Daoism: The Path Of Virtue

In this talk and guided practice, we examine the fundamental tenets of Daoism. Daoism is a naturalist philosophy based on cultivating the underlying potential and virtue inherent in each person. To cultivate this potential entails understanding the importance of effortless action, humility, and the natural state. Of utmost importance is cultivating harmony within and without. This is a 20 minute talk followed by a 20 minute guided meditation on the lower dantian and the central channel.

Transcript

For today's class,

I'm going to speak a bit about Taoism.

So Taoism is a philosophical tradition within China.

Some would call it a religion,

But it's really not so much a religion as a tradition that's a way of viewing the world and working with the challenges of being human and learning how to cultivate the innate potential that we all have within.

It's one of the three primary philosophical traditions within the history of China that have influenced Chinese culture over the last two millennia.

It's one of the three along with Buddhism and Confucianism.

So Taoism comes from the word dao in Chinese,

Which is often translated as the way or the path.

And one of the most famous and well-known texts on Taoism,

Which is sometimes considered to be the foundation of the tradition,

Is the Tao Te Ching.

In the Tao Te Ching,

It was written approximately 4th to 6th century BC.

The exact date is unknown,

But the oldest extant text that we have excavated is from the 4th century,

But they believe it might be going back all the way to the 6th century BC.

The Tao Te Ching,

So dao is the way or path,

Ching or ching as it's sometimes pronounced,

Is a classic or a text,

And de is virtue or power.

So it's a text on the way of virtue or the path of power.

And one of the primary aspects of it is that it's very much based in finding a sense of harmony within oneself and with the world around us.

And so for that reason,

Taoism is often very closely associated with nature and finding harmony with nature.

The Tao Te Ching could be considered a text on how to find this harmony so that we cultivate virtue,

Which arises naturally from our natural state.

So when we find this place of harmony within,

Our natural state inherently comes forth,

And out of that,

Virtue will arise without effort.

The first line of the Tao Te Ching is,

Dao ke dao fei chang dao,

Which is often translated as,

The dao that can be spoken is not the eternal dao.

And the second line is that the name that can be named is not the eternal name.

So what does this mean?

It means that anything that we speak or write that is based in language and words is inherently referential.

It's symbolic of something else,

And it's gesturing towards something else.

So from the very start of this text,

They're saying that anything that we speak or write is not truly representative of the eternal absolute reality.

It was a brilliant way to start the text because we as humans often get attached to the words and to specific perspectives and this desire to have an absolute,

And to think that we can hold on to the absolute and that we can own it in some way.

And the entire premise of Taoism is that that which is absolute is beyond our grasp.

It's beyond material reality,

And it's something that we can hold on to.

And that's what the Taoist it's beyond material reality,

And it's something that is ever-present and yet completely ineffable.

It goes beyond name and form.

In the title,

Tao Te Ching,

So I've said that de is often translated as virtue or power,

And this is often considered to be the active expression of the Tao.

Because as the Tao is ineffable,

We can't express it or point to it,

And so when it's actively manifest,

It manifests through this form of de or virtue or power.

The Tao is sometimes referred to as the absolute.

It's that which is all-pervading.

It's ever-present,

And in this sense,

It's related to what in other traditions people might call God.

Although in traditions that have a form of God,

Whether it be Islam or Christianity or Judaism,

God is often personified,

Anthropomorphized,

As an external being,

Whereas the Tao is something that is all-pervading.

It is within us.

It is us.

We are it.

We are expressions and manifestations of the All.

So in Chinese cosmology and Taoist cosmology,

From the Tao,

We can see that the Tao is the all-pervading.

In Chinese cosmology,

From the Tao comes everything,

And so in this process of manifestation,

It first divides into the Taiji,

Which is the yin-yang symbol,

The Taiji-tu.

Taiji means supreme polarity,

Is how it's sometimes translated.

So yin and yang are oppositional forces that lead to the contrast and the creation of everything.

So they are the expression of the Tao as it becomes manifest in form.

Taiji,

As I said,

Is often translated as supreme polarity,

But it's sometimes called the supreme polarity that is non-polar.

And so when you think of the yin-yang symbol,

You have the black and white swirls,

And within the white swirl,

There's a black dot,

And within the black swirl,

There's a white dot.

This is designating that within yin there is yang,

And within yang there is yin,

That they are always in a perfect balance.

And so while they are a polarity in that they are oppositional to each other,

The whole of the yin-yang is non-polar because it's perfectly balanced.

