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date of the document's last update/modification 03/09/93

This file is the work of Stan Rosenthal. It has been placed here, with his
kind permission, by Bill Fear. The author has asked that no hard copies,
ie. paper copies, are made.

Stan Rosenthal may be contacted at 44 High street, St. Davids, Pembrokeshire,
Dyfed, Wales, UK.
Bill Fear may be contacted at 29 Blackweir Terrace, Cathays, Cardiff, South
Glamorgan, Wales, UK. email [email protected].
Please use email as first method of contact, if possible. Messages can be
sent to Stan Rosenthal via the above email address - they will be forwarded
on in person by myself.

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THE TAO AND ITS NAME

1.      Naming things enables us to differentiate between them, but names are
words, and words easily give rise to confusion.  They do not replace the
thing or direct experience of the thing which they name, but only represent
or describe it.

Consider a thing such as a strawberry.  If we wish to find the word 'strawberry',
we look in a dictionary; if we wish to find a description of a strawberry,
we look in an encyclopaedia.  But if we are hungry, we do not go to the
library, but to the field where fine strawberries may be found. If we do
not know where there is such a field, we might seek guidance as to where
fine strawberries may be found.  A book on the Tao is like such a guide.
It can point us in the direction of the strawberry patch, but cannot provide
the fruit itself.  It can give an idea of the taste of Tao, but of itself,
has no taste to compare with direct experience of the Tao.

Consider now three things: There is the universal principle which enables
all things to be, and to flourish naturally; there is the name 'Tao', by
which that universal principle is known; and there are words which describe
the manifestations of the Tao.

Even the name 'Tao' is only a convenience, and should not be confused with
the universal principle which bears that name, for such a principle embraces
all things, so cannot be accurately named nor adequately described.  This
means that Tao cannot be understood, for it is infinite, whereas the mind
of man is finite, and that which is finite cannot encompass that which is
infinite.

Although we cannot understand Tao, we are not prevented from having knowledge
of it, for understanding stems from one of the two forms of knowledge.
It stems from that which is called cognitive knowledge, the knowledge born
of words and numbers, and other similar devices.  The other form of knowledge,
conative knowledge, needs no words or other such devices, for it is the
form of knowledge born of direct personal experience. So it is that conative
knowledge is also known as experiential knowledge.

Cognitive and experiential knowledge both have their roots in reality, but
reality is complex, and complexity is more of a barrier to cognitive knowledge
than it is to experiential knowledge, for when we seek cognitive knowledge
of a thing, that is, understanding of it, the knowledge we gain of that
thing is understanding only of its manifestations, which is not knowledge
of the thing itself.

We may seek to understand a thing, rather than to experience it, because,
in a world beset with man made dangers, it is frequently safer to understand
than to experience.  Tao is not man made, and there is nothing in it to
fear.  So it is that we may experience Tao without fear.

When we cease to seek cognitive knowledge, that is, cease to seek understanding
of a thing, we can gain experiential knowledge of that thing. This is why
it is said that understanding Tao is not the same as knowing Tao; that
understanding Tao is only to know that which it manifests, and that knowing Tao
is to be one with the universal principal which is Tao.  This is to say that
knowledge of Tao is not the same as understanding Tao.  To know Tao is to
experience both Tao and the manifestations of that universal principle.  As
human beings, we are born as manifestations of Tao.

If this seems complex, the reason is because Tao is both simple and complex.
It is complex when we try to understand it, and simple when we allow ourselves
to experience it.  Trying to understand Tao is like closing the shutters
of a window before looking for a shadow. We might close the shutters to
prevent anyone from discovering our treasure, but the same shutters prevent
the moonlight from entering the room.  All there is in the room is darkness,
and in total darkness we cannot find the shadow, no matter how hard or
diligently we seek.

