What is the Tao: 7 laws that make a person truly happy

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Tao literally translates from Chinese as “the way.” It is the supreme law of the world order by which everything moves. Any material thing passes its way from emergence to disappearance. In the understanding of Chinese philosophers, the eternal action or principle of creation ensures the unity and duality of all things.

Tao determines the existence of everything from the moment of emergence to extinction. Everything is subject to the flow of Tao and is in continuous motion: things and people, thoughts and ideas, the moon and the sun. Even the universe has a beginning and will someday come to a natural end. And only the Chinese Tao is eternal.

In Confucianism, the concept of Tao denotes the life path of a person. If he can cognize it, he will gain immortality. To take the path of Tao and get eternal life is possible only by observing the rules relating to the spiritual and bodily levels.

According to the Tao philosophy, light spirits and evil demons fight for the soul of each person. Some behaviors fuel the good spirits, while others fuel the evil demons. Teaching Tao prescribes exactly how to behave to strengthen the former and weaken the latter.

The key ideas of this philosophy are set forth in Lao-tzu’s treatise “Dao De Ching”, or “The Book of the Way and Virtue”. The author’s name can be translated as “Old Child” or “Old Philosopher”. No reliable data on his biography have survived.

Most of the records are myths rather than actual historical facts. For example, it is said that Lao-tzu’s mother became pregnant by eating a piece of rock crystal. She gave birth to a son many decades later, because of which he came into the world, already being an old man. Hence the unusual name.

Because of the contradictory facts of biography, many modern researchers doubt that the Chinese philosopher even existed. There is a version that the “Tao de Ching” – a collective work of several authors, and Lao-tzu – their common pseudonym.

Thebasic meaning of the teaching of the Tao can be summarized as follows: if, moving towards the goal, you have not spent enough effort, you are on the way to it. Just keep working further in its direction. If you put in more effort than you need, you will achieve the exact opposite result and “miss” your goal.

The best method here is to hurry, take your time, and observe moderation. Then the energy will be spent evenly and the goal will be achieved.

Taoism in China has become the only religion in which a person can achieve immortality in his lifetime. The main thing in Taoism is De, through which Tao manifests itself in reality. It is about a variant of the existence of matter, which is a flow from one form to another through the path of the Tao.

Within this teaching, Tao De or virtue is an inner strength that a person must have. It is important for him to have a strong spirit to keep going forward towards his goal, or conversely, to let things happen on their own and observe it, maintaining the law of overall harmony.

Another important element of the religion of Taoism is Wu-wei or non-doing. This is the renunciation of activities that might disrupt the natural course of events.

“When one reaches the point of non-doing, there is nothing that is not done, ” says Lao-tzu.

It is through the power of the Wu-wei Tao that man manifests himself. The bottom line is that each of us must recognize when to act and when not to act. This idea in Taoism is considered relevant even when choosing a strategy to lead the state.

“He who loves the people and governs them should be inactive”, “The best ruler is the one about whom the people know only that he exists”, writes the legendary Lao-tzu. He points out that the ideal leader is the one who personifies power, inspires the people and prevents unrest.

Here it is important to realize that we are not talking about complete inactivity. Wu-wei is activity that is in harmony with the natural course of the world order. Any action contrary to the Tao means a waste of energy and leads to failure and death. According to the doctrine, immortality is achieved not by those who try to win the favor of Tao by good deeds, but by those who in the process of meditation and immersion in the inner world seeks to listen to himself and thus comprehend the rhythm of the universe.

The teachings of Taoism are about returning to oneself and one’s roots through meditation and acceptance. What will be revealed to us at this depth? Let’s break down the laws of the universe that will help us get on the path and see the main thing.

7 laws and principles of the universe to find the Tao

1. Law of duality

Life consists of opposites. It contains birth and death, love and hate, friendship and rivalry, meeting and parting, joy and suffering. Sometimes in order to understand something, you need to see, recognize the opposite of it. Man is also contradictory. On the one hand, there may be a desire for stability in his life, and on the other hand, there may be a desire to change something and constantly move forward because of a feeling of dissatisfaction.

In a world of dualities, we strive to find a lost unity with ourselves and life itself.

Opposites create balance, and moving from one extreme to the other builds the diversity of life. One extreme cannot exist without the other. For there to be light, there must be darkness.

2. The Law of the Mirror

Another person is our mirror. He helps us to see in ourselves what we ourselves do not want to look into.

For the one who does not see evil, there is no evil. For the one who does not see good, there is no good. What a person does not want to hear is what is most important for him to hear at this stage of life. If one corrects in oneself what is annoying in another, fate will no longer send such a mirror.

A person who avoids everything that is unpleasant to him, deprives himself of the chance to change life, misses opportunities for inner growth.

3. The Law of Thought Control

In the process of communicating with other people, we tend to adopt their moods through “emotional contagion”. In our psyche, one experience follows another. What we give more energy to, that is what will prevail in our lives.

The thought that runs around in your head acts like a magnet, attracting similar ones. Therefore, it is easier to cope with one disturbing idea than with a swarm of intrusive ones. It is difficult for a person to stop the flow of his negative and unproductive thoughts, because he develops a habit of thinking in a certain way, worrying, worrying, suffering or dreaming. This is how he gets away from actively solving problems.

4. The Law of Acceptance and Neutrality

Events themselves are neither bad nor good. They are neutral. What makes them good or bad is our perception and emotional evaluation. Life is valuable and beautiful in itself. We should accept it, rejoice and appreciate everything we are given. According to the teachings of the Tao, it is important to trust life, the power of the mind and the dictates of the heart. Everything will happen as it should, even if you have seen the prospects completely differently.

5. The Law of Choice

Our lives are made up of choices. We make them all the time. If a person chooses not to choose, giving that option to someone else, that is also a choice.

The world is full of opportunities and losses. By accepting one thing, we give up something else. Walking through one door does not automatically lead us to another, as we cannot be in two places at the same time. Everyone has to decide for themselves what is more important to them.

6. The Law of the Misguided Path

If you don’t plan your path, don’t set goals, you can end up anywhere or absolutely nowhere. You can achieve everything or nothing. The further you go down the wrong path, the harder it will be to get back on your own and find yourself.

7. The Law of Asking

If you ask for nothing, you get nothing. When we ask for something vague and unformulated, we get something incomprehensible. Our request attracts and creates a corresponding reality.

10 wise quotes from the legendary Lao Tzu.

To understand the essence of the Tao, you need to read the Tao De Ching. If you are not ready for that yet, you can limit yourself to selected quotes of its creator. Yes, as we have already said, scholars doubt the historicity of Lao-tzu’s personality. But, in essence, what does it matter who exactly said it… What matters is the essence. These words could be life-changing for you.

The soft and weak triumphs over the hard and strong.

He who accepts both the end and the beginning equally is freed from failure in affairs.

He who knows how to control others is strong, but he who knows how to control himself is even stronger.

Statue of Lao-tzu

What is compressed is expanded; what is weakened is strengthened; what is destroyed is restored.

Although there is no object in the world weaker and more delicate than water, it can destroy the hardest object.

A great man holds on to the substantial and leaves the insignificant behind. He does everything according to truth, but will never rely on laws.

Mount Yaji, the holy land of Taoism in Northern China

He who knows does not speak. He who speaks does not know.

The best lock is one that has no lock and cannot be broken. The best ties are those that are not held by anything and cannot be broken.

When I am freed from what I am, I become what I can be.

The journey of a thousand li begins with the first step.