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Daoist history begins with Laozi’s Daode Jing (Tao Te
Ching), a classic Chinese text written around 500–400 B.C.E. The Daode Jing
advocates living naturally and freely as you truly are, rather than as who you
are supposed to be. We are all one with the Dao, so following the flow of the
Dao entails being “natural” (instead of acting out of ego and desire),
observing simplicity, and non-action or non-interference.
Living in step with the Dao on a personal level ripples out
into the world we live in, as everything between and including heaven and earth
arises from and is a part of the Dao — a part of the same fabric of existence.
The Dao is a symphony in which we are each an instrument, and being “natural”
means playing the notes that are in harmony with the music of the universe.
The Daode Jing does not present specific instructions or
techniques for becoming what it calls a shengren, a sage who has realized the Dao.
However, it does describe how a sage behaves. For example, it states that one
should not force things — instead, one should be tranquil, have no desires,
behave naturally, and live simply. This will in turn affect the sage’s social
and political environment.
The words of the Daode Jing are as relevant today as they
were over 2,000 years ago, and they can be put to practice in our modern lives.
The following are tips from the great Daoist sage Laozi.
Breathing and Centering
Can you balance your life force
And embrace the One
Without Separation?
Can you control your breath
Gently
Like a baby?
Can you clarify
Your dark vision
Without blemish?
— Chapter 10, The Daode Jing
The Daode Jing states that self-cultivation will bring about
inner peace and peace in society. Daoist self-cultivation techniques are based
on the theories put forth in the Huang Di Nei Jing, the Yellow Emperor’s Inner
Classic, which is the veritable bible of Chinese medicine. We first focus on
physical health, which includes the practice of Qigong (chi kung) and living
according to the flow of the seasons. Building physical strength will increase
Qi (or energy). This living energy is transformed into shen (or spirit), which
means achieving inner peace and eventually recognizing our oneness with the
Dao.
You can begin to cultivate health by focusing on your
breath. “Embracing the one without separation” means unifying and harmonizing
your mind and body so that you can connect to your spirit, which is your direct
connection to the Dao.
When you are in a stressful state, your breathing becomes
rapid and shallow, and your heartbeat accelerates. Quick, shallow breathing
makes it harder for your lungs to do their job, which is to supply your body
with oxygen and to remove waste and toxins from your bloodstream. Oxygen
deprivation allows wastes and toxins to build up in your body, straining your
immune system. Poor oxygen supply can lead to premature aging and loss of
vitality, and is connected to increased incidents of heart attack and stroke.
When you practice meditative breathing, visualize every
muscle and cell of your body relaxing and releasing with each exhale (“out”
breath). Each time you inhale, visualize your body being filled with vitality
and energy. Research has confirmed that focusing the mind on positive images
affects a wide variety of physiological functions, including heart rate, blood
pressure, respiratory patterns, oxygen consumption, brain wave rhythms,
gastrointestinal function, hormone and neurotransmitter levels in the blood,
and the immune system. In fact, guided imagery, intention, and visualization
therapy are used in hospitals and clinics worldwide to treat conditions ranging
from headaches, nervous stomachs, and anxiety to cancer.
Meditative breathing, or breathing slowly and deeply with a
relaxed mind, is the cheapest, easiest Daoist technique for cultivating health
and longevity.
Less is More: the Simple Life
Pursue knowledge, gain daily.
Pursue Tao, lose daily.
Lose and again lose,
Arrive at non-doing.
— Chapter 48, The Daode Jing Sung Ch’Ang-Hsing, the seventh patriarch and leader of the
Dragon Gate Daoist sect during the 16h century, wrote, “Those who seek the Dao
don’t use ears and eyes. They look within, not without.” In this way, the
pursuit of loss is better than gain, as true knowledge has no connection to
what you have learned about or achieved in the outside world.
True knowledge comes from sitting still (wuwei: doing
nothing) and observing the self. The more we become attached to our belongings
and achievements, the more removed we are from our true natures. We can
counteract this by taking time each day to focus on our breath and quiet our
minds. Even just five minutes of stillness meditation can help us achieve a
greater sense of peace and calm.
Return to infancy…
Return to the uncarved block…
Return to simplicity…
— Chapter 28, The Daode Jing
An uncarved block of wood is filled with unlimited
potential. But once it is carved, distinctions have been made and limits have
been created. To return to your true nature is to be like an uncarved block, or
like an infant; you are still not impacted and are unspoiled by socialization
and arbitrary judgments. The Daode Jing says that we should begin to refine
ourselves by practicing the art of simplicity. We should subtract from or
reduce our worldly and intellectual pursuits and accumulations. Less, rather
than more, connects us to the Dao and our true natures.
When is Enough Enough?
