Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Phyllis Ghim-Lian Chew, The Great Tao, bahai-library.com. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── '{J' " 10 THE JOURNAL OF BAHA'I STUDIES 4.2.1991 are pointed towards more "practical" careers. It is no wonder that people (of either sex) who are actualizing their creative potential are viewed suspiciously and with a degree of envy or misunderstanding. The Baha'i writings are clear on the mandate for women, "She must become The Great Tao proficient in the arts and sciences and prove by her accomplishments that her Phyllis Ghim Lian Chew abilities and powers have merely been latent" ('Abdu'l-Baha, Promulgation Abstract 283). What will happen when she does this? War will cease, the Baha'i writings Very little is known of the similarities shared by the Great Tao as conceived in the predict, and the bird of humanity will fly toward a new apex with both wings inunortal Taoist canon, the Tao-te ching, and the nature of God and the teachings of equally developed. The male poet Rimbaud expressed it thus: God's messengers as expounded by BaM' u' IIGh and 'Abdu'I-BaM. This article focuses on the Great Tao of the ancient Chinese people, a Tao whose eternal spirit has seeped When the unending servitude of women is broken, when she lives by and for herself, into the very heart ofChinese tradition, culture, and way of life for centuries, and which when man--hitherto abominable-has given her her freedom, she too will be a poet! is monifest in various aspects ofChinese thought and life as well as in the more apparent Women will discover part of the unknown. Will her world of ideas be different from aesthetics of calligraphy, painting, and poetry. This article compares the similarities of ours? She will discover things strange and unfathomable, repulsive and delicious. We the spiritual insights of the Tao-te ching with that of other major religions, notably the shall take them into ourselves, we shall understand them. ('The Poet" 204-5) Bahtz'£ Faith, and argues that no understanding of the Chinese mind and spirit can be complete without a perusal of some of the main spiritual tenets of this imperishable Perhaps the time is coming when women and men will understand each canon. It must be noted that this article is concerned with the original philosophy ofTao other, will be mutually supportive, will allow creativity to flourish and to enrich and not with what is today popularly known as the 'Taoist religion," an invention only our communities. Women have much to offer to such a world. loosely connected with the spiritual insights ofthe Tao-te ching. Works Cited Resume Nous connaissons peu des similarites qui existent entre le Grand Tao tel que c07l{;u dans 'Abdu'l-Baha. The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-BaM l'immortel livre saint Taoiste, le Tao-te ching, et la nature de Dieu et entre les during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912. Compo Howard MacNutt. enseignements des messagers de Dieu teis qu'expliques par BaM' u' llGh et 'Abdu'l-BaM. 2d ed. Wilmette, IL: Baha'f Publishing Trust, 1982. Cet article traite du Grand Tao de l' antiquite chinoise, le Tao dont ['esprit eternel a Greer, Germaine. The Obstacle Race: The Fortunes of Women Painters and Their penttre le coeur de fa tradition chinoise, de fa culture et de fa fGfon de vivre depuis des Works. New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1979. siecles, et qui se retrouve dans differents aspects de fa pensee chinoise, aussi bien que Helson, Ravenna. "Creativity in Women: Outer and Inner Views Over Time." In dans l' estMtique apparente de fa calligraphie, de fa peinture et de fa poesie. Cet article Theories of Creativity. Mark A. Runco and Robert S. Albert, eds. Newbury Park, compare les similarites des penetrations spirituelles dans le Tao-te ching avec celles des CA: Sage Publications, 1990. autres grandes religions, notamment la foi baM' fe, et insiste sur le fait que nul ne peut Nochlin, Linda. "Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?" excerpted from comprendre l' esprit et l' ame des chinois completement sans un examen de certaines "Women in Sexist Societies: Studies in Power and Powerlessness." Art News 69 doctrines spirituelles de ce livre inunortel. II faut noter que cet article se preoccupe de fa (January 1971): 22-39. Norton Anthology of Literature by Women. Sandra M. Gilbert and Susan Gubar, eds. philosophie premiere du Tao et non de sa popularite actuelle connue sous le nom de New York: W. W. Norton, 1985. «Religion Taaiste», une invention seulement legerement connectee avec la conception Rimbaud, Arthur. "The Poet as Revolutionary Seer." In The Modern Tradition. Richard spirituelle du Tao-te ching. Ellmann and Charles Feidelson, Jr., eds. New York: Oxford University Press, 1965. Root, Martha.l)ihirih the Pure. Rev. ed. Los Angeles: Kalimat Press, 1981. Resumen Tyng, Anne