Western culture has incorporated every element of Taoism, but it has baptised each of them differently, making them hard to recognize at first sight.
Taoist ideas are known to anyone interested in productivity, personal growth, and peace of mind, but chances are that the knowledge of Taoist insights has been conveyed by teachers that never mentioned Lao-Tzu, Yang-Tzu and Chuang-Tzu.
How is this possible? Why would anyone present the ideals of Taoism as Western discoveries? Because human beings love to reinvent the wheel.
There is enormous self-importance and pride to be derived from figuring out from scratch what other people had already discovered centuries ago, but the public mostly forgot. In those cases, we will see old ideas rebaptized, old tools refurbished, and old techniques resurrected.
Take for instance the Taoist love for simplicity, for avoiding wasted effort and pointless irritation. Chapter 37 of the Tao Te Ching enunciates this principle as “getting things done without doing anything” or by doing less than expected, less frequently and less expensively.
Wu Wei in modern culture
In the traditional Taoist doctrine, this insight is called “Wu Wei” or the principle of non-action. In modern times, Wu Wei has been applied to industrial manufacturing as though it was a new discovery, a revolutionary idea for increasing the output.
I have seen derivations of the Taoist principle of non action presented as breakthrough manufacturing methods, especially in recent decades.
However, when we examine the techniques branded as new, we find the principles that Lao-Tzu had discovered in the sixth century BC, and that Yang-Tzu and Chang-Tzu had polished or fine-tuned in the fourth and third century BC.
Behind those manufacturing techniques, we find the Taoist love for simplification and the Taoist abhorrence for waste. We can talk endlessly about the advantages of well-designed items that allow a quick, flawless assembly; or the cost reduction that is achieved through a smooth production flow; or the increased output derived from flexible production steps.
Indeed, those techniques bring about sizeable advantages in manufacturing, but in essence, they mirror insights that the Tao Te Ching had already condensed centuries earlier.
Lao-Tzu had not foreseen that people would employ Taoist ideas for producing motor vehicles, aircraft and computers, but if he had witnessed those industrial applications, he would not have been surprised. Why?
Because the truth is the truth, and the longer we practise it, the more applications we will find, and the larger benefits we’ll draw. The benefits compound over time because each hour of spared work can be devoted to making further improvements.
Taoism and Henry David Thoreau
In addition to the vast benefits of simplification in industrial manufacturing, I must point to the interest in minimalism as a lifestyle. Minimalism is not a mass movement, but appeals to a large number of individuals around the world.
Minimalist housing and furniture are indistinguishable from the Taoist lifestyle, even if some practitioners of minimalism are not acquainted with the works of Lao-Tzu, Yang-Tzu, and Chang-Tzu.
In their rediscovery or imitation of Taoist ideals, Westerners will sometimes go as far as re-enacting Lao-Tzu’s biography. It is difficult to believe that people will choose to take exactly the same steps that Lao-Tzu had taken in the 6th century BC, to get exactly to the same place in terms of philosophical insights.
Chapter 19 of the Tao Te Ching exhorts us to adopt a simple lifestyle and let things take their natural course. It regards all pretence as counterproductive, especially in the field of ethics.
The American author Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) is known for having abandoned city life, in his case, abandoning his attempt to settle down in New York City, and retired to live on the shores of Walden Pond, embracing a minimalist lifestyle and discovering a philosophy similar to Taoism.
Thoreau wrote several books, presenting his individualistic, self-reliant lifestyle. I am referring to his books “A week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers” (1849), “Civil Disobedience” (1849) and “Walden” (1854).
Philosophically, Thoreau regarded himself as an enlightened Christian, a Transcendentalist, someone who can perceive the divine force that drives nature and that calls for sound ethical values.
I am sure that Thoreau, in his abandonment of city life for a more reflective lifestyle in the countryside, did not realise that he was re-enacting Lao-Tzu’s biography of, that is, the decision to quit his job, abandon the Zhou royal court, and retire to live in the countryside.
The path to Taoist insights
Walden does not employ Taoist terminology. For instance, it doesn’t mention Wu Wei, the Taoist principle of non action, but he arrives at the same conclusions that Lao-Tzu, Yang-Tzu and Chuang-Tzu had endorsed many centuries earlier.
I’m not accusing Thoreau of wanting to place himself in the limelight for having simplified his lifestyle and recommended us to align our actions with nature. He wrote excellent books in a difficult personal context, fair enough, but if he had studied the ancient Taoists, he would have gained the same insights.
For this reason, I can only encourage those who have grown familiar with Taoist principles by reading Thoreau’s works. He did not recognise his insights as Taoists, but it does not matter. What matters is the truth, not the path to enlightenment.
In Chapter 73 of the Tao Te Ching, Lao-Tzu formulates this insight beautifully by saying that the Tao achieves its purpose without following any particular plan.
Sometimes, people learn the truth without hearing a word or without being pushed. They arrive at a point in their lives when they just open their eyes and draw the correct conclusions.
It is of no importance if they intended to imitate Lao-Tzu, Yang-Tzu, Chuang-Tzu, Henry David Thoreau, or nobody in particular. What counts is the insight they gained and the habits they acquired.
If you are interested in putting effective insights into daily practice, I recommend my book “The 10 Principles of Rational Living.”