Following the Way as Non-action

十二

老子

~What is meant by non-action? How can non-action be learned? How is non-action expressed?

~Why is non-action the way to follow the Way? How does non-action lead toward sageliness?

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Tao Te Ching 63

Act without action.

Do without ado.

Non-action or wu-wei is one of the most important facet in the philosophy of Taoism. It implies acts that which are spontaneous, natural, and effortless (Kardash, 1998). Wing Tsit-Chan (1963) described non-action as “not inactivity but rather taking no action that is contrary to nature”. The Tao’s behaviour is natural and it works in great harmony with nature and so the Tao “invariably takes no action, and yet there is nothing left undone (Tao Te Ching, 37). This implies that the non-action then is the way of and to the Tao. 

The Tao regards weakness as something that is good and this weakness can also be a manifestation of non-action or the other way around. The way to the Tao is moderation and this is where the principle of non-action lies in- it lies in the middle ground between too much and too little. Doing things naturally is non-action and doing things naturally is the way to the Tao. Finding your balance in whatever work that you do is one of the ways where one can express the value of non-action. 

Non-action in the Taoist philosophy also requires one not to force things. Tasks should not be rushed but instead, the Tao requires one to take it easy, find one’s pace, and do it gradually but what should be considered in this that one should be focused with whatever task that one is doing. Do not allow desire-based distractions to throw you off your pace but when tired, rest and when you are hungry, eat. One of the many wonders of the worlds are rock formations. There rock formations are done overtime and gradually. Nature takes no action but these rocks take form into something else. Time, and the many elements that go to fro around the rocks, work is done. 

Loy, 1985

“not acting” requires eliminating the sense-of-self which is inclined to interfere. Non-interference is not really possible unless one has dissipated the fog of expectations and desires that keeps one from experiencing the world as it is in itself (Tao), and the judgement that “something must be done” is usually part of that fog. 

Through non-action as the way to the Tao, one should also know when to stop or when to let go: withdraw as soon as your work is done (Tao Te Ching 9). After your work is done, stop. Do not seek for gratification in exchange for the product of your labor and do not do you work just for to be gratified. Do not take possession of the fruits of your labor lest they take possession of you. 

Tao Te Ching 64

He who takes no action fails.

He who grasps things loses them.

For this reason the sage takes no action and therefore does not fail. 

He grasps nothing and therefore he does not lose anything. 

The sage know of this and so he is aware that non-action is very essential in his daily life. He is weak, he do things on moderation, and most especially, he does not go against the Tao by taking actions that are contrary to nature. He is careful in his everything and keeps guard of his senses, and so no harm comes to him. He abides the Tao through non-action and so he yields to nature. Therefore the sage who takes no action is like water- he supports all things in their natural state but does not take any action (Tao Te Ching 64).

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哲学 Synthesis Paper: 2A

哲学

老子

What is philosophy as demonstrated in Ancient Chinese Philosophy…

1. by Lao Tzu…

A. in the way he perceives the philosophical problem?

Lao Tzu deems that problems resulting in the lack or the absence of natural harmony is caused by the absence of the Tao. The Tao is that which bring things together and connects them. It is that which organises things and allows them to influence one another (Rawson & Legeza, 1963) and so without the Tao there will be disruptions in the process of nature that would inevitably result in natural disharmony. Lao Tzu also believes that this natural disharmony is caused by knowledge and desire and so for him, they are harmful because they drive man too seek out for what is not essential to them and allows knowledge and desire to control his life and his behaviour. Knowledge prompts man to discriminate and distinguish from is and what is not. Knowledge also influences our desires to the point that we are lead away from the middle ground. 

Both knowledge and desire cause disharmony because they are not natural: too much or too little. Being able to distinguish that which is pleasurable to the senses is also a keynote in understanding what knowledge is for Lao Tzu. What is natural is you know when to stop and when not to stop. Sleep when you are sleepy and wake up when it is time for you to wake up. For Lao Tzu, the problem is natural harmony which is caused by the absence of the Tao because of man’s want for knowledge and man’s indulgence of his desires. Additionally, for Lao Tzu, natural disharmony happens when man begins to attach himself to the material and the superficial, these that which are not natural. 

