this is natural.
The critical lesson is that we can go about the world while creating our own particular stories and unique life paths.
Being independent and relentless in spirit, we do not let someone else’s opinions, conventional views, or prevailing opinions dictate what we should do in life.
We all have the innate power to create a life path proper to our natural endowment. By following the Tao, we know we must carry on to make things happen.
However, we should be vigilant about our thoughts and actions lest we harm others. Doing so would go against the principle of naturalness, as we would prevent others from living naturally.
This is the Taoist way toward self-fulfillment.
Of course, we will be misunderstood, dismissed, and laughed at.
But we continue to be empathetic, tolerant, and broad-minded, striving to achieve comprehensive understanding.
Lao Tzu already told us two thousand years ago,
When the best student hears about the way
He practices it assiduously;
When the average student hears about the way
It seems to him one moment there and gone the next;
When the worst student hears about the way
He laughs out loud.
If he did not laugh
It would be unworthy of being the way.6
Nothing can discourage and stop an awakened person determined to craft their own story in this life.
This is the passionate and energized side of Taoism.
3) Choosing to be natural
So far, we know that being natural and living spontaneously is the Taoist path in life.
The lesson is that the principle of naturalness is universal for humanity.
To be natural is to take the initiative to forge a unique path in life.
For example, I am writing this letter. I am devoted to sharing the message of Taoism, as I know this is my life’s calling and duty. In this sense, this is a natural path in my life.
And no one forced me to study and write about Taoism. All I know is that somehow, a spiritual awakening struck me one day, and then I realized that I should be doing this.
However, if tomorrow, or sometime later, I am forced to stop delivering the message by external influences, censorship pressures, sickness, or some unforeseeable power, I will no longer be in the state of naturalness. In that case, I am no longer my true self. I have strayed from the Tao.
In this sense, to be natural is to find our calling, identify our responsibilities, and always preserve that spontaneous way of life without compromising.
As Chapter 81 describes the life of the awakened person,
The sage does not accumulate (for himself);
He lives for other people,
And grows richer himself.
The spirit of the awakened sage is enriched and fulfilled and lives eternally in a state of naturalness.
When we claim and own our innate spiritual autonomy, we also need to compassionately recognize it for others. While unceasingly carving out our unique paths, we allow ourselves and others to go about the world spontaneously.
Shinzo yo sasageyo!
Thanks for reading!
I find the message in this chapter liberating, inspirational, and empowering. It also captures the essential Taoist idea of naturalness.
Is the core value of naturalness applicable in the human world?
Well, that will be the task of wu-wei (「無為」). I will need to elaborate on it in other pieces.
What is your thought on being natural?
Let me know by leaving a comment.
All the best,
Yuxuan
Note: most contemporary translations adopted the statement, “The king is also great.” Another textual tradition uses “individual” to replace “the king.” This is a logical transition to the last sentence in this chapter and is more aligned with the text.
Lin Yutang’s note: An ancient text reads “man” instead of “King.”
Lin Yutang’s note: Tse-jan, “self-so,” “self-formed,” “that which is so by itself.”
Daodejing, trans. Edmund Ryden. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008), 53.
Tao Te Ching, trans. D. C. Lau. (London: Penguin Classics, 1963), 30.
Ibid., 48.