Griswold. "From Muse to Heroine: Toward a Visible Creative Identity." In Poco se conoce acerca de las semejanzas compartidas entre el Gran Tao segun se Architecture: A Place for Women. Ellen Perry Berkeley, ed. Washington: concibe en el Tao-te ching, el canon inmortal Taoista, y la naturaleza de Dios y las Smithsonian Institution Press, 1989. ensenanzas de Sus Mensajeros segUn lo exponen Bahd~u' lldh y 'Abdu'l-Bahd. Esta Women: Extracts from the Writings of BaM' u'lltih, 'Abdu'I-BaM, Shoghi Effendi, and disertacwn enfoca sobre el Gran Tao del antiguo pueblo chino, un Tao cuyo esp{ritu the Universal House of Justice. Compo Research Dept. Baha'f World Centre. eterno se ha entraiiado a traves de los siglos en lo mas hondo de la tradicwn, cultura, y Thornhill, ON: Baha'f Canada Publications, 1986. modo de vida chino, y que se presenta en los varios aspectos del pensamiento y vivir Woolf, Virginia. A Room ofOne's Own. New York: Harcourt, Brace and World, 1957. chino y tambien en la estetica que resalta aun mas en su caligrafia, pintura. ypoesia. El - - - . A Writer's Diary. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1954. escrito campara las semejanzas de los discernimientos espirituales del Tao-te ching con ------- 12 THE JOURNAL OF BAHA'f STUDIES 4.2.1991 The Great Tao 13 aquellas de otras religiones principales, en particular la Fe BaJui' {, y razona que la that there is no Chinese word that corresponds exactly to the word religion. To comprensi6n de la mente y el esp{ritu chino no podra considerarse completa sin una the Chinese, there is no difference between religion and education. The Chinese lectura afondo de las doetrinas centrales de este canon imperecedero. Vale tomar en word chiao (teaching) includes all religions. Both "teaching" and "learning" cuenta que esta disertacwn se concierne con la filosof{a original del Tao y no con 10 que have the purpose of bringing enlightenment. A great teacher teaches one to hoy se conoce popularmente corrw la "religion Taoista," una invenci6n s610 vagamente conectada con los discernimientos espirituales del Tao-te ching. understand the great principle of life and the universe, how to reach the.good and to appreciate the beautiful. Although the Chinese notion of "teaching'; does not indicate an explicit belief in God, it is incorrect to say that the Chinese do Something there is without fonn and complete, not believe in God, or what is otherwise referred to as the Absolute Truth, the Born before heaven and earth, Ultimate Reality, or the Eternal Ground of Being) Sprinkled throughout the Solitary and vast, Tao-te ching and other major Chinese classical texts are references to the Standing alone without change, presence of the Great Tao. 4 Everywhere pervading all things, The essence of Chinese religion-of which a significant part is contributed Mothering all beneath heaven. by Taoism-can be said to comprise the belief in the presence of a Great Tao 1don't know its name; that is unknowable. Referred to often by the Chinese word heaven, the Great 1 style it Tao, Tao was not so much the personal Creator, Ruler, and Judge of the world such And for want of a name call it great. as the God of Jews and Christians, but rather, the remote, absolute, and ultimate (Ch.25)1 reality that cannot logically be well defined. There is also a realization that the love of the Great Tao is embodied in all created things. S This belief that all T here should not be a problem in naming what has generally been believed to be the "philosophy" of Lao-tzu (and for that matter, Confucius) a religion, things reflect the image of God encouraged the Chinese to strive for unity or wholeness in general. The Chinese temperament seeks a union of the ideal and if one considers Paul Tillich's definition of religion as "ultimate concern" (Scharlemann, Paul Tillich 231) and A. N. Whitehead's concept of religion as real, and of heaven and earth. Its perspective is synthetic rather than analytic. A "the art of the internal life of man" (Religion 16). Julian Huxley's concept of harmonious and peaceful life with the sense of unity or wholeness is the ideal religion as a way of life, an inner awareness, and a sublimation, is also similar life in Chinese tradition. Such a way of life is called Tao, and it is the essence to the Chinese approach to religion (Religion). The Chinese concept of and goal of the Chinese mind, at least in the traditional sense. Thus, the contemplating the intrinsic value of things is also similar to Einstein's concept traditional Chinese attitude was for tolerance instead of ideological opposition, of wonder and the experience of the mysterious in daily routine. since the sense of unity and wholeness led the Chinese mind towards the sense In addition, the Chinese cosmological view of life, particularly the Chinese of relativity of particulars within the universal totality.6 concept of the mandate of heaven descending