The Four Eternal Models

Before the Heaven and Earth existed
There was something nebulous:
   Silent, isolated,
   Standing alone, changing not,
   Eternally revolving without fail,
   Worthy to be the Mother of All Things.
I do not know its name
   And address it as Tao.
If forced to give it a name, I shall call it “Great.”
Being great implies reaching out in space,
Reaching out in space implies far-reaching,
Far-reaching implies reversion to the original point.

Therefore:
   Tao is Great,
   The Heaven is great,
   The Earth is great,
   The King is also great.
There are the Great Four in the universe,
And the King is one of them.

Man models himself after the Earth;
The Earth models itself after Heaven;
The Heaven models itself after Tao;
Tao models itself after nature. (Tao Te Ching, Chapter 25, Lin Yu Tang trans.)

Well, it’s been a busy summer. We have had relatives visiting, and I got to spend a lot of time with my 6-year-old granddaughter. Now that the summer is over, I am back to writing.

I have been writing about the Tao for a while. I have discussed the two aspects of the Tao-the secret and the manifestation.

The secret can only be reached through deep meditation with the mind silenced.

The only way we can reach and fully activate our true selves is through deep meditation with the mind silenced.

However, the fact remains that while we need deep meditation, we live most of our lives in the manifestation. Yet, many thinkers speak of the manifestation as an illusion. They try to downplay the manifestation. But the manifestation is the Tao. Never forget that. We experience the Tao every moment of our lives. Most never know this.

We focus so much on meditating and breaking through to our true selves and the secret nature of the Tao that we ignore the manifestation in front of us. I will discuss this in my next post. But first, I must clarify Lao Tzu’s teachings.

That said, I would like to begin these blogs by asking a question: why does the Tao Te Ching seem almost contradictory in places?  The reason is simple. Lao Tzu is actually talking about two different Taos in the Tao Te Ching!

The first Tao is the energy or force that is the creator of all things. Our true selves use it to create all that exists on the Earth and in the Universe.

But Lao Tzu also talks about losing the Tao. For example chapter 18 says:

The Decline of Tao

On the decline of the great Tao,
   The doctrine of “humanity” and “justice” arose.
When knowledge and cleverness appeared,
   Great hypocrisy followed in its wake.

When the six relationships no longer lived at peace,
   There was (praise of) “kind parents” and “filial sons.”

When a country fell into chaos and misrule,
   There was (praise of) “loyal ministers.” (Tao Te Ching, Chapter 18, Lin Yu Tang trans.)

Again, in Chapter 23, Lao Tzu says:

Identification with Tao

Nature says few words:
Hence it is that a squall lasts not a whole morning.
A rainstorm continues not a whole day.
Where do they come from?
From Nature.
Even Nature does not last long (in its utterances),
   How much less should human beings?

Therefore it is that:
   He who follows the Tao is identified with the Tao.
   He who follows Character (Teh) is identified with Character.
   He who abandons (Tao) is identified with abandonment (of Tao).
He who is identified with Tao –
   Tao is also glad to welcome him.
He who is identified with character –
   Character is also glad to welcome him.
He who is identified with abandonment –
   Abandonment is also glad to welcome him.
He who has not enough faith
   Will not be able to command faith from others. (Tao Te Ching, Chapter 23, Lin Yu Tang trans.)

But the Tao cannot “decline.” It is eternal and is beyond the universe. Nor can we “abandon” the Tao because it is an essential part of us and everything in the universe and beyond.

Another example of this two “Taos” is in the quote from chapter 25 above, in which he talks about the Tao, the force. But in the last line, he says, “Tao models itself after nature.”

Now the universe and everything in it, including nature, is contained within the Tao, the force. So, how can the Tao model itself after nature? Here he is talking about the way, not the force.

In Chapter 23, Lao Tzu also speaks of those who “follow” the Tao.

So what Is Lao Tzu talking about? In Chapter 10 he says:

Embracing the One

In embracing the One with your soul,
   Can you never forsake the Tao?
In controlling your vital force to achieve gentleness,
   Can you become like the new-born child?
In cleansing and purifying your Mystic vision,
   Can you strive after perfection?
In loving the people and governing the kingdom,
   Can you rule without interference?
In opening and shutting the Gate of Heaven,
   Can you play the part of the Female?
In comprehending all knowledge,
   Can you renounce the mind? (Tao Te Ching, Chapter 10, Lin Yu Tang trans.)

The word Tao in Chinese means “the way,” like a road or a path. Lao Tzu uses the word Tao to describe both the force (see, for example, chapter 1 of the Tao Te Ching) and to describe a path forward for living. He sees that path as essentially peaceful, non-competitive, and quiet. That, of course, is the essence of Taoism, which is a practice built around his teachings.

Now, Taoism is a great system, and you can certainly follow it. However, it is not the only system that exists within the Tao as the creator.

There has been a lot written over the last two thousand years about the Tao as a way of life. I do not want to add to that. Follow the Tao if you wish. I want to talk about other ways of life within the Tao.

In my next post, I will continue this discussion by looking at just what the manifestation means and how we can use it as people on the path or as enlightened beings.

Namaste,

Michael Tavella, author of

“Break Through To Your True Self”

YourTrueSelf.blog