So I'll just read a short quote on this from Dua Danyi,

Who was an 11th century philosopher.

Non-polar and yet supreme polarity.

The supreme polarity in activity generates yang,

Yet at the limit of activity it is still.

In stillness it generates yin,

Yet at the limit of stillness it is also active.

Activity and stillness alternate.

Each is the basis of the other.

In distinguishing yin and yang,

The two modes are thereby established.

The alternation and combination of yang and yin generate water,

Fire,

Wood,

Metal,

And earth,

The five elements,

Or five phases.

With these five phases of qi harmoniously arranged,

The four seasons proceed through them.

The five phases are simply yin and yang.

Yin and yang are simply the supreme polarity.

The supreme polarity is fundamentally non-polar,

Yet in the generation of the five phases each one has its nature.

And so this is a basic description of Daoist cosmology and the generation of all that we see.

The Dao gives birth to the taiji,

The yin and yang.

Yin and yang give birth to the five elements,

Which then become the composition of everything at this level of manifest reality.

Ultimately everything that we experience is an emanation from the Dao.

In the Daoist perspective,

The more we can return to the Dao and attain the Dao and embody it and realize this still point of oneness from which everything emerges,

We become more harmonious within ourselves,

More at peace,

More free,

More happy,

And we become harmonious with the world around us,

And from that state we will naturally fulfill our potential as human beings and manifest virtue.

One of the central concepts within Daoism is that of wu-wei.

Wu-wei is often translated as non-action.

It can also be translated as effortless action.

What this means is it's a way of being in the world and acting from a place that is devoid of any agenda.

It means that one is not trying to assert one's will in the world,

That one is not trying to change the world to make it accommodate what the mind thinks it should be,

That one is at peace within oneself and with everything that one experiences,

And therefore one acts in a way that is harmonious and generates virtue.

It's for this reason that Daoists were often known for leaving the world,

Leaving human society,

And going off spending time alone in nature,

Because nature is in a state of harmony.

Even with all the changes that occur,

Nature just is.

That's why we call it the natural state.

Whereas humans in societies and culture,

We often get caught up in the mind and the desires of the mind and believing that we should be some certain way,

That others should be some certain way,

And the world should be some certain way.

And so we go about trying to impose that view and those desires on the world and on others,

And this is the source of all violence and disharmony in the world.

Wu Wei,

Non-action,

Is often associated with water,

Because when we observe water,

It's always in the natural state.

It accommodates whatever circumstances it's in.

If you freeze it,

It solidifies.

If you heat it,

It steams.

Water,

When it's flowing in a stream or a river,

If it comes upon a huge boulder,

It simply moves around it.

Another thing about water is that it's always flowing downward,

And so one of the other core aspects of Daoism is cultivating humility.

In Daoism,

It's taking the lowest place,

Not trying to achieve power in the outer world,

But achieving the inner power to have control over oneself and one's mind,

And always allow oneself to be humble.

When we are humble,

It means that we are not being guided by the desires and will of the ego.

It means that we're willing to take a lower place,

That we do not take offense at other people's sometimes difficult ways in which they treat us or act towards us.

It means that we don't take things personally,

Because we realize that we are all a part of the Dao,

Of this all-pervading unity and oneness,

And that when we give in to the will of the ego,

It causes us to want to try to control circumstances and the world around us,

Which ultimately leads to greater disharmony.

When we allow ourselves to take the lower place,

To be humble,

It allows us to find that natural state within,

To find peace within,

Regardless of what might be happening in the outer world.

Another term that's often associated with Daoism is shao yao.

Shao yao is often translated as free and easy wandering,

Because when one attains this state,

It's said that one wanders through the world freely and easily as though one is in heaven.

Another saying that's associated with Daoism is that the sage does nothing,

And yet nothing is left undone.

It's a form of trusting in this flow of the Dao,

In the flow of the universe,

That things will proceed as they need to,

And that when we let go of trying to control circumstances,

We find the freedom within.

At this point,

It might be useful to distinguish between freedom and liberty.

Often,

In modern society,

We conflate the two,

And everybody wants freedom,

And yet we associate freedom with doing what I want,

When I want,

How I want.

But this isn't actually freedom.

This is a form of liberty.

It's the liberty to impose one's will on the world,

And we have more liberty based on the government,

The country in which we live,

And the laws and regulations.

