In understanding the TAO, we are dealing with the deepest, most difficult, of the world’s major philosophies of life. We will not be concerning ourselves with TAOISM as a religion, except to point out that at present it concerns itself with what might be concerned with influencing or controlling the supernatural in reference to nature or making the world a better place. They have been said to use methods bordering on magic. I do not believe these assertions.

Twenty nine years of my life were spent trying to comprehend the original very deep message Lao Tse was presenting before us. Finally, I felt comfortable enough that I thought I could carry on a conversation dealing with his writings. And even then, there was still something which I felt was like a chasm separating myself from the great sage. It had to do with THE SEVEN SAGES OF THE BAMBOO GROVE. For forty or so more years I was blind to just how deep the philosophy really was.

Understanding the TAO is as close as we creatures can get to understanding the origin of “THOUGHT”. Although it seems, by most, to be a religion, and it is mainly so in its present day form, it was not intended to be that way. As it was originated by Lao Tse, it was intended to be an explanation of his philosophy of life. You ask what is the difference between an explanation and philosophy of life and a religion? As we have mentioned previously, as soon as you add gods to a philosophy of life, it becomes a religion. The true Taoist is concerned about a Supreme Power, but he does not think of such power, as a member of one of the major faith religions would think. A person can be a member of any one of the world’s major religions (mainly Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Shamanism, Shinto,  Confucianism, Voodoo, ), and still be a TAOIST at the same time.
(Before going further, it should be pointed out that the present form of TAOISM as practiced  in China, where it is an out and out religion with gods, did not become popular in China until several centuries after the original TAOISM was introduced.)

Tao is most generally translated as meaning the “road” or the “way”. Man is not concerned with the beginning of this “road” or “way” because no matter where or when a person’s concern starts, that “road” or “way” is already there, and always has been. Also, there is no end to the “road” or “way” because it will always be there as far as the man is concerned. It is infernity (INFIRNIT—– INFINITY/ETERNAL). It thus seems like a good place to start to try to understand, since we are now very familiar with this terminology.

Because TAOISM, being infinitely eternal, cannot be taught, it is therefore the most difficult to explain. How do you teach infinity and  eternity? It cannot be explained because it is beyond explanation. As a result, it can only be understood, or learned, or comprehended, by the students themselves. This “understanding” is a time of enlightenment when, possibly, after so many years of study, or in a sudden flash of intuition, the student is aware that he is as one with the TAO. (My enlightenment took place over night) But, he will be unable to put into words that knowledge with which he has been blessed. It can only be done by teaching around the TAO. This is comparable to teaching about the hole in the doughnut by teaching about the doughnut itself or, around the hole. It is naturally impossible to teach about the “hole” as a complete, separate entity, without teaching something about the doughnut itself. If there can be enough understanding about the doughnut, there can be some understanding about the hole. If there can be enough understanding by teaching around the TAO, then there might be some, or considerable, understanding about the TAO itself. TAOISM, as it was originally conceived, has no ceremony and no regulations. It deals with “man with the universe” or “man with nature”. Man and the universe, or man and nature, are naturally in harmony since man is a part of the universe, or nature, and not separate from it. Therefore, if there is anything which throws man out of harmony, it is desire on the part of man. If man desires something which does not just come to him naturally by his being a part of the universe, or part of nature, he throws himself out of harmony with the universe, or nature. At this point, there most generally is the question—-Then why should we make an effort to accomplish anything? And the answer is—when that thing you are trying to accomplish is being done without effort, then you are not working against nature. You are not out of harmony with nature. Just let your efforts come to you naturally without stress and strain on your part. Learn to be relaxed in your life, and nature will reward you with all the knowledge you desire, but do not accept that knowledge as a reward; just accept it. It will always be obvious to the individual when he is trying to swim upstream in life, as opposed to just going with the flow and drifting with the current. That does not mean one should go along with evil, if evil prevails, Some judgement on the part of the individual is required. At this point of decision, one must work to make sure he is following his TAO, while at the same time make it feel as though he is not swimming upstream. Nobody ever said that always being able to choose and do the right thing was easy. Sometimes you just get pissed off at the whole thing and overturn the tables of the moneychangers in the Temple.
Also, because of this method of teaching by not teaching directly about the TAO, it is the responsibility of the student to learn about the TAO without the teacher specifically instructing about the nature of the TAO. This means the student must learn the TAO, without being taught the TAO. It is very similar to ZEN, but whereas ZEN using MASTERS OF ZEN, will challenge you on your comprehension, TAOISM does not. It is up to you to understand that you comprehend (or feel you have become enlightened as I felt, until I suddenly realized, I had a ways to go) without being informed by someone else that you have reached that stage. The student must teach himself without being specifically taught by a teacher. This means the student may get very unhappy with the teacher at times because he/she feels they are not being given specific instruction. Only when the student learns to understand the TAO, will he/she understand why the teaching must be done in this manner.

