It takes a long time to become a Taoist, but it’s also possible to draw immediate benefits from Taoism. We can benefit right away from applying its principles even if we do not understand all their ramifications.
I have witnessed how some people improved their situation practically overnight by applying Lao-Tzu’s insights. I believe that those people did not know what they were doing, but the Tao Te Ching ideas proved immensely beneficial anyway.
It wouldn’t be fair to categorize those people as fake Taoists. We all need to start somewhere when we learn new skills, and learning Lao-Tzu’s philosophy is similar to learning a foreign language.
At first, we do not understand anything and make lots of mistakes. In the initial weeks, we can barely communicate our thoughts, but little by little, we learn to speak correctly, and we grasp more of what people are saying. Eventually, we reach a point where we can speak fluently and confidently.
Taoist beginners are not fake Taoists, in the same way that a student of French is not a fake Frenchman. We can categorize beginners as ignorant, inexperienced or unskilled, but let us not forget that, if they apply themselves to their studies, they’ll be able to draw some benefits from day one.
If we travel to France as tourists, there is a huge difference between having a little knowledge of the French language and having zero knowledge. In a crisis situation, that difference can play a determinant role in helping us survive.
That’s why I give encouraging answers when someone asks me how to apply Taoism in daily life. If I reply that it will take a long time to acquire the Taoist mentality, I would be putting them off unnecessarily. It’s much better to answer that, as soon as one starts practising Lao-Tzu’s insights, the benefits become apparent.
Chapter 25 of the Tao Te Ching
Experience has taught me that even a quote from the Tao Te Ching can go a long way. It can prove life changing if we take it seriously and apply it consistently. It can solve problems that seemed unassailable so far, and give us a new perspective.
Where should we start with the practical application of Lao-Tzu’s ideas? Without hesitation, I recommend starting with the principle formulated in Chapter 25 of the Tao Te Ching. I mean the acknowledgement of the fact that the universe is governed by natural law, by the Tao, and that it is foolish to go against it.
According to tradition, Lao-Tzu wrote or dictated the Tao Te Ching in the 6th century BC. He lived approximately two generations before Socrates (469-399 BC), but had grasped far better than Socrates that the key to doing well in life is to align our actions with natural law.
Chapter 25 of the Tao Te Ching states that the Tao governs the universe, which includes the Earth, and the Earth includes human beings. The Tao or natural law governs everything that happens and every entity or creature.
Western philosophy didn’t reach a similar conclusion before Aristotle (384-322 BC), who acknowledged that causality runs the universe. Philosophy, according to Aristotle, enables us to analyse problems, identify the root cause, and find solutions.
According to Aristotle, humans pursue their own goals and events take place in that context. Actions and omissions lead to consequences, positive or negative, but it is sometimes difficult to figure out who is responsible for having caused what.
Taoists are one step ahead of the game because, not only do they take causality for granted, but they take responsibility for making correct choices. The purpose of the Tao Te Ching is to help us make better choices today, so that we enjoy a better life in the future.
Even if one doesn’t know the Tao Te Ching in detail, it’s still useful to assess one’s actions from a natural-law perspective. It all revolves around alignment with the Tao. If our thoughts and actions are aligned with the Tao, they will lead to a beneficial outcome.
If our actions are not aligned with the Tao, they will lead to a detrimental outcome. Lao-Tzu means that they will lead to a loss of income or job, physical or mental injury, destruction of relationships, sickness or death.
Correct decisions require mental strength
In the 4th century BC, Yang-Tzu complemented Lao-Tzu’s teachings by establishing a hierarchy of moral values. First, we should protect ourselves and our families, he argued, and only then, we should protect third parties or the universe as a whole.
Yang-Tzu’s principle of self-preservation provides an angle of interpretation that is missing in Plato (427-347 BC). Neither Socrates nor Plato grasped this aspect of natural law, and this explains why Plato proved unable to question the morality of Socrates’ drinking hemlock as executor of a court order.
In the 3rd century BC, Chuang-Tzu wrote dozens of stories that exemplify the Taoist conception of natural law. More often than not, those stories are paradoxical. Their goal is to make us aware of the intricacies of natural law.
The protagonists in Chuang-Tzu’s stories must make hard decisions in the face of pressing problems. They are forced to choose between the majority opinion and the truth.
At first, they are tempted to imitate what everybody else is doing, but when they do so, they realize that things are going in the wrong direction. Fortunately, Chuang-Tzu’s protagonists possess sufficient mental strength to abandon the trodden path, change their ways, and align their actions with natural law.
If we keep in mind Lao-Tzu’s advice to align our actions with natural law, we can spare ourselves plenty of unnecessary trouble. We can steer away from dire mistakes, harmful people, wasteful expenditures, and unhealthy habits.
One quote from the Tao Te Ching can go a long way, but it needs to be applied consistently. We can start drawing benefits from Taoist insights right away, but the question is whether we possess sufficient mental strength and determination to do so. I am afraid that, in order to cultivate those, we will need to study the rest of the Tao Te Ching.
If you are interested in putting effective insights into practice, I recommend my book “The 10 Principles of Rational Living.”