A Beginner’s Guide to Taoism: Nature’s Powerful Way

I am not a scholar or an expert, nor do I consider myself a wise man. Just ask my wife and kids. My friends would say I know enough, though. Most scholars would laugh at me. However, I am a student with a few years under my belt. I can not answer every question, but I can help you start your path, and together, we can enjoy our journey.

Every Legend Has a Beginning

Does it matter if legends are factual or not? Most, I assume, would say no. King Arthur and the knights of the round table are mostly fiction, while based on a real king, but the stories continue regardless. Kids run through their yards playing ‘Knights,’ and attractions like Midevil Times succeed in bringing thousands of people to see their show.

So, too, is the story of Lao-tzu and the creation of the Tao Te Ching, sometimes spelled Dao De Jing. The pronunciation is closer to the latter, but when searching for books or topics, you’ll find the former as it’s the classical spelling. Tao (with a T) was produced by Thomas Francis Wade during the mid-19th century and was given completed form in Herbert A. Giles’s Chinese–English Dictionary of 1892. The more modern spelling (with a D) is a part of the pinyin system created by the Chinese government during the 1950s. Both are considered correct, and you’ll find books in either spelling.

The most frequently found version of Tao Te Ching’s creation, which I enjoy the most, usually goes like this. 2500 years ago, Lao-Tzu was a librarian in the imperial archives and had grown tired of daily life’s political turmoil and stress. And so he decided to leave it all behind and leave for the countryside. On his way out of town, he was stopped by the border guard and asked to write some words of wisdom. And so he wrote a collection of 5,000 words, later divided into 81 chapters. Then, having written his thoughts for the guard, he climbed on top of his water buffalo and rode off into the sunset, never to be seen again.

Unlike religions such as Christianity, if Lao-tzu didn’t exist, the wisdom in the text would still be as relevant, practical, and impactful as it would be if he did exist. Whether it was collected by others over time or written by one person a very long time ago, the ability of the text to transform nations, its power to influence people’s ideology, and its place in history are unquestionable.

What is Tao 道

The Tao Te Ching is the second most widely translated book on Earth, next to the Bible. It’s often translated as “The Book of the Way” and Its Power.” Or sometimes referred to as “The book of the way.” Tao itself can mean “a way” or “the way.”

While metaphorical and poetic, the chapters explain a way of life that is in balance with nature. The Tao itself, I describe as the force behind all creation. Depending on how religious you’d like to travel down the Taoism rabbit hole, it can be a god. Still, most westerners, like myself, who were raised Christian but didn’t enjoy being told what to do with our destiny, think of it as the universe’s path.

The first line of the Tao Te Ching, when translated by scholar Derek Lin, can be as follows:

“道可道 非常道

名可名 非常名”

“The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao.

The name that can be named is not the eternal name.”

This means that any attempt to describe the Tao itself is folly, and any name we would give it is also useless. Because of this, you’ll find irony and contradiction everywhere within its 81 chapters. However, since our language is word-bound, we must call it something. Therefore, Lao-tzu, admittedly, chose the word, Tao.

The Wisdom Within

In just 81 chapters, the Lao-tzu describes how to live life and govern a nation in harmony with Tao 道. But why should we? So what? The best answer I can give you might be the story of a man in a river.

One day, a man fell off his boat into a strong river. Knowing he needed to get to shore, he had two choices; swim against the current and attempt to keep his place in the river, or swim with the current and allow it to carry him further away. If the man swims against the current, he faces being drowned by the river due to the flow of the water, the sticks and rocks also being carried away, and the fact that no matter how hard he swims, he will still be taken downstream, just not as far. If he swims with the current, he can certainly reach the shore. Having saved much of his strength, he can build a fire and shelter to spend the night safely.

If you fight the Tao’s natural flow and ignore the rushing waves bellowing against you, Lao-tzu believed you would face a much more difficult life. Filled with struggle, strife, and sadness. If you, however, decided to live in harmony with nature and moved forward with its current, then a much more joyful and peaceful life could be yours.

You have a choice either way. No one will force you to choose one path over the other. No god will punish or reward you for either method. The river is doing what is natural for the river. The rock is doing what a rock does naturally; tumbling in the water with all of the fish, plants, and sticks. They don’t stress or worry about where they are going and don’t regret where they have been or what they have lost. They enjoy and are content with where they are now.

Conclusion

As I stated at the start, I’m not an expert, and if you’re interested, please immerse yourself in Derek Lin’s copy of the Tao Te Ching. In fact, it’s helpful to reach several different translations and compare them. Learn from everyone and everything you can. I also recommend joining George Thompon’s free online Taoist community, wayfinders.global, with over 3,000 members.

I hope you have enjoyed this short overview of Taoism and its origins, I love you all, and I can’t wait to share more!

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