Why the Difficult Has Become the Popular
I have become so
fascinated by Tao wisdom that I have published several books based on Tao
wisdom. First of all, Tao wisdom is the wisdom of Lao Tzu, an
ancient sage from China
I remember I had to
memorize a short excerpt from “Tao Te Ching” when I was about eight or nine
years old. Back in those days—when I was in Hong Kong before I came to the United States
But it is the
difficulty in understanding “Tao Te Ching” that has made this immortal Chinese
classic become one of the most translated works in world literature, ranking
with the Bible among of the top ten.
Let me explain why it
is difficult to understand, and why it is the difficulty that has fascinated
readers worldwide.
The difficulty was "deliberate" on the part of Lao Tzu. First of all, he believed that “words” do not represent the “truths” or the “realities” in life because words simply “point” to the truths or realities, which are absolute and they had existed long before there were words. Another reason was that Lao Tzu was “forced” to put down his wisdom in words before he was allowed to leaveChina
for Tibet
The difficulty was "deliberate" on the part of Lao Tzu. First of all, he believed that “words” do not represent the “truths” or the “realities” in life because words simply “point” to the truths or realities, which are absolute and they had existed long before there were words. Another reason was that Lao Tzu was “forced” to put down his wisdom in words before he was allowed to leave
Here is one of the
many English translations of the First Chapter of the original text:
The Tao that can be
told is not the eternal Tao.
The name that can be
named is not the eternal name.
As nameless, it is the
origin of all things;
As named, it is the
mother of 10,000 things
Ever desireless, one
can see the mystery of all things.
Ever desiring, one
sees only their manifestations.
And the mystery itself
is the doorway to all understanding.
(Chapter One, Tao
Te Ching)
道 可 道 ， 非 常 道 。 名 可 名 ， 非 常 名 。
無 名 天 地 之 始 ﹔ 有 名 萬 物 之 母 。
故 常 無 ， 欲 以 觀 其 妙 ﹔ 常 有 ， 欲 以 觀 其 徼 。
此 兩 者 ， 同 出 而 異 名 ， 同 謂 之 玄 。
玄 之 又 玄 ， 眾 妙 之 門 。
(the original Chinese text; the punctuation marks were subsequently added by scholars)
(the original Chinese text; the punctuation marks were subsequently added by scholars)
Here is my explanation
and interpretation of the original text:
Tao (or the Way) is
the pathway to wisdom, which is self-intuition through self-awakening. Once it
is expressed in words, it is no longer the pathway. Anything
with a name immediately assumes an identity and thus becomes pre-conditioning
and self-limiting—obstacles to freedom in thinking, which is the source of
human wisdom.
“Like water, soft and
yielding,
Yet it overcomes the
hard and the rigid
Stiffness and
stubbornness cause much suffering.
We all intuitively know
that flexibility and
tenderness
are the way to go.
Yet our conditioned
minds
tell us to go the
other way.”
(Chapter 78, Tao
Te Ching)
The wisdom of TAO wisdom begins with the power of intent in the mind to know and to learn more about the
true “self”—after all, wisdom is about self, and about how it reacts with
everyone and everything around. In the quest of wisdom, the revelation of
having no ego-self is the turning point, where you may begin to embark on a
different life journey with a different mission. Your “conditioned” mind thus
begins the journey of “reverse thinking” which will ultimately change your
life, making you a better and happier you.
TAO wisdom enables you to see the wisdom in the oneness of all life—that everything exists because of its “opposite” and that everything will ultimately become its opposite, just as youth becoming old age, and life becoming death. Spontaneity, which is following the natural laws of nature, holds the key to attaining true human wisdom to live your life as if everything is a miracle.
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
