Expert: Messianic Rabbi Yochanan Levine - 10/4/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hello, I have three questions here about Taoism that I thought I could understand better if someone who actually knew about Taoism were explaining to me, instead of reading about it.

1. For Taoists, their main belief wuwei, letting life just run its course. However, what if they are faced with a problem where doing nothing will just make things worse? Do they still stick with their principle, or take another route? For example, I was recently reading about the piled up debts of third world countries to those countries that are more developed. The more developed countries had attempted to help these underdeveloped places by loaning them money to begin their reconstruction. However, now, those underdeveloped countries are having problems repaying their debt in addition to all their other sufferings. Would a Taoist just stand by and let this go on, saying it is the flow of nature, or since this had been caused by interference, would they justify their own interference and tell the governments to cancel these debts?

2. When Taoists talk about the Mandate of Heaven, what exactly do they mean? They seem to believe in a higher power, but they have no specific god they believe in. Do they believe that there is a supernatural being or do they just believe in a heaven? What exactly do they mean by this heaven?

3. How do Taoists justify accomplishing anything in life if their main belief is wuwei? Exactly how strictly do practitioners of Taoism stick to their beliefs?

I would really appreciate it if you could answer these for me soon! Thank you so much for reading!

-Yoo Yuong Chon

ANSWER: Hi Chon,

While I have studied Taoism and spent some time living among Taoists, Taoism is not one my stronger suits (nor my personal practice). I will be happy to offer my take on these good questions with this disclaimer.

There are several types of Taoism. Some are more philosophical others are more pragmatic. Tao-chia is the school from which Lao Tsu and Chuang Tsu arose (authors of the Tao Te Ching and Chuang Tsu) and is but one school of Taoism.  

The Mandate of Heaven (t'ien ming) is the self-revealing laws of the universe, what is Right, Correct, Self-Evident. The government is "right," else it would not be in place. If it ceases to be "right" it will be replaced when that is correct (no winter lasts forever). It is "right" to obey the king, the police, the soldiers etc. because he is the king, the policeman, the soldier. It is "right" to submit to those things beyond ones control that arise from T'ien Ming because without order there would be Chaos and Chaos is not the Way of Tao.

Of course this authority can be, has been and is even now (and always) abused however... this too is the way of Tao.

In essence, Wuwei or "non-doing" is the belief that Tao (the Unity of Yin and Yang: the polar opposites) is fully sufficient and needs no assistance to properly flow. "If nothing is done nothing will remain undone." All action that predominates either Yin or Yang leads to/results in disharmony. Tao is perfect Harmony.

However... we also are part of the "ten thousand things" that comprise existence. One who is at one with Tao (in "Wu") may feel that the flow is moving him to a certain point and he flows accordingly. When the wooden deck needs to be repainted it is time to paint. Doing so because the time has come to repaint is appropriate action. Repainting so it will be "pretty," "impress the neighbors," increase property values and so on would not be appropriate action (generally speaking). The sage paints the deck when it is time to paint the deck.

One does not "do nothing" when hunger rises, one eats because this is the natural flow of result of hunger. Wuwei is not "leaving undone" it is "non-doing." This can be difficult to grasp but when it is, it is the most natural of concepts.

Being in harmony with the natural flow of Tao is Wuwei. Opposing it would be action out of balance.

How does one know what to non-do? This requires emptiness or "Wu."

It is said:
"The still mind of the sage is the mirror of heaven and earth, the glass of all things. Vacancy, stillness, placidity, tastelessness, quietude, silence, and non-action - this is the Level of heaven and earth, and the perfection of the Tao and its characteristics."

One who is "Wu," who is empty, is at one with the Creator because Wu is the nature of creation. Creation is empty. It is filled by the ten thousand things. What is a glass? It is an empty vessel that waits to be filled.

One who has attained (and/or de-attained) to the state of Wu Consciousness will naturally and without effort "Te" or manifest Tao. Te is the expression of Tao. It is the nature of a glass to be filled. It is the nature of one with is one with Tao to Te (to reflect Tao).

If a Taoist finds himself in the position of leadership in a country and facing a decision, such as you describe, he would empty himself (his consciousness) and do what is appropriate (what is Te).

Once a debtor situation like these countries face (and the US for that matter) is established getting out of this spiral is difficult but still possible. Had good government been in place the whole time these conditions would never have arisen. Now that they exist, a wise ruler would deal with them through Wuwei. This might include measures cutting social service, forgoing all optional expenditures in order to pay off the loans, seeking other venues of revenue or even bankruptcy or dissolution of the state. These Globalist predators are making these loans for the purpose of taking over the countries of course.

I can imagine being a ruler and what I might do, given the authority, however until one is in such situation it is only conjecture and conjecture is not the way of Tao. The solution in any case could be (can be) found in Wu, Wu Wei and Te. Tao needs to be restored/implemented to these countries.

As with most cases, were everyone a Taoist this philosophy would bring world peace.
Since most people are not Taoist its benefits are limited.