upon humanity and all things, A part of the essence of traditional Chinese belief is that wise sages from corresponds to the worldview of Pierre Teillard de Chardin, whose central idea time to time will come to show the path to enlightenment There is a Chinese is that God permeates all things and that human beings can encounter God in their own actions (Divine 122, 141). The Chinese believe that the love of 3. If it is occasionally expressed in certain circles that the Chinese do not believe in heaven is in all creatures and that in meeting the creatures, humankind God, it is because the word God has all the wrong "Western" connotations. There is the encounters God. The divine love energy is the unifying power of the universe. conception fIrst of all in the Chinese mind of an old man with a long white beard, or the The universe has consciousness and is progressing toward the Great Unity that evangelizing God of the Christian missionaries saving sinners and eradicating idolatry Teillard de Chardin calls the "Omega point." The power of love unifies and from the land of the heathens. 4. See, for example, the works of Mencius, Confucius, and Chuang-tzu in Wing-tsit spiritualizes all things. 2 Chan, A Sourcebook. However, although we may refer to a Chinese religion, we should note here 5. 'The Great Tao is simple and near because He is present in everything" (Mencius VIlA, 41). Confucius also said that "God is not far from man" (poetrine ofthe Mean 13: 1). 1. For convenience, 1 shall refer to all quotations from the Tao-te ching by simply 6. There may be an argument here that Communist China is an anti-traditional and putting "ch." for "chapter" after each quotation. All quotations from the Tao-te ching are relatively intolerant society, but we must remember that Chinese communism is only taken from Herrymon Maurer, translator, Tao: The Way ofthe Ways. fIfty years old in relation to a tradition of spirituality that is more tha.'l three-thousand 2. See Chili, Chinese Humanism passim, for an elaboration. years old and which has not been completely eradicated. 14 THE JOURNAL OF BAHA.'f STUDIES 4.2.1991 The Great Tao 15 belief that every 500 years, a sage would come to show the Way (Chan, China. 9 Nevertheless, whatever ideas Lao-tzu may have derived from the Religious 24). This does not mean that only the literate or those in personal ancient Chinese cultural heritage must have been spiritually digested by him contact with the sage can be fortunate enough to comprehend and walk: the way before expression in his unique and inimitable style. One may conclude that of the Great Tao, for Tao can be found in the simplest things of the world. Lao-tzu's great contribution was his gathering together all the spiritual wisdom scattered throughout ancient documents and putting them in a small volume. Lao-tzu and the Tao-te ching A word now on the Tao-te ching, believed to be the most translated work The most famous exposition of the Tao is found in the Tao-te ching. It was next to the Bible. Indeed, the Tao-te ching has been called the Chinese Bible. It composed sometime in the sixth century BC. To that remarkable century also can be said that not even the Confucian doctrine can approach the Tao-te ching belong the writings of the Buddha, Jeremiah, and Confucius. The Tao-te ching in popularity and prestige. Its influence has been circumscribed, however, by is believed to have been written by Lao-tzu, said to be the ftrst ancient sage of the fact that even the best translation would fail to do it justice because there are China, who dedicated his whole life to the study of Tao (Sih, Chinese untranslatable, subtle images and rhythms in the original work. Unfortunately, Humanism 53). However, we cannot be sure of his real name. Lao-tzu is a these untranslatable aspects are the very factors that arouse human intuition as description rather than an appellation. The term can mean "old philosopher" or to the nature of essential truths. "old sir," but it can also mean "old child" or "old fellow." Perhaps following his In relation to its small size (some five-thousand characters), the influence own dictates of not being attached to names, Lao-tzu kept himself so well directly or indirectly exerted by this extraordinary work on Chinese life and hidden that very little is known of him except what he wrote. culture is profound and far-reaching. Expounding a consistent and coherent The story goes that Lao-tzu was a custodian at the imperial archives in the view of life and the universe, it has, for instance, contributed considerably State of Chou and as such had access to the ancient books of China However, towards the development of various classical schools of Chinese philosophy, being disillusioned with the depravity of the nobility's conduct and their notably, those established by Han Fei Tzu (d. 233 BC), a great leader of the oppression of the peasants and slaves, as well as the