Issue

9th Issue (September, 2008)

Universal Principle of Tao

Wong Weng Hon

In imperialism China, Taoism and Confucianism were conglomerated into a melting pot of Neo-confucianism. The transcendence of Tao was fused with the Confucian ethical system to strengthen moral inffabilities of a righteous or ethical emperor, the bureaucrats and the ordinary citizens. Tao invigorates and preserves ethics. It bridges the interstices of the political and social order. Tao was employed as the imperial political philosophy of governance of a ruler as well as personal cultivation of the ordinary citizens in imperial China to prevent ‘luans’ (chaos or disturbances ).

The central theme of the Taoism’ philosophy is the doctrine of the ‘Non-action of all actions’. Non-action of all actions are selfless actions unconditioned by personal interest but conditioned by public interest. They are pure actions purged of self-centric ego. The obliteration of self or ego shatters the shell of individuality. Thus, one merges in unity with all others dwelling holistically and harmoniously in the oneness of the world. All actions of non-action are orientated towards the benefits or interests of the public. The adept one with the principle of Tao is selflessly altruistic and compassionate. Selflessness or egolessness connotes interdependence and interconnectedness devoid of selfish individualism. Interdependence or non-separation is the Order or Law of Nature or the universal principle of harmonious living by which unity is preserved. The Chinese designates this principle of Nature as Tao. This is compatible with Theravadins’ doctrine of Insubustantiality (Anattā). It is parallel to the Mahāyānits’ doctrine of Emptiness. Insubstantiality or Emptiness is rooted in the essence of dependently co-arisen Unity or Non-duality.

Succinctly put, in the imperial Chinese politics, Tao refers to the ethical or righteous governance for the well-being and welfare of the subjects. The subjects are also encouraged to learn and cultivate Tao. Even in modern mainland China today, the Chinese citizens are nurtured thus by their authorities thus: When a citizen confronts two options in their lives, namely self-interest and national interest, a Chinese student is nurtured or brainwashed by the national educational policy to sacrifice his or her self-interest for the sake of national interest. That, the modern Chinese are adept in international sport arena, is not amazing because to them, victory for their beloved nation is number one agenda and personal glory or incentive should come as a second priority. Such a philosophy of life concurs with Tao. It strengthens nationhood and national unity. It sounds noble and edifying as the whole is more important than the parts. The nation is the whole or totality and the citizens are the parts. Buddhistly put, the whole or totality, conglomerated from the unity of contigent conditions, is dependently co-arisen Unity or Non-duality. Unity or Non-duality is the truth of Emptiness (Śūnyatā). The Truth of Emptiness is the Buddha-nature or Dharma-nature (Dharmadhātu). Dharmadhātu is essence of Tao or God.

If the same spirit is applied in national economic development in China, her current soaring economic rise is not unexpected. Chinese current economic rise mirrors the influence of Tao among the mainland Chinese citizens. Modern Chinese political leaders and her people are united to combat impoverishment and to amass economic affluence. The Chinese unity to overcome outbreak of the epidemic of SARS a few years ago and the battle against the devastation of the catastrophe of May, 2008 earthquake recently evidence that Chinese unity to overcome forces of adversity is magnificent or superb. Chinese philosophy of Tao furnishes the Chinese with power of unity and altruistic compassion to render humanitarian aids to their fellow brothers and sisters in distress. Tao is the absolute Truth of Unity or Non-duality which engenders supreme virtue in Man.

The Absolute Truth of Unity preserves the prosperity of the any secular undertaking or endeavour. When a business systems fares well, it reflects that the unity mound of Tao is intact. Tao sustains the sound business system. A successful business system or corporation is contigent upon supporting conditions, such as human resources, land, finiancial capital and enterprise. Harvest or result is the unity of contignet conditions. The essence of Unity is called Tao or God. Tao is evident in any conditioned system or organic organization. Tao is the harmonous unity of its parts.

 Overseas immigrants from all over the world have constructed their Chinese towns in western cities in America, Europe and rich Oceania,such as Australia and New Zealand. They are able to live in peaceful co-existence the natives on foreign soils because of two-fold contigent conditions. Firstly, since early childhood, the Chinese are mentally nurtured and perfumed with the culture of absolute tolerance or endurance of avoiding ‘Luan’ (Disturbance or Chaos). They are have been and are being indoctrinated since childhood with the parental spiritual advice thus, “ Endure what is unendurable. In a moment of endurance, the wind becomes calm and the waves are silenced. Withdrawing a step backward, the heart is open up for your containment.” They are constantly reminded by their parents to adhere to the first principle that harmonious human relationship of unity is lofty and should be worshipped in all human relationship and team enterprises. In actuality, what has been taught by the Chinese parents is the essence of Tao. Harmony promotes unity. ‘Luan’ breeds disunity and disharmony. Living in communion with others is living in the knowledge of Tao of Unity. All esoteric religions preach the essence of Tao or Unity. Monotheistically put, unity fostering harmony is the essence of God, Brahman or Buddha. Whoever lives in the knowledge of God prospers and experiences bliss. Whoever rejects the Unity of God will fall apart. Tao is actually synonymous with the essence of God. They are merely two dissimilar designations communicating the communal Truth of Wisdom. Tao or God is the mould of unity which preserves interdependence,, influence, confluence and coherence. Tao essentially opposes disturbance, chaos or crisis. Nothing prospers without Tao.