We call one thing a shadow, and another darkness, but the shadow is darkness,
and the darkness shadow, for in reality, both darkness and shadow are absence
of light, yet we call one shadow and the other darkness.  The shadow is
darkness in the midst of light, but within total darkenss, the shadow seems
to disappear, for darkness is a shadow within shadows.  We may think that
the shadow has been destroyed when all light is removed, but it has not
been wiped away; in reality it has grown, but we need light even to see
that form of darkenss which we call a shadow.

Such is the pursuit of the universal priciple called Tao, that if we seek
to understand it, we prevent the very means by which it may be found, for
the only way in which we might find Tao is through the experience of Tao.
We find Tao when we do not seek it, and when we seek it, it leaves us, just
as the silver moonlight leaves the room when we close the shutters.  We
find and know Tao when we allow ourselves to find and know it, just as the
moonlight returns when we allow it to return.

We do not need to seek Tao as we seek physical treasures such as jade or
gold.  We do not need to seek Tao as we seek such treasures as fame or titles.
We do not need to seek the treasure of Tao, for although the greatest of
treasures, it is also the most common.  Perhaps it is bacause it is so common
that so few men find it; they seek it only in mysterious and secret places,
in chasms and caves, and in the workplace of the alchemist.  The Tao is
not hidden in these places, and is hidden only from those who frequent and
inhabit them, secretively, and with the shutters closed.

Just as darkness may be known as the absence of light, so to may light be
known as the absence of darkness. When we experience darkness and light
as having the same source, we are close to the Tao, for Tao is the source
of both darkness and light, just as it is also the source of all other natural
things.  When we experience ourselves as part of Tao, as a shadow or reflection
of the universal principle, we have found it, for it is said that "Experience
of Tao is Tao".

1.      KNOWLEDGE OF 'THE TAO', AND EXPERIENCE OF THE TAO.
There is a way in which we may conduct our lives without regrets, and in
such a manner as assists in developing and realizing our individual potential,
without harming others, or inhibiting the realization of their potential,
and which is beneficial to a healthy society.

Such a way of life may of course be conducted without a name, and without
description, but in order that others may know of it, and so as to distinguish
it from other ways in which life may be conducted, we give it a name, and
use words to describe it.

When discussing or describing this way in which life may be conducted, rather
than refer to it in full, for convenience, we refer to it as 'the way',
meaning simply that the discussion is concerned with this particular way,
not that it is the only way of conducting one's life.  In order that we
might distinguish it more easily from other ways, we refer to it also by
its original name, which is 'Tao'.

By intellectual intent, that is, through thought and words, and by considering
ourselves as non-participating observers of this way of life, we may gain
knowledge of its manifestations; but it is only through participation that
we can actually experience such a way of life for ourselves.

Knowledge of anything is not the same as the thing of which we have that
knowledge.  When we have knowledge of a thing but do not have experience
of it, in trying to describe that thing, all we can describe is our knowledge,
not the thing itself.  Equally, even when we have experience of a thing,
all we can convey is knowledge of that experience, not the experience itself.

Knowledge and experience are both real, but they are different realities,
and their relationship is frequently made complex by what distinguishes
them, one from the other.  When they are used according to that which is
appropriate to the situation, we may develop that way of life which enables
us to pass through the barrier of such complexities.  We may have knowledge
of "Tao", but Tao itself can only be experienced.

2.      LETTING GO OF OPPOSITES.
It is the nature of the ordinary person, the person who is not yet at one
wityh the Tao, to compare the manifestations of the natural qualities possessed
by things.  Such a person tries to learn of such qualities by distinguishing
between their manifestations, and so learns only of their comparative
manifestations.

So it is that the ordinary person might consider one thing beautiful when
compared with another which he considers to be ugly; one thing skillfully
made compared with another which he considers badly made.  He knows of what
he has as a result of knowing what he does not have, and of that which he
considers easy through that which he considers difficult.  He considers
one thing long by comparing it with another thing which he considers short;
one thing high and another low.  He knows of noise through silence and of
silence through noise, and learns of that which leads through that which
follows.