Hope this is helpful,

~ John of AllFaith

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello. Thank you so much for the response. It really did help me to grasp the concept of Taoism a little bit better, although I do not completely get it. I suppose that seeing as how one of the main beliefs of Taoism is that one cannot completely understand without experiencing it, it is normal for me to always feel Taoism a bit beyond my grasp.

I had wanted to ask though also about what Taoists believe happen after death? In Buddhism, there is reincarnation, or, if one achieves it, Nirvana. For Christians, there is a Heaven. What exactly do the Taoists believe in?

Another thing I was hoping you could help me clarify is the concept of Wuwei. You definitely covered the big points and I'm understand it a bitter beter. However, do you think maybe you could give me a more in-depth analysis and maybe an example to help illustrate it?

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and answer these questions. It's really helpful!

-Yoo Yuong Chon

Answer
Hi again,

---....although I do not completely get it. I suppose that seeing as how one of the main beliefs of Taoism is that one cannot completely understand without experiencing it, it is normal for me to always feel Taoism a bit beyond my grasp.

Absolutely and a good realization on your part. 'The tao that can be named is the real Tao...' Even the name tao is not Tao:

One
The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao.
The name that can be named is not the eternal name.
The nameless is the beginning of heaven and Earth.
The named is the mother of the ten thousand things.
Ever desireless, one can see the mystery.
Ever desiring, one sees the manifestations.
These two spring from the same source but differ in name; this appears as darkness.
Darkness within darkness.
The gate to all mystery.

Another way to think about this: Forget that you are Yoo Yuong Chon for a moment. Forget your country or origin or where you now live. Forget your gender, your parents, your siblings, your religion, your culture, your beliefs.... Empty yourself completely of everything, all assumptions, belief systems and paradigms and for the moment simply exist on the planet as an empty vessel. That is the state of Wu. Complete emptiness. From state of emptiness solve this problem: .... There is where your answer resides. Emptiness. Wuwei is not possible without Wu. Emptiness.

Taoists are not big on what-ifs (even when they are as certain as death). Essentially Tao flows ever onward. The person you think of as "Yoo Yuong Chon," the person I think of as "John" is the product of our cultures, our experiences and so on. "You" do not exist. Yoo Yuong Chon will be no more after death (this teaching is a main reason I do not fully embrace Taoism by the way).

As Chuang Tzu wrote:

"Since life and death are each others companions, why worry about them? All beings are one."

According to Taoism, the temporarily differentiated "being" ("I am") will cease to be because it (we) never really existed in the first place, but who we really are, beyond all illusion and false (ego) identification will embrace pure yin (the mother of the ten thousand things) and continue on in some way. Nothing real ever ceases to exist. According to Taoism, there is neither birth nor death, neither being nor non-being... there is only undifferentiated Tao.

Taoist concepts are, by their very nature, flowing and not set in stone.

From the Tao Te Ching (Gia Fu Feng and Jane English):

Thirty-seven
Tao abides in non-action [Wuwei],
Yet nothing is left undone.
If kings and lords observed this,
The ten thousand things would develop naturally.
If they still desired to act,
They would return to the simplicity of formless substance.
Without form there is no desire.
Without desire there is tranquility.
And in this way all things would be at peace.

This is the essence of Wuwei. Things are done when the time comes to do them. Because the time to do them has arrived, there is no-doing, there is only observing the timeless flow of Tao and accepting ones part in the Great Mystery.

I used the example of the wooden deck before. It was "time" for me to be in a Taoist monastery and to receive the following: One of my teachers told me to paint a certain deck. It was a bit faded but looked fine to me. I asked why, considering Wuwei: Isn't that "doing?" His answer was basically what I told you before. When there is hunger the natural response is to eat. When the deck needs to be painted the natural response is to paint it. The way of Tao is preserve that which is. My presence and purpose at that "time" and place was to paint the deck. As I did so I had an odd sense of peace, a "knowing" came over me that at that time, I was precisely where I was 'supposed to be" doing exactly what "I was supposed to be doing" and I experienced Wu.

When the king, as in the above quoted canto, sees he needs to act he acts, otherwise he does not. That is the role of a King. When the mom needs to feed the baby she does so because that is the role of the mom. That is Wuwei, Such actions are not "doing" but flowing harmoniously with Tao. How could the mom not feed the child? Its natural. Its non-doing.

If the king gives everyone food why should they farm? If he cloths them why should they knit and sew? If the farmers cease to farm and the tailors cease to sew there is will shortages for everyone. That is not the Way of Tao. So the farmer farms and the tailor sews and there is peace as long as the king does not interfere.

The way of Tao is to do that which needs to be done when and as the time to do them arrives.
This is determined through Wu or Emptiness. The leaders of the people should interfere with this natural process as little as possible. If nothing is done, nothing will be left undone. Which is to say, only in harmony with t'ien ming, the Mandate of Heaven should any action be done and when actions are done in harmony with t'ien ming they are as non-actions because they are simply the onward flow of Tao.

Hope this helps,

~ John of AllFaith