frequent warfare between Legalist School, and Chuang-tzu (369-286 BC), second only to Lao-tzu as a divided States, he departed from China as a sign of protest, to live outside its Taoist mystic and philosopher. By raising the spiritual consciousness of the borders.? The offtcer of the frontier, Yin Hsi, noted Lao-tzu's intention and took Chinese people,10 the Tao-te ching also facilitated the introduction of Buddhism the opportunity to urge him to write a book before leaving. Lao-tzu took up the into China. Not only did the work playa major role in the development of suggestion and wrote a book discussing Tao and virtue. At fIrSt, the work was Ch'an (Zen) Buddhism, it also strengthened the metaphysical aspect of simply called Lao-tzu. Later, during the Han Dynasty (202 Be-AD 9), the work Confucianism and contributed to the emergence of Neo-Confucianism in the was dignifted with the title Tao-te ching (Classic of the Way and its Virtue). Sung Dynasty (AD 960-1279). The book can be divided into two parts: the fIrst being on the metaphysical, a Like all the great religions, Taoism has contributed towards the pool of not treatment of the ultimate reality (ch. 1-37) and the second being on the only the spiritual but also the material knowledge of humankind. The practical, a description of how to live in this world (ch. 38-81).8 development of such sciences as chemistry, mineralogy, and geography in China Although the Tao-te ching is generally traced to Lao-tzu, many of its basic can be traced to Taoism (Needham, Science). In addition, Taoism has also played ideas are scattered in earlier writings, such as the I Ching (Book of Changes) a signal part in the development of medicine, acupuncture, and the practical arts and Shu Ching (Book of History), traditionally considered the oldest books in and crafts, as well as alchemy, astrology, divination, and martial art (kung fu).!! Not swprisingly, in the course of succeeding centuries, commentaries on the 7. This account is attributed to his early biographer, Ssu-ma Ch'ien. However, this 9. Lao-tzu (as well as Confucius) drew heavily from the Shu of The Book of account has mixed fact and fantasy, as it lists a few titles and places Lao-tzu may have Documents although he did not quote explicitly from this or other books (Sih, Chinese possibly frequented, but it also contains some quite fantastic and absurd speculations. Humanism 53). See B. Watson, translator, Ssu-Ma Ch'ien: Records ofthe Grand Historian ofChina. 10. According to Shoghi Effendi, 'Abdu'I-BaM often spoke "in most hopeful words" 8. Although it has been translated into English as The Way and its Power by Arthur of "its brilliant future and of the spiritual capacity of its people" (letters written on behalf Waley in the book of the same title, the title need not be interpreted as logically of Shoghi Effendi to individual believers, 26 January 1923. In "A Compilation on China." connecting Tao with Te. However, due to recent archeological work in China, we are 11. Needham's treatise "Fundamental ideas of Chinese Science" in volume 2 of now sure that these terms were applied to the respective halves of the work as early as Science and Civilization in China provides valuable reading for the understanding of the beginning of the Han Dynasty. See Lau (Chinese Classics). Yin-Yang and the Five Elements. 16 THE JOURNAL OF BAHA'I STUDIES 4.2.1991 The Great Tao 17 Tao-te ching have come out in great profusion, attesting to the immense interest As a result of the little known but remarkable similarities of the teachings of and importance attached to this work. About 1,000 such commentaries are Lao-tzu with those of Baha'u'IIah (and indeed of the other founders of the great known to exist-some 500 in Chinese, over 250 in Japanese, and a small religions), as well as the enduring quality of Lao-tzu's work, the intriguing number in Western languages (Wei, Guiding 5). There have also been numerous question of whether Lao-tzu was a sage or a prophet is then posed. translations of the Taoist cahon. 12 The earliest translation was in Sanskrit and done by Tripitaka-Master Hsuan Tsang, a Buddhist luminary of the Tang The Nature of Tao Dynasty. The next translation was in Latin and appeared about 1750. It was While "God" was the supreme concept in the West in terms of questions apparently done by a Jesuit missionary who had been to China. In 1828, the first regarding the highest reality, "Dharma" (truth or law) took its place in the Indian Russian version appeared and forty years later, the English version. Today, tradition. In the Chinese tradition, "heaven" and "Tao" occupied the place of the there are upwards of forty English translations in the field, vying with one highest reality; and of the two, Tao was the most important concern. another for superior merit 13 Due to its intrinsic popularity, as well as the recent successes of books such It goes without saying that no understanding of the Chinese mind and spirit as The Tao of Physics, the word Tao has now gained currency and is listed in is complete without a perusal of this imperishable canon, especially in relation well-known English dictionaries. 