Knowing the Tao

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Knowing the Tao

"My words are very easy to know, very easy to follow. Yet the world is unable to know them, unable to follow them."

"My words have a source, my efforts have mastery. Indeed, since none know this they do not know me. The rare ones who know me must treasure me."

"Therefore, enlightened people wear a coarse cloth covering with precious jade at the centre."

Lao Tzu's philosophy is remarkable since it defies logical analysis, yet readily submits to intuitive understanding. In this passage he speaks directly to us using the voice of the Tao.

In early China, only the ruling classes could read, so Lao Tzu was quite certain of his audience. He seems to assume that the reader wouldn't have the Tao Te Ching in their hands had they not been selected to influence the world.

He hoped to instil in the minds of leaders an intuitive knowing that would allow them to peer into the future and allow them to perceive the evolution of society. He believed this would give the enlightened person the power to become more compassionately understanding of themselves and their people.

To the enlightened person, Lao Tzu says - surround your advantages with simplicity (a coarse cloth covering). Those who follow the Tao introduce simplicity to their lives by releasing themselves from the bondage of materialism and the discipline of elaborate social strategies. They experience high levels of intellectual independence and personal freedom and so continually renew their intuitive advantage. (70)

Enlightened people are in a position to influence society in many ways, ranging from direct to the subtle. The determining factor is whether the person has a clear idea of the direction society is moving. The clearer the perceived direction, the more effectively they will be able to position themselves to achieve a particular effect. For example, society is moving in a direction in that individuals are becoming increasingly isolated. People “cocoon” themselves behind closed doors because almost everything they need can be delivered and because the world is becoming an apparently more violent place where people run the risk of being the victim of random acts of violence. While cocooning can satisfy an individual’s need for comfort and security it neglects their need for meaningful social interaction. They become more withdrawn and unable to communicate. A growing sense of something important being missing from their lives makes itself felt. An enlightened person could meet this situation by catering to the needs of cocooned people wanting to emerge and have more social contact in a pleasant, non-threatening way.

Published by: David Tuffley (January 2000) | Home Page