I feel sympathy for people who question the practicability of Taoism nowadays. They find it difficult to believe that one can achieve harmony in the middle of chaos. I mean economic, financial, environmental, social and other types of chaos. Is it possible to apply Lao-Tzu’s ideas in those situations?
Yes, it is possible, but only if we are trained to think like the ancient Taoist masters. Lao-Tzu wrote the Tao Te Ching amidst hardship, poverty and war in the times of the Zhou dynasty. He did not develop his ideas through contemplation in an isolated monastery, far from the world’s problems.
Yang-Tzu and Chuang-Tzu complemented Lao-Tzu’s ideas through sharp observation and steady practice. They observed their surroundings, identified the problems, and came up with solutions based on Lao-Tzu’s teachings. They practised Taoism day after day, and made solid recommendations.
Chapter 64 of the Tao Te Ching presents Lao-Tzu’s insight on finding harmony in chaotic times. We need to cultivate our self-reliance and resilience little by little, so that they render us invulnerable in times of hardship.
Metaphor of the tree
Lao-Tzu employs the metaphor of a tree that, little by little, grows tall and strong. The tree was once born out of a seed. It’s a long process for a tree to grow deep roots, and become strong enough to withstand storms, floods, insects and draughts.
We should imitate the tree and cultivate our resilience every day, steadily and patiently. Lao-Tzu’s sense of harmony doesn’t develop overnight. It takes a long time to train our senses and our mind to interpret events according to the Tao Te Ching and ignore the surrounding anxiety and pessimism.
Taoists possess a strong sense of harmony because they rely on natural law. If they witness a negative event, they’ll inquire about the cause instead of falling prey to despair.
If they witness people make dire mistakes, they will do their best to minimize the consequences instead of complaining that nobody is doing anything to help. Taoists grasp and accept that each person is free to make his own mistakes, and that it would be unrealistic to expect everybody to do everything perfectly.
In order to develop a sense of harmony, we must understand the workings of natural law. We must first accept the automatic functioning of the Tao, as something separated from ourselves, that will bring actions to their natural conclusions.
The Tao does what needs to be done in each situation. Dire mistakes tend to generate dire consequences, and constructive actions tend to generate beneficial outcomes. If we understand natural law, we can develop deep feelings of harmony. If we do not, we might become an easy prey to nihilism and defeatism.
The root of Taoist harmony
Chapter 64 of the Tao Te Ching explains in great detail how to achieve harmony in our own life. We should react quickly to problems, so that they do not keep growing. We should adopt immediate countermeasures in the face of emerging problems, so that they never get the chance to become overwhelming.
Taoists love to tell the story of a farmer who, in the middle of the summer, realized that the roof of his home was leaking, but refrained from taking action. He thought that the problem didn’t call for immediate countermeasures. There is still plenty of time until the winter, he thought.
The farmer ignored Lao-Tzu’s advice in Chapter 64 of the Tao Te Ching. Instead of fixing the roof right away, he waited too long. He wrongly assumed that it would not rain before the end of the summer, but it did, and his home got flooded.
If the farmer had taken action, he would have preserved his sense of harmony. He would not have to worry whether it rains or not. His roof would have been strong enough to withstand a storm, rain or snow.
How do we apply Taoist wisdom today to protect our sense of harmony? We need to learn to react and adjust immediately to the circumstances, like water does. Chapter 78 of the Tao Te Ching exhorts us to become “soft and yielding” like water. The idea is that flexibility makes us stronger, not weaker.
Harmony comes from feelings of strength, resourcefulness, and safety. A strong roof keeps the water out of our home, and at the same time, frees up from worry about storms, rain, snow, and the risk of flooding. It helps us relax and sleep better.
Practical implementation
Metaphorically, the roof stands for our financial soundness, and for the solidity of our relationships, health, reputation and professional activities. We should work each day to strengthen and reinforce those, so that we grow practically invulnerable.
A feeling of harmony is the result of looking at the world from a position of relative safety. If it rains or if a storm breaks out, the farmer can feel safe in his home, knowing that his roof is solid enough to withstand the external pressure.
We can achieve the same feeling of safety in all areas of our lives if we proceed strategically. The farmer would feel safer if he diversifies his crops, so that he is not solely dependent on a single source of income. Nowadays, thanks to the internet, it is easy to achieve the same diversification in our investments.
The same principle applies to friendships or relationships in general. It’s great to have a few close friends, but this shouldn’t prevent us from widening our circle of friends year after year. Like the farmer who diversified his crops, it is healthy to keep our circle of friends wide and broad.
Self-reliance and harmony in terms of health should follow a similar pattern. We should not rely on a single source of good food or a single remedy for all conditions. Organic vegetables, eggs and nuts are great, but I would not deprive myself of meat and fish. I prefer to widen my choices and diversify.
Chapter 78 of the Tao Te Ching recommends that we imitate the qualities of water: its softness, flexibility and adaptability. I regard those qualities as the best recipe for a sense of harmony in life. If we are flexible, we’ll be free from external pressures and able to make the best choices on a case by case basis.
Taoist harmony can deal effectively with disorder and chaos because of its inner strength. Lao-Tzu, Yang-Tzu and Chuang-Tzu had built their philosophical skills through daily practice.
Unlike the farmer in our story, the ancient Taoists knew that they could trust their roof because they had reinforced it at the first sign of trouble. A sense of harmony is the spiritual reward for quick, tangible, rational action, not a supernatural gift.
Let us acquire the gift by strengthening our resolve to do the right thing day by day. Let us repair the roof as soon as we realize that there is a problem. Let’s diversify our investments, skills, and friendships as a matter of principle, so that we grow resilient in all areas. That’s the Taoist recipe for harmony.
If you are interested in putting effective insights into practice, I recommend my book “The 10 Principles of Rational Living.”