Man’s elevation in the society also causes natural disharmony. Lao Tzu believes that man should stay pure and keep away from the things that can harm him by not losing sight of the Tao. However, man’s success and prosperity often opens up another path for him to tread on- a path opposed to the Tao. When he takes this road, he attaches himself to his achievements and his properties and it gets into his head. He becomes gaudy and there is excess in his ways. He speaks even if he does not know and rushes here and there, quick on his toes, to claim things that he did and he did not do. And so man finds this very pleasurable to the senses and his desire goes overdrive, making him contrary to the man that he used to be when he was more simpler, more natural. The uncharted wood is no more and from this, natural disharmony occurs. 

Rawson & Legeza, 1973

…the aim is harmony: harmony between the components of the dialectic situation, leading to harmony between each man and his turbulent universe, and an ultimate tranquility. But harmony is impossible without ‘forces’ to harmonise, and of little value unless those forces are themselves at high power.

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Knowing the Way as Unlearning

Knowing the Way as Unlearning

老子

十一

~What does Lao Tzu mean by unlearning? How can this be knowing? How can unlearning take place?

~What is the importance of unlearning in the development toward sageliness? 

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Tao Te Ching, 20

Abandon all learning and there will be no sorrow.

People are difficult to govern because they have too much knowledge (Tao Te Ching, 65) and so it follows that we should empty our cup so that it should be filled: what we know and what we have learned, we should unlearn. The Tao requires us to decrease so as we could increase and the way to knowing the Tao is by unlearning. It is because we know too much, it is because our heads are filled with things of these and that that we become blinded with the illusion that it is necessary for us to have them. We see a lot of things in others that we don’t have and we are then filled with the desire that we want those things for us to possess. The Tao teaches us that any kind of desire, tangible and/or intangible, is not good for us. These desires, because of the very fact that they are desires, are hard to come by and so the harder that we strive to attain them, the more we bring ourselves closer to harm’s way. Therefore our desire to fill our heads with facts, numbers, and information are that which that makes us contrary to what we truly are. Knowledge only clouds the mind. It teaches us how to discriminate and become prejudiced. Knowledge is a disease that rots the mind. The sage know of this and so, he only seeks for what is needed for life and anything beyond it, the sage rejects. Because of this, the sage rests at the heart of the Tao.

It is only by truly unlearning that we are filled, that we can accumulate the things that which are genuinely essential to us and to our being. This knowledge that we seek only but blinds us from the way of the Tao. They dizzy our head with worldly contents and concerns that we forget how who we truly are and so it is only by depleting that we can come home again. We should decrease day by day until we are nothing, until we are empty. Therefore the sage strives to achieve a mental clarity will make nature profound in him and through this nothingness within his mind, he sees the path to the Tao.  

More often than not, our senses trigger desires and our knowledge about the object of our desires only heightens our need for them. So Lao Tzu warns us: Close the mouth. Shut the doors (Tao Te Ching, 52). If we truly know ourselves then it is easier for us to guard our senses and our mind. If we know who we truly are and if we are close to the Tao then there will be wards around us, wards that keeps away the things that are contrary to nature and the things that can pull us away from the Tao. Being aware of what is truly essential to us helps us retrain worldly desires and keeps us on the right path. If we know who we truly are then we know that we do not know. The sage who knows does not pretend. He is humble in his words and in his deeds and because he keeps the value of humility he is weak. He flows in the river of the Tao, freely, away from necessary desires. The sage is empty but he is full. 

Tao Te Ching, 56

Become one with the dusty world.

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Wu Wei and Spontaneity

老子

九

~What does Lao Tzu mean by “acting by not-acting?” In what way is this an approximation of the movement of the Tao? What is such an approximation important in Lao Tzu’s philosophy? 

~How is wu-wei expressed in human action? How is it different from common human movements?

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“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”

Wu-wei or non-doing is important in the Taoist philosophy. However, this state of non-action or non-doing does not mean laziness or passivity. Then how will Lao Tzu take the story of Juan Tamad (Lazy John) who decided to lie down on the ground with his mouth open and wait for the fruit to drop? 