14 However, such dictionaries describe Tao to the latest religious revelation, the Baha'i Faith. I would like now to compare simply as a "way" or "path." This definition is correct in a literal sense but is these two great belief systems, separated, it would seem at first, by a vast not complete. One should note that besides indicating the multifarious ways of geographical gulf and historical span of time. On deeper examination, however, communicating with this ultimate reality, Tao also denotes the ultimate reality a remarkable similarity surfaces that is especially apparent in Baha'i and Taoist in Chinese religious experience. Tao means both the Way as Principle and the . expositions on the nature and the teachings of the Great Tao. Way as the means to realize the principle (cf Chiu, The Tao 403). We note as In terms of the nature of Tao, both Taoism and the Baha'i Faith refer to Tao well that Tao is the common term used by all Chinese religious thinkers to as immanent, transcendent, and unknowable; both teach that great virtue exists denote the essence of religion. It is used to exemplify their understanding of the in following Tao alone; that all spiritual truth comes from the same source; and most subtle nature of religious experience. Tao means both the essence and that these truths are expounded by sages who are unfortunately not recognized manifestation of religion. Because it is often beyond categories of knowledge, during their lifetimes by the great masses of humanity. Where the teachings of Tao can only be defined by such negative terms as wu (nothingness or non- Tao are concerned, striking similarities are found with regard to the mutual call being), wu-chih (non-ultimate), and kung (emptiness). But there are also for abstinence from actions contrary to nature (wu-wei); the importance of an positive expressions such as Shang Ti (the supreme lord), T'ien (heaven) and unbiased mind in the search for truth; the advocation of humility, forgiveness, Tao (the way or the principle). justice, contentment, and moderation; and the emphasis on deeds over words. Immanent, Transcendent, and Unknowable 12. The translations cannot be said to have served the Tao-te ching well because the For Lao-tzu, "the world is a sacred vessel" (ch. 29), and the intent of the Tao-te nature of the work attracted many whose enthusiasm for Eastern mysticism far ching is to speak about the unspeakable and to discourse on the unknowable. outstripped their acquaintance with Chinese thought or Chinese language. Like the ftrst chapter of Gleanings from the Writings of BaM' u' lltih, the first 13. Some scholarly translation is somewhat contradictory, but it is possible to aim at chapter of the Tao-te ching expounds on the immanent and the transcendent exactness. The translation I am using and with which I am most impressed is that of aspect of Tao: Herrymon Maurer. Maurer's translation is not only recent (1986) but also appealing, as he tries to preserve the force, the rhythm, the repetitions, and the parallelism of the If Tao can be Taocd, it's not Tao. originaL and even attempts a pun or two and an occasional rhyme. He declines to defer If its name can be named, it's not its name. to the conceptual habits of other translations by rendering such terms of Chinese Has no name: precedes heaven and earth; concreteness as "the ten thousand things," "the hundred families," and "beneath heaven" Has a name: mother of ten thousand things ... into such abstractions as "all things," "the people," and "the world." The manner in Mystery of mysteries, the door to inwardness. which the Way is presented is itself the Way. Generally, Maurer tries to tamper least (Ch. 1) with the original terseness and impact. He makes no effort to explain the inexplicable and also avoids trying to make clear what is not clear, leaving unclear the unclear. It should be mentioned here that Maurer's translation draws heavily from that of John C. 14. See, for example, Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, Random House H. Wu's Lao Tzu / Tao Teh Ching. Dictionary, and the Concise Oxford Dictionary. 