Proper
lightness springs from the root of heaviness.
Proper action springs from the root of stillness.
If a traveller can remain calm and peaceful throughout the ordeals of an
arduous journey,
Then how much more is required of a leader in the heat of a crisis?
Without heaviness, lightness is frivolous.
Without stillness, action is impetuous.
(Lao Tzu)
Science
Taoism is not a philosophy or a religion, although people
have sought to make it both.
It is ancient Chinese science.
Tao Te Ching and
Chuang Tzu represent a catalogue of
observations, insights and empirical results concerning our relationship
with the world and each other.
Lao Tzu writes in a matter-of-fact way whereas Chuang Tzu is
far more humorous and not to be taken quite so seriously.
Pragmatic
Philosophy is speculation and opinion.
Religion concerns belief, rituals and dogma.
Taoism fits neither of these classifications.
You do not believe in anything.
Reality just is;
belief is simply not required.
As a discipline, taoism is evidentiary, practical, pragmatic.
It concerns the immediate
moment.
Concepts,
opinions, theories, speculation,
metaphysics, superstition and folklore are not taoist at all.
Its offshoot 'zen' is the art of spontaneous
being.
Zen questions the value of words and
thoughts, and the folly of attempting to render reality using measurement
and
names.
Direct action and raw experience are valued. Life cannot be
conceived. It can only be lived.
Tao Te Ching
This is not a book of
quotations.
Each verse introduces and
explores a practical topic.
It is important to buy a copy that reads well. An adaptation is often better
than a translation.
Tao of Being
by Ray Grigg,
Lao Tzu's
Tao Te Ching
by Timothy Freke and The
New Lao Tzu: A Contemporary "Tao Te Ching" by
Ray Grigg are all easy to read.
The
Tai Chi Journey
by John Lash examines Tao Te Ching and how the book relates to tai
chi practice.
Aim to read only one verse per day. Read it
slowly and carefully. Do not skim.
Consider the
meaning of the text.
Comprehension
Tao Te Ching is not easy to
understand.
It invites the reader to move past words and
thought, and explore reality.
If you are having difficulty understanding the text, then consider reading
Krishnamurti or some
zen koan.
Taoism is not the modern way of looking at the world.
Do not expect to find it easy.
You have a lifetime of accumulated opinion,
education, conditioning and
advertising to cast aside first.
Applied
taoism
If you are ever to learn from the way of nature and harness its power, you
need to apply its
principles.
Tao Te Ching was created as a means of helping you see these
principles for yourself.
The best way to understand is to do. Hands-on. You need to employ tao
in your tai chi practice.
How?
Find a verse and consider what the lines mean in different
contexts, e.g.
Fill a bowl
to the brim and it will spill.
Make a blade too sharp and it will soon blunt.
(Lao Tzu)
This could be about a number of things; but the general theme is excess.
You must know when to stop.
It might apply to how much you train, to the extent of your reach/stance in
tai chi or to the number of commitments you
have in your day.
Overtraining,
over-reaching,
over-commitment.
It may refer to how you approach the experience of
self defence and whether you are being greedy
by using complex
techniques rather than a simple strike.
The sentences are clear statements of
fact.
Not theoretical. You can experiment with them and find out for yourself
whether or not they are true. It is up to you to find
meaning through application.
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Page created 11 October 2002