Wu-wei or non-action can be expressed as “going with the flow” of nature, and not forcibly doing things against what should be. Wu-wei requires us to do nothing so that we can do something. It calls for a natural, spontaneous and effortless actions. And because the action is done effortlessly, naturally, and spontaneously, it arises only in the need of the moment, with sincerity in the act it itself, and it is forgotten when it is done. For example, in raising a child, you do not force the child to grow up, physically and mentally. You have to wait for the child to grow, naturally. You cannot just pull your child from head to toe just so he or she will grow taller. You have to wait for time and allow the child’s natural physiological development to kick in and do its work. 

Non-action is directed to cultivating one’s mind and actions by aligning it to the flow of nature, effortlessly. Non-action does not really mean not to do anything but rather, it means that one should not do what is unnatural. Tai Chi, for examples, tells us that it can be used for self defense and street fighting. But how can such a graceful and slow-paced, dance-like activity be used for something intense and powerful? The art of Tai Chi would teach us not to block and forcefully go against the opponent but rather to receive their hits and give it back to them- their own force will return to them and knock them out. Altruism can also be seen as an act of wu-wei basically because altruistic actions are done with one’s own accord, without any intention behind the action, and it is done without seeking nor expecting for anything in return. Coercion is not the way of the Taoist non-action but instead, it highlight actions that are intrinsically motivated. 

Sometimes little bursts of energy would drive us to do rash things- rash things that are contrary to nature and which sometimes lead us to our own demise. There are certain physical movements or quirks that signifies one’s need to realise and release such drives. Pacing back and forth, the twitching of one’s fingers, or the simple act of rocking on your toes and the balls of your feet connotes the great need to exhaust this right away, impulsively. The Tao, however, tells us to do things. Although this can be called as spontaneous, there still lies a big difference between it being natural and the other as something rash or uncalled for. Sometimes we want to grow up to fast and do things that we should not be doing at all. We would wish that time would move forward and so we miss the simple and little joys that we should be experiencing every single day. Lao Tzu would say that living the fast life is a very bad idea. 

Do what you can and wait. Wait and allow nature to do its work for it will be done in the right time and in the right manner. Follow and respect the flow of nature.

Tao Te Ching, 24

He who stands in tiptoe is not ready.

He who strides forward does not go.

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No Knowledge, No Desires

老子

八

~What does Lao Tzu mean by “no knowledge, no desires’”? Is this realisable and desirable for humans?

~What role does such an ideal play in the philosophy of Lao Tzu?

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Tao Te Ching, 71

To know that you do not know is the best.

To pretend to know when you do not know is a disease.

The Apology, 21e

“…the fact that neither of us knows anything beautiful and good, but he thinks he does know when he doesn’t, and I don’t know and don’t think I do: so I am wiser than he is by only this trifle, that what I do not know I don’t think I do.”

Away from the mundane and seemingly important life of the most, a self-realised man, like an infant, is unattached. He is aware of his predicament and so he refuses to bother himself with what is materially external to him. He lets it be and accept things as they come his way. He walks with no direction but he moves when it is time to move and rests when it is time to do so. A self-realised man is one who does not let material possession and egoistic virtues fulfil him but he is one who lets nature nurture and feed him. Because he takes no part does not imply that he is indifferent. It just means that he has no read-between-the-lines self-interest and because of this, he can see the clear picture from where he is. Involved but not quite, just grounded. 

A self-realised person is one who knows without going. He does not need to be out there to gain and accumulate things that will never make sense. As a person makes the Tao as his home and his ground, walking away to seek material knowledge will only blunder and dull the mind. And so he stays there, within the Tao, because he knows better than to reach for something that is against the Tao; because he knows better and his knowledge comes with experience and maturity. The knowledge is given to him by nature itself. Non-action is key. Therefore go back on what is knowledge for you. Go back and see what value you put upon that knowledge that you are trying to reach. Because if it is not the way of the Tao, one step forward is three steps backward. 

A self-realised person is one who is honest towards both the honest and the dishonest. He is one who tells the emperor that he has no clothes. He treats the liar with honestly because he does not discriminate between the black and the white. He sees people as they are and treat them consistently. And because he makes no distinction between the kind and the unkind he is true to anything and everything. Therefore there is true honestly and kindness in his actions: be the samaritan! 