The founder of Taoism was Li Er–Lao Tan–Lao Tzu–or Lao Tse (all four names and spellings being used). This was during the time of the Warring States in Henen Province, China, southeast of Loyang, about 571 BC, or about 2586+ years ago. Nobody can be completely sure because there is no real proof that he actually lived. Legend tells us he was a librarian and the first of the Chinese great philosophers, of whom we are aware. Like many great thinkers of his time, he was very concerned about the chaos existing in China during the time of the Warring States. He wondered why it was that during the many centuries of the Zhou Dynasty, there was mostly peace and man lived in a mostly predictable universe, even if he did not always like the way he HAD to live. He knew how to live with the whims of nature, and what nature expected of him. But the dynasty collapsed, and this led to many different factions from different parts of China, all competing to be the next great dynasty to rule over everybody. All of these pretenders to the heavenly throne, were trying to get the MANDATE OF HEAVEN, which meant being recognized as the son of heaven. In such a position, he could dictate what nature expected of everyone else. Because of all this chaos, the universe and nature seemed to no longer be predictable. And Lao Tse, like many other Chinese, had his own reasons why everything was in such a mess. He finally put his beliefs down into a Chinese style Book, called the Da De Jing or Tao Teh King. He got into trouble with the ruler of Henen because of this thinking, lost his job, and was exiled from the province. As he was passing through the border between Henen and the next province, he stopped to rest and started talking to one of the border guards. The guard showed complete interest in Lao Tse’s reasoning for the universal chaos, and for his philosophy as to what was needed for everything to return to normal. The Book Lao Tse had written was a philosophy of life which very closely bordered on religion. And because Lao Tse believed his life to be a failure, he gave his Book to the border guard named Yinxi. Lao Tse then disappears from legends. Although there are those Chinese who believe he crossed the mountains, went into India, and became the Buddha. And there are those who believe he met and conversed, in China, with Con Fu Tse “Confucius”. But, whereas we must believe legends to believe Lao Tse lived at all, it is beyond legend to believe he met, or became either of the other two great philosophers. (It is much more likely that JESUS OF NAZARATH, five hundred years later, reached the same destination, in or close to, the mountains of today’s TIBET, where he did considerable studying during his lost years. There is very good evidence in an ancient monastery, that such is the case. [I am merely pointing out that there are many legends with which we could occupy our time if we so desired. And this one is very interesting.])

Since the border guard, Yinxi, was now in possession of the Book, it is believed this guard is the person responsible for the spread of the philosophy of TAOISM. The BOOK OF TAOISM is very deep and nearly incomprehensible for many to read, let alone digest. There are those who read the same page every day, and are able to feel they have learned a different lesson each of those days. I have read the Book, and understand that feeling. It is also felt by those adherents that the Book applies to everyone, no matter what religion, field of endeavor, or that it applies to everyone, no matter how much knowledge one has acquired in that field of endeavor.

To repeat what we have already stated, TAOISTS believe that man must merge himself with nature in order to fulfill his destiny of being what man was supposed to be and do, since he was no more than a part of nature, in this universe. This is accomplished by following the practice of WU-WEI, or, by doing nothing. As we have previously stated, it was believed that by doing nothing other than what would just be done by following the concept of doing only what comes naturally, man would be in perfect harmony with nature. By doing nothing, everything necessary would naturally be done. If left alone, and not messed up by man, the nature of the universe would operate smoothly according to its own harmonies.

The true followers of TAOISM abandoned any type of life with society, gave up all unnatural desires, which were desires which varied from one person to another, since what seems to be natural for one person may seem to be unnatural for another.  Perhaps the most famous personage representing TAOIST thinking of that time was Chuang-Tzu, who may not be considered by all TAOIST scholars to have been a true TAOIST. He was a very important government official who retired from his life of demanding responsibilities which, it seemed to him, were often contrary to the rules of nature. He wrote a book about his thoughts on the TAO and tried to live within the confines required by nature. Eventually the time came when it was felt his abilities were needed again by the government. A delegation of influential officials was sent to attempt to encourage him to return. They caught him fishing in his own pond. (It was the goal of a business man to have the ability to successfully retire and then be able to spend your time fishing in your own pond). Their efforts were in vain as he explained to them how simple and easy his life was. He had dreamed he was a butterfly, and upon awakening he did not know if he was a man dreaming he was a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming he was a man. (Either way, it makes no difference. Either way, nature still exists in its own way.) Other than that, he need have no other concerns about life. A person should not be ambitious, trying to get ahead in life. This leads only to frustration. A person should just relax and let nature come to him on its own terms. He should not go seek nature trying to get it to agree to his terms. The TAO works like a pool of muddy water. If a man tries to stir it, it just stays muddy. But if you leave it alone and let nature take care of it, it will return to being clear.