18 THE JOURNAL OF BAHA'I STUDIES 4.2.1991 The Great Tao 19 Tao here is the origin of the universe and "mother" of all things (ch. 1). It is Deeply influenced by the Tao-te ching, Chuang-lzu,I5 a literary genius with transcendent and defies being named. The Tao-te ching continues to expound profound spiritual insight, composed many verses on the nature of Tao. With that Tao is shapeless, soundless, and bodiless (ch. 14). Throughout the first half Chuang-lzu the philosophy of Taoism can be said to have reached its summit, of the text, the descriptions used to suggest Tao's nature are that it is cloudy, since later works have not contributed anything significantly new. Together, formless, obscure, elusive, silent, and void. Tao is essentially indefinable in Chuang-lzu's and Lao-tzu's ideas become the leaven of Chinese thought. I6 human language and inexplicable by human reasoning. Tao cannot be They can be called the pilgrims of the absolute precisely because of their faith understood as "God" in the sense of ruler, monarch, commander, architect, and confidence in the Tao. The following two quotations on the nature of the shaper, or maker of the universe. In fact, any imagery associated with Tao is Tao are typically Chuang-lzu's: more maternal (denoting "a creative force") than paternal (see opening quotation). The image of the military and political overlord is not in the idea of ... it [Tao] may be obtained, but cannot be seen. Before heaven and earth were, Tao Tao. There is, then, an interesting similarity between the metaphysics of Tao in was. It has existed without change from all time. Spiritual beings drew their Taoism and Brahman in Hinduism. Both Tao and Brahman are in essence and spirituality therefrom, which the universe became what we can see now. To Tao, the zenith is not high, nor the nadir low; no point in time is long ago, nor by lapses of age in themselves indescribable and nameless; while in manifestation and function, has it grown old. (Quoted in Giles, Chuang Tzu 76) both are identifiable with many and all things in the universe. In the Baha'i writings, this is given expression: Sometimes, Chuang-tzu enters into an I-thou relation with the Tao reminiscent of a Baha'i prayer: Exalted, immeasurably exalted, art Thou above the strivings of mortal man to unravel Thy mystery, to describe Thy glory, or even to hint at the nature of Thine o My Master, 0 my Master. Thou who destroyest all things, and dost not account it Essence. (BaM'u'llah, Gleanings 3-4) cruelty; thou who benefittest all time, and does not account it charity; thou who art older than antiquity, and dost not account it age; thou who supportest the universe, For Lao-lzu to postulate a similar conception of the Supreme Ultimate at so shaping the many forms therein, and dost not account it skill;-this is the happiness early a date was truly remarkable. The ancient Chinese notion of T ien (heaven) of God! (Quoted in Giles, Chuang Tzu 132) or Ti (Supreme God), as represented in the songs and hymns of The Book of the Odes, was that of a knowing, feeling, loving, and hating supreme ruler of The many titles of Tao referred to by Chuang-lzu include the Great Negative humankind and the universe. The fate of humankind was also supposed to be in (Omnipotent), the Great One (Omnipresent), the Great Law (i.e., Perfection), the the hands of all kinds of gods and spirits. In place of such an anthropomorphic Great Nomenclature (All-Inclusive), the Great Uniformity (All-Assimilative), the deity or deities, an entirely new rational and logical concept of God was proposed. Great Eye (i.e., the Omniscient), as well as the Great Space, the Great Truth, and In addition, the true Taoist knows that Tao is not only the Way but also the the Great Unity (Giles, Chuang Tzu 247, passim). This is a forerunner of the Origin and End of all things, yet it cannot be identified with anything in many titles of BaM to be revealed by Baha'u'llah, such as Most Great Spirit, particular. Immanent in the universe, it nonetheless transcends the universe. It is Pre-existent Root, Supreme Heaven, and the Most Great Name. I? the mystery of mysteries that evokes in the minds of thinking people a perennial sense of wonder. Taoism never hides the mysterious nature of Tao. In fact, Following Tao Alone Taoism glorifies Tao. The wiser the person, the more amazed he or she is by The Tao-te ching advocates that the nature of great virtue is to follow Tao alone this mystery. Only ignorant fools think that they know (ch. 22, 24, passim). (ch. 21). In being in harmony with Tao, everything is made whole-there are no BaM'u'liah expresses this feeling: metaphorical demons or spirits to upset the people's constitution: How can I claim to have known Thee, when the entire creation is bewildered by Thy 15. Chuang-tzu's date of birth is unknown. All we can say is that he was a younger mystery, and how can I confess not to have known Thee, when, 10, the whole contemporary of Mencius (371-289 Be). universe proclaimeth Thy Presence and testifieth to Thy Truth? (Gleanings 63) 16. One notes that Chuang-tzu's book, together with the Tao-te ching, has been a source of inspiration to Chinese scholars and poets through the centuries. Although it The Bab reaffIrms the same eternal truth that there is no beginning and no end deals with roughly the same subject, it is however ten times larger than the TGO-te ching. to this awesome mystery that had dawned on the Chinese people early in the 17. For a compilation of the many titles of BaJui, see RUl]fyyih Rabbanf, camp., The history of humankind (The Bab, Selections 91, 125; Baha'u'llah, Tablets 140). Desire of the World 177-81. 