Traditionally, history is presented as a succession of wars, kingdoms and empires. Historians have carefully documented which king emerged victorious at which battle, how long each king has reigned and which territorial conquests he achieved in his lifetime.

In contrast, Taoist masters such as Lao-Tzu have built their philosophy around individual choice, that is, the power of each person to attain happiness in his lifetime, irrespective of wars, kingdoms and empires.

Chapter 36 of the Tao Te Ching enunciates the Taoist insight that “the soft will overcome the hard.” I must clarify that Lao-Tzu is not referring to the afterlife in this statement. He is not saying that, after death, God will take the meek into paradise, and send the violent to hell.

Taoists expect gentleness, benevolence and softness to carry the day in the near future. They really expect harsh, aggressive individuals to suffer, within their lifetime, punishment for their actions.

Taoists embrace peacefulness and harmony as a way of life, and they do so for practical reasons. Lao-Tzu, Yang-Tzu, and Chuang-Tzu had established, without the shadow of a doubt, the foolishness of aggression.

Practical advice from the Tao Te Ching

In every widespread violent conflict, losers are confronted with immediate pain and dispossession, but winners will only enjoy the spoils for a while. The drawbacks of theft, abuse, and cruelty will eventually catch up with them and wipe them out.

For Taoists, peacefulness is more important than victory and financial gains, no matter how large. In Chapter 63 of the Tao Te Ching, Lao-Tzu exhorted us to accomplish important goals by taking small steps and steering away from difficulties.

It is better to enjoy a modest standard of living than engage in battle for the sake of financial gain. Chapter 76 of the Tao Te Ching notes that softness, gentleness, and flexibility will carry the day. They will prevail over harshness and inflexibility.

Taoist regard hard attitudes as a sign of foolishness, and will automatically steer away from individuals who display a harsh personality. Chuang-Tzu wrote numerous stories showing that people seldom change their personality, and that it is foolish to expect harsh individuals to become mild and accommodating.

In minor conflicts, Taoists will go to great lengths to cool down the spirits and reach a quick settlement. They will rather take a slightly disadvantageous deal if it helps them settle the issue once and for all.

Lao-Tzu’s metaphor of the small fish

When it comes to large organisations, Taoists will adopt the policy of diplomacy and eschew impositions. Chapter 60 of the Tao Te Ching exhorts us to treat everybody respectfully even if we enjoy a high position; the worst thing we can do is to abuse our position and act arrogantly.

In Chapter 60, Lao-Tzu employs the metaphor of small fish, which can only be cooked properly if handled with care. If the cook handles small fish harshly and carelessly, the fish will be ruined. We should remind ourselves of the small-fish metaphor every time that we are involved in a small dispute.

The Taoist search for harmony constitutes a constant, daily undertaking. In Chapter 22 of the Tao Te Ching, Lao-Tzu gives examples of attitudes that lead to harmony.

I am going to put those examples in modern language: the readiness to compromise or yield, the willingness to reinvent ourselves, trade one thing for another, remain modest, stay out of the limelight, meet other people’s demands half-way, and promise only what we can deliver.

How do Taoists preserve their peacefulness and harmony in a hostile environment? They stay in one piece, physically and mentally, by removing themselves from danger. They sell their assets quickly, at fire-sale prices if need be, and relocate.

Chuang-Tzu emphasised the idea that there is more urgency in preserving one’s life than in preserving one’s wealth. It is not wise to stay put in situations that are visibly deteriorating. We should not close our eyes to signs of danger, and tell ourselves that everything is going to be fine.

When things turn dramatically for the worse, we should put ourselves in safety. We should take cover right away, and let go of wishful thinking. In dangerous situations, Taoism exhorts us to liquidate our assets, take whatever loss is necessary, and go away.

Taoism and the Crusades

Do other philosophies regard Taoists as cowards? Yang-Tzu was conscious of this reproach, but he could not care less. He stated that, to him, one hair on his head was more precious than anything else in the world. He considered his physical integrity and his health supremely important.

Western culture in the Middle Ages embodied the opposite philosophy. Instead of peacefulness and harmony, it promoted constant war. The Crusades constitute the most salient example and the ideas behind them are anathema to Taoists.

When Pope Gregory VII called for a Crusade in 1074, few realized that he was starting a multi-generational war. The last Crusade ended in 1291 with the fall of Acre, leaving behind a large number of dead and wounded knights.

Religious leaders like Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) did their best to encourage men to engage in the Crusades. Decade after decade, thousands of warriors sailed east to fight battles, but the end result proved rather pitiful.

To make things worse, the Crusaders soon started to fight amongst themselves over territorial control. The fights between Latins and Byzantines, which shared the same religion, proved as fierce as the battles against non-Christians.

Lao-Tzu would have predicted within five seconds that the Crusaders were headed for disaster. Taoists know that violence will engender more violence, and that hatred will only lead to more hatred.

Crusaders achieved some victories, like the successful siege of Nicea during the First Crusade, but they eventually lost their possessions and were forced to retreat.

The Maltese Knights, the Teutonic Knights, and the Knights Templars retained their possessions in Cyprus and Rhodes also for some time, but had lost their original purpose. After the war had been lost in the Levant, they kept wearing their uniform as though nothing had happened.

If Taoists had been called to fight in the Crusades, I believe that they would have extricated themselves from the fray. Lao-Tzu, Yang-Tzu and Chuang-Tzu had witnessed the catastrophic consequences of war in Ancient China, and they would never have bought into the promises of afterlife rewards.

I wonder what the Ancient Taoists would have said about the Crusaders’ uniforms. The white cross on a black coat, the white cross on a red coat, and the black cross on a white coat might have reinforced the Taoist desire to steer away from war, and relocate to a secluded valley to enjoy a peaceful lifestyle.

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