In this particular day I shall
interpret a verse from the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, namely verse 63. In A
Source Book In Chinese Philosophy,
Wing Tsit Chan presents the verse:
“63. Act without action.
Do without ado.
Taste without tasting.
Whether it is big or small, many or few, repay hatred with
virtue.
Prepare for the difficult while it is still easy.
Deal with the big while it is still small.
Difficult undertakings have always started with what is easy,
And great undertakings have always started with what is
small.
Therefore the sage never strives for the great,
And thereby the great is achieved.
He who makes rash promises surely lacks faith.
He who takes things too easily will surely encounter
much difficulty.
For this reason even the sage regards things as difficult,
And therefore he encounters no difficulty.” 1
Firstly, let us discuss the theme of the verse. The theme of the verse revolves around
following the Way as non-action. What
Lao Tzu emphasizes in this concept is that following the course of Nature can
teach one into not doing anything which is unnecessary of a situation. “Non-action”, or doing what is needed in a
particular situation is being wise. It
leads toward sageliness for the individual nurtures his natural
capabilities. In nurturing these
capabilities, the individual then learns to live simply and in content with
what he has. This can help him in tempering his inner desires, and thus make
him live a happy life without any injury.
Let us go over the first ten lines in the verse.
“Act without action.
Do without ado.
Taste without tasting.
Whether it is big or small, many or few, repay hatred with
virtue.
Prepare for the difficult while it is still easy.
Deal with the big while it is still small.
Difficult undertakings have always started with what is easy,
And great undertakings have always started with what is
small.”
These lines emphasized that the notion of “non-action” is expressed in
two ways. The first way concerns in simply
doing things in a natural pace. This
means doing within one’s capacity without distinction.
Doing things in such a
“natural” way pertains to actions which does not make conditions like big or
small, easy or difficulty tasks, for example. Making distinctions makes one
“unnatural”. It makes one “unnatural”
because the distinctions make one’s movements restricted. It does not allow the individual to freely
exercise his capacity. Another example
of this is having different treatments to people whom one considers as friends
and enemies. It restricts one’s natural pace of socializing. This is because he gives conditions in the
distinction he does between the two groups of people he is socializing
with. If he were to treat these same
groups in the same manner, then he could have saved himself from getting
anxious and uncomfortable in changing his treatments.
The second way concerns in
doing things gradually. It expresses
“non-action” because it does not go out of the individual’s way. Doing things gradually does not require too
much effort in the part of the individual.
This is because he takes things one at a time and not everything at
once. In this sense his strength is preserved
and he can accomplish more tasks efficiently.
One does things gradually but surely. In the end, what measures the quality of
actions is virtue. Anything done with
virtue is natural.
Now we shall proceed in the remaining lines in the verse.
“Therefore the sage never strives for the great,
And thereby the great is achieved.
He who makes rash promises surely lacks faith.
He who takes things too easily will surely encounter
much difficulty.
For this reason even the sage regards things as difficult,
And therefore he encounters no difficulty.”
These last lines express the conclusion as the individual follows the
Way as “non-action”. When one does only
what is necessary of a situation, he does what is asked of him without any
difficulty. In following the course of
Nature, the individual begins to learn simplicity and contentment. By learning these values he prevents himself
from the “unnecessary” things, which are the attitudes of complacency and
pride. Complacency and pride makes one’s
undertakings difficult. This is because
the individual overdoes things. He overdoes
things by taking them all at once in order to prove his ego. For Lao Tzu, this is a wrong attitude because
it gives the possibility of injury in the part of the individual. Having many things to do at once is against
nature.
Doing only what is necessary leads one to accomplish more in
life. Not only that he can prevent
causing harm to himself, he can also establish order in his community. This is because it leads the individual into
avoiding selfish pursuits caused pride and vanity. In being simple, content, and humble, an
individual becomes great. Greatness
begins in small things. One should be
always prepared for both easy and difficult and for big and small
challenges. He should not take things
for granted. Too much of confidence is conceit. Things have to be done in simplicity,
humility and content.
To fashion one’s life in
accordance with Nature is establishing harmony with oneself and the rest in the
world. Whether one encounters small and
big, easy and difficult realities in life, he remains true to himself. He is never ruined by them. Everything flows as it should be and one’s
life flows in the same fashion. In this
way, he lives and practices virtue, the essential wealth
of a sage.
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