If I said that philosophy as a whole can be summarised in a few quotes, Aristotle (384-322 BC) might turn in his grave and damn my name for eternity. Fair enough. I won’t maintain that a philosophical system can be compressed into a few quotes, but if those are well chosen, two important benefits will ensue.
First, they will generate curiosity for philosophy in people who are not habitually drawn to abstract discussions; and if the quotes are particularly engaging, their curiosity might develop into a serious interest in philosophy.
Second, the quotes will prompt philosophically predisposed readers to make an assessment. Do the quotes represent crucial ideas in philosophy? Do they convey those ideas accurately? Is it necessary to complement or modify their message?
Taoism is particularly suitable for being depicted in succinct quotes because Lao-Tzu, Yang-Tzu and Chuang-Tzu proved to be greatly quotable writers.
Intangible but omnipresent
In the 6th century BC, the Tao Te Ching started the trend of conveying philosophical principles in a few beautiful words. Since then, many Chinese thinkers have followed this trend.
I have a pet theory to explain the remarkable literary brevity of the ancient Taoists. In addition to their philosophical depth, the high cost of writing materials must have played a role. If I had to disburse a large sum for every page I wrote, I would keep my sentences as short as those written by Lao-Tzu.
My first choice for a Taoist wisdom quote is drawn from Chapter 4 of the Tao Te Ching. It reads as follows: “Although the Tao is intangible, it fills every element of the universe; and although the Tao is hard to find, it sheds light on every event in the universe.”
The quote could still be compressed further. It would suffice to say that “the Tao governs every aspect of the universe, even if we may be unaware of its presence.”
From this quote, we should conclude that, if we want to do well in life, we should align our actions with the Tao. That’s an easy, simple summary of the whole Taoist philosophy. Lao-Tzu would be proud of my brevity.
Unfortunately, this quote is practically devoid of meaning because it is self-referential. It tells us that the Tao governs the universe, and that if we want to conduct our lives properly, we should follow the Tao.
The problem is that the quote fails to explain how to identify the Tao, that is, how to identify natural law. If that was easy, we would surely make fewer mistakes and we wouldn’t need the insights gained by Lao-Tzu, Yang-Tzu and Chuang-Tzu.
The need for daily practice
How difficult is it to identify the Tao? Extremely difficult. I am talking about applying the Tao in our own life, day in and day out, letting it guide our decisions.
I want to underline that the sheer repetition of a few rituals and mantras does not count as “identifying the Tao.” Sitting on the floor, lighting candles, or practising Tai Chi look very cool in martial arts movies, but cannot provide the basis for making solid decisions.
When the going gets tough, even experienced Taoists might find it hard to identify natural law. In crisis situations, wisdom is the first thing to go out of the window. When illness, loss of employment, and family tensions accumulate, few individuals are capable of keeping a cool head.
To make things worse, the study of Taoist traditions doesn’t guarantee that, when confronted with dire problems, we will be able to find the right answer right away. That’s because the study of the Taoist traditions needs to be accompanied by daily practice.
An ancient Taoist story tells us about three devoted students that, on the first day of their class, memorize the key principles of philosophy, but as time goes by, the students become unsure about what they have learned.
After three years, the three students arrive at the end of their training, but when the master questions them about the key principles of philosophy, they fail to give the right answer. The years of studies had confused the students, making them forget the simple answers that they had memorised the very first day.
To see without looking
How do experienced Taoists identify the correct path? In Chapter 47 of the Tao Te Ching, Lao-Tzu provides the answer. I regard this quote as crucial for anyone who wants to acquire a basic knowledge of Taoism.
The text reads: “The master finds the answer without having to look for it; he sees the truth without opening his eyes, and gets things done without taking action.”
Lao-Tzu uses paradox to convey his philosophical insight, namely, that Taoist wisdom is exercised each day and each hour, without having to do anything special.
Through years of practice, Taoists learn to assess situations quickly and make the right choice. In some cases, they do this so quickly that one gets the impression that they possess super-natural powers.
From time to time, they might hesitate or make a mistake, but those situations are relatively rare. As I pointed out above, it takes substantial work to reach that level of proficiency, and it’s not enough to memorize the Tao Te Ching and the writings of other ancient Taoists.
The above quotes present the core of Taoist philosophy, and provide a first impression of the questions at hand. For readers who want to deepen themselves in these matters, I recommend starting with Chuang-Tzu’s stories.
If you want to apply effective ideas in all sorts of situations, I recommend my book “Asymmetry: The shortcut to success when success seems impossible.”