In our business and private lives, simplification works well as long as we do not omit any crucial steps; and once we have identified a simple, but still workable way to do something, we can repeat the process and enjoy the results once and again.
Thousands of internet pages are devoted to breaking down complex information into simple steps. Readers want to learn, in a few easy steps, how to cook a certain dish, repair their car, replace a broken windowpane, etc.
What about philosophy, in particular Taoism? Can we break Lao-Tzu’s insights down into easy steps? Can we turn Taoism into a series of habits and rituals that anyone can embrace right away?
Actually, the Tao Te Ching itself categorizes Taoism as very simple. Its Chapter 19 exhorts us to “let go of cleverness,” so that we can “embrace original simplicity.” How do we do that? By abandoning righteousness, virtue signalling, indoctrination, excessive ambition, and the claim to holiness.
However, in contrast to what’s shown in martial arts films, it is not straightforward to reduce Taoism to simple habits, rituals and prescriptions. Even if we memorise the eighty best quotes of Lao-Tzu, I do not think that it is going to be enough.
Chuang-Tzu and the happiness habits
Martial arts films frequently portray the hero as a wannabe Taoist, who sits on the ground to meditate, recites some cryptic mantra, and lights aromatic candles. Even worse, some heroes will find a quote from Lao-Tzu conveniently packaged inside a Chinese cracker or cookie.
I fear that the path to simplicity takes much more effort than lighting a candle and memorizing a few Taoist quotes. I have nothing against thoughtful rituals, habits and recitations, but we shouldn’t confuse trivialities with philosophical principles.
What rituals and habits are embraced by Taoists? In one of Chuang-Tzu’s stories, we find a happy individual, who lives in the woods, sleeps on the ground, and eats only the food that he can gather or catch himself.
According to Chuang-Tzu, the story’s protagonist was living happily because he had embraced simple habits or rituals, that is, those relying solely on nature. He didn’t have to obey orders or curry anyone’s favour. Nor did he have to work at a job he didn’t enjoy or engage in conversation if he didn’t want to.
Chuang-Tzu’s story lets us guess the rituals and habits that are anathema to happiness in Taoism, namely, blind ambition, manipulative obsequiousness, unnatural nutrition, subservience to detrimental interests, and the obsessive pursuit of popularity.
The winning habits of Emperor Shun
According to Chinese tradition, emperor Shun (23rd century BC) embodied the virtues of modesty and simplicity, and those helped him rise to the imperial throne.
Born in poverty, Shun distinguished himself for his wisdom, which earned him the trust of Yao, the prior Chinese emperor. Nonetheless, Yao tested Shun’s wisdom by giving him difficult tasks.
By showing great inventiveness, Shun accomplished all the tasks given to him. Emperor Yao was pleased with the outcome and gave Shun one of his daughters in marriage, thus elevating Shun to the nobility.
When Yao died, Shun ascended to the imperial throne, and governed China with legendary wisdom. He frequently went for walks alone, incognito, to talk to peasants and listen to their grievances, so that he could address them.
I must say right away that I do not believe a word of Shun’s hagiography. Who knows what really happened in China in the 23rd century BC. My guess is that Shun hired a scribe to write a flattering biography of him, and then ensured that many copies were made.
If, for the sake of discussion, we give credence to emperor Shun’s biography, we can ask which habits and rituals he used to become immensely wise: He was purposeful, hard working, proactive, inventive, and checked the facts for himself.
Shun’s qualities are commendable, but none of them can be packaged as a simple ritual or habit. None of those traits can be acquired overnight, or learned by reciting a quote found inside a Chinese cracker.
The mirage of Taoist habits
What about Lao-Tzu himself? Which rituals and habits did he display in his lifetime? The only sure thing we know about Lao-Tzu is that, at one time, he worked at the Zhou royal court but he did not like it. Then he quit his job, went away, and was never heard of again, that is, except for later having written the Tao Te Ching.
Thus, the only ritual or habit that we can peg to Lao-Tzu is that he quit a steady job because he did not like it, and because he had better things to do with his life. In order to perform that feat, Lao-Tzu must have possessed large doses of self-reliance, critical thinking, and determination. Once again, we are facing traits that cannot be acquired mechanistically or overnight.
Chuang-Tzu’s stories also prove remarkably undependable, vague and disorienting when it comes to identifying rituals and habits. In this respect, his stories point in all directions and add to the confusion, instead of providing answers.
For instance, Chuang-Tzu affirms that Taoists should “go to sleep when it is dark and get back on their feet when it’s light.” His formulation makes sense in ancient China, when candles fetched a high price, and lightening at night was reduced to oil lamps, but nowadays, it does not make any sense.
I regard it as foolish to stop all activities in the evening and go to bed extremely early, just because the sun goes down at an early hour during some months of the year. The same criticism applies to our waking hours.
It is obvious that we can draw more enjoyment from life if we use electric lighting. Sorry, but there is no magical value in Chuang-Tzu’s observations. We should assess those, taking the ancient Chinese context into account, and see if they still make sense today.
To my knowledge, there is no scientific proof that Chuang-Tzu’s habit of early-to-bed and early-to-rise would help us live longer and more happily. Note that Chuang-Tzu’s habit would apply differently in different seasons of the year, or in different latitudes of the earth.
Last but not least, even if there was scientific proof of some benefits, I wonder who would go through all the trouble. Most people correctly see happiness as their primary goal and would find it counterproductive to restrict their pursuits to the period between dawn and sunset.
I see the attempts to reduce Taoism to rituals and habits as an infringement of Lao-Tzu’s condemnation of righteousness. If Chapter 19 of the Tao Te Ching exhorts us to discard virtue signalling and righteousness, should we not stop claiming that habit A or ritual B are essential to Taoism? I guess we should.
If you are interested in putting effective insights into daily practice, I recommend my book “The 10 Principles of Rational Living.”