5 Essential Quotes from the Tao Te Ching

(Taoist temple in China)

     Taoism and Zen are similar, but still distinct from one another.  To give some background, Zen (originally 'Chan') started in China, where six masters developed the fundamentals of what would flourish for thousands of years as Zen.  While there are varying degrees of Zen practitioners, the most intense are Zen monks.  Zen monks are very serious; they shave their heads, practice celibacy, don't drink or eat rich foods/meat, and follow their precepts directly.  

     Taoist priests, on the other hand, can eat hearty foods, drink, and get married.  The interesting thing is that, while the lives of their devout followers are quite different, Zen and Tao are very similar in some of their precepts.  Yesterday, I posted mainly about Zen meditation-- you might be interested in trying the Tao style of meditation sometime, too.  Instead of focusing on stillness and emptiness like Zen meditation, Taoist meditation encourages thought and visualization.  
     Extremely serious practitioners would argue otherwise, but I believe that if you have a love and appreciation for Zen, it's important to not confine yourself strictly to Zen ideology; it's fulfilling to see there are similar philosophies with other valuable takeaways.  

    Here are some short passages (with short annotations) from the Tao Te Ching, the influential original Taoist text, authored by Laozi.  If you enjoy these, which I think you will, consider reading the text in its entirety.  It's dense with awesome, profound quotes and ideas.  You'll want to go back and re-read certain parts again and again.  
   

"The Tao is like a well; 

used but never used up."

     The big takeaway here is that ideas are immortal. I think back to the book Fahrenheit 451, in which a group of rebels fought against a book-burning society by memorizing the books. What we store in our minds and transmit to the minds of those around us has the potential to live on forever. As a writer, I find this particularly empowering. Never forget the value of your ideas.

"...the more you talk of it, 

the less you understand."

     I understand the irony of annotating a quote like this, so I'll keep it brief. I recall another quote from someone quite different from Laozi-- the pillar of Western philosophy, Plato. He said, "A wise man speaks when he has something to say. A fool speaks when he has to say something." The less you say, the more value and power your words will have.

   

"A leader is best when people barely know that he exists, not so good when people obey and acclaim him, worst when they despise him. Fail to honor people, They fail to honor you. But of a good leader, who talks little, when his work is done, his aims fulfilled, they will all say, "We did this ourselves.""

    Sometimes we can be self-deprecating and not think of ourselves as true leaders.  On the contrary-- everyone leads in some way.  You may not even realize it.  All the best teachers I've had, businesspeople I've known and artists I've admired have been great leaders because they don't force their ideas on others.  Instead, they encourage others to discover ideas and solutions themselves.  A great leader doesn't need fame or glamor, because a leader's goal should be helping and uniting people, not glorifying his/herself.
   

"A good traveler has no fixed plans,  

and is not intent upon arriving.  

A good artist lets his intuition 

lead him wherever it wants. 

A good scientist has freed himself 

of concepts and keeps his mind 

open to what is."

    I included all three of these with the intention of showing the range of people who can benefit from the Tao Te Ching.  Travelers, artists and scientists basically covers every occupation in some way or another.  Whoever you are, and no matter what you do, reading the Tao Te Ching will inspire you and enrich your mind.  
   

"Knowing others is intelligence;

knowing yourself is true wisdom."

     Sometimes we get so caught up in trying to know others or fit in with a group that we lose knowledge of ourselves.  On the other hand, it's possible to be so introverted and introspective that we miss out on valuable interactions and relationships.  The ultimate goal is to find a middle ground, one that allows for both intelligence and wisdom.  
  
  (All photos are brought to you thanks to artists on Flickr who use Creative Commons and want their work shared and distributed.  When you see a photo you like, click it and you'll be taken to the photographer's Flickr page to see more.  Thanks.)

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