The Tao
Although there are many definitions of Tao, this one word communicates an entire philosophy, an outlook on the fundamental Nature Of Life & The Universe.
The word Tao is nothing less than an expression of the profound unity & interdependence of all things in creation, and of the path human beings must take to fully realize & experience, rather than disrupt, that unity.
What is this path, and how do we find it? The path begins with an understanding of the origin of the universe. “Knowing the ancient beginning is the essence of the way,” stated the ancient Chinese sage Lao Tzu, the mythic author of the Tao Te Ching.
Known in English as The Book of the Way, the poetic masterpiece Tao de Ching (the Eternal within Change) was written approximately 2,600 years ago. As well as being a matchless work of literature, it takes its place in history as the first written record of the mystic Taoist philosophy
The Interdependence of All Things
Early Taoist philosophy was profoundly influenced by observations of nature. Taoist philosophers determined that everything has its complementary opposite. More than this, they saw that everything can only be understood by comparing it to its opposite.
Day is only day in relation to night, cold only cold in relation to heat, and soft only soft in relation to hard. Looking deeper still, they realized that these relationships are in a constant state of change: Day flows gradually into night and back again, life and death are forever connected, and the constant cycle of breathing in & out governs our very survival.
All things in existence are interdependent by their very definition. By observing the processes of nature, Taoists say, we can come to an understanding about the meaning of our own lives and about our place in the world. These concepts are the cornerstone of Taoist philosophy.
