There is no historical evidence that Lao-Tzu was materially deprived and, in ancient Taoist writings, I fail to see any praise for poverty, prolonged fasting, or renunciation to pleasure. The Taoist preference for a simple lifestyle does not imply poverty, let alone self-sacrifice for the benefit of a higher goal.
Yang-Tzu and Chuang-Tzu confirmed the choice for simple habits and inconspicuous consumption, but only because those relieve Taoist practitioners of superfluous work and conflicts.
I can only assume that, if I had lived myself in China in the 4th century BC, I would have made the same choices as Yang-Tzu and Chuang-Tzu, but the question is how to interpret those in the context of our century.
According to tradition, Lao-Tzu had worked for years at the Zhou royal court as keeper of the records. Historians interpret the profession of “keeper of the records” as a mixture of royal librarian and royal secretary.
We’ll never know for sure what Lao-Tzu was doing exactly at the Zhou royal court, but we can take for granted that he had a safe, stable and relatively well-paid job. Lao-Tzu’s decision to quit his job and leave the Zhou royal court put an end to his bureaucratic career and started him as a philosopher.
“On solid ground”
Why did Lao-Tzu abandon stable, well-paid employment? Chapter 8 of the Tao Te Ching lets us infer Lao-Tzu’s motive in leaving the Zhou royal court. He wanted to “be like water” and “live in accordance with natural law.” Furthermore, he wanted to build his home “on solid ground.”
Lao-Tzu’s historical context sheds light on those words. He must have realized that, if he stayed longer at the Zhou royal court, things might turn for the worse.
For instance, the Zhou dynasty might be overturned and civil servants like Lao-Tzu would suffer the consequences; or Lao-Tzu may inadvertently upset the emperor and find himself in trouble; or Lao-Tzu was simply fed up with his lifestyle and wanted to experience something different.
I can only interpret positively the fact that Lao-Tzu walked away, found a new home and a way to earn his subsistence. His new lifestyle must have been fairly successful, since it allowed him to devote time to writing or dictating the Tao Te Ching.
Chapter 4 of the Tao Te Ching provides the Taoist definition of a successful life, namely, going along with the way of things and living in harmony with our context. Lao-Tzu’s definition is the opposite of stress, anxiety, preoccupation, conflict, elevated risks, and deep disruptions.
Unsurprisingly, modern management theory replicates Lao-Tzu’s definition of success. It all revolves around providing value to customers in a predictable, steady, profitable manner. Ideally, a well-run business should make back-up plans and perform preventive maintenance to minimise disruptions.
The modern interpretation
Success, for the Taoist mindset, is the result of foresight and harmony, not of conflict and harshness. Prosperity is the result of clearing up the path, so that we can advance smoothly and grow unimpeded.
Similarly, wealth is the automatic reward for good choices, not the booty from devious schemes. Taoists reject pillage and plunder as a way of life. They regard all forms of aggression as essentially flawed. In the long term, violence can only lead to disaster.
If I had lived in China at the time of the ancient Taoists, my lifestyle would have been indistinguishable from theirs, but in the meantime, many things have changed. Our century offers a vast array of possibilities that Lao-Tzu, Yang-Tzu and Chuang-Tzu had never considered.
According to tradition, the ancient Taoists had all embraced a rural lifestyle. Does it mean that Lao-Tzu was recommending to run away from the city and live in a village? Should we give up our motor vehicles and ride only a bicycle?
We should ask similar questions about how we earn a living or run our business. Does Taoism exclude certain professions? Does it condemn the existence of certain types of enterprises? I cannot imagine Lao-Tzu as a financial speculator, but does the Tao Te Ching exclude this possibility?
Chuang-Tzu’s clarification
In his definition of wisdom, Chuang-Tzu gave us the perfect response to those questions. He defined wisdom as the ability to live in the world as it is, but without being harmed by it. His definition does not require Taoists to withdraw from the world, but it does call for maintaining harmony and respecting natural law.
The Taoist prescription for success does not require running away from engagements, responsibilities and conflicts. I would not conceive of Taoists performing tasks that involve any form of aggression, but few professions require such a behaviour.
Village life may have been the only possible choice for Lao-Tzu, Yang-Tzu and Chuang-Tzu, but nowadays, opportunities exist for Taoists to develop successful careers in practically all sectors of the economy in almost every country.
It would be unwise for Taoists today to abide by constraints, restrictions and limitations that the Tao Te Ching never meant to impose. The equation between success and harmony shall be maintained, as well as the commitment to respect natural law, but we should not add unnecessary requirements.
When Lao-Tzu left the Zhou royal court, he had the goal of building himself a new existence “on solid ground.” That’s the Taoist recipe for success, not the imposition of artificial ideals. Let us find the way, as Chuang-Tzu put it so beautifully, to live in the world as it is, but without being harmed by it.
If you are interested in applying rational insights in all sorts of situations, I recommend my book “Rational living, rational working.”