We have more liberty when we have more money or power in the outer world,

And we have the ability to influence our surroundings,

Our situation,

And our level of comfort.

But again,

These are forms of liberty,

Of being able to do what we want when we want,

Which is really an expression of the mind and its desire.

Whereas freedom,

True freedom,

Is an inner state that we can experience no matter what our outer circumstances are,

Whether we're rich or poor,

Whether we're in jail or free to roam the earth,

All of these abilities,

The inner freedom is irrespective of these outer circumstances.

And often,

When we strive for greater liberty,

And we become attached to believing that liberty equates with freedom,

It actually can prevent us from finding that freedom that we all have within all the time.

And so,

Taoists often seek to find this sense of xiaoyao,

Of free and easy wandering in the world,

Of that inner freedom that comes when we let go of trying to control outer circumstances.

When we find the state of xiaoyao and wu-wei,

Non-action,

We move closer to what they call zit-ran,

Which often translates to the natural state of the state of the state of the world.

Zit-ran means to be so of itself.

It's the primordial state of everything in existence,

When we are just being as we are,

Without trying to change ourselves or the world,

And we attune to the Tao and we find this natural state within that leads to a continual unfolding.

Because in actuality,

We are all being reborn every moment of every day.

To attain this state,

We need to let go of conditioned ideas of who we are and how the world is.

In this sense,

This is another reason why Taoists would often leave the world,

In a sense,

That they would go to nature,

Because when we are in society,

We're continually receiving impressions that condition us to perceive ourselves a certain way,

And we're not able to perceive ourselves as we perceive ourselves a certain way,

And to perceive the world in a certain way.

And those impressions and conditionings often prevent us from perceiving the moment-to-moment reality as it is.

When we find the state of zit-ran,

One of the characteristics of the natural state is the term pu,

P-u,

Which means the,

It's often translated as the uncarved block.

And so the uncarved block is representative of this letting go of attachments to self-identity and this conditioned way of perceiving ourselves in the world.

The uncarved block is the state of limitless potential that we all have within.

An uncarved block can become anything.

As I said,

Water is often used metaphorically to represent the Tao and moving towards this state of Taoism,

Of letting go of trying to control.

So they often use this sense of water when they talk about meditative practices,

And so this is where the idea of letting the silt settle comes from.

Because as long as our mind is engaged in trying to direct our experience,

And trying to control what occurs in the world around us,

The water is very stirred up,

And we get caught up in thoughts and desires and wanting things to be different than they are.

And so meditation is a way of letting the water become still,

And when the water becomes still,

The silt of thoughts begins to settle,

And the mind and the soul become clear.

And we perceive this unity that is always present,

That we are always a part of,

And that we are manifestations of.

This is a process of continually becoming and never arriving.

As long as we are alive,

We are always changing.

We are always in this process of becoming,

And yet we never arrive at some fixed state.

It's about the journey,

Not the destination.

And so Taoists move towards this state through these meditative practices,

Where they're able to allow the mind to settle and the silt to settle.

So then they realize how they're these expressions of the underlying Tao,

That they are always connected to everything around them,

That they are part of nature,

And they are continually becoming.

And it's about cultivating a healthy curiosity about oneself so we can learn from this process of continually becoming who we are in our true nature,

And we learn more about the world.

There are many practices that they use to cultivate this state of inner stillness.

There are many meditative practices,

And there are many practices in the outer world so they have different rituals that they'll engage in to cultivate this outer reflection of moving towards that inner stillness.

They'll use practices such as qigong,

Which is a combination of movement and breath to find that natural rhythm and flow within to harmonize within oneself and with the world around oneself.

In all of these practices,

A common term that's used is shouyi,

Which means to hold the one.

It's a process of guiding our intention to continually move towards the oneness that we all have within,

And many of the practices are geared towards finding that oneness within through focusing on a single point within the body,

And then also focusing on the one-ness within.

So focusing on a single point within the body or the central channel that runs from the perineum up through the center of the body to the crown of the head.

As we move towards this oneness within,

Guiding our awareness through meditation,

We naturally find that stillness,

And we find our natural state that is always already right here.

So for today's meditation,

We'll start by focusing the awareness in the lower dantian,

In the lower abdomen,

And finding that point of oneness,

And then we'll guide it up and down through the central channel.

If you're able,

I would recommend sitting upright for this practice.

You are welcome to lay down if it's challenging to sit upright.

So if you will,

Please find a comfortable posture.

Check to make sure that you have a stable base.