And as the Tao is within me I do not court Death: And yet silence will soon descend on all these noisy, living, life-thirsty people (The Gay Science, Nietzsche, 1974, pg. 225). I do not collar my neck to life for it only calls upon Death, the tighter I tie myself to it. People who know better and value life with respect to the Tao accepts life and allows Time to unfold it as it is. Without provoking death nor clinging to life, a self-realised person knows that he is but a visitor in this world and that he too, shall pass. He is a child when he is a child. He is a man when he is a man. He does not interfere with nature and does not find ways to maintain his youth. He does not interfere with nature and does not find ways to fast-forward his life to the brink of death. Therefore, do not do things that are contrary to nature. Do not wallow in desire when you have no use for it in your life, and do remain humble: To know Tao and say you do not it is the best (He Shang Kung, Chan, 1963). 

Thus Spoke Zarathustra

Nietzsche, 1961

“You look up when you desire to be exalted. And I look down, because I am exalted.”

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Humility

老子

十

~What does Lao Tzu mean by humility? Why is it important in the face of the Tao?

~How is humility expressed? How can it not lead to fatalism or quiet resignation?

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Plato’s Apology of Socrates (23b)

“He among you humans is wisest who, like Socrates, knows that he’s really worth nothing when it comes to wisdom.”

Lowering oneself is humility- genuine humility and simplicity has been paralleled to a piece of an uncarved wood that is simple and plain but genuine and it is in man’s simplicity that which makes him stand out.

Genuine humility have become a rarity today where material possessions, established family names, intelligence, and professional titles have become the markers of the person’s whole identity and it carries with it the constant desire to be acknowledged. There is always something to parade around. There is always something to be proud of. And so modesty has become a treasure or a jewel, as it has been considered in the Taoist Philosophy. The Three Jewels (or The Three Treasures) should be behind all the things that you do, no matter great or small. Compassion, moderation, and humility will lead you to the path of courage, generosity, and leadership. 

We want people to know us: who we are and what we have done. When we have achieved something we want the whole world to know about it. We want people to look up to us and treat us with great importance. We want to be the priority in everything. We want people to accommodate us and so meekness has escaped, in hiding, until we can find it again and retain tie it back to our identity, hopefully for good. Man has driven away humility by competing against each other. A modest person does not allow people to fuss over him and so he keeps away and stay on the sidelines. Like nature, one should work in humility. Nature works silently and takes no claim in its products. Nature works and execute its task in silence. The concept of Locke’s property can be attributed to humility: where there is no property, there is no injury. If you do not take claim to an achievement then it will be not be taken away from you. The lack of humility in one’s life invites danger.

Doctrine of the Mean, 33

“Over her brocaded robe, she wore a plain and simple dress, for she disliked the loudness of its colour and patterns. Thus the way of the superior man is hidden but comes more prominent every day…”

And so our need to display will only complicate and delay everything because our desire for recognition arouses another fight amongst us, an in-group fight, contradicts the roles that we are supposed to play in our jobs. A person who constantly boasts about his spoils will soon be deemed arrogant because he lacks the virtue to stay modest and his gloating will only attract trouble. Power is not privilege to stand above others and make decisions based on his own self-interest. In making a speech, he does not stand on the platform but remains on the ground, equal to the people. A humble leader is one who does not throw people under the bus and take credit for everything. And so Lao Tzu wants us, leader or not, to be like water: soft yet strong, flexible yet unbreakable, and because water is weak, it can surpass everything. 

Tao Te Ching, 22

He does not show himself; therefore he is luminous.

He does not justify himself; therefore he is given credit.

He does not brag; therefore he can endure for long.

A person with a lesser position should not design his goal towards the elevation of his position. He should direct his efforts straightly and aim to complete his own specified job. He should focus and do his own work and keep his nose away from the work of others. Credit will be given when it is due. A humble man is one who takes great care not only of his cup but of the water lest it overflows. 

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The Te

老子

七

~What does Lao Tzu mean by te? How different is it from the Confucian te?

~What role does it play in Taoist Philosophy?

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Tao Te Ching, 10

To produce things and to rear them,

To produce, but not to take possession of them,

To act, but not to rely on one’s own ability,

To lead them, but not to master them—

This is called profound and secret virtue (hsuan-te).

The Confucian philosophy defines te as that moral power by which the people are governed. In order for a ruler to be able to create a harmonious and secure land, he should govern with te and not by law and force. It also means the perfection of one’s values that can help the emperor-sage rule his land.

