Letter From A Taoist

Under my tutelage you will come to understand that, as Taoists, our ultimate goal is to recognize the Tao. Only then will we have reached a point where we understand the intrinsic balance and order around us. If we find the Tao for ourselves, we will be capable of seeing and using all things around us not simply for the benefit of ourselves, but for their true value in the world. As such, we must never seek to impose change upon anything we do not truly understand. It is for the Tao to decide upon the flow of the universe; our duty is merely to exist in harmony with this flow.

Our creed is something to the effect of "we believe in the formless and eternal Tao, and we recognize all personified deities as being mere human constructs. We reject hatred, intolerance, and unnecessary violence, and embrace harmony, love and learning, as we are taught by Nature. We place our trust and our lives in the Tao, that we may live in peace and balance with the Universe, both in this mortal life and beyond."

Using this creed as a guideline, it is clear to see that one cannot expect to find happiness through attempting to bend the forces of the world to one’s own whim. Even the wisest of men is not infallible and hence is incapable of “creating” perfection. In order to find the tranquility that we as Taoists seek, it is imperative that we resign ourselves to living in harmony with the world around us.

We cannot change the Tao and we cannot improve upon it. The word Tao "refers to a power which envelops, surrounds and flows through all things, living and non-living. The Tao regulates natural processes and nourishes balance in the Universe. It embodies the harmony of opposites (i.e. there would be no love without hate, no light without dark, no male without female.)"

Put bluntly, the Tao is the reality from which the yin and the yang of the world are spawned. As such it is simply an inalterable truth, just as the Yin and Yang inarguably represent the contractile and expansive forces in the universe that are constantly at work to create equilibrium. These forces are often described in terms of the Yin being the feminine, calm introspective, soft and healing aspects of the world and the Yang being the more masculine, harder, more energetic forces. Both of these forces coexist in unity at all times.

Perhaps a metaphor would be helpful at this juncture. We must live our lives as if they were liquid. There is no merit in being as stone, rigidly defying the plights the world lays before us. Instead, we must go as with a current, allowing all around us to fall into place as it is meant to be. Then we shall be able to react in the proper way at the proper time to all things placed before us. As Taoists we must follow the art of "wu we," which is to let nature take its course. For example, one should allow a river to flow towards the sea unimpeded; do not erect a dam, which would interfere with its natural flow. By doing this, we are becoming closer to understanding the Taos and hence closer to enlightenment and fulfillment. All things that live must some day die. It is our duty as Taoists to recognize that these black and white truths exist as part of the Yin and Yang of the universe.

The practice of this theory must extend not only to our day to day lives but to the ruling of our societies. A true Taoist ruler will always be a step ahead of the game, as he recognizes that force and coercion are ineffective means of running a society. Bullying ones own people is likely to bring naught but resentment and ultimately failure to any regime. It is best to remain cautious, trusting in our foresight and steering clear of violence and destructiveness at all possible turns. Only in this way the endless cycle of revenge can be broken. Only in this way will a Kingdom not fall victim to the imminent demise that all Kingdoms that rely on rash decision and violence ultimately succumb to.

In both daily life and in terms of ruling a kingdom, "people are compassionate by nature...left to their own devices [they] will show this compassion without expecting a reward." As a Taoist you must strive to do precisely that… live by your own devices and allow the world around you to exist by its own.