If you are seated,

Check that your knees are below your hips so that the front of the hips stay open and relaxed.

Allow the spinal column and torso to rise with their natural curves up towards heaven.

Relax the shoulders back and down,

And begin to observe the natural movement of the breath,

And begin to observe the natural movement of the breath,

Simply allowing it to be as it is in this moment,

Without judgment or trying to change it.

It could be long or short,

Shallow or deep,

Choppy or smooth,

Simply observing the rhythm of the breath as it moves in and out.

You may notice that when you observe the breath,

It naturally starts to shift,

Simply by bringing awareness to it.

Simply by bringing awareness to it.

As you observe the breath,

Use the exhalation to gently release any unnecessary tension holding or guarding within the physical body,

Finding that place of effortless effort,

Of wu-wei.

As you observe the breath and release unnecessary tension from the body,

Guide your awareness to the lower dantian,

The energetic center in the lower abdomen,

Approximately two to three inches below the umbilicus,

Midway between the front of the abdomen and the spine.

Simply observing this space within your physical body,

Noticing any sensations that might arise,

Tension or fullness,

Openness or emptiness,

Warmth,

Knowing that there is no right or wrong sensation.

If thoughts come in,

Simply set them aside and return to observing the lower dantian.

Become fascinated with any sensations that arise,

Moving your awareness even closer to open curiosity.

So once your awareness is focused in the lower dantian,

Allow it to begin to rise through the central channel.

You may only move a little bit at first,

A few inches up,

And then back down to the lower dantian.

If it's useful,

You can use the breath.

As you inhale,

Allowing the awareness to rise in the central channel through the center of the body,

And as you exhale,

Allowing the awareness to fall,

Returning to the lower dantian.

With each inhalation,

Rising a little bit further,

Eventually reaching the heart center,

The center of the chest.

With each exhale,

Returning to the lower dantian.

Continuing to rise further with each inhale,

Eventually reaching the center of the neck,

Returning to the lower dantian with each exhalation.

You can almost think of this as a form of flossing,

Of clearing any obstructions from the central channel,

Finding the center of oneness runs through your body.

Allowing it to continue to rise with each inhalation,

Reaching the center of the brain,

Before returning to the lower dantian on the exhalation.

So when the awareness reaches the center of the brain,

Which is also referred to as the upper dantian on your next inhalation,

Allow the awareness to remain in the upper dantian as you exhale.

Continue breathing as the awareness remains in the center of the brain,

Simply observing any sensations or colors that arise as the awareness remains focused in the upper dantian.

So so notice the stillness that lies beneath all sensation.

Allow your awareness to relax and soften into the stillness.

So now allow your awareness to flow back down through the central channel,

Cascading like a waterfall as it flows through your body,

All the way down to return to the lower dantian in the lower abdomen.

Concentrate the awareness in your lower dantian as though there were a magnet drawing all of the awareness throughout your entire body to itself in the lower dantian.

So so become aware of the felt sense of the body as a whole.

Feel the stability beneath you,

Supporting you,

And holding you up.

Sense the air around you in which you are immersed and never separate from.

So experience all of this even as you remain aware of the lower dantian.

And when you are ready,

Begin to gently and slowly open your eyes,

Remaining grounded within the physicality of your body and the lower dantian as you take in the world around you,

Letting it flow through you.

The philosophy of Taoism teaches us that we always have this state of peace and joy and freedom within.

The more we let go of the outer world and the more we become aware of our inner world,

The easier it becomes to find this harmony that we always have within,

That we are always a part of,

That we are manifestations of.

This is the Tao.

Thank you all for joining me today.

Reviews

i love learning about Daoism- another great talk 🙏

It always has such a calming effect on me to listen to these teachings by Thomas Richardson, thank you so much, this on Daoism was extra interesting since I have connection to China, via my tea teacher 🌱🙏

Really nice dive into daoism and it's basic philosophy.

Amazing beautiful 🙏🏻

Lovely ☺️
‘Approach it and there is no beginning; follow it and there is no end.
You can’t know it, but you can be it, at ease in your own life.
Just realise where you come from: this is the essence of wisdom. (Stanza 14)
Blessings to you ☺️

This is one of my favorite offerings of yours. When the silt settles, I am reminded: at the seal's deepest point there is often a strange calm. And what know those that speak of liberty when they have never glimpsed freedom?

Lower Dantian meditation. ✨
Divine guidance as always.
Blessings to you Thomas