Tao, A Synthesis of Taoist Philosophy
written by Barry Pierce
Taoism contains elements of both religion and philosophy. I want to try to explain my view of the principle taoist concepts in secular, philosophical terms. Since there is no attempt in taoist tradition to separate cosmological and philosophical views, I will also include some description of taoist cosmology. My ideas are based on a personal synthesis of taoist concepts from three primary sources and several secondary sources. The primary sources are modern translations of the following texts: "Tao Te Ching", "I Ching" and "Secret of the Golden Flower". The secondary sources include comments made by the translators of these texts (Victor Mair, John Blofeld and Thomas Cleary), and articles and books dealing with eastern themes (and occasionally their western equivalents) that I have read at various times. The whole mess has recently come together for me from a particular insight (which I will grant could be wrong!).
The reason for sharing these ideas is that I hope others can offer suggestions or clarification that will help me, and also because of the chance others will also benefit from my attempts to understand this material. Taoism has both a cosmological view that addresses spiritual issues and a core philosophy that provides a system for relating to the world in a meaningful and effective manner. I believe this philosophical method can be practised without any conflict with major world religious views. In fact, I think atheists and agnostics can benefit from the taoist philosophical view as much as anyone else! (I would characterize myself as an agnostic with an inclination towards the mystic spiritual traditions.)
Here are the core elements (as I see it) of the taoist tradition:
Tao
"The Way". In the cosmological view, Tao is the source from which all things spring and to which all things return. Tao is all pervading and (as I understand it) pre-conscious (non-sentient). Tao is the essence or substance of the universe. Primarily from the "I Ching" I argue that in the philosophical view, Tao could be explained as "change", or more accurately as the "essence of change". When Taoists meditate upon Tao, what are they actually meditating on? In his notes on the "I Ching" John Blofeld suggests that all in the universe is dynamic and in flux except for the principles of change, which are constant. This is the basis which the "I Ching" uses for its predictions (ie. the oracle is based on an analysis of the "rules" of change). The "centre" which is found in taoist meditation (I argue) is in fact this stable "essence of change".
To be in accord with The Way is to be in accord with the flow of the universe. From the cosmological view, this could be described as "following the divine will", and indeed in this sense Tao could be viewed as "God". However, in a practical sense, the idea of being in accord with Tao could be taken as "going with the flow". There are many things beyond our control, the argument here being that to oppose such things will wear us down or even destroy us, while accepting them allows us to preserve our strength.
Te
Mair translates this as "Integrity". His choice here over the usual translation as "Virtue" is to indicate that Te is neither positive nor negative (while in English, virtue tends to be seen as a positive quality). Te can also mean power, vitality, essence, and a mess of other things. It is a difficult concept. Mair suggests that Te is closely related to the notion of Karma; that it is a measure of the "weight" or "substance" of a person on the cosmological scale. Further, Te is the expression of Tao within the individual. To be in accord with Te means to do what is correct for *you*, or that you are fulfilling your particular role in the cosmic pattern. I also believe Te is closely associated with Dharma, or duty.
For this reason, in the secular sense I take Te to mean "purpose". Taoism is not a prescriptive philosophy; following Te does not mean subjugating yourself. The concept of Te includes the sense that fulfilling your purpose means doing what is in your own best interest. In this sense, being in accord with Te may require you to make short-term sacrifices, but ultimately will result in personal gain (whether material or otherwise). Following Te could be described as recognizing when what we desire is in our best interest and when it is not (also when what we do *not* desire *is* in our best interest!). Another important point is that our purpose is not static, but is related to our circumstances in accord with the rules of change.
