5 Profound Insights From Lao-tzu, Founder of Taoism

Embark on a journey through the wisdom of Lao-tzu, the revered founder of Taoism. Discover five profound insights that have shaped this ancient philosophy, offering timeless lessons on harmony, balance, and the art of living with purpose.

The Tao Te Ching

Written in ancient China during the Warring States Period (300-250 BC)

• Pushes back against human desire for “more” – money, status, power, more things
• Focused on simplicity, harmony, and a return to Tao
• Author was Lao-tzu (also known as Laozi), an honorific title that means “Old Master”
• Modern scholars disagree if the author actually existed or if it is a compilation of Chinese wisdom passed down over the centuries
• Directly addresses 21st-century problems such as runaway consumerism, overdevelopment, profit at the expense of the environment, and disregard for the poor

“Thirty spokes make a wheel, but it is the empty center that makes it work.”

Emptiness and “non-being” have real value in Taoism

• The Tao itself is non-being; it is eternal, intangible, and unknowable
• Look beyond the superficial to recognize the value in what isn’t there

To know that you do not know is the best.

The truly wise ruler knows that he/she doesn’t know everything, and instead of trying to dictate and control every aspect of people’s lives, gives them freedom and lets society find its natural balance

• They focus on doing good for the maximum number of people.

The Tao invariably takes no action, and yet there is nothing left undone

“The best form of action is “no action”? What does that even mean?”

• The Chinese word for non-action is wu wei, which is sometimes translated as “doing nothing,” but Kohn prefers the wording “not forcefully acting.”
• Non-action means swimming with the current instead of against it, or of bending with the wind instead of trying to remain rigid.
• Forcefully acting, meanwhile, is like blowing up a mountain to build a bigger and more direct roadway.

“The journey of a thousand miles starts from where one stands.”

How do you accomplish a really big task or overcome a seemingly insurmountable obstacle? With patience, says Lao-tzu, and by working within your capabilities

• Start with the first thing, and if that’s successful, then you move on

“He who is contented is rich”

Taoism doesn’t teach an outright rejection of desire. What Lao-tzu emphasizes is sufficiency, of knowing when you have enough to be content instead of needlessly striving for more.

• You can have ambitions, goals, and plans, but they should all be within a framework that’s doable, that’s considerate of others, and that’s not rapacious and destructive.

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