When such comparisons are made by a sage, that is a person who is in harmony
with the Tao, that person is aware of making a judgement, and that judgements
are relative to the person who makes them, and to the situation in which
they are made, as much as they are relative to that which is judged.

Through the experience and knowledge through which he has gained his wisdom,
the sage is aware that all things change, and that a judgement which is
right in one situation might easily be wrong in another situation.  He is
therefore aware that he who seems to lead does not always lead, and that
he who seems to follow does not always follow.

Because of this awareness, the sage frequently seems neither to lead nor
follow, and often seems to do nothing, for that which he does is done without
guile; it is done naturally, being neither easy nor difficult, not big or
small.  Because he accomplishes his task and then lets go of it without
seeking credit, he cannot be discredited. Thus, his teaching lasts for ever,
and he is held in high esteem.

3.      WITHOUT SEEKING ACCLAIM.
The talented person who is also wise, retains humility, and so does not
create rivalry.  The person who possesses material things, and who does
not boast of his possessions, does much to prevent stealing.  Those who
are jealous of talents, skills or possessions of others, easily become
possessed themselves by envy.

The sage is satisfied with a sufficiency; he is not jealous, and so is free
of envy.  He does not seek fame and titles, but maintains his energy and
keeps himself supple. He minimizes his desires, and does not train himself
in guile.  He thus remains pure at heart. By acting in an uncontrived manner,
the harmony of the inner world of his thoughts and the external world of
his environment is maintained.  He remains at peace with himself.

For these reasons, an administration which is concerned with the welfare
of those whom it serves, does not encourage the seeking of status and titles;
it does not create jealousy and rivalry amongst the people, but ensures
that they are able to have a sufficiency, without causing them to become
discontent, therefore the members of such an administration do not seek
honours for themselves, nor act with guile towards the people.

4.      THE UNFATHOMABLE TAO.
The mind should not be filled with desires.  The individual who is at one
with the Tao is aware of the distinction between that which is needed as
a sufficiency, and that which is a desire, or merely wanted rather than
needed.

It is the manner of the Tao that even though continuously used, it is naturally
replenished, never being emptied, and never being as full as a goblet which
is filled to the brim and therefore spills its fine spring water upon the
ground.  The Tao therefore does not waste that with which it is charged,
yet always remains a source of nourishment for those who are not already
so full that they cannot partake of it.

Even the finest blade will lose its sharpeness if tempered beyond its mettle.
Even the most finely tempered sword is of no avail against water, and will
shatter if struck against a rock.  A tangled cord is of little use after
it has been untangled by cutting it.

Just as a fine sword should be used only by an experienced swordsman, intellect
should be tempered with experience.  By this means, tangled cord may be
untangled, and seemingly insoluable problems resolved; colours and hues
may be harmonized to create fine paintings, and people enabled to exist
in unity with each other because they no longer feel that they exist only
in the shadow of the brilliance of others.

To conduct oneself without guile is to conduct oneself in a natural manner,
and to do this is to be in contact with nature.  By maintaining awareness
of the way of nature, the wise person becomes aware of the Tao, and so becomes
aware that this is how its seemingly unfathomable mysteries may be experienced.

5.      TRANQUIL BUT UNCEASING.
Those things which are in opposition with each other are not benevolent
towards each other, and may even treat each other with contempt or malevolence.

Although the creatures which are born of nature may be in opposition with
each other, nature itself is in opposition to nothing for there is nothing
for it to oppose.  It acts without conscious intention, and it is therefore
neither deliberately benevolent, contemptuous nor malevolent.

In this respect the way of the Tao is the same as the way of nature.  Therefore,
even when acting in a benevolent manner, the sage does not act from any
conscious desire to be benevolent.
Through his manner of breathing like a babe, he remains free of conscious
desire, and so retains his tranquility.  By this means he is empty of desire,
and his energy is not drained from him.

