FREE ESSAY ON TAO TE CHING

TAO TE CHING

Taoism applied to everyday life Practice not-doing and everything will fall into place
(Chapter 3). In Taoism this is the concept known as wu wei. Wei wu wei is the practice of
doing and not-doing. This concept comes from the theory of the Yin and Yang. The Yang,
along with wei, is the practice of doing. The Yin, along with wu wei, is the practice of
not-doing. One compliments the other, and each cannot exist alone. The Tao tells people
to practice not-doing because it will bring happiness in their life. By not-doing, the
Tao means not performing actions, which are unnecessary and uncalled for. People should
just take things as they come in life and they will live a life full of happiness and
pleasure. If you don't interfere with the Tao and let things take their natural course,
everything will work out in your life (Chapter 10). If powerful men and women could
remain centered in the Tao…all people would be at peace… (Chapter 32). If you
work against your Tao, you will never find happiness. The Sage practices wu wei. He
teaches without words and performs without actions (Chapter 43). He knows and therefore
does not speak (Chapter 56). Many people mistake conceptual knowledge for the map to the
territory. The Sage is our map to the Tao. He points his finger to show us the way, but
does not really tell us what to do and how to practice Taoism. Lao Tzu's concepts of the
Tao can be a guide to rational living. If one follows these beliefs he is guaranteed
happiness in his life. However, it is very difficult to follow the Tao, even though the
teachings are said to be easily understood and easily put into practice (Chapter 70). The
reason the Tao is so difficult to grasp is because you cannot know that you are
practicing it. The Tao is beyond all words. If you give it words, it does not exist. It
is unnamable. If you concentrate on the Tao, you will never understand it. You cannot
think about it, you must just do it. This is very difficult because people always think
about what they do, but this does not work with the Tao (Chapter 1). You cannot look for
the Tao; you cannot listen for the Tao. You must just accept the idea that it is always
there, omnipresent, and you can't see it. This is all very important because if one
cannot understand these first simple steps in Taoism, they will be lost the rest of the
way. In personal life, you should never define yourself. When you define yourself, you
are actually putting limits on yourself. If a man defines himself as a doctor, he is
limiting himself to science. If a man defines himself as a singer, he is limiting himself
to music. By limiting yourself, you are not allowing yourself to experience life fully
(Chapter 24). Also, you should never define any object because they will always have an
opposite. If you define something as good then its opposite is defined as bad, when in
reality it might not be (Chapter 2). When a man is about to buy a car, he will want to
buy a company with a good name. He has defined one car as good and the rest are bad. When
he realizes he cannot afford the good car he is unhappy. He has to buy a bad car. While
driving his bad car, he thinks about what people will say. He worries that they will not
approve of his new purchase. If the man had not originally set such high expectations of
buying a good car, he would not be upset with his situation. By caring about other
people's approval he becomes their prisoner (Chapter 9). If you see things as they are,
then you will be happy with whatever you have. If you see things through other's eyes
then you will never achieve the high goals you are setting. In family life, be completely
present (Chapter 8). All family members should always be there for each other. You should
be completely present for the rest of your family, this way other members can talk to you
whenever necessary. This gives a sense of security to the rest of the family. Parents
should always be there for their children, children should always be there for their
parents, and siblings should always be there for each other. Because (the Sage) has
nothing to prove, people can trust his words (Chapter 22). The Sage and the parental
figures of a family should have this in common. Parents have nothing to prove to their
children and therefore children always believe what their parents tell them. Parents do
not have to impress their children and can therefore set an example. If parents cannot
have this connection with their children, there is a guarantee of failure in the family.
In work, do what you enjoy (Chapter 8). Most people hate their job. If you like what you
do, you can wake up every morning with a smile, looking forward to the day of work that
lies ahead of you. At your job you should not try to hold all the power. By not trying to
be powerful, you are truly powerful (Chapter 38). Also, in you work you cannot chase
after money. You must do your work because you like it, not because you want the money.
If you chase after money your heart will never unclench (Chapter 9). When you have no
desire for the money, you are at peace (Chapter 37). You must be content with what you
have, rejoice in the way things are (Chapter 44). You mustn't expect too much because you
will never get what you want. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world
belongs to you (Chapter 44). In governing, don't try to control (Chapter 8). As a leader,
it is best if the people hardly know that you exist. As a leader, you must not be bossy
and try to have all the power because the people will hate you and will not obey you. You
must lead, not control (Chapter 17). By pointing people in the right direction you are
helping them. By telling them where to go, you aren't letting them think for themselves.
The best leader listens to her people (Chapter 68). As a leader you must govern with
tolerance and you must not have high expectations of your people because you will never
get what you expect (Chapter 58). You must govern a country with moderation for the best
results (Chapter 59). If you have weapons, your people will be insecure. If you have
laws, your people will break them. If you do not desire common good it will become as
common as grass (Chapter 57). If a nation does not get involved with the affairs of
others, it will be well respected by all other nations (Chapter 61). If you overesteem
great men, people become powerless. If you overvalue possessions, people begin to steal
(Chapter 3). Society should not define things because bad things will happen. If you
overvalue possessions it is obvious that people will steal them because they are worth
something to society. If everything had none or equal value, no one would steal anything
because nothing would be more important than everything else. This is an extreme
suggestion however, it is the only way for society to come together as a whole and have
no one steal from others. Let the Tao become present in your life and you will become
genuine. Let it be present in your family and your family will flourish. Let it be
present in your country and your country will be an example to all countries in the
world. Let it be present in the universe and the universe will sing. (Chapter 54). 
Bibliography 
References Mitchell, S. (1988). Tao Te Ching. New York: HarperCollins.