Digital art created using 2 CC licence images by leninscape + nafeti_art on Pixabay
in the water's patterned weave,
neither good nor bad.
This second chapter of the Tao Te Ching expresses something that is both difficult to understand and accept; that at a fundamental level the happenings in the world are neither good or bad, they are reflections of a state.
Us and them, good vs evil.
Beautiful or ugly; one is formless without the other. We only know what we call beautiful through comparison; through conditioning (what we are taught to believe) we differentiate between ugly and beautiful. Yet they are two halves of a whole, an expression of the eternal Yin/Yang.
The whole world recognizes the beautiful as the beautiful, yet this is only the ugly;
the whole world recognizes the good as the good, yet this is only the bad.
Thus Something and Nothing produce each other;
The difficult and the easy complement each other;
The long and the short off-set each other;
The high and the low incline towards each other;
Note and sound harmonize with each other;
Before and after follow each other.
Chapter 2, Tao Te Ching, D.C. Lau’s Translation
This underlying truth can be applied to many things in life, and where many people become angry or incensed with this type of philosophy is in mistaking dis-identification with an uncaring attitude.
It is entirely possible not to identify with the constant forces in motion in this world while still taking the best action you can to improve the world around you. In fact, without identifying with learned beliefs clarity emerges that often pierces to the heart of an issue or circumstance.
Therefore the sage keeps to the deed that consists in taking no action and practises the teaching that uses no words.
The myriad creatures rise from it yet it claims no authority;
It gives them life yet claims no possession;
It benefits them yet exacts no gratitude;
It accomplishes its task yet lays claim to no merit.
It is because it lays claim to no merit
That its merit never deserts it.
Chapter 2, Tao Te Ching, D.C. Lau’s Translation
For example, when we identify with our thought that beauty is virtuous and ugliness corrupt, we create conflict within ourselves, a tension where we constantly seek out the beauteous in a universe that maintains a constant balance of forces. This is a losing battle, where we are constantly at odds with the ugliness that counterbalances the beautiful.
On a much broader scale this war between expectations in many peoples thought patterns leads to conflict and violence of thought or action.
Therefore the sage keeps to the deed that consists in taking no action and practises the teaching that uses no words.
Although to many this statement may seem to express passivity, and it does 😂... living in a state of contemplation rather than reaction isn't a negative thing in this increasingly reactionary world. The state of observation fosters a separation between the observed and the conditioned thought patterns that so often take over. This separation allows for a clarity that goes beyond the conditioned mind and can lead to harmonious action where it is needed.
The Tao teaches us that living in harmony with nature requires fluidity; the water in the river flows completely at the whim of gravity, yet the river carves great paths through mountains, breathes life into a million creatures and passes through myriad states of being in its evaporation.
The water affects great change and action on the world through its forms in harmony with nature. This harmonious interplay is what the Tao points to in its teachings.
The Tao is the metaphorical 'finger pointing to the moon' that allows us to glimpse the moon in all its luminous glory.
Thanks for reading 🌿
This is the 2nd in an on-going series of poetry/spirituality posts reflecting on the chapters of the Tao Te Ching, as translated by D.C. Lau. Each post will include a Haiku and blog exploring my interpretation of the Tao. Please find a link to part one below.
The image used in this post is creative commons licence, linked to credit beneath the picture. If you have enjoyed this Haiku, please check out my other work on my homepage @raj808.
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Thank you for introducing Tao Te Ching so much! Luckily I can read your blog in comparison to its Chinese version, which helps me understand the content better. (After all, the original Tao Te Ching was written about 2,000 years ago in ancient Chinese, instead of modern Chinese. So it is explained in different modern Chinese versions, too.)
I notice in Chinese version it shows " Just because of the existence of the ugly, the whole world recognizes the beautiful as the beautiful." In my mind, Taoism is regarded as a kind of dialectical philosophy: if without the ugly, without the beautiful!
I've read a little bit of Tao Te Ching before. However, isn't it very interesting for me to learn and digest it by following a western poet？
I'm also really glad that I've learned a new buddism term: finger pointing to the moon from this blog. (God knows how I especially checked the information about it online.)
Hi @kaixin
It's the one thing I regret that I can't read the Tao Te Ching in its original language.
The Tao was my first introduction to ancient wisdom as I found a copy of an English translation of it in my mother's book collection when I was about 17 years of age. Even then it had an effect on me, although I didn't fully understand the ethemiral nature of its philosophy back then.
I read it again in my early 20's and understood it better I think. At the time I had just discovered meditating as a tool to help me combat depression, and that second reading of the Tao Te Ching resonated with the practice of meditation like the ring of a tuning fork.
I agree. The many 'seemingly' paradoxical statements in the Tao Te Ching serve as a kind of linguistic mental gymnastics to point at concepts that are beyond language.
That's why I used that Buddhist metaphor of the finger pointing to the moon. It's truly wonderful when the majesty of the moon becomes apparent. When the 'seemingly' nonsensical words point you to the knowing that is at the heart of the Tao. It's the same feeling I get when I stare at a tree swaying in the wind and feel a deep peace descend. The writer in me likes to believe it's the tree's spirit communicating with me, but it could just as equally be me feeling the silent observant nature of the tree.
Anyway, I've started to ramble 😂
Thanks for your thoughtful comment👍🙂
awesome content ➰〰️➰
Thanks @gen-key
I can see you're a new account, I shall follow you and try to catch some of your content 🙂
Thanks my dear, still working things out.. 🙏🏽
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Great post. Very powerful content. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks @rcaine
Yeah, sometimes I can get deep 😄
But in all seriousness meditation and reflecting on texts like the Tao Te Ching have helped me in so many ways, with both physical and mental health struggles.
I think the world would be a much more peaceful place if more people spent time meditating, even if for only a few hours/day.