20 THE JOURNAL OF BAHA. 'f STUDIES 4.2.1991 The Great Tao 21 When beneath-heaven is ruled with Tao, If I have a grain of wisdom, Demons don't go spiriting. I walk along the great Tao Not only do the demons not spirit, And only fear to stray. But the spirits don't harm people. (Ch. 53) (Ch.60) Just as the sun rises on both the evil and good and sends rain on both the just This is not dissimilar from the Baha'i belief that "the beginning of all things is and unjust, one characteristic of the Great Tao, as reflected in the character of the the knowledge of God ..." (BaM'u'llah, Gleanings 5) and the admonition by sage, is that it does not differentiate, but rather, loves all nature and all humanity: 18 Baha'u'llah: The sage has no fixed heart. ... Barter not away this Youth, 0 people, for the vanities of this world or the delights He frods his heart of heaven. By the righteousness of the one true God! One hair of Him excelleth all In the hundred families' heart, that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth. Beware, 0 men, lest ye be tempted He is good to the good; to part with Him in exchange for the gold and silver ye possess. (Gleanings 38) He is also good to the not-good, For virtue is good. Great virtue comprises the recognition that everything stems from the Tao and He is faithful to the faithful; He is also faithful to the unfaithful, that true happiness and peace of mind rest in adhering to its principles, not in For virtue is faithful. bartering them away. (Ch.49) The immortality of the spirit as mentioned in the holy books is the fundamental basis of the divine religions. Similarly, the Tao-te ching affirms Virtue (Te) in the above quotation is not so much virtue in the sense of moral immortality for those who adhere to Tao: rectitude, but rather, "virtuality" in the sense of having the possession of force or power. It is a Te that is believed by the ancient Chinese to be It is said that manifest in, for example, the miraculous fruition of plants and the He who preserves his life unconscious circulation of blood. Meets no tigers or wild buffaloes on the road Remains untouched by weapons in the wars. This bounty and generosity of Tao, however, does not mean that Tao does In him the wild buffalo not take an active hand in rediessing inequities. "The Tao of Heaven plays no Finds no space for his horns, favorites, I But it always succors the good" (ch. 79). Here, it is interesting to the tiger no space for his claws note that the otherwise impersonal and remote Tao gives way to a more the soldier no space for his blade. personified conception of activity and differentiation. How is this? Because there is no place for death in him. The Same Source (Ch. 50; also ch. 16,52) Being significantly and spiritually ahead of his time, Lao-tzu advanced the notion that all the great spiritual truths come from the same source and that, in Accordingly, the Tao-te ching expounds that it is natural for human beings reality, there is no difference between their persons, words, messages, acts, and to turn to Tao and that separation from Tao is unnatural. Tao gives life, nurses, manners. Thus, very early in Chinese history, the Chinese people realized that rears, nurtures, shelters, comforts, feeds, and protects (ch. 51). Thus, every each religion contained something intrinsically good and valuable. The creature that is conscious of its origin has a natural and intimate kinship with acknowledgement of mutual goodness in all religions eventually led to the Tao. Tao is like the mother to the newborn (ch. 25). Logically, then, turning towards Tao is life, and turning away is death. Being on the path is as life- giving as reaching the end of it, while being off the path is more death-dealing 18. Baha'u'llah says something similar: "Thou art the All-Bountiful, the than ignorance of where the path leads: overflowing showers of Whose mercy have rained down upon high and low alike, and the splendors of Whose grace have been shed over both the obedient and the rebellious" (Prayers and Meditations 250; Divine Art of Living 12). See also the Bible, Matthew 5:44-45 for a similar idea. 22 THE JOURNAL OF BAHA'i STUDIES 4.2.1991 The Great Tao 23 realization that all religions are harmonious in having the same origin and goal. Lao-tzu broke the conventions of the day. In his time, he was against the The unity of all religions has thus become one of the tacit understandings of the autocratic, the patriarchal, the hierarchic, the superstitious, the ritualistic, the Chinese people: oppressive, and the violent Such opposition was indeed unconventional. His life was also scandalous. He withdrew from Chinese civilization to live outside the The names are different but the source the same. Chinese border with people