Wu-Wei
"Non-action". In the taoist context this also suggests "action through non-action", "non-purposive action" (purpose here meaning "intention" rather than what I describe above) or as suggested in "The Secret of the Golden Flower", "seeking without striving". Wu-Wei is the primary method by which Taoists stay in accord with their Te. Non-action in this context has a very specific meaning. It does not suggest passivity, but rather "appropriate action" or "correct action". In many (even most) instances correct action is to take no action at all (non-action). In all instances action through non-action means to act in accord with Tao. By acting in accord with the forces surrounding us our actions seem effortless because these forces propel us forward rather than hinder our progress. Non-purposive action and seeking without striving indicate that we should only be concerned that at each moment our actions are correct, allowing the consequences of those actions to flow from the rules of change. If the action is correct, the outcome will be favourable. Note that this does not imply immediate gains from correct action, but that ultimately correct action results in the best possible outcome.
In practical terms Wu-Wei suggests that at each instant we behave in a manner that is appropriate to our essence or purpose (that we act in character), and that our behaviour does not go against forces we cannot control. This is not to suggest adopting a submissive attitude, but rather that we should choose our battles. The "Tao Te Ching" is full of suggestions that we focus on the things we can change rather than the things we wish to change. By the accumulation of correct action in small matters we achieve great things. In the "I Ching" it is often advised that under certain circumstances the way to progress towards our goal is actually to retreat in the short term until circumstances are more favourable.
In this regard, the "I Ching" stresses that correct action includes the concept of "timely action". For many of the hexagrams we can cast from the "I Ching" the outcome will be described as favourable, while the specifics seem very unfavourable indeed. This is most often because although the outcome is "unfavourable" in an immediate personal sense, it is timely and correct in that it accords with Tao. By following the suggested course we are acting in our own best interest, although this may not be immediately evident. (Later I will make some suggestions why the "I Ching" is valuable even to those that do not believe in divination.)
The "I Ching" describes "incorrect action" as resulting in the worst possible outcome, while "untimely action" results in an outcome that is poor. The sentiment may be good, but if the timing is poor the positive elements of the action will be cancelled out by stronger coincident forces which oppose it. A graphic analogy to this would be of an animal trying to cross a highway. While the act may be neutral or even positive in itself, if the timing is wrong the animal will see a car bearing down on it and have to retreat, or even be crushed. The driver isn't necessarily trying to kill the animal, but is nonetheless a powerful force that opposes the animal's goal at that instant. A few seconds later the animal may be able to cross unimpeded.
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Well, so what? Ok, when I first starting reading about these ideas my immediate reaction was, "it's a startlingly nice conceptual construct, but it can't be applied". Today my answer to this is that it can, but the method of application seems foreign and even absurd to the western mind. I'm not about to prescribe some esoteric ritual here. In fact one of my goals is to make these concepts more accessible and to demonstrate their value. This is also the area in which I personally have the most to "learn" (the reason for the quotation marks should become clear later).
When looking to apply these concepts the main problem can be expressed as, "how do I *know* what is correct and timely action? Saying that I should act in accord with the forces that surround me makes sense, but most of those forces are beyond my direct perception." Here I don't necessarily mean spiritual forces, but especially mundane every-day forces. If I invest in stock in a gold mining company, I cannot know that their main shaft may collapse the next day, destroying my investment's value. This is a force beyond my direct perception and definitely beyond my control, don't you agree? Had I known something about what would occur at the mine, I may have made gains through investment elsewhere, retreated by selling stock I might currently own in the mine (thus minimizing my losses), or otherwise protected my principle by leaving my money in the bank!
I suggest that the method for increasing the odds of correct and timely action is through application of the faculty of intuition. Western science has adopted a reductionistic attitude that de-emphasizes intuition and requires "proof". (I would argue that the notion of proof has been borrowed from mathematics and is foreign to the experiential philosophy upon which science is based. Instead of a long aside, I'll just say that if anyone wants me to elaborate on this view I'll do so in a separate post.) John Blofeld points out that the intuitive faculty is atrophied to such an extent in western thinking as to be essentially non-existent, and that the significant inroads of the scientific method into Asia are producing similar effects there. Please note that science is my living and I'm not bashing the scientific method. Rather, I'm suggesting that the rigorous demands of scientific experimentation are not appropriate to all modes of thinking or to the process of living in general, and that the loss of the intuitive faculty is a damned shame!
