It’s been a long while since I’ve done any thorough reading or thinking about Tao, but every once in awhile a relevant idea passes through my mind. Once written in Kanji on the walls of ancient China, or on scrolls long ago, Taoist texts can be difficult to absorb, let alone make use of in 21st century life.
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I’ll be focusing on Tao Te Ching, although from what I remember of the I Ching, it could certainly warrant connections as well. I like the Lin Yutang translation, which you can read here: https://terebess.hu/english/tao/yutang.html#Kap17
For those who may not know, Tao Te Ching is a series of texts that were written around 400 AD (give or take a couple hundred years) in China. The name that is credited with writing these texts is “Lao Tzu”, although no one really knows whether this moniker represents one person or a group of writers and philosophers (it seems more likely that Tao Te Ching and other related texts were composed by a collective).
Verse 8 is a great one to begin with, because it speaks quite objectively on worldly morals:
The best of men is like water;
Water benefits all things
And does not compete with them.
It dwells in (the lowly) places that all disdain
Wherein it comes near to the Tao.In his dwelling, (the Sage) loves the (lowly) earth;
In his heart, he loves what is profound;
In his relations with others, he loves kindness;
In his words, he loves sincerity;
In government, he loves peace;
In business affairs, he loves ability;
In his actions, he loves choosing the right time.It is because he does not contend
That he is without reproach.
Water dodges obstacles as freely and effortlessly as it erodes and destroys them. This destruction may only seem as such from our perpective, and is likely serving (or not detracting from, at least) the ecosystem at hand. In it’s course, it evades and does not compete, although it wins in the end by benefitting all things (as water is the foundation of all livelihood).
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Ever been walking on a sidewalk in a group with two other people? Generally, two people fit just right walking side by side, and one gets stuck walking behind. Oftentimes “sidewalk politics” will come into play, and one will feel obligated to walk on the road next to the other two, or be in competition for one of the front positions. While this may seem like a silly situation to make this point with, I use it because it is simple to grasp and fairly relatable to most. The person who willingly falls behind or walks on the road instead of competing for someone elses spot represents acting in accordance with Tao - effortlessly evading competition, “dwelling” in a ”lowly” place that some may ”disdain”, and benefitting others in the process (seeing as all involved can walk with some comfort). These ideas are rooted in selflessness and kindness, among other principles.
These ideas of adaptation and non-competitive behavior can allow for easier navigation in many parts of life, including relationships, workplace situations, creative pursuits, and more. How many times have you wished you put your ego aside in hindsight? How can patience and compassion replace harsh reactionary tendencies?
I’m not trying to assert that one should let people walk all over them, and submit to all competitive or even abusive behavior. Non-competitiveness does not deny you your virtues, values, and positions. There are times to stand up for one’s self, and there are times to take a step back to employ conflict resolution and flow like water.
The list of Sage actions in this verse is succinct, but with clear implications as to adapting the water metaphor to human situations.
In his dwelling, (the Sage) loves the (lowly) earth;
In his heart, he loves what is profound;
In his relations with others, he loves kindness;
In his words, he loves sincerity;
In government, he loves peace;
In business affairs, he loves ability;
In his actions, he loves choosing the right time.
These lines speak mostly for themselves, so I’m going to let you come to your own conclusions regarding them. What I’d like to focus on instead is the last two lines of the verse:
It is because he does not contend
That he is without reproach.
For the record:
re·proach // rəˈprōCH // verb
- Address (someone) in such a way as to express disapproval or disappointment.
So in other words: “It is because he does not compete that he does not dissapoint”.
If we do our best to abstain from conflict and competition, whose standards are we to live up to besides our own? If we act selflessly and philanthropically, who will complain? We have nothing to lose in acting in accordance with these principles, unless one is attached to ego and prevailing over others. In conclusion, competition and conflict do not find themselves in accordance with Tao, and are not essential to the wellbeing of all.
Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed this daily dose of Tao :)
