Name: Tao Te Ching
Rating: 4.3 (131 reviews)
Author: Lao Tzu

What’s in it for me? Soak in some ancient wisdom and gain a new perspective on life.

There’s a good reason why Taoist wisdom has stood the test of time. For many of us, life can be a struggle. We’re constantly fighting uphill battles or desperately trying to stay afloat – whichever metaphor you prefer, the feeling is the same: getting through another day can be a battle.

Tao Te Ching offers an alternative way forward, which is why it’s so appealing. It’s the opposite of the aggressive, make-the-most-of-every-minute approach to life that many of us have been taught to admire. The path of the tao is about living a life devoid of struggle. It’s about being in harmony with your surroundings and doing by not doing.

What does doing by not doing mean, exactly? In this Blink, let’s see if we can’t find out.

A book or an anthology?

It’s difficult to explain any sort of ancient text without getting into some of the background context. Certainly, this is the case with Tao Te Ching.

On its own, there are 81 short chapters in Tao Te Ching. Each one contains a poetic passage that imparts a bit of wisdom. But beyond that, things get a little complicated. Every reader is sure to note that many of these tiny chapters bear similarities to one another. It’s almost like they're saying the same thing, but with different words.

Take for instance this passage from chapter 22:

“He does not show himself, and so is conspicuous; He does not consider himself right, and so is illustrious; He does not brag, and so has merit; He does not boast, and so endures.”

Now let’s compare it to this passage from chapter 24:

“He who shows himself is not conspicuous; He who considers himself right is not illustrious; He who brags will have no merit; He who boasts will not endure.”

This is basically the positive and negative way of saying the same thing, and it’s not the only example of repetition with slight variation that appears in the text.

These irregular qualities are why some scholars believe that Tao Te Ching is more of an anthology than the work of a singular author.

Of course, the text has long been attributed to Lao Tzu, but there’s very little evidence to suggest that he was an actual historical figure. Further confusing the matter is that the name Lao Tzu roughly translates to “old man.” So it’s quite possible, if not highly likely, that Tao Te Ching is a collection of sayings that have been passed down and accumulated over the span of many, many years.

It is also likely that most of the passages in Tao Te Ching are a combination of two things, a short bit of wisdom that had been passed down verbally, followed by a brief bit of text that kind of explains or underlines the meaning of the passage. Why do we think this? Well, many chapters are made up of a poetic section that, in the original language, has a rhyming pattern – which made it easier for people to memorize. This rhyming part is then followed by a very blunt summarizing section that doesn’t really flow with the previous part. This does make sense though because, as we’ll see, these poetic bits of wisdom can be a little cryptic. So when they were collected it is believed that a little commentary was included to make things clearer.

Also, when we look back to the third century BC, we can see that this sort of anthologizing was common. The Analects of Confucius is a similar collection of sayings. Only in that case, each passage had a helpful beginning that attributed the saying to a particular person, either Confucius himself or one of his disciples. With Tao Te Ching, we only have the name Lao Tzu, and it may be the case that these are the kinds of sayings that captured the kind of wisdom that came from old masters who were valued in Chinese culture for their years of gained experience and insights.

The collection that makes up the Analects also had the benefit of being somewhat thematically organized. But in Tao Te Ching, the organizing principle appears to be centered around the recurrence of certain words or phrases, even if the passages themselves convey different or even contradictory messages. For example, there are two passages in chapter five that use the phrase “heaven and earth,” yet the two passages convey different meanings and no attempt is made to connect them or create a transition.

All of this is to say that, even though Tao Te Ching is a short work, it offers a lot to parse through and a lot to consider. So now that we’ve got some context, let’s get to those actual words of wisdom, shall we?

The Indescribable Tao

How do you talk about something that can’t be described? This is one of the main complications when it comes to Taoism because the tao is central to the philosophy and yet it is just a word that is used to describe something that is both nameless and indescribable.

The word tao itself can be translated into “the way.” Now, in Confucianism, there’s a similar paradox in describing “the way.” According to Confucius, one of the main principles of following the way is something called wu wei or “nondoing.” This is something that is central to Taoist philosophy as well, but in the realm of Taoism, tao means something more.

The Sage Who Does Nothing

Like the Analects, Tao Te Ching is believed to be a product of the Warring States period in China, which started in the fifth century BC and lasted well into the third century BC. For the seven states involved, it was a long drawn-out period of warfare, political turmoil, and cultural changes.

During this time, people with philosophical interests, like the Confucianists and Taoists, also had interests in the kind of head of state they’d like to see. This is why both the Analects and Tao Te Ching devote many passages to the subject of what makes a virtuous leader.

Final Summary

Tao Te Ching is a classic text of ancient wisdom that continues to inspire people. While it was compiled over 20 centuries ago, it contains philosophical ideas that cross over into the realm of religion. It speaks of a great force that created the universe – the heavens and the earth – and suggests how we may live in harmony with it. Even though this force is nameless, formless, and effortless, it is given a name – tao. To be in harmony with the tao is to also lead without force, and not to seek credit or gratitude. The way of the tao is to put the happiness of others ahead of your own and to recognize the value in weakness and submissiveness over rigidity and forcefulness.

About the Author

Lao Tzu has long been considered the principal author of Tao Te Ching, though both his authorship and his existence as a historical figure continue to be debated. Some believe he was a contemporary of Confucius, living in the sixth century BC, others believe his life dates back to the fourth century BC.