The TAO is the ultimate reality of everything that was before, everything that is in the present and everything that will be in the future, plus, the ultimate of reality of everything that was not before, and everything that is not in the present, and everything that will not be in the future. This is because everything has an opposite, as exemplified by YIN AND YANG, which became the unity of opposites within the TAO. In the TAO is the only place where the unity of opposites may be found. That is because the TAO is everything, including the anti-TAO if one wishes to argue that point. Also, both YIN AND YANG have a spot of the other within them.

 Thus far, the TAO has been very easy to define and understand. But as the TAO is contemplated, it is realized that any understanding of the TAO exceeds way beyond the normal thinking of man.

The most famous of these peoples, who not only gave up their life within society, and then went off to live by themselves while contemplating the deeper meanings of the TAO were the  SEVEN SAGES OF THE BAMBOO GROVE . This is the group which I have found to be the most interesting.

These were the seven Chinese wise men, who went to live by themselves in a real bamboo grove, doing nothing other than what, to them, by their definition, must be done to be in tune with nature. (By providing the bamboo, nature provided everything they required in order for them to exist.) They wanted no regulations, no rules, no laws. They did not even talk with each other. They realized they had nothing to talk about which did not in some manner, conflict with the natural order of things. Things happened to them; they tried not to happen to things. Life must be as passive as possible; one should refrain as much as possible from being active. Their goal was an impossibility, since having absolutely no type of contact with each other, was also, a process of being active; their conduct was making a kind of a statement.

To them, life itself was a conflict with its dos and don’ts. There was nothing which could be verbally expressed without having to be within some limits. And these limits violated what nature wanted, since nature had no limits on verbal communication. Even the concept of such communication exceeded what nature intended. Just “be” and in the process “let be”. “Keep it simple stupid”.

And when it comes to really messing things up, get involved in “society”, where things are at their worst when disagreements with nature’s simple requirements were at their worst, resulting in all sorts of violence, including wars. The only thing one could do was “drop out”.

“THE MAN OF TAO IS CAUTIOUS, LIKE ONE WHO CROSSES A STREAM IN WINTER.

HE IS HESITATING, LIKE ONE WHO FEARS HIS NEIGHBORS.

HE IS MODEST LIKE ONE WHO IS A GUEST.

HE IS YIELDING, LIKE ICE THAT IS GOING TO MELT”.

But more important, was their understanding of the TAO, or their lack of understanding. They understood that nature was made up of opposites. Everything had an opposite, except the Tao. THE TAO IS THE UNITY OF ALL OPPOSITES. Since everything is present within the TAO as a unity of ALL opposites, everything which exists within the universe is present within the TAO. And everything which we know of which is not present within the universe is also present within the TAO or we would not be aware of its lack of presence. Even evil is present within the TAO since evil is an opposite. It is the opposite of good. The TAO is all powerful. All logic and nonlogic is in the TAO.

And, at this point we have made a very serious mistake—– or not—– or both made and  not made a mistake—–; or parts of both- having made and not made a mistake—–; or parts of neither- having made and not made a mistake. (We are trying to cover all-possibilities here)  But, at the same time, it is not necessary to cover any possibility.

The TAO is all powerful, so it can choose not to be all-powerful if it wants to, since not all-powerful is the opposite of all-powerful.
Or it could be part of each, or not. To be all-powerful is the same as not having any power at all.

The YIN-YANG symbol is the main symbol associated with the TAO. But within the YIN is a dot of YANG; and within the YANG is a dot of YIN. Within each is a part of the other.

The problem is (or isn’t; or both is and isn’t; or parts of both; or parts of neither) that AS SOON AS WE SAY THE TAO “IS” WE HAVE LIMITED THE POWER OF THE TAO FROM BECOMING THE TAO “ISN’T We have limited  the TAO from having the power to become the TAO isn’t, if it wanted to, if it was able to have that power, which it may or may not have the power to do, depending or not depending upon what it wants.
So, because this is very complicated to explain in simple terms, it is said that

HE WHO KNOWS NOTHING, SAYS EVERYTHING, AND HE WHO KNOWS EVERYTHING SAYS NOTHING.

Because there is nothing you can say about the TAO which cannot be contradicted, or not, or both can and can’t, or parts of both, or parts of neither.

THE TAO THAT CAN BE TOLD OF IS NOT THE ETERNAL TAO; Anything you would or could say would limit the TAO to your explanation, and then it would not be eternal.

THE NAME THAT CAN BE NAMED IS NOT THE ETERNAL NAME; The same explanation which is explained above.

NAMELESS, IT IS THE ORIGIN OF HEAVEN AND EARTH (all of which is not of a material matter, but only exists in thought, and in all of, or none of, all other things which don’t even exist in thought);

NAMEABLE, IT IS THE MOTHER OF ALL THINGS (all which exists in nature made up of matter).

Because the TAO is the unity of all things (all things having emanated from that one unity, the TAO), everything in that unity is the same, all being no more than a part of the “One”, the TAO. Everything, no matter how different, is the same; and as a result, since everything has an opposite, nothing is the same, except that, it is.
The same is not the same, or is, or both, or neither, or parts of both, or parts of neither.