In this particular day I shall
interpret a verse from the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, namely verse 34. In A
Source Book In Chinese Philosophy, Wing Tsit Chan presents the verse:
“34. The Great Tao flows everywhere.
It may go left or right.
All things depend on it for life, and it does not turn away
from them.
It accomplishes its task, but does not claim credit for it.
It clothes and feeds all things but does not claim to be
master
over them.
Always without desires, it may be called The Small.
All things come to it and does not master them;
It may be called
The Great.
Therefore (the sage) never strives himself for the great, and
thereby the great
is achieved.” 1
Firstly let us discuss the theme of the verse. The theme of the verse revolves around the
reality of Tao which is openness. “Openness” is as essence of the Tao, for it
signifies following the course of nature.
In being “open”, one gets in touch with his nature. He gets in touch with his nature in a sense
that he accepts the way things are. He
does not impose nor does anything to disrupt that natural flow in things. He is “open” to all the possible results that
may arise once he has done his responsibilities.
Let us observe this as we go over the verse. It can be said that the lines in the verse
imply “openness” in the sense of “non-action” and “humility”. The first to be discussed will be the first
seven lines in the verse.
“The Great Tao flows everywhere.
It may go left or right.
All things depend on it for life, and it does not turn away
from them.
It accomplishes its task, but does not claim credit for it.
It clothes and feeds all things but does not claim to be
master
over them.”
In these lines, one can observe that the implication of “openness” in
the sense of “humility” is seen. Being
humble meant being “open” to the possibilities of failing or being unable to
take control of things.
Humility is shown in the moment the individual accepts things as what
they are, and stops interfering it. The
action of accepting inevitable situations depicts humility. It depicts humility in a sense that the
individual gets to realize that he must not get too ahead of himself. Not getting ahead of oneself makes one do
what is necessary, thus making the individual more efficient. A humble person does his responsibilities and
duties with efficiency. He has neither
superficial expectation nor assumption.
Another thing to note about “openness” in the notion of “humility” is
that being humble meant letting things run their course. This means that when one is “humble”, he
“lowers” himself down from the way Nature does things. In
this lowering of self, he realizes his natural essence. This essence is his humanity, which is
portrayed by his weakness before the unstoppable events happening before his
eyes. Realizing one’s humanity is
humbling and it makes one aware of the things that can make him happier. Realizing one’s humanity makes one fashion
his life in accordance with Nature. A humble one does not feel bitter or miserable
with undone things or unsuccessful results.
Now let us proceed to the remaining lines in the verse.
“Always without desires, it may be called The Small.
All things come to it and does not master them;
It may be called
The Great.
Therefore (the sage) never strives himself for the great, and
thereby the great
is achieved.”
In these last lines in the verse, the implication of “openness” in the
notion of “non-action” is seen in the lack of desire. When
one is devoid of any craving, he is more likely to save himself from the
trouble of injuring himself and everything around him. He saves himself from
injury and he does not have psychological or unnecessary baggage within. He spares himself from harm, both in the
external and internal aspects of him because he does not have a craving. When one has no desire or craving, he is
“open” to the possibilities life may bring.
Not wanting anything makes one
“open” to the possibilities that life may bring, no matter how big or
small. This is because if one wants or
desires something, he cannot accept any possibility given by life. This is because his heart and mind is already
filled up with unnecessary objects. In
this filling up of his heart and mind, he becomes susceptible to injury, for he
becomes consumed with his cravings. With
these unnecessary desires he “closes” himself from the world and from his own
nature, for he overworks himself just to satisfy his insatiable craving for
things.
“Openness” is one of the essences of Tao. It depicts the essence of Tao in the notion
of “humility” and “non-action”. Being
“open” meant accepting the events happening in one’s life as they are. It meant accepting whatever effect it may
bring to oneself. In accepting the
course of events, one humbles himself.
One is humbled before the series of events happening in his life, for he
gets to realize his humanity in the process.
This humanity meant the range of activities or responsibilities that man
can do in a “natural” way. This
“natural” way of doing things meant not interfering with the course of nature,
or implicating an artificial solution to prevent it from happening.
Openness is a value which implies trust for whatever comes without
anxiety or bitterness. Being “open” also
means doing the necessary and right things without the desire to be great. Those who does this becomes truly great in
their lives. To become a sage is to be
lowly and yet exalted in doing small but right things. It is also doing what is necessary and right
which makes one’s life an example of good values. With these, one becomes a master of simple yet
significant things and a model of small but great things that rest in humility
and simplicity. Openness strongly
flows in humility and simplicity. To live a happy life is a manifestation of the essence of
the Tao.
Source:
1.
Wing Tsit Chan, “The Natural Way of Lao Tzu”, (United States: Princeton
University Press, 1963), In A Source Book In
Chinese Philosophy, 157.
No comments:
Post a Comment