Intentionally Design Your Life
Tao Te Ching, Stephen Mitchell, Lao Tzu
“True words aren’t eloquent. Eloquent words aren’t true. Wise men don’t need to prove their point; men who need to prove their point aren’t wise. The Master has no possessions. The more he does for others, the happier he is. The more he gives to others, the wealthier he is. The Tao nourishes by not forcing. By not dominating, the Master leads.” ~ Lao Tzu, Chapter 81, Tao Te Ching
Stephen Mitchell’s translation of Tao Te Ching is easily my favorite book, and it moves me deeply no matter how many times I read it or listen to it.
Taoism is a philosophy, not a religion. There are no tenets, rules, the concept of a singular god-like figure, or a concept of sin.
According To Mitchell, Tao Te Ching loosely translates into The Book of The Way, and Lao Tzu, the supposed author, translates to the old master, or the old boy.
Legend has it that Lao Tzu wrote his work as a response while traveling when a guard asked him to write a book on the art of living. Little to nothing is genuinely known of him (or her), and it’s argued at times that perhaps Tao Te Ching reads more like a collection of thoughts written by a myriad of authors.
Taoism teaches us how to live in harmony with the world, and introduces a concept known as Wei Wu Wei, which translates into “doing, not doing”. This concept is different from mere passivity, because when we arrive at non-action there is no need to force things, which brings about flow experiences.
Tao means The Way, the substance and pattern of everything that exists, and we can learn to embody it. Please read the book for yourself and put it into practice in your daily life to gain understanding. If I were to attempt to briefly encapsulate what the 81 short chapters discuss, it would be the following:
Do any of these ten lessons resonate with you?
Tao Te Ching is one of those books you must read for yourself and shouldn’t be explained. Rather than attempt to do so, I ask that you read it for yourself. It is a timeless masterpiece on the art of living that I believe may serve you well indefinitely.