The Daoist masters valued inner wealth over outer wealth and
achievements. One can attain a high rank in a company or become rich and still
lack a calm heart and mind. For some, whatever they have or achieve is never
enough. This eternal search for more often distracts us from appreciation for
what we already have.
Conquering others takes force.
Conquering yourself is true strength.
Knowing what is enough is wealth.
— Chapter 33, The Daode Jing
There is no greater calamity
Than not knowing what is enough.
There is no greater fault
Than desire for success.
Therefore, knowing that enough is enough
Is always enough
— Chapter 46, The Daode Jing
The lesson here is that if we focus on achieving more and
more, we don’t remember to appreciate what we already have and who we truly
are. Thus, it is imperative that we take time to cultivate a sense of
contentment with how things are right here, right now. The Yijing (I-Ching)
teaches us to see situations for what they are, and then see what needs to be
changed, if anything. If something that needs changing can be changed, it is
worth taking action to do so. If it cannot be changed, the strategy is to learn
how to adapt to that situation. In order to do so, conquer yourself by
accepting yourself, and you will learn when enough is enough.
Humility
The softest thing in the world
Excels over the strongest
— Chapter 43, The Daode Jing
… Therefore those who would be above
Must speak as if they are below.
Those who would lead
Must speak as if they are behind…
Because the sage isn’t contentious,
No one struggles against him.
— Chapter 66, The Daode Jing
Wang Tao (1476-1532) said, “Eight feet of water can float a
thousand-ton ship.” The Daoist masters often refer to water’s ability to wear
down even the hardest rocks. Water, being soft and flexible, excels over the
strong. We can put this to use in our daily interactions. When someone looks
for a fight, we can win by being flexible and soft and thus avoid conflict.
Also, when we need something from someone, regardless of our rank in the
organization, we must approach that person with humility and from a place of
softness and appreciation.
Lessons from the Sages
Live in a good place.
Keep your mind deep.
Treat others well.
Stand by your word.
Make fair rules.
Do the right thing.
Work when it’s time.
— Chapter 8, The Daode Jing
In the search for a calmer spirit, we must still tend to the
practicalities of daily life. The sage finds the balance between yin, which is
quiescence, rest, and introversion; and yang, which is motion, interaction, and
engagement in worldly affairs. “Work when it’s time” means equally that one
should work when necessary, but also stop when the job is complete. Many of us
work very long hours—some by choice, some not. In either case, there is a time
for rest and the key to a healthy mind and body is finding the time to rest
after working, and then resume work only after resting.
The second great Daoist sage, Zhuangzi (370–290 B.C.E.),
wrote in his self-titled book that one should follow one’s heart, and that
acting in sync with one’s nature will benefit society as a whole. We do this by
being nothing more or less than ourselves — who we really are. Recognizing our
position in the world, our abilities and limitations, and then acting
accordingly, will bring happiness and peace.
The Daoist masters taught us that the first step towards a
healthy spirit is a healthy body. Chinese medicine is an effective approach to
health maintenance and offers many longevity tools and techniques. The practice
of meditative breathing calms the mind, which calms the body, promotes the
cultivation of an inner sense of tranquility. As chapter 55 of the Daode Jing
notes, “Mind controlling energy is called power.”
While one can spend a lifetime following the advice of the
Daoist masters, the Daode Jing itself says that the journey of a thousand
miles begins with a single step (chapter 64). One way to become in tune with
the Dao is to undo the social conditioning, striving, and yearning for more
that ultimately leads to a disconnection from the purity of one’s heart and
mind. In other words, discard accumulations and simplify to get back in touch
with your true nature. It is like polishing a mirror until it renders a clear
reflection. There is nothing we are trying to “attain” through Daoist
practices. Instead, we rid ourselves of accumulated distractions so that we can
see what has always been there.
Talking will not bring about inner peace, but following the
way of the masters is as easy as taking the time to be still. Or, as Laozi said
in Chapter 5 of the Daode Jing, “Long-winded speech is exhausting; better to
stay centered.”
Suzanne Friedman
is an acupuncturist, herbalist, and doctor of medical Qigong therapy. She is
the Chair of the Medical Qigong Science Department at the Acupuncture &
Integrative Medicine College in Berkeley, Calif., and runs Breath of the Dao
Holistic Medicine in San Francisco (www.daoclinic.org).
To Learn More about Daoism
- Lao-Tzu,
Tao Te Ching. Translated by Stephen Addiss and Stanley Lombardo, Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., Indianapolis, Ind., 1993.
- Kohn,
Livia, Daoism and Chinese Culture. Three Pines Press, Magdalena, N.M., 2001.
- Porter,
Bill (Red Pine), Lao-Tzu’s Taoteching. Mercury House, San Francisco, Calif.,
1996.
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