Prof. Victor Mair 

(American Sinologist)

There is something fundamentally honest and psychologically healthy in being oneself and striding forward with one's vision facing directly ahead, instead of trying at every turn to satisfy abstract standards of goodness established by a reigning orthodoxy. This is what te/de is all about.

Taoism, however, has another understanding of te. Te is taken as virtue and power, a virtue that helps one maintain and manifest the Tao. Therefore, it is safe to say that it refers to the conduct of man that is in accordance with nature. According to Julian Pas (1998), te refers to the “inner and outer power bestowed on each being by Tao, or all the qualities for action inherent in the nature of each being, which gives each being a way to maintain itself, to grow and flourish (Way of Perfect Emptiness, 2015). 

Pas, 1998

Tao is the generator of te. If Tao is the overreaching reality and cosmic energy, Te is what all beings receive from Tao; it is their own nature, with its specific talents and potentials, that enables them to act in their own way as if by their inner compulsion…Te is the power of Tao, individualised, as, for example, in a seed, which has the inner potential and unfailing power to sprout and grow into a preprogrammed plant or tree. 

Te can also be seen as that which makes up our uniqueness and individuality. It is also where we connect to the Tao. To be in harmony in with our Tao will help us connect to others and to nature. Since te can be found within us, it shapes our characteristic and disposition to everything outside and inside of us. Te should follow closely to the Tao and be in-tune with himself and with others. In the Tao Te Ching, te is that which nurtures the Tao that produces the 10,000 things. Te, as integrity builds up the person and allows him to become like an infant. It allows him to fall in nature and keeps him from perishing. It’s like te is the very thing that processes the Tao. Similar to the steps eight steps in The Great Learning, the cultivation of virtues follows as (Tao Te Ching, 51):

When one cultivates virtue in his person, it becomes a genuine virtue.

When one cultivates virtue in his family, it becomes overflowing virtue.

When one cultivates virtue in his country, it becomes abundant virtue.

When one cultivates virtue in the world, it becomes universal.

Live your life without trying to live it. As we are already alive and there we manifest life, the act of living is already within us. Do not rush life and do not try to go back and wallow in the past: let life play itself and unfold its mysteries to you each and everyday. 

Tao Te Ching, 23

Therefore he who follows Tao is identified with Tao.

He who follows virtue is identified with virtue. 

He who is identified with virtue— virtue is also happy to have him. 

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Expressions of the Tao

老子

六

~What does weakness mean as an expression of Tao? How does it express the Tao?

~What does humility mean as an expression of Tao? How does it express the Tao?

~What metaphors do Lao Tzu use to illustrate the expressions of Tao?

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Pas, 1998

Tao is like water: Water is weak and soft, yet can be extremely powerful and wear down the hardest things, such as rocks. It has the strength of weakness. Water connects with other symbols of weakness: woman, mother, the valley, the infant. 

Water is often used as a basis of comparison for things that are hard to explain and describe mainly because of its universality and of its very nature. Lao Tzu have utilised water in the same sense, drawing a sense of the Tao to explain and not explain what the Tao really is. It is true that water can be contained and that is its weakness but its being contained can also depict power that can destroy the strongest wall. It’s just like what they say: still waters run deep. Like the Tao, water is formless and it can only take form by filing the nothingness of a jug.

Tao Te Ching, 78

There is nothing softer and weaker than water,

And yet these is nothing better for attacking hard and

strong things.

For this reason there is no substitute for it.

All the world knows that the weak overcomes the strong and

the soft overcomes the hard.

But none can practice it.

Tao is the Mother: “it produced all things, and continues to produce them, until they all return to their roots (Pas, 1998).” As it is the Mother, it is the symbol of fertility and the source of all life. It becomes a mother-nurse, nourishing everything. And the Tao is also the womb: the one that generates Heaven and Earth, which is the source of life (Tortchinov, 1999). In Carl Jung’s archetypes, the Mother archetype refers to the one who feeds, nurtures, and soothes. The Mother has also been used to symbolise the Earth, the woods, the sea, and the well. Jung considers the Mother as a major archetype because of she contains mostly everything. Similar to this, Jung provided another archetype that deeply echoed the first verse of the chapter 28 of the Tao Te Ching: He knows the male (active force) and keeps to the female (the passive force or receptive element)- the anima and the animus. Like an infant who does not differentiate between male and female, one should embrace the anima or the animus within them. Keep to the formless and return to the state of simplicity. 