whom the Chinese considered barbarians. Just as Call the sameness mystery: Jesus' dying the death of a criminal was a great scandal to the Romans, so Mystery of mystery, the door to inwardness. similarly was Lao-tzu's departure to the country of the barbarians, a scandal to (Ch.1) the Chinese. The Chinese had traditionally believed themselves to be more The influence of this particular and significant insight of the Tao-te ching has intelligent, more cultured, and more capable than other races. Throughout their been manifested since the beginning of the Han Dynasty (206 Be-AD 220), history, the Chinese had put down the "barbarians" to the north and west of their where, with the establishment of Confucian bureaucracy, the Confucian country, just as the Jews had put down the temple prostitutes and the Romans, officials and intellectuals began to develop a new metaphysics that they called the subversives. Thus, the flight of Lao-tzu to the country of the despised "the way to heaven" and which could encompass all philosophical and religious barbarians not only was shocking but also served as a lasting symbol of the ideas. Berling describes the way to heaven as follows: sage's denunciation of the trappings of material and conventional success. So it is that people, especially the intelligentsia, do not usually recognize a This belief in the Unity of the way of heaven established a foundation of syncretic sage during the sage's lifetime: 'The great Tao is easy indeed / but the people thought; unless religious ideas could be shown to be outright fantasies they had some choose bypaths" (ch. 53). And Lao-tzu, reminiscent of the founders of past claim on truth even if a distorted or partial truth. Distortion or partiality could be religions, refers to this lack of recognition and acceptance: 19 rectified; the believers were seldom called upon to choose one God or one truth over all others. The way of Heaven included all Truths of men. (Syncretic Religion 20-23) My words are very easy to know, Very easy to follow; As the Taoist Ku Huan (c. 392-453) puts it, "Taoism and Buddhism are equal But beneath-heaven can't know them, in illuminating and transforming people." Different religions develop under a Can't follow them. variety of conditions to meet basic needs of the times, but they are all (Ch. 70; see also ch. 78) "convenient means" to the same end (quoted in Chan, "Historic" 122). This idea can be likened to the Chinese saying that tributaries branching out from the same He acknowledges that only the truly spiritual can see beyond the personality of river may start off at different points and time, bearing different names, but the the sage to recognize the original Source, which throughout history has always supply of water content that each receives from its sources does not vary. It is the been the same: water rather than the name of the tributaries that serves a purpose for humanity. My words have an ancestor; My deeds have a lord. The Mission of the Sage People don't know Him, Unfortunately, spiritual leaders with revolutionary "new" insights are never So they don't know me. loved during their lifetime and especially not among their own people. Indeed, (Ch.70) Lao-tzu was considered heretical and odd and his teachings incongruous with the current social trends: Despite receiving a possibly cool reception, a sage continues to work tirelessly to return the people to the light-the Great Tao, the Universal Law or Truth, the All bepeath heaven say Right Way: My Tao seems like folly. But it is great because it seems like folly. Were it not like folly, Long indeed would it have been petty. 19. Jesus, for example, quotes Isaiah: "You will hear and hear and never understand. (Ch.67) You will see and see and never perceive" (Matthew 13:14). 24 THE JOURNAL OF BAHA'I STUDIES 4.2.1991 The Great Tao 25 Therefore the Sage ... the Tao, and thus one's action will be successful. It is easier to sail with the Returns the people to what they have lost, wind than against it.20 Helps all things find their nature. Wu elaborates on the connotations of wu-wei and describes it as comprising (Ch.64) two aspects: physical and mental ("Taoism" 54). Physically, wu-wei implies that one's actions should not exceed what is essential to the accomplishment of The central mission of the founders of the world religions can be said to be a given aim. One should not engage in activity for activity's sake. Mentally, wu- focussed on lifting the people "from the darkness of ignorance, and guide them wei implies that even if we are called upon to perform a necessary function for to the light of true understanding" as well as "to ensure the peace and the welfare of the people, and even if we have accomplished our work, we must tranquillity of mankind, and provide all the means by which they can be never be attached to what we have done, knowing that our true happiness does established" (Baha'u'll