Tao Te Ching

In world literature, I learned about the Tao Te Ching. I would like to share with you some thoughts of mine about this ancient text.

“Tao” means “The Way”. “Te” carries the meaning of virtue, inner strength, or personal integrity. “Ching” means a great book. Therefore, Tao Te  Ching would be translated into English: “The Great Book on the Way of Virtue”.

 This ancient text has 81 verses. It probably dates from the third or fourth century B.C. Some believe it may be from as early as the sixth century B.C.  It is said that, although this text is short, it is a source for achieving a way of life which includes integrity, joy, peace, and balance. Dr. Sears stated that Tao Te Ching reflects on history, literature, culture, politics, and religion. 

The Tao Te Ching was written by Lao Tzu, the Chinese philosopher. In my research, I found an interesting legend about him which also explains to us why he got his name as Lao Tzu. “It is said that Lao Tzu’s mother was pregnant with him for decades so that he was born with a long white beard and cane. Thus the name Lao Tzu which mean ‘Old Child.’” (Encyclopedia)

Because of time limitations, we did not learn all 81 verses of the Tao Te Ching. However, we took the time to read and analyze some famous sections. The 14^th verse is the most interesting to me.

Looked at but cannot be seen - it is beneath form;
Listened to but cannot be heard - it is beneath sound;
Held but cannot be touched - it is beneath feeling;
These depthless things evade definition,
And blend into a single mystery.

In its rising there is no light,
In its falling there is no darkness,
A continuous thread beyond description,
Lining what cannot occur;
Its form formless,
Its image nothing,
Its name silence;
Follow it, it has no back,
Meet it, it has no face.

Attend the present to deal with the past;
Thus you grasp the continuity of the Way,
Which is its essence.

            Some scholars have said that this section of the Tao Te Ching is the most significant of all its 81 verses because it stresses the significance of the single principle that is the underpinning of all existence.

Reading the first five lines of this section, I try to imagine what “cannot be heard,” “cannot be seen,” and “cannot be touched,” but is and always has been. According to Lao Tzu, it is Tao. For me Tao is a Supreme Being, we cannot hear, see, or touch the Supreme Being directly. Nevertheless, we can always sense that there is such a Being present in our lives.

In the second part of this verse, I come to believe that the reason we cannot understand the Supreme Being, is because the characteristic by which we identify someone are hard to grasp. It is hard to understand how darkness cannot be dark or dawn cannot bring with it light. 

Continuing the analysis, I believe that even if one wants to follow to this Supreme Being it would be difficult as the Being is characterized as being silent and formless.

In conclusion, even if one spends an entire lifetime trying to comprehend Tao, it would almost be impossible to have a true image of the Being described in this verse.  Yes, we believe that Tao is always present in our lives, but the presence of the Tao is invisible.    

 

 

                                           Works Cited

Benet's Reader's Encyclopedia. R 803 B435BN. Print