Thus, we perceive that Tao can be applied in governance, business environment and social interactions or intercourses. It bridges the interstices in social and political orders. It is universally applied in the human world to preserve the mould of unity and harmony. It functions as the emotional shock absorber in times of chaos or conflicts. It is an effective psycho-spiritual harmonizer of human relationships. It is a useful lubricant for harmonious interrelationship among human beings. It reduces or removes tension due to work pressures, and genuine communication breakdowns or misunderstanding. Tao helps one manage one’s emotions at the optimum level of mean (Chinese philosophical doctrine of Mean). Tao produces the mind of perfect equanimity of mean to confront the storms of life. Tao is the unity of heaven, earth and Man. It is the harmonious relationship between human Self and universal law of heaven and earth. They are synonymous with the unity of phenomena and principle in Buddhism and Monotheism.

From Buddhist perspective. the phenomenal world connotes the knowledge of conventional truth; the Absolute Truth refers to the ultimate Truth of dependently co-arisen Unity or Non-duality. Conventional truth is the knowledge of heaven and earth. The absolute Truth of Human Self or innate benevolence in Taoism is synonymous with Brahman, Buddha or God. Unity or Non-duality is the essence of the Buddha-nature. From the Vedānta’s paradigm, the phenomenal world refers to the multiplicity of cosmos. The Absolute Truth refers to the Brahman in Vedānta of Hinduism. Brahman is Non-duality. Non-duality is God. From the perspective of monotheistic religions, the phenomenal world refers to creatures or creations of God. All the major world religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam concur that the phenomenal world is a cosmic illusion. It is unreal and only the Absolute Truth is real. The phenomenal world is merely the shadow or image of the Absolute Truth.

All esoteric religions concur on the theosophy that the phenomenal world and the Absolute Truth are innately related. The pair of truths is likened to the metaphor of the reflected moon in the water and the moon in he sky. The countless reflected moons in the world are the images of the real moon in the sky. They are compared to the diverge forms or beings of the phenomenal world. Hence, the phenomenal world is unreal. Only the Absolute Truth of Unity is real. The Absolute Truth is designated as Tao or any other name designated either as God, Brahman, Buddha or Allah. Different designations are immaterial. Most importantly, they refer to the communal Truth of Unity or Non-duality. Even though the phenomenal world is illusive and unreal, it can not be separated from the Absolute or Tao, Buddha or God. True religious wisdom does not require one to be separated from secularity or materialism. True renunciation is the victory over the self or ego while one is actively living in the realm of worldliness without withdrawing the six senses. Tao is everywhere. It is not confined to a temple or monastery. It is found also in the ultra-modern icons of infrastructure in modern Dubai ! It is certainly also found in the ‘Bird Net in Beijing.The best athletes won the gold medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games because they had maximized the energy of Tao in their potentialities as well as in their trainings before and after they arrived at Beijing. In actuality, to be religious is to surrender oneself totally to the service of Unity. Unity is Tao or God. Surrendering oneself to God is to live fully in the spirit of Unity shattering the shell of one’s individuality in the process of co-operation. This is the genuine practice of religion. To pray to God externally to seek His refuge is the worship of idolatry.

Chinese Bible

Tao Te Ching is the religious sūtra of Chinese theosophy. It communicates the communal Truth of Wisdom known as Tao in which cosmology,humanism and spiritualism are syncretized. Consequently, it is widely read and translated globally by religious or philosophical scholars in the west. It is one the most precious religious gifts to the world. If its content is properly discerned, it can help promote and foster the alliances of religious civilizations through inter-faith understanding. Tao Te Ching is like a Chinese Bible. However, without the aid of an authoritative commentary literature, the abstruse message of Tao cannot be easily grasped. Its abstruse message becomes even more obscure as it is composed in difficult Chinese classical language.

Conclusion

Tao Te Ching is very significant as it unveils the communal Truth of Wisdom supporting the communal esoteric message of other esoteric religions. It highlights that there is only one world with only one Truth. The one world denotes the unity of the world which is Tao or God. The one Truth is Truth of Unity leading to the bliss of liberation – an end of suffering. Tao Te Ching is just like the Bible of Chinese People in which mystery of Nature is revealed by Lao-tzu. Its soteriological message liberates Man from grasping upon the five aggregates as this is I; this is mine; this belongs to me. Frankly put, without prior foundation of the Buddhist wisdom of Chan or Zen or the profound knowledge of Emptiness, Tao Te Ching is not easily comprehensible. The Taoist Classic ‘Chuang–tzu’ composed by Chinese Taoist philosopher, Chuang-tzu (around 4th century B.C.E) and other later commentators may serve as a authoritative commentary literature to Tao Te Ching. A knowledge of Chinese Classic of I-ching will aid in the understanding of Tao.