In the cosmological model, a sort of divine intuition is produced through a process of "enlightenment", that based on my definitions would amount to becoming directly aware of Tao. In such circumstances, the enlightened person's every action would be correct and timely and would always lead to the most favourable outcome. I want to suggest that even if the materialistic view of the universe is *absolutely* correct, that there is no such thing as divinity or spirits then still, careful cultivation of intuition will result in a higher probability of acting in a correct and timely manner.
Intuition may be the result of any combination of elements from esoteric views on psychic ability through concepts such as synchronicity to the most "rationalistic" views such as the suggestion that intuition is the ability of the unconscious mind to perceive or at least organize information in a way the conscious mind cannot. If some people out there deny intuition in toto then the rest of what I say here should be read for general interest only. Personally, I believe human intuitive ability to be a *fact*.
The sticky point where many people lose arguments such as the one I'm making here is that intuition cannot be taught. In "The Secret of the Golden Flower", a book on chan and taoist meditation technique, this sentiment is expressed in saying, "this is the secret that cannot be taught in a thousand years" (I'm paraphrasing). Why? Because intuition is fundamentally an internal mode of reasoning, and is not directly accessible to the conscious mind. Intuition cannot be taught because it must be "experienced".
The "Tao Te Ching" emphasizes this point repeatedly. The "Old Master" often offers statements to the effect that approaching Tao is a process of daily decrease, while moving away from Tao is a process of daily increase. Here, I believe what is being referred to is intention. We approach Tao by basing action on intuition, not on intention or planning. In this sense, approaching Tao is a process of "unlearning". Action should be spontaneous, grounded in the present moment, and without regard to outcome. I'm not suggesting a careless attitude towards action, but rather that by trusting a well cultivated intuitive sense we begin to act in an appropriate manner which results in an acceptable outcome.
Present centredness is an idea that is common to many meditation teachings. By keeping to the present we focus on doing what is right in this particular instant. We do not try to second guess the operation of the universe (Tao or whatever term is equivalent to you), but let things unfold naturally from our actions. This attitude has made itself known in western teaching through gestalt therapy. I suggest that some methods of cultivating intuition include learning to identify intuition through observation and hindsight, present centering techniques such as meditation, and intuition moulding tools such as the "I Ching".
As an oracle, the "I Ching" claims to help us realize the best course of action in any given situation. I argue that even if there is no factual basis whatever for believing that oracles such as the "I Ching" have any predictive or descriptive power, that they are valuable tools for cultivating intuition. The "I Ching" challenges us to interpret its response in terms of the question we asked. In the manner that they are phrased, the answers will almost *never* be directly applicable to our question. They must be taken as allegorical, and the onus is on us to find out in what manner they may be appropriate. This process stimulates our own intuitive processes. The final interpretation is left up to the person consulting the text of the oracle, which in a sense suggests the answer is as dependent on the interpreter as it is on the chance involved in casting a particular hexagram. Instead of saying, "see, each hexagram could have *any* meaning, so the process is a fraud", I'd suggest that the text of the hexagram forces the interpreter to reach for an intuitive answer that they already knew, even before the consultation. The process makes the interpreter aware of this intuitive answer.
My interest in taoist though has matured from general curiosity to genuine respect. I believe that by following the taoist model and practising intuitive living our lives can become more effective, and our experience of reality more direct. Taoism has much to offer, but is not the only means to understanding of the concepts I describe. Most eastern traditions offer similar teachings, and in fact Mair makes a good case that classical China had much stronger ties with India, especially along the silk routes, than was previously thought. In particular, he points out the very similar elements in the teachings of the "Bhagavad Gita" and the "Tao Te Ching". Whatever route you choose, best of luck!
Barry Pierce
