The Tao Te Ching: The Art and the Journey

The unassuming passages of the Tao Te Ching, written by Lao Tzu approximately 2,500 years ago, contain wisdom of tremendous depth and sensitivity. As keeper of China’s royal archives, Lao Tzu began to sense that society and its leaders had embarked upon misguided paths. Disheartened, he felt compelled to leave society. As he passed through the city gates, the gatekeeper encouraged him to record his words of wisdom before leaving. Lao Tzu did so. Then, he left society, never to be seen again. Lao Tzu’s writings, the Tao Te Ching, awaken one’s insight into the cyclic flow of life and of humankind’s humble role within it. They teach of the reversal of fate and the wisdom of avoiding extremes. They tell of the peace of mind of one who accepts his or her place within the infinite, perpetual flow of creation. They encourage all those who learn of life’s natural flow to live simply and serenely.Within the Tao Te Ching’s quiet, unassuming passages lie numerous subtle messages. Because Lao Tzu expresses the most profound concepts in the briefest of phrases, his teachings have lent themselves to innumerable interpretations within many eras and cultures. Lao Tzu’s words have laid the foundation of Chinese philosophical thought for over two thousand years. The wisdom of the Tao Te Ching is both transcendent and humanistic. Its transcendent aspects tell of the unity of all creation, the inevitability of change, the cyclic nature of existence, the reversal of all that reaches an extreme, the balancing of opposites, the equalizing of differences, and the inevitable return of all to the flow of the Tao. The humanistic aspects tell of the benefits of eliminating desire, pride, and longings for immortality. One who has attained such wisdom will live at peace with the Tao. Without ever having read a word of Chinese philosophy, one can attain understanding of the Tao through the quiet enigmatic suggestiveness of Chinese art. The deeply spiritual yet humbling sense of peace one obtains when viewing Chinese art is a reflection of the Tao. This emotion is conveyed not through the artist’s brush, but through his or her heart. China’s artists seek to capture the peace of nature in its simplest of forms. Beauty is found in the humblest of pleasures. When painting flowers, birds, and other aspects of nature, China’s artists often paint these alone, so that each might be appreciated for its inherent essence.China’s artists convey the concept of the Tao’s changing patterns through scenes such as the opening of a bud or the shedding of a petal. Conveying the concept of nature’s ongoing change, they strive to capture nature at its highest levels of grace, as well as at its lowest levels of decay. They appreciate each aspect of nature’s flow, even withered leaves and dying plants. Birth and death of all in existence is accepted as part of the flow of the Tao. Rather, it contains the Great Unknown—the perpetual flow of the Tao. Within Chinese art, empty space possesses great spiritual significance. It is filled with the Tao.The relatively large amount of space given to sky, mist, and voids, compared to that given to the earth, conveys Taoism’s humble respect for the enormity of that which will never be known. Read more