2.      THE MANIFESTATION OF TAO THROUGH COMPLIMENTARY OPPOSITES
All physical things possess certain natural qualities, such as size, shape
and colour. Since the universal principle encompasses all things, so it
encompasses their natural qualities.

Being possessed by all things, natural qualities are general to all things,
but in order to relate to a quality, we think of it as it exists relative
to a particular thing, and to ourselves.  We therefore think of and describe
a quality according to how it is manifested through one particular thing
compared with another. Thus, we judge one thing to be big, compared with
another thing, which we think of as small; one person young, and another
old; one sound noisy, and another quiet.  Equally, we judge and compare
by thinking of the aesthetic quality in terms of its manifestations, 'beautiful'
or 'ugly'; morality in terms of good or bad; possession in terms of having
or not having; ability in terms of ease or difficulty; length in terms of
long or short; height in terms of high or low; sound in terms of noisy or
quiet; light in terms of brightness or darkness.

Although many of the manifestations which we compare are judged by us to
be opposites, one to the other, they are not in opposition, but are
complimentary, for even extremes are nothing other than aspects or specific
examples of the quality which encompasses them.  Both big and small are
manifestations or examples of size, young and old are examples of age, noise
and quietness are aspects of sound, and brightness and darkness are extremes
of light.

It is the nature of the ordinary man to compare and judge the manifestations
of the naturally occurring qualities inherent in things and in situations.
It is not wrong to do this, but we should not delude ourselves into believing
that we thereby describe the quality rather than a manifestation of the
quality.

Whilst all judgements are comparative, a judgement is frequently, if not
always, relative to the individual who makes that judgement, and also to
the time at which it is made. To the young child, the father may be old,
but when the son reaches that age, it is unlikely that he will consider
himself old. To the child, the garden fence is high, but when the child
grows bigger, the same fence is low.  The adult in his physical prime knows
that to run ten miles, which is easy at that time, will become more difficult
as he becomes older, but that that the patience required to walk will become
easier.

The sage knows that qualitative judgements, such as old and young, big and
small, easy and difficult, or leading and following, relate as much to the
person who makes that judgement, as they relate to the thing or action
described. Consider a sage and an ordinary man sitting on a hill in the late
evening, looking down on the road below.  When darkness has fallen, they both
see the light of two lanterns approaching, one yellow, the other red, bobbing
gently as their bearers pass by. From the positions of the two lights, the
ordinary man knows that the bearer of the yellow lantern leads the bearer
of the red.  As he watches, he sees the red lantern draw level with the
yellow, and as they pass beneath him, the red lantern preceding the yellow.

The ordinary man wonders why the two lantern bearers do not walk side by
side.  The sage, who has seen what his companion has seen, thinks it right
that the two travellers should do as they have done, to walk side by side
through the night, neither leading and neither following the other.

The sage is aware that he who seems to lead does not always lead, and that
he who seems to follow does not always follow.  Because of this, the sage
frequently seems neither to lead nor follow, and often seems to do nothing,
for that which he does is natural, being neither easy nor difficult, not
big or small.

Those changes which occur naturally in life, the sage accepts as natural,
accepting them as an opportunity for learning, whilst realizing that knowledge
is not his possession.  Because he knows that the credit for learning is
due to the willingness of the student, he teaches without teaching, but
by allowing his students to observe the virtue of observing natural qualities,
rather than only comparing and judging their manifestations.  He does this
without seeking credit, and continues without contriving to be given credit.
Because of this, his teaching lasts for ever, and he is held in high esteem.

The gifted person retains humility and thus prevents jealousy.  The person
who does not boast of his possessions prevents stealing.  Only those who
have greed are perplexed by envy. The wise person is therefore satisfied
with a sufficiency, and is free of envy.  He does not seek fame and titles,
but keeps himself strong and supple.  He minimizes his desires, and does
not train himself in guile.  He thus remains pure at heart.  By acting in
an uncontrived manner he maintains his inner harmony.


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