The Tao as the infant: “Weak and helpless, a young infant is nonetheless full of vitality, its vital energy is unimpaired, and, being helpless, all its needs are taken care of. Likewise, the Tao appears to be helpless, yet, in fact, it is all-powerful.” And since it is an infant it is full of energy and cannot be exhausted.   

The chapter 9 of the Tao Te Ching tells us when to step back gracefully. It is noted that “withdrawing” does not mean that one should abandon all that has been done but instead, it tells us to step back so as to avoid attachment with the fruits of our work. There are things in life that are not eternal and we, human beings as we are, cannot go one forever. At some point we have to stop for if we do not we become exhausted, all burned out. We should not force things. We should not force nature. Let it fall into place and it will unravel when the time comes. Let one be reminded that the Tao works and it does not. Silence, at times, proves to be more meaningful than the abundance of words. 

Tao Te Ching, 43

The softest things in the world overcome the hardest things in the world.

Non-being penetrates that in which there is no space.

Through this I know the advantage of taking no action.

Few in the world can understand teaching without words and the advantage of taking no action.

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The Reality of the Tao

老子

五

~What does emptiness mean as an essence of Tao? Why does Lao Tzu consider this an essence of Tao?

~What does openness mean as an essence of Tao? Why does Lao Tzu consider this an essence of Tao?

~What metaphors do Lao Tzu [use?] to illustrate the essence of the Tao?

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Ragnarok, Byatt, 2011

Everything was pat of one world, and it would not hurt Baldur the Beautiful.

The story of creation in the Norse mythology very much reminded me about the Tao mainly because it does not forward that nothing breeds something but rather it clearly described that which was already there: between Niflheim, home of the mists, and Muspelheim, the hot place, was an empty gulf. And in that empty gulf, where the swirling chaos takes place Ymir was created. He, first of he godlike giants: he was vast, he was everything (Byatt, 2011). Just like the Tao, Ymir became the product of the opposites, coming from the energy of the fire and ice. When Ymir died he became something much more: the narrative began to speak about the creation of the world.

From the flesh of Ymir 

The earth was shaped.

From his bones, the mountains, 

The heaven from the skull

Of the giant cold as frost

And from his blood,

The sea. 

Instead of become useless Ymir became everything. Albeit dead and devoid of life, he became the source of life of the birds and the trees and the flowers and the deers. Similar in this sense, Taoism considers substance more important than function (Chan, 1963). More often than not, emptiness connotes a negative feeling. Whenever we feel empty we frown and try to look for ways to “get rid” of such feeling. We associate this emptiness inside us as something that is very uncomfortable and the only solution is to fill it. Lao Tzu, however, presented a positive kind of emptiness in this matter. I am reminded of a glass filled with water. From afar it looks empty. However, on closer inspection, it is full, filled to the brim with water. And then again I am reminded of a particular story of Krishna, the Hindu God. As a child, he was very playful and one day, he “decided” to eat clay. His mother, upon finding it out, pried his mouth open. Mother and son bickered until finally, Krishna open his mouth. Upon the sight, his mother gasped. Inside his mouth was the cosmos- timeless and swirling with stars and planets. She saw the mountains, the air, the fire, and the oceans. Inside her son lies the whole universe. 

And within this universe lies the Heaven and the Earth. Both working together in creation and completion: the tree ate and was eaten, fed and was fed on (on Yggdrasil; Byatt, 2011). This is how it works. This is how nature works. And nature works the ways it does, the rain and drought are but its ways. And in the middle of the raging sea, man should find the centre. 

It held the world together, in the air, in the earth, in the light, in the dark, in the mind.  

Great and the humblest of all. The Tao lies in the gaps between our fingers. It fills the empty void. The Tao fulfils its duty and seek for no reward. The Tao gives blessings yet it does not lord it over us. Since this is how the Tao is, the same should be with man. Empty words have no worth yet action generates a positive response. The Tao does not discriminate between the good and the bad just as Heaven and Earth plays no role in favouring man. And because the Tao plays no role between the good and the bad, it is the source of all that is natural. The Tao is Small and Great, the Tao is the mitochondria. The Tao is a room full of treasure and the many rivers that reach the sea. 

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